U P C O M I N G   H O T   T O P I C Are you going to join the world of Vana'diel? Many questions have been answered about Final Fantasy XI. More information on the gameplay, the characters, the towns, the monsters, have been revealed over the past few months. Is Final Fantasy XI looking more tantalizing or are you going to skip the online adventure and just wait for the next single player title in the series? Let us know for our next mailbag update.  M A I L B A G   A R C H I V E Explore the Mailbag archive. > Current Mailbag > 04.28.02: What do you think of the new Square-Nintendo partnership? > 03.09.02: What do you think of Final Fantasy X? > 01.09.02: What does the Final Fantasy series mean to you? > 10.14.01: Final Fantasy XI: Console Blockbuster or Big Time Bomb? > 09.20.01: The Mailbag 10.14.01 - Final Fantasy XI: Console Blockbuster or Big Time Bomb? Many believe Final Fantasy XI will become an incredible success, giving players much more control over the story elements and their direction in the game. Others believe it'll be a huge flop, overpopulated with kiddies and delivering an empty plot. Is Final Fantasy XI going to change online role playing forever or will it just be a dismal failure? We wanted to know what you think, so among our general e-mails of Final Fantasy questions, here are your thoughts on Final Fantasy XI. Send your all your mailbag stuff to locke@ffonline.com or dh@ffonline.com.  H O T   T O P I C OK, so what's the whole deal with FFXI? I'm assuming Square employees browse the net and see reaction from fans before they release games. So, seeing the disgust of FFXI, are they going to change it? Personally, by the looks of it now, FFXI will fail. First of all, you have to buy the game - OK, no big deal. But then there's the monthly charge. OK, as long as it's a flat rate, no big deal. But then I hear of another monthly charge for Playonline and the browser, and then the failure of FF:TSW may jack up the price. Many fans have pointed out that the graphics, while good, are uninspired compared to other FF games. So, I beg the question, why should I dish out a huge fee for the game and a monthly price for an Everquest rip-off? What I want to see in FFXI is that outlandish FF style in characters, environment, and story, and innovative features that Square is known for. No offense, but it seems that Square is milking FF to the point where the cow has gone dry. - Gunstarheroz You’ve managed to hit on most of the arguments I’ve been hearing against FFXI ever since they announced that it would be an MMORPG. The payment system has all of us a little confused, but right now we can’t even speculate on the game’s release date, let alone how much we’ll have to shell out just to try the game. If Square does choose to charge for both PlayOnline and the games that run on it, we can only hope that they won’t charge too much. I’m hoping that Square has been taking notes from Sega’s first venture into online console RPGs, Phantasy Star Online. While Sega allows you to connect to their servers via your own dialup or broadband connection, the process is so tedious that most of the players I know ended up breaking down and getting a subscription to Sega.net, Sega’s own internet service. With so many people shelling out cash for Sega’s own internet service, they managed to completely cover the costs of running the PSO servers during the game’s first release and have only instituted a $5 monthly charge to play the updated append disc, PSO v2. As for the graphics, I don’t expect them to match the quality of FFX. That kind of online environment just isn’t possible yet. I’m more interested in how screens from FFXI compare to Everquest. - Locke I have never gotten into mass multiplayer worlds. Its not that I don't like the idea, I am obsessed with it actually, its just that they are never done properly. Death is but the inconveniance of a respawn, and not even the loss of your possessions, and its both illogical and uninterested to be in a world where everyone and everything is revolving soley around combat. I could probably write a book about my dream virtual world, but that's not the point here and now so I won't delve into it. However, this is about FFXI. I agree with the majority (correct me if I'm wrong), the game, whether its good or not, should not be a part of this series. Final Fantasy games have always told a great story, or at least tried to, and this breaks the chain. There is no doubt that the name will sell the game, but I'm disappointed that Square is taking advantage this fact. I think I'll just wait for FFXII. P.S. A few people wrote in about needing to buy a PS2 to play FFX... just borrow one from a friend, or rent one from someone or something, it'll save you a lot of money that could go towards a... GameCube? Yea... - subnilus Mmmm…..Gamecube…must…buy…Gamecu- Err... It’s going to be interesting to see how console gamers get into MMORPGS for the first time. Square is opening up