Steam: Final Fantasy XI Online - Ultimate Collection ($4.99)

Gotta port it to OSX and I might consider jumping back into it.... or just get FF14.

I was thinking about getting this in the past, but every time I think about getting back into this game, I always remember all the crap you have to put up with and all the hoops you have to jump through just to get 1 piece of marginally better gear and it puts me off again. Hopefully XIV will be better.

if FF 14 starts and they take away the subscription fees to this one...then maybe otherwise no (doubt that will happen though).

Just a note to those who care, lots of stuff went 50% off at the same time, though I don't see it listed as part of the midweek madness. Hit the specials tab on Steam for the list.

[quote name='reininop']Just a note to those who care, lots of stuff went 50% off at the same time, though I don't see it listed as part of the midweek madness. Hit the specials tab on Steam for the list.[/QUOTE]

thanks for the heads up

FFXI is an amazing game but you do need some commitment if you wanna get things done, and it is kinda tough when you first start out, luckily there's a lot of really nice people that help new players, FFXI has the best community in my opinion (perhaps due to the high percentage of female players among other things). The game is truly massive, I've done about 95% of the game before I quit and it took me over 5000 hours of gameplay to achieve this.

Here's a good vid about the game: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-viii-final-fantasy/24493

As for FFXIV, it's pretty different from FFXI, the battle system is dumbed down (WoW style) and the awesome job system of FFXI with real FF jobs is mostly gone too. It seems that with FFXIV Square wants to cater to WoW type players and casual gamers. I don't know if it will pay off, I think long time FFXI players will not like the game.

[quote name='reininop']Just a note to those who care, lots of stuff went 50% off at the same time, though I don't see it listed as part of the midweek madness. Hit the specials tab on Steam for the list.[/QUOTE]

Nice call, can anyone sell me on Warband? I've got the original and I love it but it doesn't look like Warband adds all that much.

[quote name='roymustang']FFXI is an amazing game but you do need some commitment if you wanna get things done, and it is kinda tough when you first start out, luckily there's a lot of really nice people that help new players, FFXI has the best community in my opinion (perhaps due to the high percentage of female players among other things). The game is truly massive, I've done about 95% of the game before I quit and it took me over 5000 hours of gameplay to achieve this.

Here's a good vid about the game: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-viii-final-fantasy/24493

As for FFXIV, it's pretty different from FFXI, the battle system is dumbed down (WoW style) and the awesome job system of FFXI with real FF jobs is mostly gone too. It seems that with FFXIV Square wants to cater to WoW type players and casual gamers. I don't know if it will pay off, I think long time FFXI players will not like the game.[/QUOTE]

If they keep both going, it could be a good thing for Square. Personally, I don't have the time or money for a timesink like this.

[quote name='roymustang']FFXI is an amazing game but you do need some commitment if you wanna get things done, and it is kinda tough when you first start out, luckily there's a lot of really nice people that help new players, FFXI has the best community in my opinion (perhaps due to the high percentage of female players among other things).[/QUOTE]

Due to high female population? Hehe.

No it has helpful people because the game is brutally hard.

Its just like everquest. That game was hard as hell and not forgiving, but thats what made the community so tight in the game. People had server wide unwritten rules like you yell anytime you pull to whatever zone wall and little things like that. People were friendly also like I could go into dreadlands and say hi in general and usually dozen or more people would say hi back and I would get invites from people Id played with before to join them. You could join a group and pulls mobs for 5 to 8 hours straight with the same group and everyone talked the whole time, people would give notice and find replacements for themselves when they left. And it was just friendly.

Soon as portal system, auction house, increased HP regen, portals put in places of boats and the game made easier people got lazy and lazy players breed bored players. And much like children, when bored players play they act like assholes for the most part. Thats why from day 1 warcraft has been mostly asshole kids and still is because the game is to easy and it attracts lazy players. Everquest was so hard it weeded out the idiots and left only the real players and its difficulty alone inspired teamwork, while games like warcraft you can level to 80 fairly easy and once there can complete alot of game by yourself, including alot of 5 man group instances.

