The Fall and Rise of Final Fantasy XIV | Episode One | A World is Born

(Don't worry, it gets better in Episode Two)
Hope you enjoy this first episode of the Fall and Rise of FFXIV! Remember to leave a like if you enjoyed - and subscribe for more!
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[@SpeakersNetwork]

Do you have any good/bad memories from 1.0? I have mostly bad memories from 1.0. I barely remember doing a quest where I had to follow a character across Thanalan, fighting at certain spots(?). I had to run for quite a long while to get to these spots, and the fights were long and boring. Upon reaching the last fight (possibly 30 minutes later), I died.... I had to do the whole thing all over again, and yes, I died several times.... #1.0PTSD

[@EpicNerdnessyt]

Speakers Network I didn't really have any bad memories, just confusion. the game was ok. it was just very plain.

[@derrickoz]

Actually I think my self defence mechanisms have blocked most memories of 1.0

[@SaphinaraDraconis]

Is it wrong the best 'memory' is the event during the month it shut down?

[@riezexeero7392]

A bad memory that I can remember is in the black shroud area, the high level monsters (lvl70 or 90) in a low level area hahaha. It is not that bad as there is some excitement when you go and try to pass them but the the same time, I think it took me several tries which made me frustrated as well.

[@noirrain6005]

Speakers Network that's why you didn't do the job quests. It was awesome and people worked together. It was challenging not impossible. That's the game I wanted to stick with and not that trash of ARR

[@ericjamesraackf]

My only memory of 1.0 was trying to run the benchmark and realizing my computer was never going to run this game.

[@Shiirow]

most people had trouble running it. I couldnt play much 1.0 because Id have to shut down the game after like an hour because I thought my PC was going to overheat and go nuclear.

[@ScrewFearMe]

Seeing the rapture footage in 2020 and you see something we now know as The Crystarium

[@KaminoZan]

Lol I was just thinking that, had to pause the video just to double-check the date.

[@ScrewFearMe]

@@KaminoZan hehe

[@somedude1324]

Wow, you’re right!

[@nerdatello]

holy cow, imagine that! that’s so cool that something from so many years ago ended up making its way into the game!

[@ScrewFearMe]

@@nerdatello hehe yeah

[@LulunaEve]

Heya I played FFXIV 1.0 I am a original closed Alpha tester from March 2010 on Shadowlord server, when the game would only be online for a hour or so at certain times. I remember no Cat girls and only certain races to start with and the rest came later. I logged in and my Character was bouncing off every wall in Limsa (That was the only place to begin) because my PC was struggling. You could begin as a Botanist or Miner or crafter haha.I got a new PC gave feedback along with others on the game including it should not have been released in the state it was. The game improved with each patch and the memories I have from running to ride the ferry or running on foot to explore and being in parties in the world levelling together...meeting new adventurers and helping them along the way. There was bad in 1.0 but I can say it was a beautiful experience and I wish it had kept the charm because now a lot of the magic has been lost but I still play even 13 years on because I have a great sense of attachment

[@reyjusuf]

Flowerpot is the final boss of Endwalker, bringing it full circle to 1.0

[@MaulScarreign]

i can't believe the crystarium was an original concept

[@Sussy_Bottom_Boys]

That footage shown when Rapture was mentioned... How long did they have the Crystarium design in mind beforehand?

[@Rakka5]

I am here for my yearly rewatch of this series.

[@Kryptonic83]

I'm about to try FFXIV for the 1st time when the game goes back on sale next week. Been watching lots of videos about it lately haha. It has a fascinating history that is for sure. I found this series from the Noclip documentary.

[@AnimeSquirrel]

I played about 3 days of the original game. I kind of wish I had stuck it out but all my friends were still deep on WoW and ff14 wasn't fun enough for them so I didn't stick it out. I have nostalgia for pre ARR as I missed a once in a lifetime experience.

[@SubduedRadical]

Fair. Though to be fair, no one could have seen what it would become, either. :)

[@kaisuisen2824]

What I loved most is Twilight Over Thanalan. Really missing it from current version. I bought it for orcheston right away.

