WoW > FFXI ?

Strong Bad · 11-18-2005, 10:08 AM

Hey Dudes.

I've been lookin' for a new MMORPG these days and after several seconds of research, it has come down to these two games. I can't decide which one to buy! Seriously... which one is better? I will ask you, the professionals, for your professional opinions! REVEAL YOUR SECRETS!

I'm leaning towards WoW though... it seems better...

King Fenii · 11-18-2005, 10:22 AM

A regular WoW player will say that he never played FFXI. And a regular FFXI player will say: WoW is copying FFXI!!

That's why they are two seperate games. WoW IS pretty good, but it's a total different world if you're used to Final Fantasy. And I've played World of Warcraft for a while, and it wasn't that I was bored or anything...it just didn't feel right. I didn't like the mounts (beasts you could ride). I was used to Chocobo's. I was like a country boy in the big city.

The whole point of FFXI is for Final Fantasy players to play in a Final Fantasy world where you could interact with eachother. All the things you could do in the previous FF's, you could do now. Choose a class, choose a weapon etc. It is a dream come true for every FF player.

And as for what you should choose, that's up to you. If you like the FF world, and the vibe of it all, you should stick with FF. You'll be used to the classical FF magic, chocobo's and many crystals. If you want something new and maybe refreshing, you should choose WoW. The two games both have different atmospheres so choose the one you like the most. See if a friend will let you play WoW for a while to see how you like it.

But I think that in the end you'll be comparing all the magic and abilities you find in WoW to those of FF. So I think you're gonna choose FFXI in the end.

Andromeda · 11-18-2005, 07:14 PM

I will lay it down simply like this. How much time do you have? WoW is popular because of one very important reason, the "busy, I have a life" person can play the game and still feel like they are getting something done. Until then, MMORPGs were just to huge and took too much time to do something, which is a lot of people's problem. They have busy lives and do not have time to put down hours and hours, actuallys days and weeks into a game to get somewhere and something done. WoW is a faster paced game that allows you to get through the leveling faster, do things alone and still visit the real world.

FFXI is a deep, rich game that requires a lot of time to get places. I go to college, or rather, I did, and another than the fact that I took 5 months off the game it took me about 15 months to get my first lv 75 job. How long did it take in reality, probably 6 months, but I did a lot of other things, like leveling up other jobs, crafting, doing missions, etc. But you have to keep in mind I probably played on average 5-7 hours everyday on the game. If you want to party, you have to be ready to put down at least 2 hours, if you want to get anywhere, that is saying you get a party quickly. Early on up to the 30s you should not have troubles finding a party and a good 3-4 hour party will net you a level or two, maybe 3 if they are very good.

The big difference between WoW and FFXI is time, WoW current cap is 60, FFXI is 75, but you probably can reach 60 in a month or two, which will probably take you 4-6 months if you are on FFXI. Time is the biggest factor often, which is why people often go to WoW. However, I can also say from reading through a lot of people's comments, that played who have played WoW, ended up stopping after 3-6 months can go to FFXI. Most are returning players to FFXI, so you cannot completely say that it was not bias. But I think you will probably find yourself bored with WoW a lot sooner than you are FFXI. But that will depend on your time, the people that played 3-6 months, probably have like 5-10 hours of playtime each day, so they run through things fast.

I cannot speak on WoW other than to say that it is the busy man's game. If you are a FF fan, you enjoy the games and their stories then you should get FF. If you do not care, figure out how much time you have and pick from there. FFXI has 15 jobs, which the same character can level all 15 jobs, so you do not need more characters, provides plenty of variety.

WoW I think gets hit with a lot of bugs and issues in the game, as well as being crowded. But this is a lot just what I read and hear. FFXI is a 3 year old game, so its well test and runs smooth, only problem is SE is hit with DoS attacks here and there, that make loginning in hard. Each game has its problems, but I'd probably say FFXI is a little more reliable, just because WoW is still new and Blizzard is trying to fix the problems. I also read about a lot of unbalanced jobs in the game, and Rogues are just completely over-powered. But anyway, I've rambled on long enough.

Both games are good, its all a matter of preference and time.

Sean · 11-18-2005, 07:40 PM

World of Warcraft is not more crowded than Final Fantasy XI, Andromeda.

Strong Bad, from my perspective, which is a fair one, I think, considering I've played both games nearly the same amount of time, World of Warcraft is the better choice.

1. You don't have to deal with elitist Japanese.

2. You don't have to deal with elitist Americans, either.

3. It's easier to level, it's easier to feel like you're actually accomplishing something, and it's a lot more fun in the process.

Final Fantasy XI, more so now than it was when I played considering it's user base has dropped dramatically since then, is nothing but a waiting game.

