Final Fantasy XI : How Difficulty Built a Community - Design Documentary

This is just as much of a "Thank You" for 1,000 subs as it is a Design Documentary. You have been warned.
PATREON DRIVE! (more info here!) • Video
In this episode, SoberDwarf talks about the game that has consumed over 4,000 hours (185 days) of his life. What was it about Final Fantasy XI that made it so endearing even after 15 years? What is it about difficulty that brought people together? And how has it changed now? All these questions answered, and more.
Also, I miss annotations.
You can download a few of the songs I used (and some I didn't) from Tweex's FFXI tribute soundtrack: landofvanadiel....
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Disclaimer: The following documentary is intended for the purpose of educating viewers on game design by examining and critiquing a work of art. Any views, experiences, criticisms and opinions are my own and are intended to be subjective. This video may also contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Its purpose and design are intended to be used under "fair use". If you are the copyright owner and you believe the content found in this video has been used in a unauthorized manner, or have any questions or concerns regarding the content found in this video, feel free to contact me at [e-mail]
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[@TheSnapcaster]

Man, this really hit home. I started at launch, and have come back off and on for the last decade. Always played on PC, but have had friends across all platforms which has always blown my mind. A friend of mine and I started playing at the same time. We decided to go WAR and WHM duo so we could always find groups (after about 3 days of not getting any as THF and MNK lol). We made the Dunes a joke, leveled other jobs when the other wasn't online to stay within a good range of each other, and basically were inseparable. Those days were some of the happier of my life. He enlisted in the mid 2000's, and went to the middle east. Sadly, he didn't make it out alive. His funeral came, and I didn't have the courage to go. Our LS mates insisted I go, and gave me the support I needed. While at his funeral a friend of his from the service started sharing stories about him, and mentioned he wouldn't shut up about this game he and his friend played online. I was that friend, and the guy about lost his mind. He knew me he said. From all the stories he knew me. The guy knew my character's name, my approximate level on my WAR (told my friend we'd hit 75 together on those jobs) and what my damn rank was. My buddy had talked about the game so damn much this random solider knew it all. This is my personal experience. This is what the game means to me. I still talk with that random solider to this day. We bonded over a friend's love of FFXI. I miss my friend. My WAR is still 67, stuck in a past life, doomed to obscurity. A job never to be dusted off because my friend hasn't come home, and I made a promise. Thank you for your video, and the overwhelming waves of nostalgia. I have a phone call to make, a video link to send, and a need to figure out who chopped all these onions. Keep it up man. This trip down memory lane really made my day (even the onion part) It's nice to remember the parts that sting

[@SoberDwarf]

It seems like someone has been chopping onions over here too, but as part of the Star Onion Brigade, it's to be expected you're going to come across some onions. But seriously, thank you for sharing that story. That's one of the most beautiful things and Vana'diel is that every person you see running around has their own experiences and their own stories. I've connected with so many people through the game, and now it's so amazing to hear everyone's experiences, some mirroring my own, some going even deeper. The fact that there is a game that can do that is so amazing, and I really hope that the developers realize they made something so incredibly special. I'm deeply sorry that your friend was lost, but thankfully we will always have our memories.

[@TheSnapcaster]

SoberDwarf Thank you for your kind words man. It really is amazing how much this game, like so many others, has impacted the people who have played it. Videos like yours keep the stories, and memories alive in the best way possible. A coworker sent me this, as we bonded early on through stories of Treasures, and climbing that damn tower lol. We all have something in common in our FFXI trip: our love for the game and the community. Again thanks for the kind words. My buddy died protecting civilians from a rogue element in Afghanistan. He gave his life doing what he thought was right. I love him even more for it. He was my friend. He was my WHM! Ha! Not trying to bum anyone out. I'm proud to have known him. For real, I cannot express how wonderful this video made me feel. You sir have my sub, and my axe.

[@Sir_Duckyweather]

I'm glad there are powerful stories like this out there to be shared. Just as a WHM might heal and save someone zoning a goblin, then be killed by the goblin himself, it sounds like your friend took his Job seriously. Your dear friend has no doubt earned this, in-game and out: www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Whm._Testimony

[@ValkavGaming]

Damn, I wasn't expecting that to hit my feels so hard. Wow... It's things like this that make Final Fantasy XI so great. Keep his legacy alive.

[@Domfass21]

all these FEELS!!!! i quit shortly after Abyssal Areas showed up and made all my super powerful 75 gear OBSOLETE!!!

[@Atticusa87]

Man, this video hurts. I played for a decade. I was one of those DRGs sitting around waiting for hours at a time. I am homesick for a place that doesn't truly exist anymore. I think this video captured that experience as well as it can be.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you, I'm so glad I managed to capture that because honestly, I was really worried I wouldn't be able to (I foreshadow that in the beginning). Hopefully, it ends up being a good pain though. I get homesick for the old FFXI but then I remind myself that it's amazing that I can feel that sort of sadness because it means at one time I had that experience, and that's beautiful.

[@DB-zj7wv]

I'm late to this video, but it's interesting how the job experiences were different at different phases of the game's life cycle. When i picked up dragoon, it was the end of CoP. That's when dragon started to become near unstoppable and i would solo level sub mage when i wasn't in a party. I was even invited to parties to main hall as drg. It was versatile at all kinds of side content too. Now leveling smn in the early days, that was a nightmare also@SoberDwarf

[@eternalmajin]

I remember getting that "this is special" feeling when I started in XI just because the community blew me away. I was fighting in W.Ronfaure and picked on the wrong Rabbit without healing. Watching my HP drop, realizing without a crit or a few misses I was screwed, my life suddenly went full. A higher level player had jumped off their rented chocobo from La Theine just to heal me cause it was obvious I was having trouble. They inconvenienced themselves by at least 2 extra minutes of walking time for a random noob who could have walked back out losing very little exp. Then just a simple /bow and a (|Thank you.|) and were on our way. Coming from playing Unreal Tournament and Diablo 2, not the most inviting of groups at times, I was stopped in my steps for a good minute realizing what happened. I also spent a good 4 hours in Selbina once conversing with a Japanese player strictly through emotes and autotranslation while fishing. A catch? /cheer. See the line pop? /cry if it was yours, /comfort if it was the other persons. At one point my rod broke and I didn't have the gil to purchase a new rod and Sabiki Rig. After a few casts, my new buddy noticed I had stopped fishing after the break. He ran into the fishing build behind us and bought a setup for me. Had never ran into this player before, we couldn't even communicate directly, and this was not a time where everyone had a ton of easy gil, but he did that for me so that we could fish a little while longer together. The community in this game at that time was amazing like that. So many memories. One of the best people in my first linkshell joined because our leader accidentally spent 13,500gil on a regular bow instead of the Power Bow for the mog house quest. Our leader reached out to him, and he didn't even have a keyboard at the time, but he joined the linkshell and within a couple days purchased one just so he can chat with the group. Just a small thing that snowballed in a great friendship.

[@SoberDwarf]

This. This is exactly why I love Final Fantasy XI. You talking about all that basically flooded my mind with a bunch of memories of the exact same thing happening. I remember there was this level 75 White Mage who hung out in Valkurm Dunes the first couple of weeks I started playing (during the American PS2 release) that would go around and Raise people who died in parties. Being a THF and just learning how to pull and getting links and dying, I remember being raised by them a few times. I apologized and said I was sorry for dying so much, and they said "Hey, that's why I'm here. Valkurm Dunes is a meat grinder and I remember what it was like, so I'm here trying to help people." He even stayed with our party for a little bit until the next person would inevitably yell for a raise. In fact, just the other day when I was getting footage for this, I remember seeing a dead Tarutaru leveling out in one of the areas. You rarely see that because most people will just Home Point after that. I just happened to be a BLU/RDM at the time so I got off my mount, gave him a raise just in case, then went ahead. I came back, and said something in Japanese. I could only read a few letters, so I used that Auto-Translate to say (I'm Sorry) (Japanese) (I can understand a little). And he replied "T Y" and that gave me that nostalgia flashback immediately.

[@azadalamiq]

i remember playing ff11 during abyssea. I was on early in the morning, and joined a jp based group to add one more. I was playing with them but started to feel sick. I developed a fever and head ache. I popular jp/na player translated for me and the group said I could talk to him, and he was tell the group what I said. I was in the group for an hr, and felt bad. I told the guy "hey I'm starting to feel sick, i may need to go" he told the group, and they replied. He told me they said "ok you can go afk and take a nap, if you are gone too long you will be replaced if that is ok" I replied no issue i'll try not to be gone long. "he translated, and they said" get well soon, you did well for playing while sick." i turned my tv off and took a nap, i woke up feeling a bit better, and turned on my tv. It turns out I was afk for 3 hours, and STILL in the group. I apologized for being afk that long, and that they could a kicked me out at any time. the guy translated and replied" we understood, you was a big help and it sucks to get sick. you was very polite and we returned the favor" I was in awe by the level of kindness a group of people i never met. you hear stories in NA side of ff11 how anti NA the jp community it. and tbh jp parties are sime of my fav parties. I knew some basic jp, and knew how to use the auto translate. NA community after WoW launched became a cesspool. :/ i was a melee rdm who had no issue doping all aspects of rdm. yet I was forced to backline heal. And doing any melee was looked down on. :/ Don't even get me started in gearswap......

[@Virjunior01]

Azura Moonstar early relations with the Japanese were bad... the only good point I remember was the Christmas event from when I started playing (Dec 26, 2002)... Na newbs and Jp vets got together on all servers to drop moving raid bosses that terrorized newb zones. Really, it seemed to take only as long as natural selection to patch things up. XI was a HUGE time investment, beyond any other game in existence I bet, by a landslide; people got easily frustrated by setbacks to hard-fought gains. once we had level-capped players, appropriate skill, and knowledge of things like Renkei (skillchain) and Fuidama (Sneak/Trick), the more experienced Jp players got more comfortable, and everyone was encouraged. Even so, for all the piss i take out of the game, you could ALWAYS count on a random high level mage supporting parties with Cures and Raises... then, should any of us find ourselves in the area with some free time, we'd pay it forward. anyway, what this man says is true. the game was a perfect opportunity to learn who you are as a person in a society. I was once adamant to play only as a thief, having played Cleric in EQ for a year and wanting to do something different. I said and did horrible things to people I may have called friends, and had the same things done to me, each with little to no provocation. It helped me learn to diversify... work harder to see what other roles I could take to support others... and to not let the game become a surrogate for real life. ...even met up with a few LSmates on occassion for a Yankees game, or a night on the town. all in all, I'm thankful that this game existed, and am honored to have hopefully made some good memories for some I'd met along the journey of playing it. I still remember the first 2 on my friends list, and hope they remember me, too.

