Square Enix recently announced the next expansion to its very popular Final Fantasy XI. Called "Seekers of Andoulin", the expansion is set to bring some nice new features into the game. We've got a preview of what players will find. Check it out!

Square Enix are currently celebrating FFXI's tenth anniversary, and as such I made the pilgrimage to Japan and the annual Vana'diel Festival. While I wasn't busy trying to convince the native population I was actually a member of the Beatles (I have an uncanny likeness to Ringo in some lights) there was much JRPG and online goodness to celebrate.

Read more of Adam Tingle's Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin Preview.

Cue a dozen posts from people who didn't even realize this game was alive and well, or ever existed.

FFXI has a rep on mmorpg as being one of the best mmo's ever.  Doubt there are many who don't know this game exist.  Although the fact they are adding an expansion is a bit surprising. 

I'll consider it a true expansion when they show it to have a full storyline, on scale with Zilart or even WoTG. Asking for something with the scope of CoP might be asking a bit too much; that expansion could have been a game unto itself.

I'll consider it a true expansion when they actually make use of the 24 levels they've added to the cap instead of making it pretty much 24 levels of hyper-speed power-leveling, followed by a gear grind, with nothing much else to write home about.

If I find I can actually discuss interesting characters, awesome plot points and such, like I could about CoP, Zilart or even the original storyline, then I'll consider it a true expansion.

With their recent track record, though, I'm not quite keen on cheering it on just yet.

Sad, because there was a time when I'd have bought a new expansion they put out, sight unseen, without even knowing anythign about it, because everything they'd done was awesome. That phase began its decline with the Adventure packs, and went straight off a cliff with Abyssea.

Hopefully this is their attempt to get back on track and bring XI back to what it was for so many years.. an epic adventure with awesome storylines, engaging and interesting characters and memorable experiences.

I am actually excited about this expansion.  I recently returned to FFXI about a month ago, it has been a fantastic experience.  Unfortunately being an older game some servers have a higher population than others which in a way is unfortunate mainly due to the fact I have a close friend that plays but his server isn't overly populated so I had to make another toon just to see a more populated server.  But hopefully with this new expansion that will bring more people in.  So all I can say right now is for the World of Warcraft players that are upset about Mists of Pandaria, come give this game a try.  It's definately worth it IMO. 

The narrator either said "The Goddess Valtana" or "The Goddess of Altana"

looks pretty cheap

Gimme a complete client update. Please.

one thing is for sure: it'll stay quietly massive for another 10 years.

What?  I guess Japanese players are still outnumbering the western players by far then or something...?

This new content actually sounds GREAT ,except for one thing.

If this is not kept separate from Book/Alliances and Abyssea/allinaces,then it is meaningless.Why even bother to make a new class for that kind of game play?

The rest of the ideas still sound decent or interesting enough,exploration/discovery and such.

Here is a low down of what would happen to those new classes [Fencer/Geomancer]

Day 1 level 20 SOLO/Powerlevelling

day 2/3 level 50 Book Alliances killing easy prey.

day 3/4 75>>Abyssea.Books /easy prey then onto Abyssea for Alliances and more speed leveling.

day 4/5 90+ more Abyssea speed leveling.

It varies depending on leeching ,strength of party and over crowding.Obviously with new classes,the over crowding will be terrible.The point is until Abyssea everyone is in Alliances fighting Easy prey,that is basically solo content done in an alliance LOL,SUPER easy mode.it is nothing more than ignoring fun or the ROLE playing,but merely speed leveling.

Those two ideas are what ruined FFXI forever and no matter what content is released ,it will always point back to those two flaws.

The reason was obvious as to why Square went this awful direction.GREED ! They knew that unless everyone had access to the upper tier 75+ NEW content ,they would not buy the xpacs,so they designed a way to speed level so that everyone would buy the 3 Abyssea xpacs.

Originally posted by Wizardry

Those two ideas are what ruined FFXI forever and no matter what content is released ,it will always point back to those two flaws.

The reason was obvious as to why Square went this awful direction.GREED ! They knew that unless everyone had access to the upper tier 75+ NEW content ,they would not buy the xpacs,so they designed a way to speed level so that everyone would buy the 3 Abyssea xpacs.

+1...million.

I simply was awestruck when I returned, accrued some time, then went into Abyssea.

I'll admit to having some fun at first, it let me merit cap some secondary jobs.. and it was neat to be pulling off 1200 jins consistently (yeah, 1200 jin is nothing, but they're great when you've just hit 90 and barely have any buffs).

But then I got a pocket whm (dualbox account) and it took me 3 days to get her from 1-90 and blm 1-52, and that includes 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70 limit breaks.

I just...they killed our game.

Of all the gams to go to now that classic XI is gone, modern XI is the most removed from it. I have never found a game where leveling is so fast.

Its so very tempting to return, but like others Abyssea ruined the classic FFXI feeling I loved so much.  I know some people didn't like it, but I greatly prefered the slower paced parties that took 6-8+ hrs if not days to earn a single level.  I never got to do much in Abyssea cause at the time I quit it was still fairly new and only well established LSs were learning what it was all about, thus making it difficult for outsider to get into a PT.

The only real reason I would love to return it to get as few jobs to 99 so I can go back and finally finish many of the storylines I was never able to complete.  Sure there are videos of them all on various sites, but I'd rather earn them, than watch someone else do it.

Its gonna be a tough year divvying up my time what with GW2 dropping at any time, FFXIV 2.0 beta starting in probably early Oct, and now this is gnawing at me to return to Vana'diel.  Plus dozens of other 1P titles already released I keep saying I want to play as well as new ones coming soon.  All-the-while I'm in the process of finding a new house that will probably require some repair and updating to be comfortable enough to move into.

Anyway...

it has probable been about 6 years since I left FFXI and my account is still dormant, waiting for a miraculous resurection... I honestly don't think it will ever happen as it has simply been too long and most of the friends I use to know on Gilgamesh are probably all gone and consumed with other games to even look back.

This was a great game and I aplaud them for staying alive so long, I wonder what the server pupulations are now a days. 

The game took a turn for the worsed when SE allowed gil sellers to force their hand in ruining the games economy, among many other things.

This is awesome. I cannot wait to play this exxpansion!!