You cannot level up on your own past level 14 very quickly, and if you do when you hit 20 you'll be CRAWLING to level up on your own.

In order to gain levels past 14 you have to party. Partying consists of putting up a flag and spamming the message "Looking for party!" over and over until you finally get an invite. Getting an invite is all well and good, but first you have to get to your party, alive, no less! Not always an easy feat.

You finally get a party, after (for me) an average wait of 30 minutes. You kill a few monster, all's going well, but, oh shit, the white mage has to leave.

Parties usually disband when white mages leave, because every party usually needs a white mage, or two good red mages.

The moral of the story: Final Fantasy XI is too much waiting and too slow of a pace. You wait, you wait, and you wait. You kill a few monsters, and you wait some more. It's rarely ever fast paced because you have to rely on 5 other people doing things properly, and that hardly happens.

Not only that, but the graphics in FFXI are very subpar, the amount of models in the game are very lacking, there's no variety in character models, you'll run into someone who looks EXACTLY like you on more than 50 occasions, you lose experience when you die, questing and missions usually require parties that are doing the exact same quest or mission, the crafting skills are such a ****ing pain in the ass and aren't fun at all.

The good parts of FFXI are that the world is very beautiful, in the sky. The landscapes look decent when you take into account the weather, but the "zoning" thing is annoying. One minute you're in a nice lush green field, then you enter a tiny little green canyon, then the next you're suddenly in the desert after a 15-30 second loading screen. (Highlands to Valkrum)

World of Warcraft is more colorful, has no zoning (unless instantly switching continents) is easier to jump into, lets you pick up and play for 30 minutes and acheive something, and, in my opinion, is infinitly more fun than Final Fantasy XI.

Albiet I don't play either anymore, I think World of Warcraft is quite possibly the best MMORPG, ever. Server problems aside, it's definitly the best.

Questing in WoW gets old after awhile, but not nearly as old as waiting 3 hours to gain 600 experience of the 7000 you need to gain your next level that FFXI puts you through.

So, my choice, easily, is WoW. I've played many, many MMORPGs Strong Bad, and I definitly say WoW is the best of them all.

And WoW is not copying FFXI. WoW is taking all the elements that a great MMORPG should have and that a MMORPG lover will like and expands upon them, and keeps expanding upon them. WoW is ****ing epic, I don't care what anyone says. Blizzard has done a fantastic job on that game.

Andromeda · 11-18-2005, 08:10 PM

Yeah, I think Sean and I will always disagree about WoW and FFXI. But I think he just had bad experiences in FFXI. Because I have rarely experienced the 30 minute parties he talks about. I can understand the dilemmia though, I have seen it happen, though generally a smart party will disband if more than one member is leaving. I also cannot remember what level Sean reached in FFXI, because that will change your experience as well. I had a that went for 14 hours, the few months I played I was in a party for at least 4 hours. So do not think that partying is that hard or annoying. But I have also waited two days on a party and then I have gotten a party even when I was not looking for one. It goes up and down. I have leveled up almost every job in the game at least a little, and about half of them I have partied with, so I have experienced the up and downs of party. Level 10-20 parties are often the worst you will ever find, because you will either be partying with a new person or someone with poor equipment. But considering that there are fewer new players, the dunes probably are not nearly as bad as they were when I played through them. The average length of a party is about 2-3 hours. If it around midnight they will go till about 3 maybe 4 before they disband due to sleep.

Kyle Shidair · 11-18-2005, 08:23 PM

I agree with Sean.

Simply put.

FF XI: Grind, Must Party, Game built on working together and people

WoW: Way less grind, PVP, Ability to switch sertver (I think, never played)

I play XI because my vard is a wee bit too weak for WoW, and I party with my Friend Sara 24/7, snce we only play when we're both on. Her being a White Mage I can pretty much garuente a party, and if not, we can duo pretty easy because we share money and I'm also a monk. Since I know the game, most enemies around my level are easy, and we know how to take on multiple hard enemies.

Thus theres less leveling down, more leveling up, and we can do it efficently.

One thing I hate about FF XI are the higher levels tewlling me what to do in a bossy fashion, and trying to power level me. I can level fine on my own.

So if you'd like to play a game that gives you more EXp for what you do, by all means WoW is the choice. If you wish to seek a more party driven game, wiht ultimaelty a more solid story to the world, play FF XI. I'd say Wow though. I know all too many people who like it, and when you hit 60 and get bored, sell your character and start a new one. XD

Strong Bad · 11-19-2005, 01:57 AM

Wow, that was better feedback than I had imagined.

The time factor for FFXI is a little concerning... 5-10 hours Andromeda? Do you have a life?

Though, I don't mind spending countless hours on a game if it's fun. Heaven knows I've done it before.