[@meakimon]

I heard that Titan was delayed from 1.0 because of a really bad earthquake, which is sad since I've seen the cutscene and damn, it's really good! o.o

[@speedude0164]

9:25 Speakers Network: Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you... Ad: Pizza, or Salad

[@FreedomSylph]

Nobody talks about 11:25? When the elemental appeared? That form they take...

[@SocietysChimera]

Honestly the maps make A LOT of sense coming from FFXI.

[@bonewhite2470]

the 1000 polygon flower pot... ive heard tales of this monstrosity

[@youtousim]

Vaguely remember installing 1.0 when it had a free trial or something. Only to uninstall right after reaching some tavern after the initial cutscene. Recently started ARR thanks to a certain Twitch streamer, and enjoying most of the game so far.

[@BaithNa]

Late 2020 and its still be the best MMORPG on the market

[@Boyzby]

You mention Hydaelyn in this video but was she or the planet name a concept in 1.0? After watching a bunch of your Remnants of a Realm series, I noticed the name didn't come up even once.

[@Seriph7]

Hears, "We'll get back to that later" for a third time. Pauses video to grab notebook and pen.

[@darrenardron6953]

Also got to feel sorry for some of the people that poored their heart into making this, they worked really hard also just because it was a failure it didnt mean they didnt work hard in their specialised areas, they must have been so gutted about the feedback which they worked really hard on. doesnt mean they were rubbish at their job it just lacked direction and research so i feel for the original team of FFXIV also, but its a shame because even though they worked hard they knew the reviews were right. so hopefully people realise that alot of people that worked on FFXIV really did try their best, so i for one respect that just like YoshiP does to. But great video also check out The FFXIV video too :)

[@unfinest]

01:22 DARK AGE OF CAMELOT!!!! That fucking Emain brawl was INSANE! Hahaha, Never have i ever battle so much in a game before!!! Good times! And never have i forgot so much to put neckless on after i ported to.....

[@LordangeloxD]

KZbin don't like this video at all, the algorithm of youtube does not show this. It really took me time to find the video again, it was not showing in my youtube history.

[@mhiggs8001]

I hated the map so much! I remember dying to jellyfish that I could have escaped had I been able to jump over a stupid little line in the map that represented a small ledge.

[@gilgammesh1]

10:38 i thought that music was made for shadowbringers......

[@lovelydumpling]

did this video get torn apart by copyright claims or something? some jarring cuts going on

[@djoshawott2850]

The video was universally hated, mainly because of some annoying edits like a "Triggered" meme. They fixed them in future videos (and they commented on the bad edits in the second video, but that section got removed.)

[@GoldenPerception]

Codename: rapture is kind of wild considering how they ended 1.0

[@JohnkyTonkbadonkadonk]

Oh no.. No no no.. Why? That Black Shroud is.. I wasn't even there.. I.. I hope everyone who experienced that is okay..

[@shiro3146]

that Black Shroud were Dreadening, as a sprouts who rewatch this after starting out in Gridania i cant imagine being there in 1.0 Shroud

[@bluesrike]

Child of Gridania here. If the Shroud didn't chanfe when I started out, I would've quit.

[@davidsabillon5182]

The title of this video could be "we'll get back to that later too" lol

[@andreworders7305]

Can you post a super-cut version?

[@LarsFromNorway]

Ironically, this video is the 1.0 of this series. I almost clicked away when I first watched it because of the forced humor and such. Kept watching, and the later videos are a *significant* improvement.

[@theannualantagonist5930]

Wheel? I think they meant Roster?

[@lucy_haze]

You are best giggler

[@mattigus]

WoW, 1.0 was so bad that it somehow committed a filmmaking sin of "day for night" with the blue tint.

[@8bit_nacho825]

I really liked the *type* of MMO that FFXIV 1.0 was trying to be, mostly because I loved and still love old-school Final Fantasy XI. In fact, I would say late-1.0 was really shaping up to be a great game. It was just executed so poorly, and now there's nothing really out there like it anymore.

