Hi all. Long time no see. I am back to MMORPG again.
Currently I am playing on FFXI on server Quetzalcoatl. Here is my personal opinion on the game compare to DAOC.
Interface:
Not as easy to adapt as DAOC. However, as primitive as the controls are, they do offer more flexibility through macro. (one macro hot key can perform multiple command in sequence, include wait time.) Like all other game, just get use to it, and it is ok.
Character Creation:
There is not much variation betweein two players with same race and same mage. Unlike DAOC, where a qizzard can have three line to spec in, a blackmage in FFXI will most likely have same spell list as the other blackmage. On the other hand, FFXI offers ability to change jobs without remake character and no penalty. For example, a player can be lvl 20 blackmage, and he can change job to a warrior and start from lvl 1. Then he/she can change back to lvl 20 blackmage with no penalty. Later on the game, the player can acquire subjob through a quest. Then he/she can held two jobs, gaining abilities of both job combine. Of cuorse, each job needs to lvl up.
Combat:
What is new here in FFXI compare to DAOC is skill chain perform through multiple players. Player A performs one weapon skill, and with right timing, player B can perform another weapon skill that matches with player A. Then player C can then chain again. Mages can also join the chain by casting the right elemental spell at right time to cause massive damage, call magic burst. This enhances the level of cooperation needed within a group.
Content:
PVP is said to due in Jan. I have no idea how they going to implement it. But there are three main kingdom to choose from at startup. Compare to DAOC, the pvm part of this game is better, imo. There are quests and missions, conquests, and boss mobs with story sequence. There is player housing with delivery service for one player to send items to another. Also, you can put furniture in the room to unlock special events. You can also do gardening.
Auction House:
One of the best thing in this game. I rarely visit NPC merchants. You can bid/sell in auction house, and the money will be shipped to your delivery box in the player house. The economy this way is driven by player.
I am only lvl 19 at the moment. To play in a world with your friend, your friend needs to buy a world pass of that specific server within the game, and so you can use that world pass to create character. Else, the server at character creation is randomly picked depending on the server population. If any of you wants to join the server I am on, send me an email and I will get you a world pass when I can.
Here is another forum I go to.
http://www.bbcgamingnetwork.com/phpBB2/
Laters.