[quote name='TheLongshot']If they keep both going, it could be a good thing for Square. Personally, I don't have the time or money for a timesink like this.[/QUOTE]
I played FFXI for 276 days play time, biggest time sink in the world. I no longer play anymore, but for some reason I am rather eager for FFXIV regardless.

The reason this deal is so underwhelming, is because the discount literally amounts to just one-third of the amount you'll have to pay every single month in subscription fees, for this game.

[quote name='Hydro2Oxide']Nice call, can anyone sell me on Warband? I've got the original and I love it but it doesn't look like Warband adds all that much.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't add much? It's adds online multiplayer, son! It's absolutely incredible. If you love M&B, you NEED to own Warband, no question whatsoever. The online play takes the replay value to beyond infinite. The online experience is fantastic, the community is incredible and highly active, and the game is as customizable and moddable as ever, so there is tons of community-made content coming. The highly improved graphics are also a welcome addition.

Buy it, now. No backtalk!

[quote name='reininop']Just a note to those who care, lots of stuff went 50% off at the same time, though I don't see it listed as part of the midweek madness. Hit the specials tab on Steam for the list.[/QUOTE]
Yup, it's a Paradox Interactive sale. Seems like all their stuff is 50% off.

Actually, if you've got the time and determination this isn't a bad deal considering it's $5 for all the expansions included. It's a metric TON of gameplay that's for sure. I played for a couple of years and it's a great game.

Just a note to those who care, lots of stuff went 50% off at the same time, though I don't see it listed as part of the midweek madness. Hit the specials tab on Steam for the list.

Click to expand...

Thanks for heads up

When does the included 30 days start? Is it from the time of purchase or do you get a code to activate an account or sommat that you can save until later?

[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Doesn't add much? It's adds online multiplayer, son! It's absolutely incredible. If you love M&B, you NEED to own Warband, no question whatsoever. The online play takes the replay value to beyond infinite. The online experience is fantastic, the community is incredible and highly active, and the game is as customizable and moddable as ever, so there is tons of community-made content coming. The highly improved graphics are also a welcome addition.

Buy it, now. No backtalk![/QUOTE]

Sir yes sir, shame I just got engulfed in the Star Wars mod for original, nothing beats being a jedi in Mount and Blade.

I'd love to play but the monthly fees...

Regardless of how much content they put in, monthly fees still put me off.

[quote name='keithp']Actually, if you've got the time and determination this isn't a bad deal considering it's $5 for all the expansions included. It's a metric TON of gameplay that's for sure. I played for a couple of years and it's a great game.[/QUOTE]

There is a lot of content in all of the expansions! The downside however, is you probably won't see 1/10th of it before your subscription starts.

I will always love FFXI, it has easily been my favorite MMO even though I no longer play it.

FFXI is a terrific game, but unfortunately, as with most MMORPGs, the amount of users has declined considerably over the years, and now it can be very difficult to get any sort of quest assistance or even find a XP party, especially if you have a job that isn't viewed as essential to party success, such as a Puppetmaster. Some places used to be so crowded that my framerates on PS2/360 basically dropped to 1fps, but now those places are almost ghost towns.

[quote name='btw1217']FFXI is a terrific game, but unfortunately, as with most MMORPGs, the amount of users has declined considerably over the years, and now it can be very difficult to get any sort of quest assistance or even find a XP party, especially if you have a job that isn't viewed as essential to party success, such as a Puppetmaster.[/QUOTE]
SE hasn't done anything in the past year to fix lolPUP?

[quote name='btw1217']FFXI is a terrific game, but unfortunately, as with most MMORPGs, the amount of users has declined considerably over the years, and now it can be very difficult to get any sort of quest assistance or even find a XP party, especially if you have a job that isn't viewed as essential to party success, such as a Puppetmaster. Some places used to be so crowded that my framerates on PS2/360 basically dropped to 1fps, but now those places are almost ghost towns.[/QUOTE]

I remember the nights I used to sit and wait for a party for 4-5 hours at a time, and then getting an invite at like 2am right as I'm about to go to bed, and then not sleeping at all because I didn't want to leave a good party chaining mobs for 6+ hours.