[@brohogany9920]

Man what a weird way to make an mmo. I wonder if any of the developers knew the mess they were making

[@SpleTjE]

You are forgetting Asherons Call mmo... it was very popular as well :) played it veeeery long

[@pwnmeister420]

Uh oh..... I'm seeing a pattern that a certain low budget mmo is following.

[@MaskanRill]

I loved 1.0 and couldn't understand why ppl hated it...

[@thrillhouse4151]

1:15, wooo Anarchy Online! My first MMORPG! I avoided 14 for so long cause I didn’t like the “Warrior of Darkness/Light”’s face. I still don’t like his face hahahah. I really don’t like his design at all, like he was created in some Shinra lab to try to appeal to the gaijin gamer demographics.

[@meaninglez100]

I miss the higher fidelity and cutscenes

[@thunderboltvintage2084]

I liked the game better before 2.0.... I finished all Content to 1.23. The game had flaws but was much more interesting and social.

[@Kagetora-]

1.0 was a mess

[@thunderboltvintage2084]

@@Kagetora- I said 1.23. Also, it was full of wonder.

[@EmilyXiong1999]

lol

[@andreworders7305]

There was a Final Fantasy 11? I thought they just counted X-2 as 11 or something.

[@Caydiem]

I wish they still did mocap for ARR. The cutscenes now just look jarring and lazy in comparison.

[@UserUser-oy8ch]

I don't know how they could follow up the incredible ffx with....this

[@federicodubbini-composer]

People saying that FFXIV 1.0 was garbage, clearly never played FFXI..

[@aceofhearts573]

Crystal Tools was just a garbage game engine... How could SE fail so hard at this...

[@aeson6294]

Its funny how you failed to mention the biggest MMO at the time of FFIX's release and probably one of the most influential MMO's ever made, Everquest.

[@Zeet1]

I never played 1.0 but the mess it was and the recovery into 2.0 always fascinated me. Great vid!

[@rakrakrakrak]

As a fan of A Realm Reborn who never had the chance to play 1.0, I must thank you for this video. It's put together very well, and is very informative and entertaining. I can't wait for the next part.

[@Zeturic]

English subtitles. Sweet. I'm a native speaker, and not hard of hearing, but I always turn subtitles on if they're available. I just like it.

[@ericjamesraackf]

Sagiri same here often I find it helps me to catch every detail of a show where such a thing is important

[@BHFFS]

Yeah especially when it's a game with lots of made up words. Like this one.

[@TheIan1970]

This series of mini docs is amazing , I knew nothing about the original game. Amazing to see all the gameplay. Keep up the good work, I've been telling people about it. Brilliant.

[@Dandy-Lion949]

My best memory of 1.0 was making it out of the Limsa opening cutscene, only to have the game run terribly.

[@baenling]

I never played 1.0 but am an avid Realm Reborn player, so this is AMAZING. Please make more!!

[@retzod6315]

Loved the video! My favourite memory from 1.0 was a kind of bot that was in the game to "help" new people during the calamity but ended up saying weird sentences in chat instead, like "if" or "returnToPos". I pretty much enjoyed following him with a friend of mine through its favourite place, Limsa! My worst memory though, was when it disappeared :( I guess the devs noticed its presence and deleted it. It never came back! :(

[@RyukoPresents]

Thanks for making this. I played 1.0~ (and still play FFXIV), so I really appreciated all of your hilarious references. Although I knew the 'basic story' of why FFXIV didn't do well (dev team, creative choices, client struggles, game engine restrictions), it's nice to see a more detailed explanation for everything that was going on. And yes, I have awful memories of the Black Shroud... I'm looking forward to the second episode.

[@Lecruidant]

As easy as it is to make fun of 1.0 and poke at it. Lets not forget that we owe the failure of it to the success and rebirth of ARR. Thanks for the world 1.0.

[@Lecruidant]

Btw... I DID get triggered of Black Shroud 1.0 LMFAO I got lost in there a few times >.>

[@LordangeloxD]

No shit sherlock, but not defend them for make the worst decisions.