[@snugglyhugs8698]

FFXI will always be a special game to me. I remember playing for thousands of hours between shifts in the Navy, and between deployments. I remember meeting new people and really getting to know them. And one afternoon I remember running around in Rofaue with nothing to do and seeing an elvaan warrior having difficulties with leveling and getting started. And with nothing to do, I decided to help her out for a few hours. 12 years later I still know this elvaan warrior... she is my wife of a decade and we have three wonderful children. Thus FFXI will forever be special to me.

[@SoberDwarf]

Man, if Final Fantasy XI hasn't already given me some good feels. That's so awesome. (Congratulations!)

[@reazulzannah738]

That's amazing, congrats on the marriage.

[@Walamonga1313]

Here's hoping you never get cheated on or abandoned

[@snugglyhugs8698]

@@Walamonga1313 15 years later, she's still an incredible person and the love of my life.

[@freshnesbro3792]

That's crazy wth 👍

[@jkoizoratravels]

"a theme that is more recognizable to me than my national anthem" ..... dude you're amazing!!!!!

[@LemonMori]

Yeah just now I was trying to think of the National anthem and all I could think of was the Fire Emblem theme

[@Klefth]

This is so relatable, man. I also remember the very first person who helped me out when I was pretty much a beggar in Bastok. It was a japanese player who barely spoke some really broken English, but despite that he guided me around Gustaberg, gave me what little pointers he could while I killed my first mobs and gained my first couple of levels as he healed me, then gave me 30k gil, said he had to go, then turned to wave at me and said "Welcome Vana!" and warped away. That was 13 years ago, and it is now 6 years since I quit the game, but I still remember you, Hatopom, you little pumpkin headed fella. :) Games these days never bring people together the way they did back then. They're not even designed with it in mind, and that is so sad. Seeing all these stories in this comment section makes me realize how lucky I was to have experienced these things before they were lost to the genre and pretty much to gaming in general.

[@SoberDwarf]

Yeah. There was a whole section that I cut from the original script that basically went on about how we'll likely never see anything like early FFXI again in any sort of game, and that's pretty upsetting because I want everyone to have that memory, because I think it really made me grow as a person. Overall though, I was very fortunate to be born at the right place at the right time to be able to experience something many people will never be able to.

[@birdthatknowswhatsgood]

I was a hardcore FFXI player for 8 years and I've seen a few FFXI retrospectives but this is near the top. You're really nailing the nuance beyond the fact it was punishing. The social aspects like how most partys spoke about skillchains or spending hours looking for a party are well spoken to. Subscribe.

[@SoberDwarf]

For once, I'm glad you *did do that.* But no, seriously, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. This was a hard video to write and I still feel like I cut so much out, but I'm really glad I was able to do it justice!

[@byakokokoByakko]

I remember meeting a group of avid notorious monster hunters, promising to split gil with each other. We were all nothing but lvl 20 somethings, hunting Leaping Lizzy, Hoo Mjuu the Torrent, and even Spiny Spipi and Valkurm Emperor! We vowed to hunt these together to acquire the gil we needed to get better gear. In the end, it was the nights we spent together, staying up til 5AM laughing with delirium that was the real reward!

[@SoberDwarf]

That's probably one of the best ways to handle camping NMs because doing that solo was such a pain. Pretty much speaks to the game itself, anything and everything in that game was better with friends.

[@robertlyons8199]

Middle of the night camping three kings while goofing off in vent is the thing I’ll miss the most

[@Effedup]

OMG those long nights. At my peak in like 07, I would literally get on every weeknight from 6PM until 11 or 12 and then come Friday my ls (we were almost all rl friends which was so nice) we'd start at normal time and play literally until 7 or 8 am Saturday morning, people would fall asleep at their keyboard and we'd have to leave them at camp to die when we broke for the night lol. Then we'd all sleep until 1 or 2 pm and get right back on the game, playing until 3 or 4 am Sunday morning. Crash out again and get on that evening just to clean up our inventory, mule shit around, and shoot the shit. It was a second job in every way but man was it glorious. So many good times. That's the thing I really miss coming back after 10 years away, but it is still a great time doing the quests and missions and seeing all my old haunts like the camps I frequented and the missions I struggled with in the past, flying through them now. It's great.

[@TerrerThePaladin]

From goblin trains in the jungle, to ulli camping in sky, to farming organs in sea, to doing salvage runs. I miss ffxi and I wish another mmo had even half the charm this game had. Started in 2004 and ended in 2014 and I won't ever forget the experiences I had in this game.

[@lexsteele779]

Holy shit when I first got to sky. The memories, I remember walking around thinking. Wow NOTHING in this place aggros you (except if you went near the walls lol). It literally was heaven.

[@Nightweaver1]

One of the first things I was told when I zoned into sky for the first time was, "Check out the floor." When I ran on those transparent floors and my footsteps made little hexagonal impressions I was blown away. Also nothing in sky aggros unless you get close to some walls OR cast magic in the middle of 10 magic pots or dolls. Or if you go into the shrine, where you have those stupid weapons that follow me like faithful little puppy dogs every time I go to a Voidwatch spot.

[@jmwlife2k]

Lex Steele My biggest memory from my first trip to sky was the hall of the gods. How it had those epic statues and the music... then sky itself was just so awesome!!

[@Tetsu9701]

pantheonmmo.com/

[@Niobae]

Found this video on reddit and had to watch it, because FFXI is my all time fav. game. I teared up several times throughout the video, you spoke from my heart! FFXI was my first MMORPG and I went through the same stuff you spoke in the video. When you mentioned the first travel to Jeuno, it all came back. The game basically thought me English, because there was no German version at all until way later and then I was so used to it, never changed it. I vividly remember rumors that we had someone with a Maats Cap on the Server and one day I saw him for real and I couldnt imagine how that was even humanely possible, me beeing a low level tarutaru blm, who couldnt afford the good spells to play with. Getting the Sub Job quest and completing it literally changed the game, I had no idea what was possible. I remember being so proud to be a whm with some teleport spells, offering my services in Jeuno for like 5k a port, building something of a business over a long time, making friends, helping other noobs out with some free teleports. Setting foot into Dynamis for the first time with a whole LS was so nervwrecking, one step to far could mean death, learning strats was teadious but so rewarding in the end. Sorry for the wall of text, it all came back after watching your video and I had to write it down, thanks for that emotional reminder. To be honest and real in the end, I think after my years in vanadiel, I think I couldnt "really" enjoy any other MMORPG to that extent and I tried a lot. Unfortunately, as you described, going back to FFXI is also not the solution, but the memories will stay.

[@SoberDwarf]

The reason I made this is because I want to share my memories as well. This game created so many memories for me that it was so hard to narrow it down to just a handful of personal stories that explained the points I wanted to make. I'm really glad that there are others who can look at this game and be happy at their own experiences. It's amazing that a game can manage to do that, but just shows how great the community of FFXI was.

[@ashurgeorge4604]

"But there is just something heartbreaking about an experience that i'll never be able to recreate again"

[@COREcasual]

im glad to see/hear other people have such a hard time describing how much FFXI meant to them. My time in vana'diel was some of the best years of my life.

[@SoberDwarf]

Same here, I wouldn't trade those 4,000 hours for anything.

[@TheElectricBuddha]

Vana'Diel was my home too, man. 2003-2008. Farewell, Vana'Diel. Thanks for all the memories.

[@lampdevil]

Final Fantasy XI was never a game I could fully throw myself into, but I dabbled in it, and I can appreciate the love that other people have for it. Vana'diel is a beautiful, engrossing world, and I'm a little envious of people that had the time to make themselves at home there and forge such long-lasting friendships. I've done the same in other games and other places, and it's true in those cases, too, that some things are eventually only something that exist in your memories. I've played far clunkier games, ones that other people might be right to declare "bad", but I remember them with deep fondness because of who I played with and where my life was at the time. Thank you for sharing your love for something that plainly means so, so much to you!

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for sharing your own experience. I am glad that even if it wasn't FFXI, you still had a game that you can relate that experience too!

[@Alex-pq2fv]

I'm not even sure how this channel came up on my recommended list but I'm really glad it did

[@SoberDwarf]

Listen, far be it from me to question it, just glad you enjoyed it!

[@foomp]

For as much shit as Tanaka generally gets, the man definitely knows how to make players feel rewarded for doing things. For earning your keep, even in regards to simple concepts like leveling. Definitely a man of ambition when it comes to focusing on the larger picture of players gaining an experience for their time spent, rather than a simple means to kill time.

[@SoberDwarf]

I totally agree. None of his stuff is flawless, but nothing anyone creates is, but he focuses more on crafting experiences and does am excellent job doing that.

[@fnaticMSIodyx]

I've played every FF and about 100h of 14 but for some strange reason I never played XI, yet everytime I see it or watch it I get this weird nostalgic feeling like I've played it for years. I've played nearly every MMO over the years to max level and I always regret not playing XI. I like this vid man keep up the love for games that changed your life.

[@SoberDwarf]

I'd say FFXI is worth it just for the stories if that's something your interested in, even if you can't get the same experience I did 13 years ago.

[@geohawke7582]

Your video spoke to me a lot! Final Fantasy XI was my first MMO. I distinctly remember sitting in the Dunes, as a Thief, for hours on end looking for parties. The worst was when my family still had dial up - you get a good party going, the XP is flowing, and the parents are asking you to get off so they can make a phone call. When we got DSL its as if a prayer had been answered, on my part and I'm sure on my parents part as well lol. The game was rough, too. I didn't get to experience much past Aht Urghan and I never really finished that story line either, but what I did play I enjoyed immensely. Liked and subbed, looking forward to more good content!

[@SoberDwarf]

Haha, I know the plight of Dial-Up. I played with more Japanese Parties than I did English because it was the only time I could get into a party without having to drop. My parents got Broadband because I was hogging the line too much for their liking.

[@Abysmii]

It's videos like this that make me love your content. I was a very late comer to video games and I have missed out on so many games in my life. Learning about them through your experiences and analysis is such a gratifying thing to me, as it offers a glimpse into something I can never fully experience. Thank you for what you do.

[@SoberDwarf]

You have no idea how great it is to hear that. That was the goal of this video, was to set out and show how Final Fantasy XI (and other games) can be experiences that you can pull into real life and relate the two, and combine that with that being what game design *should* hope to achieve is to create something that is almost natural and intuitive. But as a storyteller, I'm just glad I could entertain you and share my own experiences.

[@Prismatic_Nomad]

Thank you for sharing this. Ffxi was such a huge part of my life for over 8 years. The people I met and experiences I had made that game the amazing game it was.

[@SoberDwarf]

And thank you for being a part of the community for 8+ years. I like to think that we all had a part of making this video.