a staple PC genre to a new audience. Many console RPGers certainly aren’t used to online gaming, but I think the ability for them to interact with their friends beyond the silly 2-player mode in Final Fantasy IV and VI will draw in more people than it repels. The idea of FFXI breaking the chain in the series is a little tough to swallow, though. Aside from the usual suspects like magic, job classes and Cid, the games have only had a name in common. FFXI will have a different type of story, certainly, but that doesn’t mean it will be a bad one. MMORPGs haven’t taken off in the PC gaming world by providing a subpar story and environment. No one is going to force you to buy FFXI. You certainly won’t be missing anything vital to Final Fantasy, and it isn’t likely that Final Fantasy will be missing you. With an entire world of MMORPG enthusiasts waiting for the next big thing in their favorite genre, Square has access to a previously untapped PC audience that won’t mind taking your place at the controller. - Locke I have a wide experience in playing MMORPGs, from those old MUDs, to Neverwinter Nights on AOL, Meridian 59, and up to Evercrack. I've looked into FFXI, and thought about it. I just keep realizing though it'll be an Everquest clone with FF themes, such as familiar items, monsters, and such like Chocobos and moogles. I can tell you right away it'll turn off more die-hard FF fans if it has a real-time combat system, which will more than likely be the case (Which are the same odds that there will be something stupid posted in the forums, or an idiot will show up at chat.) And unless they have a team of writers who are working 24/7, and are being injected with a mix of Mt. Dew, Coffee, Coccaine, and Jolt Cola I bet all the quests they make up will just be recycled. Example: Stop <Insert evil sounding name or group> from destroying <Name of place, world, or every fucking thing imaginable>! <Insert witty plot device involving a buzzword like "Mako" "Lifestream" "Crystal" or "Scrotum">. You get the idea. Also from seeing most of FF's audience (The ones who started with FF7 or FF8) I bet the game would be filled with more kids than a Britney Spears concert. My advice to square is "Save your money. Crank out another FFT plz, kthx!". My advice to others who plan to buy this game "Save your money. Buy a couple beers and a DVD porno.". As for me I'm waiting for Chip&Dales MMORPG instead. I already have a lvl 59 beta char with Master "Box Throw" skill. - AsylumXKP (Yes, the same XKP on #ffonline you know and loathe.) Heck, I’m just impressed with the title. I’m also impressed with shiny objects and loud explosions, though, so don’t let it go to your head. =Þ All MMORPGS have a high ratio of lamers to gamers. We don’t know if Square will even allow player-killing at the moment, so don’t lose any sleep over it. If they do, join a clan like many people on the boards have already done. If not, ignore the little runts. In either case, keep an eye out for people who 7yp3 lik3 7hi$. As for the trademark Final Fantasy elements that will (hopefully) be incorporated into the game, they don’t sound like such a bad thing. One of the better parts of Final Fantasy is that you know what you’re getting into. Real-time or turn-based battles aside, you know what to expect from the magic and equipment system. A few chocobos around the house and a moogle here and there couldn’t hurt, either. They liven up the house and damned if they aren’t great with kids. Wait, is that a moomba out there behind that rock? Billy, fetch my gun. - Locke  G E N E R A L   E - M A I L S will there ever be a FF X english release in japan? ~t___k United States dominance of the world trade markets may force most other countries to learn our language if they want to do business, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to favor it over their own. There isn’t a market for a purely English translation of FFX in Japan; they’re pretty happy with the language it’s in right now. Picking up an NTSC or PAL copy shouldn’t be a problem, though. Just hold on for a few months. - Locke how many disks would there be in ff x? - squalllionhea11 Just one. News sources reported that Square had originally planned a 2-disc version of the game, but they cancelled it when they remembered that a DVD can hold over four gigs of info. At the moment, a DVD’s storage capacity is more than enough to fit any game in development for the PS2. Depending on just how far companies take their animations, graphics and sounds, that might change. Still, it won’t be happening any time soon. - Locke Hey guys, great thing you got going here with mailbag. Anyway, on with my question. I know Square has been slowly inching away from it's Sony-exclusively ideaology. Now that this is happening, I'm wondering what are the odds of seeing future Final Fantasies on X-Box? Last I heard Square was on board to develop games for Billy's dream machine, and it would be great if FFX were to