[@Lecruidant]

@@MRTwizyfizzy It was done how they wanted to do it/envisioned it. It didn't work out. Now we have A Realm Reborn. End of story

[@Lecruidant]

@@MRTwizyfizzy And yet. They didn't. Another team picked it up. And we have what we have now. If that HADN'T happened. We wouldn't have ARR. Imagine. Now. I'm tired of giving you attention. Go back to reddit or twitter

[@Father518]

Im with you. Sometimes mistakes need to be made to learn from it 💪

[@amadodelacruz5283]

This helps new to the game understand what happened.

[@riezexeero7392]

I had a great experience with 1.0 (1.23b or when Yoshi P took over) a lot of good memories that I still miss and things I wish stayed for 2.0 and beyond. Also the people I played with are helpful and everyone is eager to make this game better, I missed them too. BTW, don't forget to tell the "No sprint/jump/mounts(initially)/map icon and the dreaded "Market Wards" hahaha. Keep up the good work. Can't wait for the next video. o7

[@newfy263]

I remember being so excited for the original FFXIV release. Paid for the limited edition and when the release date came around and I was finally able to play it.... It crashed upon opening :')

[@eldran247]

This EXACT thing happened to me. Couldn't even play but I wanted to so bad!

[@belphe7621]

Wow, the shroud was like fathoms above the Sylphlands.

[@belphe7621]

In being terrible.

[@Dragonsamuari]

I'm liking your style of narration here! I'm gonna look at part 2 right away!

[@courtneyr-p334]

Omg The Black Shroud, I forgot about that monstrosity! I don't think I ever found my way out... Also, I knew there was a reason i swapped to Limsa. XD Thanks for making this!

[@Tardisntimbits]

Watching stuff like this makes me happy I stayed quietly playing XI during this time, lol. I do wish I had the legacy stuff, however....

[@NiyaKouya]

I know the Shroud was horrible, but when you started with the trigger warning, I kinda expected... Coerthas. I still remember a screenshot of the Coerthas map with every occurrence of copy paste in a coloured circle. The whole map was circled...

[@lucaspessoaf]

Loved the vid, man! Only played after Realm Reborn and always wanted to know what the hell happened before it, so please continue!

[@ShadyGrove14]

Even though 1.0 ran horrendously on most pc's...it still was the best looking mmo out at that time (IMO). Especially the character models. This is why I stayed with it all through 1.0 and am still playing it.

[@nerdychocobo]

This is honestly brilliant

[@Cannibal666Corpse]

Nice work mate. Informative, with actual facts and research, which is always good, and fun.

[@pimpyshortstocking764]

I had to lower the resolution scale as much as I could to play it on my computer. It got to the point where everyone literally (not figuratively) looked like they were censored. I may as well have played Adventure for the Atari because at least I would be able to tell the difference between myself and other things on the screen. Imagine navigating that Black Shroud map, but everything looks like a blurred tile, blurred into other tiles. The true nightmare.

[@YuushaSkullpion]

Getting on this a little late. Video's a little cringey but I loved that you took the time to do something like this at all. As a 2.0 player, I was really curious how bad the game used to be as I am exceedingly enjoying playing Heavensward now. Thumbs up for the video overall, but the narration needs some work. You have a few funny jokes here and there but timing's a bitch.

[@strataseeker2981]

Worst memory: As we transitioned from Beta to Launch, and nothing, NOTHING was fixed that we had asked for. Half the text was *still* untranslated! Best memory: I much preferred 1.0s regional openings to the 2.0, which are all cut and paste and slow. The originals were full of adventure, mystery, and who can forget that moment when Leviathan dove over the ship?

[@ClaerisGames]

I like that you use your character as the host of the show, very well done haha

[@azadalamiq]

the tech demo footage was for ff11 on the 360 as the treasures ex pax was when it would release on the 360. It was featured on the 360 when you look up the page for ff11 before the HUD overhall.

[@blahlbinoa]

11's biggest competition was Everquest as well.