[@Gogmosis]

I only played FFXI for a year and only got halfway to the level cap. Despite this it still left a mark on me. My friends convinced me to go play WoW (loved Classic WoW too!) and years down the road I do feel like I missed out a bit not hanging around in FFXI. Great tribute, you definitely have a passion for the game you don't see in too many FFXI videos.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! I know a lot of people who went to the Siren call of WoW, but at the very least you got to experience FFXI during a time that many people wasn't able too.

[@ChaoticAnamnesis]

I never played XI. My first MMO was and is FFXIV. While I love that game, I can definitely see the positives in XI. The sense of community must have been incredibly strong, considering that you needed to party up with others for almost any activity.

[@SoberDwarf]

It indeed was. It was also part of the downside because it was so hard to do things without a party, but I think the positives outweighed the negatives in most cases.

[@sanserof7]

Hassan Sattar XIV is the opposite, it might as well be a single player game

[@sea4our]

come see for yourself. google nasomi private server!

[@Noodle-pk4uw]

One of the best recaps I've ever seen about anything. FFXI got me thru some difficult times in my life. I was stationed in the Middle East and connecting with people, however short, was absolute therapy. FFXI was also my first MMO and I was instantly attracted to WHM. I just love helping people in need. I haven't played FFXI in over half a decade, but the kindness the community showed me still resonates with me and your video elevated those feelings. Keep on doing what you're doing Soberdwarf. Life is too short not to do something that makes you feel alive and that you're passionate about. Like you, I just quit my job and am chasing my dream of going into holistic healing. Keep on living your dreams brother

[@SoberDwarf]

That's awesome! I'm glad I'm not the only one that FFXI has impacted. Here is to both of us achieving our dreams!

[@carl2043]

Well shit, there aren't too many videos I sit and watch on youtube, but I'd be damned if I didn't follow this to the last second, amazing video SoberDwarf. This game really hit home for me, it was the one game where I begged my dad to continue my subscription. He only allowed me to play if I got good grades in school. So this was a very rewarding experience not only did I get good grades but I enjoyed my first online community at a very young age where I was still learning a lot about growing up. In this game I learned that I was more of a commander of roles. I built parties daily, built my own linkshell, had people waiting for me to come on to even play in a party, and I memorized all of the leveling area's and skill chains. Every point of your video did a good job on hitting key points in the game, like not being able to find a party for missions- That was easily my most frustrating moment, I would trade up key information of leveling area's and tips and power leveling just for completing story line missions, but seriously, you really did a great job on this video and thanks for putting it together. Maybe one day of our life time we will see a remaster of FFXI or possibly a sequel, who knows.

[@SoberDwarf]

That's awesome. I really feel like helped me out as well. It's strange, because I think because of FFXI, and knowing that it wasn't NPCs that were taking the time out of their day to help me, but real people, made me really see the effort and gratitude from others. I've never considered myself the most charismatic person, but I have such a strong empathy and can relate that experience to FFXI, because I've made friends in the game while we were just in the same area LFG, basically bitching to each other why DRK didn't get any love in Qufim. Then if I got an invite, I would be pulling for that contact to join. And, no lie, though I can't remember his name, it was like 6 months later when that same person would get an invite for me in his party, only because at one point I did that for him. That experience alone taught me how important it is to help others for even minor things because you never know when they can help you.

[@stenohero]

I just started playing XI this year after finding it on a Steam sale, and honestly I was surprised at how many people are still playing (on Asura), and at the kindness and generosity I experienced as a new player. Seriously didn't expect my low level self to get saved from an orc by a random stranger on this game in 2017! and then someone else saw me in my crappy armor and gave me 100k gil to start out with! (which i then had to spend a lot of on maps...because everything in this game is so damn expensive.)

[@SoberDwarf]

That's awesome. Asura, from what I hear, is a great server. I still try to help out anytime I see a person leveling, though with me maining DRK, it's pretty difficult to heal anyone who needs it so mostly I just /cheer them on.

[@zeldahatguy8607]

This video is literally everything I have ever felt about this game, its so hard for me to explain why I loved this game so much, now I can just show them this video. You gained a subscriber today!

[@SoberDwarf]

I'm not kidding when I said it nearly took me two years to find the words to say it, so I'm glad it resonates so much with everyone!

[@SoberDwarf]

First of all, I want to thank all of you! Out of all the videos I ever wanted to be successful, I'm so glad it was this one! As if I needed another reason to appreciate the FFXI community even more! Just to signal boost, I'm holding a Patreon Drive from June 17th to July 31st in an effort to allow me to continue to work on the show full time and continue to make more videos like these! If I meet my goal, I'm having two Patron picked episodes in September, potentially another Final Fantasy XI video! You can find out more info here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2mpXpece5yHsJI

[@gtapperdesign]

This video led me to subscribing!

[@Knifeys]

as a XI veteran and first time viewer.. dude.. you need to keep at this 100%... you got the XI feel down to a tee.. I almost has a tear for the old girl. very nice work sir

[@GameNChick]

Finally someone that loves FFXI as much as I do! awesome video! FFXI forever!

[@metalmcfly7312]

It's refreshing to see FFXI get the love it deserves. As others have stated here, I too am a first time viewer and I must say, you've done a fantastic job on this video. I am a long time veteran of XI playing for 11 yrs straight 2005-2016 on Cerberus server. I missed the nostalgia of the once great 75 cap CoP era so i decided to retire my 2 retail accts and join a 75 cap 2006 era private server. I've been there since March 2016 and haven't looked back since. Everything about this video is spot on. Amazing work my fellow Vanadiel brother! ...... even though you are a Galka :P

[@SoberDwarf]

+Metal McFly Technically, my actual main is a Manthra, so I am not sure if that raises or lowers my esteem. Regardless, I am glad I was able to do it justice!

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Best years of my online life! Every time I log into 14 I just get depressed... I miss the 75 era of XI sooo much! Played on private servers but it's just not the same.

[@SoberDwarf]

I miss that era as well. Private servers are a decent stopgap but you're right, it's not the same. I also don't want to discount the positive changes that have been made to the game over the years. I mean, I have fun memories of mob trains because of a bad pull in the jungle, but I wouldn't want that in the game again because it was frustrating. I'm just glad I was able to experience it.

[@robertsharp1511]

This was one of my favorite games back in the day. You pretty much hit the nail for this game. Difficulty created community. I never felt a game quite captured the feeling of... belonging as much as this game. I felt like a REAL white mage here. Helping parties healing random strangers... responding to calls for Dunes raises. or even power leveling parties. Needing to go beat the summons to get them made the feeling of achievement feel that much stronger. Blue mage spell hunting... THAT alone created more sense of achievement than nearly any other game i have yet to play. I felt so... accomplished in this game.... I still remember to this day the very first time i beat Maat. I have never felt a feeling of accomplishment so strong, nor since. This game was a perfect storm of the day. I wish it nothing but the best.

[@SoberDwarf]

Personally, I feel like I would recommend everyone leveling BLU for awhile, because that job gets you the most involved with the world of Vana'diel (excluding Aby). But yeah, there was such an amazing community that the game built, and it really made you feel like you could do some amazing things. I remember the first time someone heard of my character out of social circles because someone had talked about what an amazing puller I was to their linkshell, and that stuck out to me that it was a living, breathing world.

[@ljfsdlfksjg]

Hi SoberDwarf, I saw this video linked on Reddit and normally I don't watch long KZbin videos if I'm unfamiliar with the KZbinr, but I made an exception for your video and I have to say, I'm really happy I did. Growing up, I was never exposed to RPG's and it wasn't until my late teens when I discovered them. Because of this, I never got to experience the Final Fantasy Franchise until about 4 or 5 years ago. It's quickly become one of my favorites, and I've had my eye on XI after playing XIV extensively. Your video made me feel sad that I never got to experience XI the way you and countless others were able to. The game looks absolutely beautiful, and I'd love to have been there through it all. Thank you for this beautiful video! You've gained a subscriber and I'm looking forward to any new videos you come out with :)

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm sorry that you didn't have the chance to have the same experience I was able too, and that's partially why I mourn the changes of FFXI. I just want everyone to have the same experiences I have had.

[@Folko]

Finding FFXI tributes like this makes me feel like I'm not alone! Cannot put it into words either.

[@Licherous]

Man, not only do you go through the design thoroughly, but you also bring up the emotions and feelings along with them. I really hope your channel continues to grow, you really deserve it.

[@SoberDwarf]

I think that emotion is important aspect. Discussing the game mechanics and the design is evaluating the brush strokes and the technique, but the most important part is what the art is trying to convey. That's what makes it art.

[@benfredericson9467]

You put into words what I keep in my heart for the last 8-10 years. FFXI is a part of my life I will never forget. Thank you for the video!

[@madsaltygaming7506]

I never experienced this game since it was never the type of game I cared for, but as always, it's great learning about games from your perspective and I loved hearing about your experiences. And I love how deep the ending of this video is!

[@SoberDwarf]

Thanks. It's all part of the plan of gaining experience and building character, no point of having the experience if you don't share it!

[@Infloun]

Your ending hit me at heart, when you talked about memories. I'm a 30 year old man who you made cry because I started playing 11 when I was 14-15 yrs old. It took my life away, I lived on that game, I did everything, and like you said, it forced you to interact with other people! I love that system so much...MMOs now days don't have that factor, you click a button, join a group, complete your task and go your own way. On 11, I was forced to msg people, something that was out of my comfort zone, msg people who were flagged for LFP, or not even flagged, just toss them a msg, "Hey would you like to join a EXP group?" hoping they would respond. Many of those people...well lots of those people becoming my friends, people I journey the world of Vana'diel with. Sadly I was there to witness the player base take a big hit when World of Warcraft launched, Jueno being packed one day...next day it was a ghost town. My friends bailing to play WoW...so I followed. But never forgetting all the people and places I have met or gone to in that world. I continued to go back to 11 over the years, up until Seekers, play a month here and there. It just wasn't the same game anymore, it didn't have those memories. So I made a final choice, my last log in was August 12, 2016. I still think from time to time, where all those people I had shared this game with are now in their own lives, what they are up to. I lost contact with many of them over time. I only have one remaining friend from my early days of Final Fantasy 11 at it's glorious peek, we've been friends since 2003. My last connection to that game. Which I cherish. Thank you for this video.

[@SoberDwarf]

I was part of the game when the WoW exodus happened. It was kind of nice for me because a lot of the jobs that were highly competing for parties left as a result of an easier experience, but once I really learned how WoW operated, that made me appreciate FFXI all the more. And I'm with you. There are people I've met that I have no idea what happened too, they just logged off one day and never came back, and I wonder if they still think about me like I think of them.