Though, I happen to LOVE party based games. I'm baseing these experiences solely on Ragnarok Online. I hated Soloing in that game (Even though it was the most efficient way to level.) It gets so boring being by yourself all the time. I never really found it hard to find a party though.

I'd love to have a white mage/healing character anyways, so I guess that is a bonus. I'd probably want a White Mage/Monk/Bard... Would that be a popular character..? What would be the best Race if I wanted to have those as my main jobs classes?

I don't really like this un-individuality factor Sean mentioned... I loved in Ragnarok Online how each character was so personalized. But oh well...

My friends have recommended WoW instead of FFXI.. but I think I'm leaning towards FFXI now that you mention it. I love partying... it's the best part of MMORPGs... I imagine I'd just make lots of friends that'd be on at the same time as me...

One big factor you guys failed to mention. The Cost! The Expenses! Which is cheaper!? I'm so poor!

*****

I'd probably be buying the game in April, (End of the school term) since I'd get more time to play and all... I was just wondering which expansion backs I'd have to pick up? (For both games that is...)

I wouldn't want an out of date game now would I!

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Andromeda · 11-19-2005, 10:41 AM

Well if you are going PC, and since you are thinking about WoW, I have to assume that is the case. FFXI is $30 for the game, and both expansions, and WoW is $50 at Best Buy, at least that is what I found at Bestbuy.com. And if you are waiting until April there will be a new expansion I think something between now and then for FFXI. Treasure of Aht Urghan, has been announced, but we do not know a time yet.

If you are worried about the individuality, you've played RO so the only difference there is the color of your hair and style. FFXI maybe only have 40-50 character models, but the individuality comes out in your clothes, though near end game people look a lot a like, but you have plenty of options.

Sir Kenneth · 11-20-2005, 10:51 AM

I have played both games and I have to say that this is an extremely easy choice. WoW wins my love by a landslide. WoW being a "busy, I have a life" kind of game, is a big fat lie really. If you want to there is plenty of stuff in WoW to delve into for several hours, just like there is in FF XI.
But WoW is ALSO a game which you can just pick up for half an hour of fun and still actually achieve something in the game.

Also if you do choose WoW, then make sure to pick on of the races of The Horde. Most Alliance players are: A. Morons. B. Dark elf players who think they are Legolas from LOTR. C Both.

Djinn · 11-20-2005, 07:28 PM

Guess i'll chime in for this aswell, since i have played both games a lot (and i mean a lot) =).

First FFXI, while this game was incredibly fun for the first few days of playing, it got incredibly tedious very fast. Waiting for parties is just one of the things you will have to put up with when you want to level, high levels training mobs on your party and costing you to lose experience, also morons in your party not knowing how to play their class and getting you killed (losing more exp).

The environments in FFXI were pretty dull in my opinion, every place in 1 zone looked exactly the same and to be honest it got incredibly boring looking at the same scenery over and over again.

This will be my last point about FFXI, the drops from mobs and quest rewards... when you kill something in FFXI they NEVER drop items you can use unless they are a rare spawn mob (can't remember what they're called) and most of the quests you do never give you anything useful to use. This is something that really bothered me about the game and ultimatly led to me quitting for World of Warcraft.

Now, onto WoW. First the bad points, some of the classes are stupidly overpowered (shaman anyone?), some of the classes are a bitch to level (still faster than FFXI though lol) and some of the players are absolute morons, but you get them in every online game.

The environments in WoW are stunning, some of the views i have come across are breathtaking, you just have to look at some of the screenshots of the days on the WoW main site for an example of what i am talking about. The character models are a lot more 'cartoony' than the FFXI ones but, as sean said, there are a lot more character models to choose from and it is a rarity to run across someone that looks exactly like you (including armors and weapons) where as in FFXI its an hourly occurance.

The item selection is far superior in WoW. In FFXI you wore the same shit at the same levels, and everyone else wore the same shit as you did. In WoW there is such a selection of items to use while you are levelling that you will never see someone with the same gear as you ever, and i mean that. Also the things you kill actually drop useful items (gasp) and the quests reward you with items that are useful to you (gasp again), in fact i'm still using a quest reward item now and i got it 4-5 months ago, some of them are just that good.

Now for all those people who think that WoW is a single player experience, you couldn't be more wrong, blizzard just gave you the option to play it as a single player. There are a ton of things to do as 5 man, 10 man, 15 man, 20 man and even 40 man raid groups. All of the instances in the game (instance being a dungeon) are made for parties, up until 50+ they are all 5 man instances, but once you hit 50 you'll start doing 10-15 man instances and then if you're in a big guild or a high population server you'll start doing 40 man instances that give some of the best items in the game. So saying WoW isn't party based is a lie, i levelled my main character in a party of at least 2 people at all times, i very rarely solo'd.