[@unwrittenmariposa09]

I tried playing 1.0. I couldn't get passed the first area because of leves and it was confusing for myself. So I left and didn't go back until I got the magic email that let me alpha and beta test 2.0 and been playing since then. I have no regrets playing this game because I met my SO through it and still having a blast.

[@ChrisJones-xd1re]

It would require a book to explain FFXIV development and release, I think. It might best be summarized as the failure of excellence. Other games offer much less. This works really well with the limited resources of RAM and chip speed; the less you provide, the faster it runs. It is glossed over in a handful of sentences even in the other documentary, but at least it is covered: the reason for the slow performance was that a huge number of scripts were run up front rather than in the background. Every aspect of the game was assigned a team and each created their own scripts for that, without consideration to how the whole thing would run at the same time. This is a player's perspective of the game; if you want to know what the devs' perspective was, try FINAL FANTASY XIV Documentary Part #1 - "One Point O"

[@TheWeidez]

Failing the beginner mining leve because the input lag during the hot and cold mini game was so bad that i ran out of time. Yes - 30mins was not enough. Crashing to desktop everything i ran past a particular clearing in Black shroud during alpha testing.

[@alanwake8298]

I don't get why ppl still make jokes of FFVIII, in my opinion it's one of the best FF games ever. It's the first time that an FF game is way ahead of its time and ppl just can't understand it's richness

[@flameofanor1415]

If there was an FF that was ahead of it's time IMO it's 7.

[@nnovatakaren5515]

Exactly, in your opinion

[@kaerun]

I really hope that you do note the changes Yoshida and his team have made in the next part of your video. As a day one version 1 player, it totally wasn't that bad in the 1.23 times. Hell I actually enjoyed my stay in Eorzea during the version 1 days :) I do agree on a lot of your points and gripes but it wasn't all that bad as you make it out to be :)

[@riezexeero7392]

Agreed. I actually missed it

[@noirrain6005]

Kaerun Kaien 1.23 is a billion times better than this garbage final fashion XIV.

[@SpeakersNetwork]

I will get into more detail in the next episode. 1.x wasn't all bad, but it surely wasn't all that good either. I will make sure to show both sides of the story. There were upsides, but they were few and far between. I think a lot of people view 1.0 with rose tinted glasses, and have a nostalgic memory of it. And as we all know, nostalgia is one hell of a drug. Most people have forgotten about the massive issues that plagued the game, but I will also be sure to awaken those memories as well ;)

[@noirrain6005]

Speakers Network I wrote about the issues. It had many. One thing that is a killer for me is the player base. 1.0 had a tight player base. You could do things. ARR attracted the worse type of players I have ever met in an MMO. Look I play MMO's since última online days, 25 years ago. I can't stand the amount of whinny little bitches that play ffxiv. It's a game you can't get anything done unless you bring 7 friends from RL with you. 1.0 you could get random people and their skills were on par with the challenge. Just take a look at the forum now. It's all fucking costumes or nerfs. If you dare to call them out , they report you and you get banned. Sorry, that's the game breaker. A garbage community destroy any game. If you are into role play and stay in the city buying content from people who sell clears or likes to stay playing the board game with the bots lowering price , then the game is for you. I want a decent endgame and a tight skilled community. Not a bunch of casuals that can't do any content and don't you dare call them out.

[@brokenserenity01]

no such thing as endgame in mmorpg's unless you mean the game getting shut down then well 1.0 had that endgame :)

[@Rosella500]

Interesting video! I hope now that you've set the groundwork with the history, you can get into more of the crunchy game design choices in the next one. I'd really love to know the differences, since I've only ever played ARR.

[@420Gaming666]

I loved FF VIII it was my first and what got me hooked on the series.

[@HereWeGoATL]

Game Masters101 I feel like a lot of people like to jump on the bandwagon of hating 8 because they think it will get them in the cool crowd of ff fans. To be honest, I love 8 and it was my favorite. I even liked over 7. Like you 8 was my first ff game as well.

[@420Gaming666]

Jon Colando RIGHT LOL

[@tfangel]

Played 1.0 right up until they put the subscription back in place. Surprised to see someone making a video about 1.0, but it's neat that you are. :) I still remember having to run everywhere, not being able to jump, and the weirdness of physical level vs class level. Oh, and the exhaustion system, that they thankfully decided to get rid of early on.