[@thekever]

Loved the video dude! What I loved about xi was that when you actually finished a mission, unlocked a job, hit 75 or get that piece of gear you were eyeing on and saving for for 3 months, it felt like a big accomplishment. I think all people who played ffxi hardcore share this special feeling about the game which people who played other mmo's dont get. Thanks for making the video and voicing some of those feelings :)

[@Moryo7]

This was such an excellent, heartfelt, review. I've never seen a review that shows off the reviewer's personality in such a meaningful way while still covering the game in question in such detail. I don't even have an interest in Final Fantasy 11, but you made me wonder what it would be like if I had experienced this game when it came out. You have undoubtedly earned a new subscriber.

[@SoberDwarf]

Sincerely, that's some of the nicest compliments on my work I have ever received, thank you! This video was undoubtedly special to me, I'm just glad that people, including those who didn't have any experience or interest in the game itself, are able to enjoy it.

[@calebokeefe376]

To this day, this game provided some of my most favorite gaming experiences. As frustrating as camping HNMs might have been that didn't stop me from spending close to a week camping Charybdis so I could get my Joyeuse and solo RDM from 73 to 75 lol.

[@SoberDwarf]

There is a *lot* of frustrations, but I think that was the price of admission with Final Fantasy XI. You knew things were going to be a pain but it was worth it. It's funny, because there was times when leveling several jobs that I have said "I f**king hate the Dunes! I never want to come back here again", and now, over 10 years later, I miss it so much.

[@xXSebastardoXx]

Like school

[@jmwlife2k]

Caleb O'Keefe What is crazy is this video happened to pop up for me today, but earlier today a friend of mine was talking about some mmo called black desert online (I think?) was so hard.. and I was explaining to him HNMs in ffxi... and one of my best memories there was when we were camping fafnir/nidhogg and only 4 people from my LS were there, Red Mage, White Mage, Ninja (me) and a Paladin. And we pulled Nidhogg with like 100+ people looking on. And they all stood around waiting for us to die when we were telling our LS to come in lol. We held him for what felt like ages, (the run to that area took forever!) got 8 more people to show up and killed him. Everyone on the server was mad lol. But yeah, there was so much to miss about that game.

[@SaiKar22]

FFXI is a very nostalgic game for me too. I played mostly in college and basically became an adult on this game. I had to learn how to manage and juggle my free time, school, work, finances, all while still getting exp parties and fighting endgame monsters. I even got to be part of the community, writing strategy guides on an independent website (as this was in the olden days before wikis). I think I learned more about how to work with people from this game than I did from the many years that have passed since I left it. Someday this game will be gone, but Erecia will always live on in my heart.

[@SoberDwarf]

That's an amazing way to put into a paragraph what took me two years to write. Final Fantasy XI was very much my first steps into adulthood, not just in responsibility but also how to interact, socialize and work with people despite differences in heritage and culture. It taught me many lessons I still carry on to this day.

[@JerichoCasio]

Just joined Asura server. I started playing in 2004 while in middle school. My older brother was the one to play mainly but eventually I took over. Today the leveling is very fast and easy but words cannot describe the joy this game brings to my life Everytime I set foot back in Vanadiel. This game means more to me than many will ever know and I honestly hope to keep it in my mind and play as long as I can as I grow older and older. No game will ever scratch the itch that 11 can for me.

[@SoberDwarf]

Totally agree! It's the same for me.

[@tpar83]

This was the video game of my life. Thank you for doing it justice! Like you've said, all of its flaws are equally its advantages, because the feeling of accomplishing things in FF11 is unparalleled in gaming history. Beating CoP with the resources available back in the day it was released, completing your first relic weapon, beating Dynamis Lord with a full linkshell attendance, doing a full low-men salvage run; it was remarkable while it lasted. Personally, I did not like the path the game chose to follow after Abyssea content came out, but I played the game nonetheless until 2013. I was extremely disappointed to know that FF14 did not choose to recreate FF11's superb battle system. Back then I was expecting that FF14 could replace 11, and restore it to its former glory. But now I understand this will only happen the day they decide recreate the game from scratch. That is, if they ever consider this option.

[@SoberDwarf]

Yeah, it's hard to say if we'll ever get a game like FFXI again. There are murmurings about a few upcoming MMOs being "old-school" in design philosophy, but I imagine walking that line is harder now than it was 15 years ago with people's expectations and free time being less and less. I'm hoping, but I'm personally thankful that I was able to experience FFXI the way that I did, and that many people will unfortunately never be able to.

[@richanater99]

seriously, If I could play FFXI again, on a server that had 2k+ people online at all times like it used to, with the level 75 cap, I would.

[@SoberDwarf]

If that ever happened again I would be screaming from the mountain tops telling people to play it.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

I don't think I would. But if I would do it all over again I would. I don't think it was ever a waste of time, it was all an experience. Not just a time sink like ff14 or other games are now.

[@jayem12]

Hey, I recently returned to Vana'diel for PC. Your video hits home, bro. I was there for PC launch, left during Abyssea, and nothing can bring back the Vana'diel I lived through. Still love this game and no other games I've played over the years can give me the experience FFXI gave me. Great video. Thank you.

[@SoberDwarf]

That's about the time I played through, PS2 launch to Abyssea, and I just sort of stepped away for awhile and came back around the time Seekers released (though I was so far behind on levels I didn't get to do anything in it.) Most have my experience has involved returning once I got a new expansion. It was rough with ToAU because my Gamestop never ordered a copy, and I went for months unable to play it until I randomly found it at a Target and got back into it.

[@Qwhat9]

I don't think i've ever watched a video on youtube for which i am so grateful to the creator.

[@BrandonFoy]

Thank you for the memories SoberDwarf :) - keep on making videos!

[@SoberDwarf]

I definitely plan on it!

[@thereluctanthireling]

Man this hits home....started at launch. So many memories, great friends and crazy experiences. Nothing can replicate those times, struggles and achievements.

[@Xanthus723]

Thanks SoberDwarf for this fantastic rundown of what FFXI meant to so many of us. I know every single one that played early FFXI is getting the nostalgia so hard. You know sometimes I pull up the sanctuary of Zi'Tah music and head right back there in memory.

[@SoberDwarf]

That Zi'Tah music is SOOOOOOOOO good! I love that game's soundtrack so much!

[@Agumon5]

I gotta say, FFXI veteran here 2004-2016 on and off (recently quit for good), you perfectly capture how FFXI made me feel. It is a very different game now, and it doesn't have anywhere near the experience it used to, but damn if those memories aren't sweet. Honestly, thank you for making this video.

[@SoberDwarf]

And thank you for the compliment. Though really the true heroes here are the development team. If they wouldn't have been so thoughtful and insightful, I wouldn't have had these experiences to share.

[@bnuuny46]

I love your videos, and I'm so glad you're back. There might not be a way to convey nostalgia, but I could feel yours just listening to your story about the game! Keep it up

[@SoberDwarf]

Yeah, things are still kind of iffy with my computer, but I'm glad I managed to get this finished. It was a HUGE project (My log shows I've worked over 180 hours on it) but this was a very personal video so I wanted to make sure I did it justice. I'm definitely going to be doing lighter videos for a bit though, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

My, my, what a mighty fine video! I see that even now you cherish all your accomplishments so greatly, like many people don't even when they reach a million subscribers. The passion you have is that of a knight of the round. But think not that the path you've trodden was by any means long. No, exactly the opposite. I see a bright and great future ahead of you. You have all the qualities a KZbinr could hope for, inspiring writing, a niche to fill, and even a skillful hand for editing. I must confess, yours made that cold heart of mine a bit tepid. A feat not many accomplish. Now then, while I am no veteran of FFXI, I did play a bit of it 2 years ago. 'Twas on a private server, name's Nasomi, which made its goal to best recreate the feeling of yore, and recreate it did and is doing. Like you said I was met with helpfulness from the common players, if it weren't for them I'd not be writing this comment. Ultimately and moderately-swiftly I decided that the game's not one I want to delve into. Yet some tingling need of repayment to the community never left me. And then when I met a chap on KZbin who was very much into the game and the server, I decided. With that I made a tutorial for the server, in my mothers tongue and English. And hitherto easily over a hundred adventures rejoined the world of Vana'diel. Most of them tested by years of battle, a handful new. I am always ready to instruct the few greenhorns with my small but fundamental set of skills. I salute you for your endeavours, the one to celebrate XI and all the rest. So I conclude, wishing all the best.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for your very kind words, and thank you for your contribution to the community! I can totally understand that FFXI isn't for everyone, but the few who it is for love it deeply and appreciate anyone helping out!

[@leihhiri9515]

Hit hard, right in the feels. Excellent job man! I got to go back and play back in May after officially quitting back in late 2014 and had a blast. So many moments, so many experiences that many will never have the honor to enjoy. As much anger and sorrow as there was, there was even more joy and excitement getting to spend all of those thousands of hours with people you've never met before, all just trying to enjoy themselves. Thanks for putting this together for everyone to get at least a glimpse of what was/is Final Fantasy XI.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@BoswenMcBastok]

Jeez man... I think you ripped open a chunk of my soul that I buried and mourned over all those years ago. And yet now I'm thanking you for it. It was good to remember all the great experiences I had. I feel like I've met a kindred spirit of Vana'diel. I was just going to watch this in the background, only paying half attention but then I actually stopped what I was doing and couldn't resist focusing on it for the entire show.... So many good times there. I remember the Dunes parties, both good and bad, the 'naked Jueno runs', the hay-day of skilchains and magic bursts (still to this day one of my all time favorite RPG mechanics) before TP burns ruined (IMO) leveling and turned it into a painful/boring grind. I remember getting nervous during the 7th+ hearing the start of the Maat fight music on RDM and then soundly trouncing him on PLD before that some time earlier. I remember sort of coming back (the first time I came 'out of retirement') and getting my first job to 76 (PLD), followed by WAR and NIN. Hell, I even remember being a n00b and war/whm 'butter tanking' it, I think it was called. And I remember some awesome three IRL-person parties where I took RDM/WAR as a main tank with a THF/NIN and a BRD/WHM friend all the way from 1 through crawler's nest (40 something) with our NPC Adventuring Fellows before trust even existed. (Lamentably (?), I never got to experience Trust NPCs...) I know too of the theme that you mentioned. I know it very well, memorized long ago and was slightly heart broken at missing the opportunity to sing along in the grand finale when SE apparently asked us to send in our voice. I thought about re-mixing it even and inserting my vocal track quietly into the chorus in one final huzzah to say goodbye. I am reminder too of so many other sweet melodies like Sanctuary of Zi'tah, the "Gospel of Jeuno", Bustle of the Capitol {and Naja smacking her mace in the background!), Gustaberg (so many memories flooding back), the Ronfaure vocalization, Griffons Never Die, and Mhaura (where I spent so much of my time cutting gems as a GSM with all manor of voodoo summoned to get that elusive HQ!), and so much more.... I've since moved on from Vana'diel (despite trying to come back half a dozen times), but the adventure of it all still holds a special place in my heart. I even named my latest character's surname "McBastok," after my home (in every sense of the word) there in Vana'diel, and his backstory is that he immigrated from Vana'diel. My wife and I have even considered naming our next child's middle name "Bowen" after my POL gamertag (what were they called again? Handles?), 'BowenOfSwan' - which she helped me shorten to "Boswen" due to FF11's naming limitations. And I've stuck with that name in almost every instance where I get to pick a game name.... Games like these touch our lives in ways you have very eloquently described but which also are practically incomprehensible to those on the the outside... So cheers for allowing me to momentarily return there. Perhaps I'll finally work up the courage to go watch the Let's Play videos for the last bit of story that I never finished or go return to the apparently still active last few lingering guild mates still on Ragnarok. (I've visited almost all of them IRL via road trips all over the country, many of which are still cherished friends that my wife and I keep up with via social media...) One last thing, and this may be a vein attempt of mine to hold on to that which was lost. I dare not even speak of such things while the official servers are still up, but... If you ever feel the need to return someday long after (if ever?) the official servers finally shut down, there are a veritable plethora of private servers out there. And although I don't condone them while the game is still 'alive' (in whatever semblance that may be said) for both moral (feels like stealing since I'm no longer subbed) and kindred (I'm a BSci degree-enabled hobbyist game programmer) reasons, I've no less kept my eye on them from time to time in the lofty dreams that I'll either join one or create my own to keep it 'alive' postmortem.... Hell, I've even been thought of turning it into a Chrono Trigger- / Chrono Cross- era single-player or local-coop RPG just so my progeny can one day experience a small taste of the experiences that bar none had a huge impact on my desire to be a pro. game developer some day. Dad gom it, I said I was going to stop three paragraphs ago... Must... stop... reminiscing. Be well, friend.