PvP in WoW > PvP in FFXI... i don't think i need to go into this too much, anyone who has played both games and pvp'd in them will tell you this much. As a warning if you do play WoW and you don't like getting killed, make a character on a PvE server =P

So to conclude this post...

In my opinion WoW > FFXI, i've spent roughly the same amount of time in each game to come to this conclusion and so it is not biased... am i right in saying andromeda hasn't played much WoW? =)

In the end its your decision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Kenneth

Also if you do choose WoW, then make sure to pick on of the races of The Horde. Most Alliance players are: A. Morons. B. Dark elf players who think they are Legolas from LOTR. C Both.

You sir, are a moron. I have played both alliance and horde, and from my experiences there are a lot more dumbasses on the horde side.

Sean · 11-20-2005, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jin Kazama

Guess i'll chime in for this aswell, since i have played both games a lot (and i mean a lot) =).

First FFXI, while this game was incredibly fun for the first few days of playing, it got incredibly tedious very fast. Waiting for parties is just one of the things you will have to put up with when you want to level, high levels training mobs on your party and costing you to lose experience, also morons in your party not knowing how to play their class and getting you killed (losing more exp).

The environments in FFXI were pretty dull in my opinion, every place in 1 zone looked exactly the same and to be honest it got incredibly boring looking at the same scenery over and over again.

This will be my last point about FFXI, the drops from mobs and quest rewards... when you kill something in FFXI they NEVER drop items you can use unless they are a rare spawn mob (can't remember what they're called) and most of the quests you do never give you anything useful to use. This is something that really bothered me about the game and ultimatly led to me quitting for World of Warcraft.

Now, onto WoW. First the bad points, some of the classes are stupidly overpowered (shaman anyone?), some of the classes are a bitch to level (still faster than FFXI though lol) and some of the players are absolute morons, but you get them in every online game.

The environments in WoW are stunning, some of the views i have come across are breathtaking, you just have to look at some of the screenshots of the days on the WoW main site for an example of what i am talking about. The character models are a lot more 'cartoony' than the FFXI ones but, as sean said, there are a lot more character models to choose from and it is a rarity to run across someone that looks exactly like you (including armors and weapons) where as in FFXI its an hourly occurance.

The item selection is far superior in WoW. In FFXI you wore the same shit at the same levels, and everyone else wore the same shit as you did. In WoW there is such a selection of items to use while you are levelling that you will never see someone with the same gear as you ever, and i mean that. Also the things you kill actually drop useful items (gasp) and the quests reward you with items that are useful to you (gasp again), in fact i'm still using a quest reward item now and i got it 4-5 months ago, some of them are just that good.

Now for all those people who think that WoW is a single player experience, you couldn't be more wrong, blizzard just gave you the option to play it as a single player. There are a ton of things to do as 5 man, 10 man, 15 man, 20 man and even 40 man raid groups. All of the instances in the game (instance being a dungeon) are made for parties, up until 50+ they are all 5 man instances, but once you hit 50 you'll start doing 10-15 man instances and then if you're in a big guild or a high population server you'll start doing 40 man instances that give some of the best items in the game. So saying WoW isn't party based is a lie, i levelled my main character in a party of at least 2 people at all times, i very rarely solo'd.

PvP in WoW > PvP in FFXI... i don't think i need to go into this too much, anyone who has played both games and pvp'd in them will tell you this much. As a warning if you do play WoW and you don't like getting killed, make a character on a PvE server =P

So to conclude this post...

In my opinion WoW > FFXI, i've spent roughly the same amount of time in each game to come to this conclusion and so it is not biased... am i right in saying andromeda hasn't played much WoW? =)

In the end its your decision.

You sir, are a moron. I have played both alliance and horde, and from my experiences there are a lot more dumbasses on the horde side.

Andy!

Havn't seen you in awhile my friend.

Anyways, everythign he said is beyond true, including the Horde being "smarter." I have equal experiences on both.

You cannot switch servers with characters, but, I think the rule is 40 characters across all servers and 8 characters max per server. PvP Servers only allow you to make characters on one faction.

Kennith, it's not "Blood Elves" it's Night Elves.

And I've yet to run across a Night Elf thinking they were Legolas. In fact, it's my favorite race in the game, and is the race my main character is and has been since last November.

Kyle, I played World of Warcraft's beta on a 1.6GHz Pentium 4 system with 256MB of RAM and an nVidia 3 series with relatively little problems when I toned down the graphics. If you can run FFXI I gaurantee you can run WoW.

I say I played the beta because the beta was a lot more unstable and took more system resources than the product that's out now.