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Is it worth coming back to play casually?
By Shichishito 2025-09-29 00:29:52
So my question is, after 12+ years, a wife, 2 kids, a mortgage, and a very intensive full time job, how accessible is it to go from where I was- which was never 'elite' - but competent, to catching up with current content? I'm pretty sure I did a few Mandau Quests to get it leveled further, but it seems most builds are using the Emp dagger now. First you need to realise the core question you're asking boils down to "After finally becoming clean and getting my ***together - should I attempt to do meth casually?"
Second you need to realise what audience you're asking, on Reddit you're asking mostly regular players (addicts), on FFXIAH you're mostly asking RMT and mercs (dealers).
The addicts will answer yes because the high hits harder when consumed in company and they want others to suffer too so they can feel better about their own situation.
The dealers simply see a potential customer in you.
Read this again, read it slowly, read it carefully:
I lost my wife because I played too much FFXI, and she took the kids. She has harassed and abused me for the last 4 years, completely bitter. I hated her anyway, but I regret losing daily contact with the children.
Don't do it. 
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 Carbuncle.Maletaru
Server: Carbuncle
Game: FFXI
Posts: 3675
By Carbuncle.Maletaru 2025-09-29 01:23:24
on FFXIAH you're mostly asking RMT and mercs (dealers).
[Citation needed]
I think of the regular posters on FFXIAH, a single-digit number of them are mercs and RMTs.
Even among those who are mercs, do you think this clouds their vision so much that they aren't giving an honest opinion? How much do you think their lives revolve around their merc "business"? Have you considered that mercs might actually enjoy the game and have positive things to say about it, regardless of how it affects their "business"?
I think very close to 0, if not 0, posts on this site are motivated by "commercial interests".
By Pantafernando 2025-09-29 02:50:42
Statistically, many and many returning players I came across hardly stayed for long, but I think consistently they spend like 2 months playing before quitting.
The engagement curve generally starts pretty high, with returning players really engaged to do missions, to do those contents that were before impossible to get, to have jobs they never could lvl before, grab some mid gear.
During the first weeks, every day is a new thing as the returning player isnt involved in routine tasks yet.
But as they progress, eventually they will be trapped in the routine cycles of doing ambuscade, old dyna for money, exping/capacity points, etc. at that point, their interest start decreasing progressively, till they finally lose interest and move on.
Still, this is somewhere a 1-2 months of playing, what if you ask me, it is still more playing time that average non online game, so it is still a solid option if you want to play something in your free time.
Maybe only not worth if you decide to “complete” the game. Then you gonna need to be prepared to face the worst of what this game has to offer (extensive grinding, unproductive hours of playing, lack of resouces and gear, etc) then it could be pretty frustrating if you dont have the right mindset.
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By Pantafernando 2025-09-29 03:01:58
Read this again, read it slowly, read it carefully:
I lost my wife because I played too much FFXI, and she took the kids. She has harassed and abused me for the last 4 years, completely bitter. I hated her anyway, but I regret losing daily contact with the children.
Don't do it.
TBF, now giving my personal opinion on others business, but whatever.
This is pretty much a good thing if you ask me. Nothing is worse than an unhealthy relationship. Maybe he was into deep gaming exactly because of the abusive environment. So, it is not like he lost the wife because of gaming, but the wife made it so bad that he had to ran away from reality by playing an immersive game. There is an egg chicken thing here.
The kids is one bad thing, but maybe they will have a chance to grow in a good environment, what was not the case before (apparently).
But I do agree addiction is something to worry about because everyone has a particular degree to resist addictions. Maybe gaming wont do well for you. Maybe it will give you small reliefs. Maybe it will give you relationships that you can learn something from.
Regardless, it is up to each one to individually deal with their own business maturely.
The game is not the one to blame
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By RadialArcana 2025-09-29 03:18:40
Quote: Read this again, read it slowly, read it carefully:
larpers larping off other larpers
[+]
 Valefor.Sapphire
Server: Valefor
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1830
By Valefor.Sapphire 2025-09-29 03:25:56
I quit for 6 years but came back 2 months ago with a twist, I started new character to play with friends that are on bahamut, leaving my valefor ones still inactive.
My personal feeling is that if anyone returns to the game / picks it up for the first time, just take your time with it.
There is a lot of ways to skip gear progression or get carried these days, but I personally am savoring incremental progression with fresh character, doing stuff with my friends and enjoying the struggle gearing ourselves and working through all the content again.
Just killed my 1st Ghatjot the other night with hightier battlefield/ambu gear, it was fun, im enjoying the small victories heh.
Casual to me personally is not caring if i'm capped on imprimaturs, omen Ki's, etc for a day or two cause im not in the mood to do that content.
This game can still devour every free moment of your time if you allow it, but its enjoyable at a slow pace in small time chunks if you want to savor the journey instead of trying to be at 'endgame'
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By RadialArcana 2025-09-29 03:49:43
One of the dumbest things in the game from a new player / returnee perspective is the Ilevel system.
I quit in 2012-3 and was gone for 4 years or so, I came back and they added all the new stuff. I was really casual, only intended to finish Rhapsodies and then quit again.
I got stuck on the last Rhapsodies boss and so had to engage with progression to beat it (ironically, if someone had beaten that boss for me I probably would have quit), I got parts of AF/Relic/Emp to the first "good stage" and tried again (109) and got destroyed even harder. The game effectively punished me for engaging with progression with gear that looked better (due to job boosts etc) but was worse than the sparks gear I had on, especially in how much it weakened my trusts.
Many players would probably quit here, cause the game punishes you for putting tens of hours into progression with worse gear and you don't even know why.
I read up on why this was the case, and saw that Ilevel directly leveled up/down your trusts etc and so did Ambuscade to get the proper 119 gear.