[@SoberDwarf]

I have no idea why this comment was in my spam folder because it was one of the best ones I've seen. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories. I think that private servers as a means of historical preservation are ultimately important for any game, though personally if I ever got involved with one, I'd probably still keep my FFXI sub up as a way of making sure I was still supporting the developers and making sure the game stays alive. I would love for there to be a form of official preservation but I'm not sure how exactly the execs at SE care about the legacy of the game, probably not as much as the fans, but hopefully, they will continue to support it for as long as humanly possible.

[@Lacrimorta]

Thank you for this. This game was the most important thing in my life for a few years. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it.

[@SoberDwarf]

I'm entirely lucky too. That game was at the right place at the right time in my life, and I would never trade that experience for anything.

[@Endio_Star]

Although we will never be able to re-create the amazing experience that was FFXI, i find happiness knowing that we got to experience it.

[@SoberDwarf]

My thoughts exactly! I'm honestly more upset that new people won't have much of an opportunity to experience the things I was able to, but hopefully sharing it allows some of those to live vicariously.

[@jsonman1]

Thank you for this walk down memory lane, ffxi spent over 10 years in game from PC NA launch. The community and working together is what made that game the challenge because of that game I made some incredible RL friends those who I never even met in person before flew out just for my wedding because of the tides we shared from that game. I wish SE would make something like this again

[@SoberDwarf]

I do too. I'd be happy if any company would make something like this again.

[@adiscerningdunmer9311]

I came in late in Chains of Promathia. I remember being totally, completely and unbelievably lost -- I had chosen an Elvaan Black Mage, and was expecting a tutorial to give me a sense of bearing, but was kicked face-first onto the cobblestone of San d'Oria and told 'Have fun'. No tooltips, no little exclamation-points to tell me who was a quest NPC and who was there for aesthetic purposes. The very first friend I'd made was a Taru-Taru at the auction house that taught me how to pick up a Signet buff, shoved me out into West Ronfaure and said 'Here thar be crystals. Go get 'em, champ'. Hearing some of the themes from this game puts me on nostalgia trips that other games can't hold a candle to. I don't think any MMO will top my experiences with this game. I'd never seen your content before, but you gave me the opportunity to reflect on the things that I both loved, and hated, about Final Fantasy XI in a clear and honest perspective. And for that, I thank you deeply. And that ending. Who put this bowl of onions here? Jokes aside, I'd be silly not to subscribe. I can't wait to see what more you put forward for us all to see.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for your wonderful comment and sharing those memories. I'm honestly really glad that FFXI was so rough in the beginning. I can't imagine how many people it might have turned away because of the lack of direction, but so many people have told me about their own starts and every time I just think about how awesome that is that a game can give you that experience with another person.

[@DaleAdrasta24]

Hey SoberDwarf, thank you for taking the time and genuine effort to make this video. You talking about your experiences here made me think back to fond memories of my own and I really appreciate that. You are clearly passionate about what you do and what you talk about and it makes watching your content all the more enjoyable, I look forward to more videos. PS i'm leveling fishing here in FF14 while watching your videos! Keep up the fantastic work!

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! Best of luck on your fishing! Get your (sea) (legs) and (Raise) (fishing) (skill).

[@deku812]

Great video and a much needed tribute to FFXI. The game has been getting extra attention this year due to the 15th anniversary campaign + free login, so it's nice to see this video come out with that surge in interest. I had a similar experience my first night in FFXI. I was a taru wandering around in Bastok and I just randomly asked someone for help. I didn't even know how to equip gear. We became friends and had static to our 40s. Mine was a sad ending though, he was set in his ways being a War/PLD and it got harder and harder for him as he got up. He eventually just stopped playing. Hope you do more videos on XI and continue playing XI. The game needs passionate players like you.

[@SoberDwarf]

There are a lot of people on my friendslist that I haven't since since 2004, and it's always hard to see those names and think about those times only to realize they are never coming back. I never deleted them because I don't want to miss seeing them in case they ever get back online. I never thought about turning the channel into a FFXI channel, and it's very tempting because I get to play the game more, but I think my Patreons have an expectation that I'll cover other games, so I probably shouldn't do that. I definitely plan on revisiting the topic. I'm just glad I struck a chord with so many people who shared my experience.

[@deku812]

Thanks, that's totally understandable. Look forward to your next video regardless, and yes FFXI is worth revisiting!

[@LiegerZ0]

SoberDwarf it wouldn't be the same anyway, final fantasy 11 is...hollow. Square destroyed it in the last few years, ever since the point where they announced final fantasy 14 they worked to gut what was left of that wonderful game. the beginning of the end began when add-ons were added, add-ons were a fast way to make money but they had zero thought put into how they'd destroy the economy and community. I stopped playing after the release of the second set of add-oon packs because the point of interacting with others had effectively ended. I went from talking to others, having fun, regularly raiding to...nothing in a few short months. It drove people away. It stopped anyone from participating anymore. I miss our FFXI, i miss... i miss that world that brought me friendship and hardship. This sort of thing drives me to want to design mmorpgs, i want to make something like final fantasy 11 that forces people to come together, that makes a world where everyone struggles and feels attached, modern mmorpgs just don't have these feelings because they're themeparks. You know when you join you'll inevitably leave because the content will become repetitive and there's nothing attaching you to it.

[@sunnyupgremlin]

A person who only knows me in passing linked this video to me because I introduce myself in chat groups during ice breakers with something along the lines of "FFXI is the best MMO, fight me." and I might talk about XI a lot whenever any other MMO comes up. And I wasn't going to watch it at first because videos are hard for me, but I thought, maybe this could help explain to my husband what I keep trying to explain about XI and all the attendant emotions and desires and nostalgias.... I ended up crying for most of the video (which, granted, isn't that much of a surprise given it's me) but I just. The words and the footage and the instant evocation of all the XI Feelings were just so overwhelming. And it's really nice to know that someone out there - many someones, I guess, looking at the comments for this vid - feels *exactly* the way I feel about this game. Thank you.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for giving the video a chance! I like to think in my heart of hearts, the majority of the Final Fantasy XI community, among any other, is one of the best communities out there just because those habits we've learned from growing together. And keep fighting the good fight!

[@captcarl13]

Former XI player here. Thank you for this. I quit shortly after WotG was released. FFXI created so many friendships, many of which I still have today. One of my favorite moments was a pickup Bahamut v2 with a bunch of friends and acquaintances. It was meleeburn style, and I was one of three Red Mages who had the job of Chainspell+Stun. Ten minutes of preparation inside the BC for a legit 12 second fight. I wish I still had the video. Community is the thing missing from modern MMOs, and I really miss that. So again, thank you. Vanburace of Asura, former Red Mage (2004-2008)

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for your comment! I really miss that style of MMO too. I have chased that dragon into plenty of other MMOs that I have genuinely enjoyed for other reasons, but Final Fantasy XI will always be special to me because of its design.

[@lyam_79]

Soberdwarf, thank you so much for this video, this is the very best of youtube ! Your words made me cry. You nailed it at 100%. I took a lot of breaks over the years but vanadiel always finds its way to call me back and i can never resist it for long. Went back january this year and still at it. Subbed forever to your channel

[@SoberDwarf]

I'm sadly not, a monthly sub just isn't in the currently budget, but I have been popping in and enjoying the free week this week between working on things. I definitely take my vacations in Vana'diel though. Also, I really like your avatar pic!

[@Sephaos]

I couldn't afford to play 11, nor 14, but this video makes me feel like I have. Kudos, man, you just have me the feels. I need to play this Final Souls 11, scholar of the first rage now

[@SoberDwarf]

That title. That was clever.

[@sfkingalpha]

FFXI definately shaped my life as well. I was 13 or 14 when I started... am now 30 and life is different. It's amazing that some of us still keep in touch without being in Vanadiel anymore. Thanks for this video. I honestly couldn't watch the whole thing and had to skim through a few parts to keep myself from tearing up. Unforgettable people, unforgettable memories. I've subscribed to the channel now : )

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! Trust me, this video makes me cry everytime I watch it so whenever I respond to comments I have to skim over parts myself.

[@Nedocard]

You said it man.. this video made me cry. As the player base dwindled.. my very last act in the game was selling all that I owned.. grinding that last level of goldsmithing to 100. Then it was over. Even after all these years.. the nostalgia remains. I stayed in touch by learning piano.. playing all my favorite tunes.. from ronfaure to the sanctuary of zitah.. reminiscing, from time to time, all those memories past. Thank you.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you. I haven't ever 'retired' from the game. Every time I think I'm going to put it down for good, I get to the last few days, thinking about selling most of my stuff and I just can't do it. I know the siren will pull me back. But even while I'm gone, I still listen to the music almost on a regular basis.

[@SoberDwarf]

Hey, would you like to see more Final Fantasy XI videos? Or other long-form videos like this? You can help me afford my subscription at www.patreon.com/TheSoberDwarf . Every contribution, even $1 a month, helps out the channel greatly!