be ported to it, since I still want to play FF without a PS2. - Zalbag Beoulve That’s a tricky subject. First, X-Box is a dirty word around my apartment. We’ve already got a PC and a coffee table, so at the moment there is no need for something that combines the two. Second, Sony just bit a sizable chunk out of Square’s ass and they intend to chew it for a long time. Sony certainly can’t force Square to stick exclusively with the Playstation, but they certainly have quite a bit more influence over the company than they used to. PS2 owners can look forward to Square releases on the console for a long time. That doesn’t mean that X-Box or Gamecube owners are SOL, though. Square will develop for the console that allows them to make the best games they can while selling the most games possible. They jumped ship from Nintendo after FFVI because the Playstation allowed them to do that. The situation is a bit different this time around. Whereas the N64 and the Playstation’s capabilities and data medium varied significantly, the biggest difference between the X-Box/Gamecube/PS2 is the system’s name. Whether one system can do something slightly better is a moot point; they can all make amazing games. The only real difference is fan base, and that hasn’t been determined yet. Expect to see future Final Fantasies on the system(s) with the widest audience. - Locke I heard rumors that Square will be remaking Final Fantasy VII VIII and IX for the ps2. Is this true? If it is, what improvements that they going to make on them? - rocketkid99 Foreign gaming magazines and Final Fantasy fansites desperately trying to translate them have released conflicting information regarding the possible re-releases of those games. To help clear up the fog, I’ve put together a short synthesis of all the information available at the moment. They are definitely/maybe/not considering the possibility of perhaps re-releasing one/all/none of the PSX Final Fantasy games onto the PS2 domestically/internationally/intergalactically. Square has confirmed/hinted at/ignored reports that the releases are being produced/planned/laughed at. If this is true and they will certainly/probably not/never release these games on the PS2, they have to/don’t plan to/never even considered adding an Omake mode, better music, more/less/better FMVs, the ability to revive/kill/rename certain characters and unlock new/multiple/anime endings. Please don’t hurt me. - Locke I recently went to my local Toys R'Us to buy a copy of Final Fantasy Tactics. It was until I asked them why they didn't have any that I remembered that none of them worked. Is there any idea when they re-release so they do work? Also, I need a strategy guide for Final Fantasy VIII and Tactics, but would rather not spend the money on them...do you know a web-site where I could download them? - AlmasySeifer Final Fantasy Tactics is back on shelves. The working re-release of the Greatest Hits version has been in stores for a month or more. If you bought a copy from the first release and still haven’t gotten around to exchanging it yet, hurry up. Your window of opportunity is closing fast. Strategy guides for Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy Tactics are all over the internet. You can take a peek here if you want to see a few of the FAQs that we host on the site. For all your FFT needs, look no farther than GameFaqs. - Locke Hey guys! I was wondering your opinions on the highly controversial Disney/Square game Kingdom Hearts, and the recent addition of Final Fantasy characters to it. - Greiver Square’s target audience for Kingdom Hearts is still a bit of a mystery. The plot and character roster, along with the new looks of Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, suggest that Square is aiming it at a younger crowd. It’s certainly going to have a more light-hearted tone, but that doesn’t mean that nostalgic gamers and RPG buffs won’t find something to enjoy. Disney equals dollar signs, and if you want to dispute that you’ll have to pay $48.00 + tax for access to an oversized plush animal knowledgeable on the subject. The outcome of a Disney/Square partnership: Square employees rolling on the ground amidst piles of yen. If even a small fraction of the Disney audience takes the bait, everyone benefits: Square gains access to a larger, younger fan base and has the potential of keeping it; Disney, as usual, fills its coffers in preparation for world domination; you, the gamer, get a PS2 RPG that doesn’t bite. - Locke Hello, I read somewhere in the latest EGM that a new FF anime is going to air soon in Japan. Is this true? If so, do you (or will you) have any details about it? - Mike Bruno Two episodes of Final Fantasy: Unlimited have already aired in Japan. Look no further than Anime Daisuki for your FF: Unlimited needs, then haphazardly wander into our forums to see some firsthand impressions of Episode 1. - Locke

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