It's wild to me they still have not changed this over 9+ years later, at bare minimum the first stage of af/relic/emp gear should be 117 and not 109.
Bahamut.Senaki
Server: Bahamut
Game: FFXI
Posts: 280
By Bahamut.Senaki 2025-09-29 06:21:35
I think a lot of event schedules are built around working individuals (most get started in the evenings 8:30pm EST / PST based on time zone).
If you’re a full time employee it’s great. If you’re earlier in your life cycle (a student) I’ve found other MMORPGs offer easier casual exercises due the ability to find a group @10am or 4am. Whereas ironically being unavailable at 8pm due to night classes.
So I think ‘casual time’ for XI = working casual. Not ‘student casual’.
By Bongarippa 2025-09-29 06:39:13
One of the dumbest things in the game from a new player / returnee perspective is the Ilevel system.
I quit in 2012-3 and was gone for 4 years or so, I came back and they added all the new stuff. I was really casual, only intended to finish Rhapsodies and then quit again.
I got stuck on the last Rhapsodies boss and so had to engage with progression to beat it (ironically, if someone had beaten that boss for me I probably would have quit), I got parts of AF/Relic/Emp to the first "good stage" and tried again (109) and got destroyed even harder. The game effectively punished me for engaging with progression with gear that looked better (due to job boosts etc) but was worse than the sparks gear I had on, especially in how much it weakened my trusts.
Many players would probably quit here, cause the game punishes you for putting tens of hours into progression with worse gear and you don't even know why.
I read up on why this was the case, and saw that Ilevel directly leveled up/down your trusts etc and so did Ambuscade to get the proper 119 gear.
It's wild to me they still have not changed this over 9+ years later, at bare minimum the first stage of af/relic/emp gear should be 117 and not 109.
The final fight is supposed to be the conclusion of the story at the highest ilvl. Would make no sense to be able to beat it wearing i109 gear. Also, starting ilvl af/relic/empy shouldn't be an issue at as its quite easy to get all 3 of those sets to 119. If people came back to the game and could easily beat the final tvr boss wearing whatever, youre right, they'd quit if all they cared about storyline and SE doesn't want people to quit, they want $12.95 a month from you.
Shiva.Thorny
Server: Shiva
Game: FFXI
Posts: 3547
By Shiva.Thorny 2025-09-29 07:12:14
It's wild to me they still have not changed this over 9+ years later, at bare minimum the first stage of af/relic/emp gear should be 117 and not 109. Honestly, just make trusts 119 when you hit 99. Effectively nobody is sitting there unable to get sparks or bayld gear. The rare cases where you'd use a pre-ilevel piece shouldn't delevel your trusts for a tick. Never mind things like temachtiani body/hands that don't have a comparable ilevel replacement.
If they're dead set on involving the gear, a NPC that levels up your trusts based on your current ilevel would be fine. Talk to NPC in i117 -> trusts are i117 when you're 99. Talk again at 119, they're 119.
By Dodik 2025-09-29 07:14:35
Or jobs without ilvl movement speed gear that isn't hidden behind mission progression or forcing you to choose a specific mission reward.
I left in mid 2012 originally, Abyssea was still the main content to do. My LS was a close knit mature crowd mixed from UK, EU, USA & Asia, we focused on bringing newer members through older content, and once 75 cap was lifted, we also did casual dyna, nyzul, limbus etc for fun rather than having a strict plan/schedule- although I was also able to solo farm Dyna with a mule in free time, I enjoyed that.
I then came back for a few months in eary 2013, which if I remember correctly, my LS was doing Voidwatch helping another member farm up metal plates for her emp dagger. Even at this stage of returning after maybe 8 months away, I felt my character had become fairly weak and my gear had already dated. I remember purchasing Seekers of Adoulin but fairly sure I never even started it, or left before it was actaully released.
I got the itch again after a FFXI video popped up as 'suggested for you' on Youtube while watching on Friday with my 9yo daughter. We went down a rabbithole together watching various videos on FFXI, she was shocked when I showed her my FFXIAH profile afterwards, mainly because the last transaction is before she was born.
So my question is, after 12+ years, a wife, 2 kids, a mortgage, and a very intensive full time job, how accessible is it to go from where I was- which was never 'elite' - but competent, to catching up with current content? I'm pretty sure I did a few Mandau Quests to get it leveled further, but it seems most builds are using the Emp dagger now.
I remember in Abyssea era, new players could literally skip AF and Relic Armour for a job, PL in a single day doing chests, then buy a full set of Pink or Purple armour with cruor. they would then switch to +1 empyrean armour they already pre-farmed. Don't get me wrong, they would not be brilliant by any means, but the gear did not make them look like a terrible 'NOOB' either. Is it equivalent now where all old relic / emp / myzul items are worthless? (if you look at my profile and mule profile 'Forgottenangel' it will give an idea on equipment standard when I left).
I have seen the trusts addition to the game and this element alone is a big factor in making a decision to potentially return.
I used to play on XBox, mule was on a laptop beside me, but never used windower as it intimidated me at the time messing with files etc. i plan on just purchasing a Xbox Controller and playing off a laptop, maybe screened to a TV, and use a wireless KB. Still to this day I don't like wearing headsets to chat, even though I know it is the norm because I also have a 15yo boy
My first 75 was RDM, I really enjoyed PLD in 75 era, I loved PUP and got the mythic WS very early on which made it very respectable DD when solo doing campigns etc at the time. But when Abyssea came in, I found my THF was simply unstoppable with all the crit hit atmas etc, so used that mainly.
I have obviously lost my Security Token after all this time, so have sent an email to SE to get access to the account again (EU Support only answer Mon - Fri during business hours, no chat option)
Any feedback / suggestions appreciated!
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