[@StandAgainstTheCartels]

Another long vid on FFXI about all the stuff you mentioned near the end would be great. I missed out on it due to the price, internet speed needed, and that there was no shortage of other titles, so seeing locations and the types of experiences you had would be great. If I ever land a good paying job I'll be a patron for sure.

[@breaktheboxgaming7902]

I'd watch some more FF XI videos. Design Documentaries on any game would be cool. More MMO's, maybe some Horror games(Your silent hill videos were awesome)! I think older games would be a good idea. There's a lot of games that really didn't get the audience they deserved/would have received because of the time they came out.

[@NightingaleSong]

I think more videos on Final Fantasy XI would definitely go over well. This could be a career in itself.

[@sharkeyjabs6145]

NightingaleSong i agree

[@sharkeyjabs6145]

26:30 no way, we got this :P

[@ARGH28]

party wipe from goblin butcher on the way to the dunes, and waiting 53 minutes for a rez so we don't lose XP. yes, those were the days! :)

[@SoberDwarf]

{Raise} {Can I have it!} {Help me out!} {Please!}

[@stevecybulski6246]

That was an incredible video! Parts of it really brought my back to my days in FFXI. It was definitely a community of players that seemed more than just people roaming around in a video game. Many of them I looked forward to seeing and messaging everyday. There was even a difficult time in my life where I was struggling against cancer and there was my linkshell there to pray for me and support me. I really think your video did FFXI ALOT of justice and it was very moving to watch this. I'm glad I came across your video, and thanks so much for making it. Kuchi - Asura Server

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! And yes, the community is really awesome like that. Also, I hope you dropped that Cancer like it was (Easy Prey)!

[@Thedarkpotato22]

wow. you can tell this video came from the heart and not the mind, im just random a that stumbled across this vid but i knew exactly what you meant when you started to talk about your stories. this game is more than a game for you, and that feeling is special. never forget that feeling. Goodjob, friend. Loved the video

[@SoberDwarf]

I don't think I could forget the game if I want too. It's been part of my life for nearly half my life. I'm really glad you enjoyed the video though!

[@subtlewookiee]

Nice vid, liked and subbed. As someone who spent far too much time in VD (I believe my last /played was 400 days) than was probably healthy I appreciated the look back. One thing I thought you overlooked though was not just community but play inventiveness. It was true that most things required a group, but that led to creativity in doing things that you could do solo or duo. For example, one of my favorite things to do in the game was to explore. I first chose RDM so I had access to sneak and invis and at level 40 was exploring places that would destroy a level 75. Even better was doing it with a buddy, and nothing was more tense than trying to cast a safe spot to recast sneak and invis when bad positioning meant death, HP and a loss of hard-earned EXP. The other favorite thing I loved to do was gate guard. This was made somewhat moot when they patched aggro trains to respawn, but I also spent many hours camped in front of Selbina or Kazham killing goblin trains that unwitting players (or jerks) had trained to the zone. And don't even mention the ungodly trains in Crawler's Nest or Garliage Citadel that would shut down leveling for hours. It was very gratifying to be able to help out low level players and foster a sense of togetherness in the community. I'm sure there are other things I overlooked, or that other players did as well, that was just my experience. Oh, and for posterity, partying really wasn't that hard if you built your own parties. Yes, it definitely sucked and for a first timer it wasn't feasible, but if you just took on the burden of being a leader you could craft great groups. Nothing beat staticing with friends, though.

[@SoberDwarf]

That wasn't so much overlooked as much as it was just left on the cutting room floor. The video you see here is 1/5th of everything I initially wanted to talk about, because there is really just *so* much that Final Fantasy XI managed to do. I could not do this game justice unless I did a whole series talking about each aspect of the game, and even then there is stuff I would miss. There were so many things I personally wanted to talk about that I couldn't just because a video has to get done (and I thank my patreons for being so patient with me). I learned to make my own parties eventually, but you still ran into some of the same problems of having to compete with the PLDs and WHMs. I remember one time I was getting a group together in Qufim when about 4 fights in, the PLD said he had to go suddenly. We moved to another camp before the nightfall only to see him with another group. Turns out the leader of that group offered him 50k to ditch our group and join his. FFXI was cutthroat at times.

[@subtlewookiee]

Yeah sorry didn't meant to sound overbearing, there's a ton. There's no doubt making parties was brutal. I would often just /sea whm/rdm/smn and spam people even who were not seeking just to get something going. Even then the average time to make a party was about an hour.

[@SoberDwarf]

Not overbearing at all, I really appreciate the passion! I honestly wish I could talk about the game in complete detail. Maybe if the path takes me that way, I will!

[@Tazrael]

I have many stories I could tell about FFXI, but one that I like to tell is how I made the point of taking multiple friends through all four plot threads of Wings of the Goddess (three nations and main story), and one night we spent working our way through Castle Zvahl knowing that if we broke for the night how hard it would be to reorganize it again. We get to the final battle and our healer, a rdm, forgot to equip the item to protect them from the boss' Doom attack. We wind up in full offense mode to take the boss down, and with the boss at 1% we all drop....and then me (SAM) and the tank get back up with reraise. Tank sacrificed themself while I used meditate (shoulda prepped utsusemi first), and then I killed the boss with a regular attack. The party chat went from screaming in anger to screaming in joy. After all, a party wipe in 11 at that point was an entire evening down the drain.

[@greedxiv8105]

Man. . . it's been years since I last played XI. I played it for hell, 11-12 years. When XIV 1.0 BOMBED, I went back to ol faithful. Thank you for making this video. I got a little misty. Like you I have so many memories of XI, both good and bad, but I will always have them. From the first time I ran for my life to make it to the dunes, to the time I finally beat Maat on my RDM after 20 plus times trying (damn you chainspell!), to countless Salvage runs, I will always remember. Thanks bro, you brought back some really great memories of a game that I truly loved and miss.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thanks for watching, and I'm glad I could rekindle that nostalgia!

[@mihreynylene5329]

That really brought me to tears... Thank you so much, Mr Dwarf. ... thank you so much. I know exactly what you're talking about. I startet FFXI pretty late and had truble to even get it to run (it was my first MMORPG and i played on Xbox 360) the first 3 Months where pretty hard and i didn't really know what i was doing but then, in Gusgen Mines i joined a skelleton farm party and met my later LS-Family and it relly was a family. We helped us in-game and in real life. People from the USA, Japan, Russia and me from Germany. It was the greatest thing i ever had in a videogame and it still is. I still remember that a random person stoped me and gave me 10.000 Gil to buy better gear. 10.000!!! I thought i was rich back then. Sadly i don't remember his/her name... but this game... FFXI is a part of my past. It is a part of me and it will be in my heart for ever. I hope i can get me a better laptop so i can finally get back to Vana'diel and start a brand new journey. ... again: thank you very VERY much, SoberDwarf.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for sharing the memories! Here is hoping your journey for a laptop works out and you get to relive Vana'diel for a little while!

[@mitchmitchellson9058]

Great video and by far the best I've ever seen in regards to a description of this game. Perfectly described what made the game great and memorable to me, something I'll never forget. Thank you for what you did for me with this video, it's indescribable, but I know that plenty of people will know exactly what I mean. You reminded me of something I had let myself forget.

[@stolenrims]

Deodate - Main BLM99 - Race Tarutaru - Origin San D'oria - Rank 10 My first MMO. I didn't know what to expect. I was reluctant to "pay to play" because I was a console gamer primarily and never liked the idea of continually paying. I worked at Toys R Us at the time the game came out and a co-worker friend of mine finally convinced me to play. But before I did it, I spent a week or so researching the starting cities so I could decide where I wanted to begin my in-game life. I researched the races and their attributes. I looked at every model to decide which character I wanted to look like. I spent hours thinking of character names because I wanted it to be unique. I ended up buying the game on PC, I logged in for the first time after a long download and met up with my friend. I didn't know how to chat...how to auto-run...how to battle. I just followed him around in awe taking in the sights while he showed me who to talk to, areas of interest (home point crystals, mog houses, auction houses, chocobo stables). He took me outside to teach me how to battle. I was hooked. My friend stopped playing after awhile but as everyone who played this game knows, you don't get far playing solo. I made new friends from all over the world. I had friends across the US, Europe, China, Japan. I made a Japanese friend (shout out Wilderich) who I could only speak with through auto-translate but we understood each other. I'm still friends with some of these people, but others...just stopped logging in and I never knew where they went. I miss them. The difficulty and grindiness of this game made players have to work together, and it "weeded out" a lot of the players who didn't take it as seriously which led to a close-knit, cooperative community of great players. And that's not to take away from the casual players who never reached the level cap. I know a lot of people like that who also feel a great affection for the game. But those who stuck with it really got to go on some amazing adventures with amazing, interesting, unique and caring people. By-and-large, everyone playing the game wanted everyone else to succeed. There was competition, but at least in my experience it wasn't vile or toxic. It was a driving force to do your best and help lift up the people around you so you could all accomplish the things you wanted to achieve. It wasn't all perfect, and maybe I've got rose-colored glasses on; but when you look at some of the games that followed, I feel like there was comparatively little vitriol amongst the community. When I listen to music from this game, I get genuine emotion and actual nostalgia. It's crazy and people don't really understand what that's like to have nostalgia for a virtual world. But it felt like another home. Ronfaure... Sarutabaruta...The Sanctuary of Zitah. There are so many others as well, I couldn't list them all. The music in this game was beautiful, and added so much to a great game. I played this game for years off and on, over a decade. I have nearly 2 years of in-game play time. I don't have an active account right now, but I will be there when the sun sets on this game. It deserves a grand sendoff. /wave

[@SoberDwarf]

Man, you hit the nail on the head there. There were very few times I've noticed a genuine toxicity among players, and I think 90% of the time it was all pointed towards the same thing (bots, gil-sellers/buyers, etc.) There were very few people on my blacklist and usually it's because those people were absolutely terrible people to play with, but thankfully those people never stuck around long because once you developed a reputation, soon the community itself started shunning you. FFXI did such an amazing job at cultivating that community and building on top of it. I'm not even sure if it was all entirely intentional. I'm just glad I got to experience when I did. And I know exactly what you are talking about. I didn't have a PC capable of running FFXI until around 2009, but back in 2003 I bought the strategy guide for the PC just so I would be ready to play as soon as I got it on the PS2.

[@moonkeis]

Great video, really well done. FFXI is truly a special experience that I still think about to this day. The OST, zones, and community really made this such an unforgettable experience. I've played many other MMOs after FFXI, but nothing has captured the magic of FFXI for me.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! I hope I can revisit this topic again because I really do want to talk more about the OST and world-building at some point.