[@riezexeero7392]

Hahaha I remember that fatigue system :D

[@tfangel]

Ah, right, fatigue. So annoying, "You've been playing too long, no xp for you on this class!" Ugh...

[@Ryotsu2112]

What about having to individually inspect each retainer to buy something (with no idea if they have what you want) without any kind of auction house or marketboard or even a search function?

[@noirrain6005]

Fido Montoya I loved it. Sure it was demanding but every time you opened up someone bag it would be that sensation of the unknown and maybe you would be luck to get an awesome item cheap. You just needed to use your head and write down the names of stablished sellers and wards.

[@Sangheilitat117]

@@noirrain6005 There’s something hilarious about the copium in this comment

[@Xilibrius]

as a player of 2.0+ i've wanted to know more about 1.0 so it was interesting watching this video, the thing that kept me away from playing 1.0 was reading that you had a decaying xp rate the more you played and supposedly after a point you would no longer be able to earn xp on that character for the week.

[@warlockwarlord169]

Liked and subscribed ... ^_^ this video needs to be put in the official forums

[@vikingdeath1]

I've never played Final Fantasy 14 or 11 (I played maybe an hour of 11 when it was new, can't remember a thing about it) and I found this to be an interesting watch! Good stuff duder.

[@Shiirow]

I think I started in Gridania.... never got to see the rest before the servers were nuked by meteor.

[@Grimlock64]

Friend referred me, said it was an entertaining. I've only seen the first episode so far. I'm enjoying the series so far!

[@SuperbKombat]

May i ask what the song is that plays at the very begining? Before you start the commentary?

[@lenamiaou7528]

I'm deeply sad there is no answer.

[@kabang35]

how did you get the footage of 1.0? is there some way to access a playable version of the game even though its offline or was this just a build up of your 1.0 days? i bought the game and couldn't play it right because my computer couldn't handle it. i got a better computer just to find out a month and a half later it was shutting down so i never really got to explore the game. i want to see this games origins but i know that's nearly impossible.

[@melissaspiers1394]

I had just come from XI when 1.0 was in beta, and I distinctly remember being appalled by having the amount of things I could do limited. I basically shelved the game (and by that, I mean I still bought the collector's edition of 1.0) until 2.0. At any rate, looking forward to more episodes!

[@darthgumby2406]

i liked the black shroud in 1.0. it is supposed to feel like a maze, its a forest. its big and confusing and gives a feeling of being isolated and scared, especially the level 80 mobs if you venture too far. i enjoyed it.

[@rurounikaji]

I got on the 1.0 beta, and that Limsa CS crashed my PC every time. It took a video card upgrade and a lot of hope to get passed it once!

[@steelsentinal]

Wow the cutscene animations are alot better. I guess Square stopped using motion capture and started using generic emotes to animate after 1.0 failed. Also goddam the graphics were top notch in 1.0 too

[@Sinitsu]

I knew you would end with the goddamn flower pots. Anyway subbed for more.

[@Nhoj1983]

love it. Was there day one and through much of the rebuilding of the game. Always get a good feeling when revisiting just how fantastic this nothing to something story is.

[@TheSoulMeister]

I played 1.0 I picked a Disciples of Hand class... I think it was an Alchemist. Did not go well.

[@ChristyCub]

But I loved that blue tint...

[@soauthentic1]

atleast and 1.0 female characters use to have butts ;p

[@Cheshipuss]

#SaveTheButt

[@thatwonmagnus338]

and maybe give guys a bulge so atleast it looks like SOMETHING is there

[@gemmerchant6029]

this comment is the easiest way to tell if someone didn't actually play 1.0

[@warlockwarlord169]

That comment is false to no end ...there probably were a lil more of details on female butts but they certainly did not have more or bigger...

[@freeschmoke4444]

they had bigger butts. like, verified bigger butts. Square Enix patched the female butts in 2.something because it makes it easier to create gear with the generic smaller meshes