The entire reason I started playing WoW was because I could play it while waiting for a party, and then I decided WoW was a much better use of my money and I cancelled FFXI.

This was like 4 or 5 years ago...LOL

[quote name='Hydro2Oxide']Sir yes sir, shame I just got engulfed in the Star Wars mod for original, nothing beats being a jedi in Mount and Blade.[/QUOTE]

Indeed, the Star Wars mod is fantastic. No worries, though, because plenty of stuff is on the way from the community for Warband, as well. It's only a matter of time before you'll be able to play as a Jedi online.

I noticed Penumbra/it's sequel and expansion are ten bucks.

Anyone played them? I usually love adventure games...are they any good?

[quote name='Dalrint']I noticed Penumbra/it's sequel and expansion are ten bucks.

Anyone played them? I usually love adventure games...are they any good?[/QUOTE]
I think it's humorous that the incidental sales are more noteworthy than the Midweek Madness. I have to say, though, Penumbra's probably the best of the 40-something "other" deals.

Penumbra is fun, but you have to like Adventure games and be willing to play from a first-person perspective. Things get disorienting quickly when you're navigating dark corridors. Nevertheless, I got Overture with the Humble Indie Bundle, and it's one of my favorites from the pack. Overall, the games are nicely designed with clever gameplay mechanics. (For whatever reason, I think the rock breaking the ice is genius.)

For $10 or less, I recommend.

[quote name='kataztrophik']I remember the nights I used to sit and wait for a party for 4-5 hours at a time, and then getting an invite at like 2am right as I'm about to go to bed, and then not sleeping at all because I didn't want to leave a good party chaining mobs for 6+ hours.

The entire reason I started playing WoW was because I could play it while waiting for a party, and then I decided WoW was a much better use of my money and I cancelled FFXI.

This was like 4 or 5 years ago...LOL[/QUOTE]

This was my experience as well. I think I probably spent 3/4ths of my actual game time in FFXI waiting for stupid parties to form. Plus RMTers on my server had virtually all the areas on lockdown for gil farming.

The best comparison I can make between WoW and FFXI:
Imagine playing a game where the only way you could level was through PUGs (pick up groups). If your PUG was bad, you died and actually lost experience and deleveled. Delevel enough and suddenly your gear will unequip itself until you level up again. Yeah, that's basically FFXI...suddenly its not so fun anymore. (In WoW we just LOL at bad PUGs, the worst thing that happens during a bad PUG is your dungeon/instance doesn't get finished and you pay a small fee to repair your gear. And have fantastically funny stories to tell your friends and guildmates).

$5 is a deal only if you can get five or six friends to agree to start and play with you, because you will never, ever be able to solo effectively. The game settings and stories are fantastic, however...if you can find a party to complete them.

I had a blast with the game for almost a year, but I am just going to wait for XIV at this point. Hard, tedious, and unforgiving , yes. But tons of fun, and a sense of accomplishment along the way. And it *gasp* forced interaction with other players. And *gasp* the journey to level cap was challenging, with tons of things to do. It was not the "solo grind to level cap and then maybe you will interact with others and have some fun" style game that WoW is.

But still.. for $5, it is tempting to mess around in the newbie areas for a bit to build anticipation for XIV. Make a Taru Taru monk and puch Yagudo's in the stomach.

[quote name='tooshorty6432168']I played FFXI for 276 days play time, biggest time sink in the world. I no longer play anymore, but for some reason I am rather eager for FFXIV regardless.[/QUOTE]

I don't think I've done anything in my life for 276 days, except maybe work and sleep....

[quote name='Purkeynator']I don't think I've done anything in my life for 276 days, except maybe work and sleep....[/QUOTE]
I wish I could say that, but honestly I was severely addicted to it for at least three years. It was literally all I thought about every day and my sleep schedule dwindled to a few hours a day.