[@skeletonmate]

played from 2006 (13 years old) to 2009... it was my best gaming experience ever. made amazing friends, loved them all so much. the game set the bar so high for mmos that i really haven't found another to invest in... but you know? it's fine. sandy homegrown, brd main. my whole family played it and we had a huge ls that on our server. (top 5) ugh, i could go on. thank you for making this, really brought me joy.

[@SoberDwarf]

That's awesome! Thank you for sharing your memories. I love hearing stuff like that.

[@sleepingkirby]

Hi soberdwarf. First time to the channel. I do appreciate the video. I started out the game playing a loldrg so I know all about the wait times. Though, for the LS, I leveled bard. Bard went from 1 to 75 in 4 weeks. Drg, I solo leveled to 75 off and on, that took 5 years... I was actually lucky in that my best friend got me to play the game. I wasn't too keen on the game for the exact reason you mentioned. There also any jobs that particularly spoke to me. Drg was the only one I had an interest in. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the game, I did enjoy it a lot. But there was also something about it that I didn't quite enjoy. But I stayed for the friends. I last stopped playing in.. I want to say 2012, and started Nov. 18th of 2002. As Bard, you help out a lot of people so I made a lot of friends. A few I tried to keep in touch with even after I stopped playing, a few I met in real life after a while. But I guess the most significant thing the game brought to my life was this newbie drk that I helped start out as bard. Helped power level, getting limit break items, helping her part with her pld. So yeah... she's now my wife. It all really started in Windurst waters when I was fishing moat carps for that darn lu shang's rod. She really wanted the christmas trees and I had a good amount of money at that point, gave her the money for them. Anyways, thanks for the video and thanks for the memories.

[@SoberDwarf]

I had the exact experience with leveling but instead of DRG, it was THF, and instead of BRD it was COR. Also, that is awesome that you met your wife! The experiences people have shared I almost want to do an entirely new episode on just talking about them, because that is awesome!

[@azadalamiq]

My b/f and I met on ff14, i kept telling him stories of ff11. (and tbh how from 2004-2008 it was the best mmo ever) I had him watch this with me so he understood "why". I started this game on ps2, I was 19 and it was a year after my high school ex and I broke up. (he dumped me at prom). I was into the anime .hack and played all the games. I was like "are mmorpg real?" so i looked around, and found out about ff11. How it was soon to be released on ps2. I bought it when my local wal-mart had it in stock. (no gamestop was around where i lived) Saddly due to my family not knowing how to set up a router and had to share ff11 and the ps2 with my brother. I could only play 2 hours a day on ff11. But for my first year, it was the best 2 hours a day I had. I recall meeting a galka monk on the garuda server in windurst. His name was rykon, and he showed me the ropes. Every day I logged in he was willing to show me around and show me good leveling spots. He stopped logging in a week later, and I never thanked him, but for the next 7 years, Every time I entered giddues, I would kneel in respect. To this day a good 10+ years later I still remember him. I remember my fellow inuyasha fan tetsaiga (sp?) where we would level together and talk about the latest inyuasha movies and episodes. I remember my bitter sweet online romance of 7 years, and do regret how I acted, but I was young and he was older then me. But I did grow a lot of the relationship. Infact that relationship made me realize I might have Autism or a form of it, and this was formaly diagnosed 2 years ago. I missed ff11 to me is the last real mmorpg. In my opinion WoW killed the mmorpg genre, it made it to solo friendly. Even in ff14 people see other players as a means to an end. I rarely see people going out of their way to help others. I just see a community of cut throat players who get hard for the meta. And if you didn't follow the meta, you was worthless and people would tell you. I recall my first endgame dungeon in ff14,I was a fresh level 50 paladin looking to get a quest done from my relic. My boyfriend (who i met in game, and live with him irl) and I queued up. I said hi to my group, and told them it was my first doing this dungeon. It was amdapor keep, and I needed to get a rune for my relic weapon. I go to pull, and do my best to tank the mobs. What started to happen was the whm, and other dps (my b/f was blm) started to pull more mobs too me, which started to make me feel overwhelmed. I asked the group to stop, as this was again my first time here, and getting overwhelmed. The healer, who was a female roe whm, started to tell me off for not "large pulling". Saying i need to go faster, I tried to tell her I wasn't confident, or ready. That I JUST got to 50, and JUST started my relic quest. She wouldn't listen to my pleas, and kept pulling more mobs till I got very overwhelmed. At this point I was starting to get anxiety, and was nearly in tears with my b/f on psn chat. After a while, I just stopped tanking unsure what to do, The whm told me off more, saying I was suppose to watch a video before entering the dungeon. That i had to "speed run" pull (pull multiple groups of mobs at once) to get he dungeon faster. I tried to explain, that i play on the ps3 (ps4 wasn't out yet) and had no access to a pc (my family didn't have 1, we used to but they broke, in fact one WAS mine but they ruined it from porn viruses). they said to use my smart phone, and I told them I didn't have 1. They called me a liar said I'm just being lazy. Then telling me I should have been a stain on the bed sheets. I was in tears after this, and just spent the run letting the whm tank. My b/f didn't know what to do as he also was used to speed running, and not really used to dealing with conflict. More so I'm his first g/f. After that it seemed no matter what I did, or what job I played I was never good enough, I would get insulted. Any time I asked for tips to improve I was simply told "google it, stop being lazy" or "stop expecting players to carry you" and also "stop being lazy, and asking for hand outs, don't expect players to teach you." From then on, I have a 3+ year love hate relationship with ff14. i love the game, I hate the community. Even though in ff11 I was hated for not wanting to be a backline healing rdm, that was peanuts, to the animosity the ff14 community has. Just look on the forums, healers dealing damage is considered a bonus and not mandatory, nor expected by the devs, including the rock star director producer( who is a mmo veteran, who does play ff14) yet the community will call you lazy, a waste of space and boot you from group content. And I'm not talking endgame basic leveling dungeons as well. In fact, I have a video on my youtube channel showcasing a sliver of the type of stuff I get while tanking in ff14 daily. I'm not a rude person, I don't call people out. I try my best to quickly explain things to make my role as tank easier. Yet people just see you as an npc. ff14 is a great game, and could have a better community, if people were forced to group up more often, that you had to be concerned how you treat others.

[@Sir_Duckyweather]

Geez, I'm glad I never got into XIV if that's what the playerbase is like. You sometimes would run across jerks in XI, but not very often. If especially bothered by someone, I'd just put them on my blacklist and move on, though it may take upwards of a week to stop thinking about the bad association before putting them out of my mind, as they aren't worth remembering. I do remember one thing people rarely did, if the player in question wasn't the party leader and there was a BLM, they might just get a Warp II and a boot from the party. Or if it was the puller being the ass, kick them from the party immediately after they pull an Incredibly Tough monster. There was a pretty strict unspoken no-tolerance policy regarding bad apples, and they usually deserved to be humbled, even if those things were rather uncommon.

[@SoberDwarf]

FFXI was not perfect by any means, I've also had my share of getting kicked from parties because I didn't have a Valkurm Hairpin. I've also had bad experiences with bad pulls and the party getting upset. But, at least for me, that was 1 out of every 10 parties or so, the other 9 were alright, and probably out of those 9 there would be 2 or 3 that would more than make up for it. In my brief experience with FFXIV... there really was no experience. It was a beautiful world, and it seemed like there was a lot available, but there really wasn't anything to keep me playing. I played for 3 days and didn't talk to a single person. It was quite a different experience. Not to say it was a bad game, I'm sure if I gave it more time, I would have gotten something more out of it, but there was nothing there that made me feel like playing. Also, I don't know what parties you were in, I remember some of the RDM out-damaging some of the DD classes, *and* being able to refresh and heal the party. You see a duel-wielding RDM with enspell back in that day, it was a sight to behold.

[@azadalamiq]

my server, it was backline heal or else. that rdm melee was feeding the mob tp.

[@geller1243]

Most of the time i don't run into elitist assholes on ff14, but when i do i kinda feel the same. Nobody should be THAT condesending over a video game. The whole concept of "we need to speed run" is dumb. Expecialy if its your first time at 50. Only time that should happen is if EVERYONE is ok with it. People like that WHM can get fucked. Just find a group of people in your FC/Linkshells to do content with. Duty finder can be a cespit sometimes. Friends make everything better :D

[@cerberusnovaempire9483]

Azura Moonstar in my server malboro is not that bad u find one or two elitist but most will explain if u tell em is your first time. sometimes the rest will kick the elitist out the group or troll on em . tahts why im hapoy whit the server i choose

[@ray.b.75]

Wonderful video Soberdwarf! Nice to know that someone else feels this much love for FFXI. So long Valkurm Emperor, you will be missed!

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you!

[@zoozo2]

I was crying almost all the time watching the video, because of the memories i have in the world of Vana'diel. Thank you sir for the video.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you for the comment! There was a lot of sweat and tears poured into the video, and thankfully I didn't cut myself while rendering so blood was spared. A lot of in game death though.

[@mikeschinzel4633]

Bud great video. This game was my life, like it was for many others. the greatest part of this game was the friendships you could make. FF14 can't even come close to it. I even had family that I got into the game. When they moved to another state it made it a great way to stay in touch. It's so sad to see the game the way it is today. Nothing like it's true form.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you. I honestly think that some of the changes are really good (for instance, it is nice to be able to do the story missions), I just think they are patching over a vital part of the original experience. I would a half-way solution, and they sort of have it with Job Point Parties, but you miss out on so much before then.

[@OnionBun]

subbed. just so much heart went into this. wow anyway I hope that when ffxi does finally shut down, they open it up for everyone with an account to login and say good bye.

[@SoberDwarf]

Me too. Or at least give an advanced enough notice so I can record all the plot beats and preserve them so others can at least see it.

[@IkariLoona]

Korvana already did that in her channel, but any efforts to preserve this game for posterity are welcome, especially since SE seems so disinclined to such initiatives - they really shouldn't have put XIV's director in charge of SE's online game division...

[@Nightweaver1]

There will always be private servers to take refuge in if and when the official ones shut down. I know some players on Siren who already play on private now and then.

[@SoberDwarf]

I worry sometimes that if FFXI were to shut down, SE would go after private servers as well. Hopefully that's not the case, and SE has been turning a blind eye to them currently, but it's one of those gut feelings that I hope I'm just completely wrong.

[@rederik99]

That would be depressing

[@Callbeast]

Thanks for this fitting tribute to our beloved FFXI. You said what we all feel in our hearts.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! I really appreciate hearing that!

[@HearthERB]

I absolutely love this. I bought the PS2 version in April of 2004 and played through 2009. Got hacked....came back in 2011 and play at least once a year still. Your feelings and emotions speak through your video straight to my soul, as I could not feel anymore in unison with your sentiment. I truly cherish the memory of those times doing all that hard, endless grinding to 75 and nonstop weekly endgame LS events. Not to even mention the music, hands down some of the best in the series. I also lament for not being able to have those experiences again, and have often thought what it'd be like once the servers are shut down for good. Great vid man!

