Gaming Wednesdays Supplement- So What About Final Fantasy XI?

I’ve decided to assist Doctor Q’s article and provide an overview on one of the main Final Fantasy games he missed out on.

Final Fantasy XI earned its place in the chronology as the first online entry. Released between 2002 and 2003, it was the first MMORPG that could be played on different platforms but on the same servers. Throughout the years, versions for PS2, PC, XBOX and Steam were released and players on all these platforms were able to unite under one banner.

Players chose from one of five playable races, a main job and became an adventurer. The jobs were iconic to Final Fantasy such as Warrior, White Mage, Black Mage and Paladin. It also allowed for a sub-job, in which you could assign another job in order to gain additional traits. The jobs were not race exclusive and could be switched at will once unlocked. As expansions released, more jobs became available, including some that originated in XI and were added in some form or another as additional content in ports of older games. In true Final Fantasy fashion, the main missions contained intricate stories. We’ll touch on the first three expansions, but more content has released since then.

First were the Nation Missions, exclusive to your hometown. During those, you meet the first villain, the Shadow Lord, and learn that he’s responsible for a grand war that took place before the game. There’s a tragic back story behind it, which you learn before defeating him and preventing a second war. Once completed, the storyline continues into the first expansion.  

The Villains of FFXI (left to right) Ark Angel Elvaan, Kam'Lanaut, Eald'Narche and the Shadow Lord.

 

Rise of the Zilart introduced a new villain, Eald’Narche. Wanting to return to the paradise his race was banished from; Eald’Narche unleashes the Crystal Warriors (also known as Ark Angels) upon you and partially succeeds in his endeavor. This was the first time that the crystal warriors had been antagonists in the franchise. Before fighting him, you have to fight the warriors either separately or together. Choosing to fight them together required skill, an eighteen player alliance and buckling up for one hell of a fight.

The Ark Angels in battle. (Left to right: Ark Angel Mithra, Elvaan, Hume, Galka and Tarutaru)

Box Art for Chains of Promathia (PC Version)

Chains of Promathia was an apocalyptic tale against the Emptiness, which included battles against well known faces in the franchise. It culminated with a battle versus the God of Twilight himself, Promathia. As a nod to older Final Fantasies, it featured crystals as a theme, an interesting cast of supporting characters and a final battle of epic proportions. Battling creatures such as Diabolos and Omega (from FFV) while accompanied by an engrossing tale was a treat to veteran players.

Treasures of Aht Urhgan provided new game play mechanics. Among them, an event called Besieged where players, alone or in parties defended the Aht Urhgan Empire from invaders. Player actions as a whole affected the operations of the country and the strength of the invaders. The plot focused more on politics than action, being a tale of betrayals and vengeance to usurp the throne, but it was still well received by players.

Box Art for Treasures of Aht Urhgan (PC Version)

While the story lines rivaled other entries in the franchise, core game play mechanics suffered. Due to the multi-platform format, the graphics were never up to par with its competitors. Like other MMORPG’s, it depended too heavily on teamwork. While players were able to solo the first few levels and quests, it reached a point where making any progress depended on having a party. Problems with drop rates, high prices in the in-game economy and plagues of gold farming bots made it worse. Square-Enix addressed it and by the release of the fourth expansion, there were more options for independent minded gamers and measures taken to eradicate the economy problems.

Final Fantasy XI is still going strong to this day. It dared to experiment and provided solid content. If this game’s main story lines became accessible in a non MMO format, I guarantee that any love players may have lost to the series will come back the minute they face the Shadow Lord and save the world.

This is Random V, formerly known as Erindyll, Tarutaru Paladin from the Federation of Windurst, checking out.