Worth it for the 3 "mini" expansions alone. I'll bite

I've never played a MMORPG before but I remember being really interested in this when it came out. If anyone has any idea when the free trial starts it would sway my decision. I'm sure I would get my money out of a 30 day trial but I wouldn't really be able to start in earnest until the end of next week.

It sounds like a few people here are on the fence about picking it up; if we're trying to get a group together for 30 days of screwing around I'd be in.

[quote name='pjh898']I've never played a MMORPG before but I remember being really interested in this when it came out. If anyone has any idea when the free trial starts it would sway my decision. I'm sure I would get my money out of a 30 day trial but I wouldn't really be able to start in earnest until the end of next week.

It sounds like a few people here are on the fence about picking it up; if we're trying to get a group together for 30 days of screwing around I'd be in.[/QUOTE]

I'm in the same position...wondering when the 30 day trial begins. And also, a huge timesink isn't really what I need right now, but $5 is a really good price to try it out...tempting.

[quote name='Abe_Froman']I'm in the same position...wondering when the 30 day trial begins. And also, a huge timesink isn't really what I need right now, but $5 is a really good price to try it out...tempting.[/QUOTE]

It starts when you create your account in game. Keep in mind it still requires you to enter a credit card and it's up to you to cancel it before the 30 days is up.

[quote name='tooshorty6432168']It starts when you create your account in game. Keep in mind it still requires you to enter a credit card and it's up to you to cancel it before the 30 days is up.[/QUOTE]

Awesome, thanks for the info! Looks like I'll be picking it up for $5.

[quote name='Abe_Froman']Awesome, thanks for the info! Looks like I'll be picking it up for $5.[/QUOTE]

I think I'm also going to give it a shot. I'll probably won't be starting up until this weekend if anybody organizes a CAG Newbie party.

Sounds like I'm in too. Thank you tooshorty6432168.
If anyone wants to hit me up in about a week to start coordinating I'll be available, barring Starcraft 2.

I'm PST (GMT-7) and available after work and dinner ~6p.

[quote name='gnargnargnar']I had a blast with the game for almost a year, but I am just going to wait for XIV at this point. Hard, tedious, and unforgiving , yes. But tons of fun, and a sense of accomplishment along the way. And it *gasp* forced interaction with other players. And *gasp* the journey to level cap was challenging, with tons of things to do. It was not the "solo grind to level cap and then maybe you will interact with others and have some fun" style game that WoW is.

But still.. for $5, it is tempting to mess around in the newbie areas for a bit to build anticipation for XIV. Make a Taru Taru monk and puch Yagudo's in the stomach.[/QUOTE]

Yeah it is fun until you delevel 3 times within 2 days even though it took roughly 2 or 3 (or longer depending on how many people passed on inviting a thief...) days to gain each of those levels in the first place.

I had an absolute joy playing it until then. I liked the combat, crafting, and overall feel to the game. I will agree and disagree with the forced interaction though. Now I don't mind partying up in MMOs and would have liked WoW to be a little more forced (I rarely partied for the first 30 levels... back before they decreased the xp to level). But FFXI was way too forced. The moment you pass roughly level 8 you never solo.... ever again (of course I never made it up to lvl 30 since I quit after what I talked about previously).

I will say that I have yet to play an MMO (or play one long enough) to get the sense of accomplishment that I did from FFXI. Anytime you gain some new feature, like the ability to take a sub-job or get your chocobo license, it really made you feel like you were making progress through the world. Other MMOs seem to only give you a sense of accomplishment way too late in the game or just don't feel as major when you do them.

I still won't suggest anyone to the game though. But if you do choose to then for the love of god play a white mage... you will never not be in a party.