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! Yeah, my account was hacked at some point too, though it seemed like they didn't do too much damage to it (think it was a RMT looking for stuff to sell) but they ended up changing my password and almost lost my account. I know people give Square support a lot of crap, (because it is generally bad) but it was a good experience. But yes, FFXI continues to speak to me, in different ways. I'm not looking forward to the day the servers shut down. I hope it won't be in the next few years, but I know some day that it's going to happen and I'm not quite sure how I'll handle not being able to return to Vana'diel. So I'm taking the opportunity to enjoy it while I can.

[@mfblau6618]

SoberDwarf, this is the first video I've seen from you. It showed up in my sidebar and I was curious so I clicked on it. This brings back so many memories. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I started playing on PC 2 days before the PS2 launch and I probably have more noob stories in the first month of playing than in all my other gaming experiences combined! Anyway I just wanted to say this was such a great documentary and I am definitely subbing and checking out what else you have.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! I normally don't go so hard in the nostalgia but with FFXI I really couldn't help it, I just wanted to make sure I did the game justice. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@Ronoco14]

Ffxi is still the best mmo I have ever experienced. I'll never forget still soloing as a level 14 red mage in the canyon outside of windurst (which was a huge deal back in '03/'04) when a random player asked me what I was doing. After finding out I had no idea what I was doing and had interacted with no one up until then, he then showed me how to get signet, use the auction house to sell crystals, and even find and form party. Shortly after I was in his linkshell, in a party in the dunes, and being power leveled by someone else. I can't even describe the pride I felt when I finally finished my sub job quest. Even though I've tried, I've yet to find another game to recreate that experience.

[@SoberDwarf]

I've been looking too and never been able to find one. I sort of went light on talking about the design, but I had a whole section cut from the script that talked about how we'll most likely never see a game like Final Fantasy XI again. Well, that is unless I somehow get filthy rich and design my own MMO.

[@angelherrera5520]

I couldn't have said it better myself. You have done this game a great service. We all have fond memories of the times we spent in Vana'diel. I will forever remember my experiences here and remain close to my heart. Awesome video. EDIT: Your content is great. Keep going.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you so much! Hearing that means a lot to me!

[@jka7814]

XI is my favorite game of all time. Everything I play now has to live up to it. I've never been so immersed in a game, hours, days, months, years spent in that world. It came at a time when I was really down, just dropped out of high school, broke, living with my parents.. The game gave me confidence I NEVER had before. I lead a linkshell and planned out HNM spawns and Kirin raids.. It gave structure to my life when nothing else could. I had only a couple RL friends but in game I had dozens of friends, people I could open up to and talk to about my problems without being judged. My RL friends didn't understand why I played this game and often put me down for doing so. Endless nights spent leveling and chatting.. The game forced you do be civil and to be a team player, to be a good person in general.. assholes didn't make it far in the early days on Asura. I'm now a college grad, married, decent job, house, car, kids someday. This game made my life better. It gave me a drive that bled into RL. I now play FFXIV casually and although i'm having fun with XIV, nothing in it even begins to compare to XI, the depth.. the music.. the jobs.. the zones.. everything was just so deep in XI.

[@SoberDwarf]

I know, right? Anytime someone I see in real life acts like a jerk, I think silently to myself "Man, you wouldn't last one day in Final Fantasy XI" because I know that game taught me a lot about etiquette and respect that I most likely didn't have as a 15 year old.

[@ucambo1]

Thank you for sharing your experience to us all here. My feelings and experience are very similar to yours. There is no other game today that comes close to FFXI. Not too long ago i re-subscribed to get the feels again. Every time when i take a break from this game i would always get that itch to come back and play and hear the beautiful music it brings. So much good memories playing with my family and close friends.

[@SoberDwarf]

And strangely enough, that experience you described is the exact same experience I feel each time I feel the need to come back to Vana'diel.

[@Gleebi]

Great video. Genuine guy. Something KZbin needs more of.

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you!

[@cedericdrachenreign7637]

I started at NA release when I was 13 and have seriously put 10,000+ hours into this masterpiece. Its mind-blowing to consider that I almost exclusively played one game for half of my life. I did quit a few years ago and what little I do play, I spend on a private server set back to 75 cap and ToAU content. But, nothing in the world (and certainly no video game) will ever captivate me so intensely as the world of Vana'diel. I built friendships through the struggles of this game that surpassed real world language barriers. In-fact, so much of my knowledge stems from this game. I used to know a reasonable amount of Japanese, only through this game and a bit of Anime. I have nearly 10 GBs of homemade spreadsheets of data including both statistical number crunching and goal-setting completion calculators, which has made me quite the astute accountant. I started programming and modding to enhance my gameplay, which has also recently seeped into my career. I also believe the long-term planning required, steep learning curve, and immense wait/travel times in FFXI are responsible for my nearly-to-a-fault level of patience. I've tried other MMOs, (FFXIV, Black Desert, ESO) but because of the community-intensive and rigorously long-term goal-setting game design, in conjunction with the fact that I played this game through pivotal years of my life, nothing can ever compare to my experience with FFXI.

[@SoberDwarf]

There is so much more I wanted to talk about this game, and I think I could literally talk for hours about the many life lessons this game has taught me just from the experiences alone. As I mentioned in the video, this game was my test into adulthood before I became an adult, and it was what gave me courage to attempt to do this channel, because I knew I wasn't alone, and there would be the community there for me. I feel it's fair to say that FFXI, for a lot of people was always more than just a game.

[@ValkavGaming]

Thank you so much for making this video. I honestly wish it was longer, I loved every minute of it. I started playing at launch, and I could relate to every single memory you mentioned here, and I also made a lot of friends in my many years of playing. I recently resubbed and started playing again, and while it isn't the same game anymore, I am loving the nostalgia it gives me every time I log in. You NAILED this topic. You accurately described what veterans of this game have felt for years, and why it is so difficult to convey those feelings to people that have never played the game, or at least not the original version of it. I hope you consider making a second part to this video, going more in-depth into the mechanics like having to unlock sky, sea, and the ever beloved death penalty. And the level cap quests and Maat fight! H'oh, boy. Thanks again for this trip down memory lane. Even though I'm currently subscribed to FFXI, it always warms my heart to hear people talk about their fondest memories of this amazing game. I'll admit, I teared up a little as I watched, because even though we all had different experiences in Vana'diel, we can always relate to how it made us feel, and the struggles we all faced (I switched to maining NIN and PLD after waiting three days on THF with no invites at level 61...). Good work, man. Loved it. :)

[@TeamRiosart]

Good job. Miss the old style of FFXI. You got a new subscriber.

[@deathbyvamp]

i alway's love coming across videos like this...i tell people on other games...and freinds irl about what ff11 meant to me and what made it such an amazing game to keep me for so long....but only people who played it and were there to experience how great the comunity was could ever understand. great video man

[@SoberDwarf]

Trust me, it took a long time to put this into words. There was *so* much I wanted to talk about, but didn't have the time to say it. I'm just glad so many others were able to relate to my experiences.

[@deathbyvamp]

Worded everything very nicely. ..mmo's now a days have no idea what a great community is actually like. ..years spent I'll never regret

[@liamvogel4931]

Awesome video man! This is true quality content. I think many of us in the FF community have trouble putting our feelings into words when it comes to describing how the franchise has impacted our lives. I think you've been able to put into words what many fans have experienced. Not to mention, the video itself is incredibly well done in terms of the script, editing, and info. Thanks for the awesome work you do, and I hope you have a kick-ass day today 👍

[@SoberDwarf]

Wow, thank you so much for the compliments! There is still so much more I wanted to say about the game's design among other things, but I really wanted to focus on the impact the game had left with me, and I'm glad it resonated so well with others. It really does feel like an amazing community still lives on. Scattered but we all still remember.

[@christopherstoner2059]

hey, i normally dont comment but just wanted to say that to this day my brother and i talk vivid memories about this game. it made me happy to see someone still talks about it. some of the people in my ffxi ls have become RL friends and currently play ffxiv with them. without this difficulty and time and need for friendship i wouldnt have met some many of these people. keep up the good work, man.

[@SoberDwarf]

I'm glad I could be the exception to the rule because that was such an awesome comment. Thank you!

[@FarelForever]

Oh... THE FEELS!!!! I didn't even activally play for years, but I still have a ton of memories from the game, and I'm glad you reminded me of them

[@SoberDwarf]

Thank you! There was just something special about Final Fantasy XI that created memories for a lot of people. I'm just glad I could lend my voice for those memories!

[@FarelForever]

I started to remember so much.. I played Summoner/White Mage, it worked out well, I was a decent healer, but then Blue Mage came out. It was my favorite FF job, so I switched to it, and got stuck at like level 54 forever, unable to get invited into any parties. And when coming back years later, I sucked as Blue Mage and resorted to playing Geomancer, which actually was super fun for me. Now I play FFXIV, and it's different... but I .... kind of don't like how fast the game is, and how I need to think of so much. It's really stressful

[@Daryth84]

Ohhh Vana'diel, how much I miss that sweet taste of achievement not based around an achievement system. 100% true, keep up the good work. =)

[@Zuhalter87]

Anyone that played ffxi religiously is a friend of mine. Missed those old days. Ffxiv went straight into everything being soloable killing the same experience we had with ffxi. You put things into words I couldn't. Good video man. Thanks for the memories

[@Justuas]

Beau Wehner it's bad for playerbase and business if you need a group for everything

[@Zuhalter87]

Justuas not really. It's why the game thrived for several years. After adding too much content the game couldn't get enough players. Required too much work to catch up with the population. Those people couldn't get help and the game started to die down. What made it thrive was needing help for everything. It gave a sense of accomplishment for everything you got through. Ffxiv there's not sense of accomplishment. They watered it down way too much.

[@Justuas]

Sure it worked during the beginning of the game's lifecycle. But as you said, you would need a steady supply of new players (or jobs) in order to the system to work. The game wasn't new player friendly at all until the abyssea release.

[@darkguygaming7084]

Great video man. Long time ffxi advocate. I watched this video and took a trip down memory lane with you. Every single experience is one that all who played can say they share. I miss the difficulty and complexity of the game. Can't wait for someone to "properly" replicate it. /em sheds a single tear.

[@SoberDwarf]

I really hope so as well. There are a few games I'm looking at on the horizon that I'm both hoping will achieve that but also giving them afair chance to do their own thing so I don't put too many expectations on them, but there are a few I'm seriously hoping the best for. Still, I think FFXI is always going to be something that will never be replaced, but I would happily play a few games the drew inspiration from it.