MogKnight
10-25-2005, 05:26 AM
Written by: MogKnight</center>
Without much doubt, Final Fantasy XI is one of the most successful MMORPGs out there. However, the genre itself is known for taking a lot of time and resources. Because of this, Final Fantasy XI is known to just be skipped/ignored/etc by many purists that just perfer their Final Fantasy to be offline. That is not to say that Final Fantasy XI is a "bad game", of course the term itself is opinionated.
For those who are interested in actually playing Final Fantasy XI will want to read this guide. Final Fantasy XI's world can be very intimidating with so many things to do that are often not brought out to the player. Playing the game for more than a year, there are so many things I still have yet to touch. Hopefully my knowledge of the beginner levels will make your stay in Vana'diel much more pleasant and hopefully much longer. It is generally a known fact that most people quit the game before their trial period is over and there is a good reason why: the game starts off VERY slow. However, if you manage to tough it out and make a few friends and enjoy your stay here, I have done my job.
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Buying the Game
First thing's first before you even play the game, you gotta buy the game and even this can have some tough spots. I'll split this in two sections: PS2 and PC. There is an Xbox 360 version coming out but there's a lot of info we don't know about it just yet.
Playstation 2 Version
This option is only open for North America players.
To play Final Fantasy XI, you need the older and bigger version of the PS2. The slimline version does not support FFXI at all because you can't plug in the hard drive. So make sure you have the right version of the PS2.
The game comes with the hard drive that was released quite awhile back. It retails for 100 dollars, which can be quite a bit and seriously the hard drive is not worth 100 dollars. Unfortunately, the only way to play FFXI on the PS2 is to have the hard drive (and thus the reason why people don't play FFXI on the PS2). Please buy this new and unopened, I can't stressed that enough. A used copy is not guaranteed since this game will register the Serial Number with an account and it cannot be used to make a new account.
Also optional, you can purchase the Chains of Promathia Expansion Pack if you really like Final Fantasy XI. It is currently selling for 20 dollars, easier to down compared to the actual game. Again, please purchase this new. By the way, Rise of the Zilart is included with the original FFXI game when you buy it.
Finally, you need the rest of the hardware for your PS2. You may have to purchase a keyboard and a Network Adaptor if you do not have one yet. Any USB keyboard will work but PLEASE purchase one if you want to play this game, I can't stress that enough. Finally, Network Adaptor is pretty cheap as well and this is a requirement because FFXI is online and you can't plug in the hard drive without this anyways.
The Checklist so far is...
Old Style PS2
Final Fantasy XI with Hard Drive
Final Fantasy XI: Chain of Promathia (Optional)
USB Keyboard (Optional BUT extremely recommended)
USB Mouse (Not really required but it is based on your playstyle)
Network Adaptor
Ethernet Cables or Phoneline
Once you have all that, you're set to play Final Fantasy XI Online for the PS2.
PC Version
The important part is to have a computer that can support Final Fantasy XI. There is a way to test it before you buy it. The Final Fantasy XI Benchmark Test (http://www.ffshrine.org/ffxi/ffxi_benchmark.php) allows you to see if Final Fantasy XI will actually run and will give you a rough estimate of how well it will run. However, if you are able to run it, the game will most likely run anyways though you may have to change your settings based on how tough your computer is.
Now that you know the game will run, you just need to buy the game and the expansion if you want to. If you have a DVD drive, I suggest picking up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000A7XSX4/qid=1130212586/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9975786-8927204?v=glance&s=software&n=507846">Final Fantasy XI: The Vana�diel Collection</a>, which is the most updated package that includes Final Fantasy XI and the two expansions. 30 Dollars, good value right there over the PS2 version. If you don't have a DVD drive, you can always purchase the two separately (the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack comes with the original FFXI package) for a total of 40 dollars.
I also highly recommend that you purchase a USB controller that is as close to the PS2 as possible. Something with a D-Pad, 8 Buttons, and 2 Analog Sticks that can be pushed in. Better yet, buy a PS2 USB Converter. They go for around 15 dollars in Lik-Sang (http://www.lik-sang.com/) and is great for the whole Final Fantasy XI experience.
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Character Creation
After going through all of the installation and getting your account setup, it is time to make a new character.
You have several options when you create a character. The one that will slightly change the way that you play would be what race your character is. There are five different races and while their stats would be best prefered in certain job in the game, all races can handle all jobs very well regardless.
wip ftw.