[quote name='tooshorty6432168']I wish I could say that, but honestly I was severely addicted to it for at least three years. It was literally all I thought about every day and my sleep schedule dwindled to a few hours a day.[/QUOTE]

Now you don't have to be addicted to a game to think about it while you are not playing it. Anytime I take one of those scantron tests (the ones you fill out one of the 5 circles as your answer) I always (if I don't know the answer) try to make a design with an idea that it is, sadly, a sunken defense from Starcraft.

We used to take non graded tests on those and that was when I literally just made mazes with the hopes that zerg wouldn't get passed my sunken defense (of course I did still have to avoid walling off or they would have destroyed me).

That wasn't even a game I was ever madly addicted to, but I think far more about Starcraft than say... Counter-Strike (I was addicted to it awhile back), or Halo (same as Counter-Strike), or even NeverWinter Nights (Oh World of Haven... how I miss you).

[quote name='tooshorty6432168']I wish I could say that, but honestly I was severely addicted to it for at least three years. It was literally all I thought about every day and my sleep schedule dwindled to a few hours a day.[/QUOTE]

Now you don't have to be addicted to a game to think about it while you are not playing it. Anytime I take one of those scantron tests (the ones you fill out one of the 5 circles as your answer) I always (if I don't know the answer) try to make a design with an idea that it is, sadly, a sunken defense from Starcraft.

We used to take non graded tests on those and that was when I literally just made mazes with the hopes that zerg wouldn't get passed my sunken defense (of course I did still have to avoid walling off or they would have destroyed me).

That wasn't even a game I was ever madly addicted to, but I think far more about Starcraft than say... Counter-Strike (I was addicted to it awhile back), or Halo (same as Counter-Strike), or even NeverWinter Nights (Oh World of Haven... how I miss you).

[quote name='Kaltic']
Now you don't have to be addicted to a game to think about it while you are not playing it. Anytime I take one of those scantron tests (the ones you fill out one of the 5 circles as your answer) I always (if I don't know the answer) try to make a design with an idea that it is, sadly, a sunken defense from Starcraft.

We used to take non graded tests on those and that was when I literally just made mazes with the hopes that zerg wouldn't get passed my sunken defense (of course I did still have to avoid walling off or they would have destroyed me).

That wasn't even a game I was ever madly addicted to, but I think far more about Starcraft than say... Counter-Strike (I was addicted to it awhile back), or Halo (same as Counter-Strike), or even NeverWinter Nights (Oh World of Haven... how I miss you).[/QUOTE]
Oh yea I definitely know that, video games are pretty much my life and I think about them a ton. With FFXI though, I would be absolutely obsessed with it and my life revolved around it, resulting in everything else in my life suffering. I would get panic attacks not being able to play for a day or two on end. It just wasn't a healthy experience.

Granted I took some valuable life lessons out of it and I think it was a good learning experience, I just wish I took advantage more of opportunities around me during my last two years of high school and first two years of college.

[quote name='Kaltic']

I still won't suggest anyone to the game though. But if you do choose to then for the love of god play a white mage... you will never not be in a party.

[/QUOTE]

I was a white mage. Yeah, it makes getting into parties easier. My problem was I had to often turn down invites from bad players. I soon found out, you can't heal and save stupid.

[quote name='Spacepest']I was a white mage. Yeah, it makes getting into parties easier. My problem was I had to often turn down invites from bad players. I soon found out, you can't heal and save stupid.[/QUOTE]
Yea if you want the easiest leveling experience, level Blackmage to 18, White Mage to 37 and then play Bard to 75. At every level you'll need to deal with the occasional horribly stupid party(more so at the lower levels), but you'll eventually start to recognize names and be able to get into good groups.

[quote name='Spacepest']I was a white mage. Yeah, it makes getting into parties easier. My problem was I had to often turn down invites from bad players. I soon found out, you can't heal and save stupid.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but when it comes to being some class like say.... the thief. You just took what you could. There was no ability to be picky between which party to join. Now I don't know if it changed later, but I remember sitting in FFXI just calling for a party invite while actually playing another game because it took such a long time. At least with white mage you can play the game even if it is with a craptastic party.