Never Enough... Continued
Ironically, this is a continuation of my last post.See what I did there? My last post was about how there's really no end to...
My genius is lost on you people.
My last post, you see, was an experiment. I wanted to leave the ending vague enough for people to wonder if the lack of a true ending was a good thing or a bad thing.
A few people actually e-mailed me to ask if I hated that about FFXI and MMORPGs in general. They suggested I was trying to bring attention to one of the worst parts of the MMO.
Not so much.
While some people can get a little... annoyed by the freedom and longevity offered by this kind of game, I revel in it.
I love FFXI. And I'm not just saying that like you would to some girl just to get into her pants.
In case wife is reading: Not that I've ever done that.
This is perhaps the single greatest game that I have ever played. Given the sheer volume of games I have played in my many years, that is truly saying something.
Why would I want that to end?
There's something else I love as well: eating. I love going to a nice restaurant and sitting down with an amazing meal, savoring every bite.
Now, some people eat a small portion and be done with it. Enough to meet basic nutritional requirment and then go on with the rest of their day.
I'd never stop.
The whole point is the enjoyment. If I'm honestly enjoying every minute of something, why would I ever wish for it to have an end?
When I read a good book (yes, I do read), I don't wish for it to be over so that I can read something else. Hell, when I notice the back cover getting ever closer, I start to get disappointed. I hate knowing that my enjoyment is soon coming to an end.
FFXI doesn't have to end. You push and grind and claw your way to the top of the mountain, turn and stare at the majesty of the world around you and at the slope you have just conquered.
And there's a new mountain right next door.
And another one right after that.
All the mountains a man could ever want to climb.
That might not sound like fun, but if you enjoy mountain climbing, then you're in heaven.
I love FFXI. I will play it to every end they can provide and then, when I somehow run out, I'll sit back and ask myself that universal question:
"What would that have been like as a Mithra?"
And I'll start all over again.
And I'll love every minute.
Suppose someone believed in reincarnation. Suppose they honestly believed that as soon as they died that they'd move on to a brand new life.
Does that mean they should pray for their current life to end all the sooner?
That doesn't make much sense, now does it?
I'm sure I could go get another game. I could run down to Gamestop and throw sixty dollars on the counter to take home Shiny New Game: Old Game 2.
I'd pick up a sword or a gun or whatever, spend 3 hours fighting monsters and find out that I saved the world again.
Yay... I guess.
Frankly, I like a little bit more substance. I want to look at my play time numbers and know that I lived a life in this world and that I enjoyed living it.
I don't play to be done.
I play to play.
How could that possibly be a bad thing?
posted by Goblin Smithy @ 7:59 PM
11 Comments:
A {True Strike} if I've ever heard one.
i know exactly how you feel. even tho ive got a groomed main character on a server, i just started a character on another server just about a week ago, its like im a masochist. i don't have any crafts, lvl 75s or anything to back me up. remember the pain of getting your subjobs? or getting your choco license? yea....
I have that feeling. Most of the games I own, I stop at the last stretch of game. for final fantasy, I've only beaten 7 and 9. but I get to the last part of 8, 6, and 1. It's usually like, I don't want it to end... so it never does.
FF11 doesn't end. And personally, I don't think 14 will be as good as 11. It might be good in itself, but for me, it will boil down to playing 11 and 14... or just 11...
FFXI is incredibly awesome in that regard. But more then just "There's always something to do", it's the fact that almost everything that you CAN do has a story behind it. Many times stories interact with each other, and more often than not (I'm looking at you A Moogle Kupo d'Etat) they are well-written and entertaining. Just finished the Star Onion Brigade line of quests this weekend, in fact, and it's a WONDERFUL story, which ties in with the Windurst mission line. With regards to FFXIV, I think SE is going to have their hands full living up to the expectations they laid out when they did FFXI.
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I enjoy listening to people complain that they can never "win" in an MMO, because it has no ending to it.
If you are playing something to "win" why did you pick up a game that has no real ending in the first place?
Just because I can't ever be level Infinity doesn't mean I should stop trying to get better at everything I do.
How could that be bad?
I used to think the same way. Then I stopped playing. And you what? There were alot of new experienced that were great. I'd have missed out on them if I still played FFXI.
The end will come. You know it will. Then, will you wonder on what have you missed? This is the definition of opportunity cost.
For me it was the right decision. I can't say it is for anyone else.
i have to say...i play games for the experience and story. ffxi is nice becuz it has multiple stories. some of the stories criss-cross, but each story is pretty much stand alone. some stories are wierd, some are funny, some are badass (im looking at you BLU AF quest line), and some are just good.
Saving the world..um...Dave? thats pretty much the plot for all of ffxi's main missions...but its ok. as long as the story is told in an original way and the story holds your attention, its livable.
worst thing ever in a game is when the story and plot in the game are piss poor, and covered up by flashy lights and an overcomplicated control scheme.
What the hell? Is this [GM]Dave has feelings?
You're beginning to scare me. Where's that heartless ruthless GM that we all know and love?
...
Ok, yeah, I totally agree with you. You do realize you left out the part of how many more idiots you still have to feed to a dragon... and then how cool it would be to feed the same idiots to a jelly blob (you could make bill cosby jokes the whole time... "HEY! Did somebody say JELLO?!) Really I think this game will end for me when I've completed all the missions. That's the thing that keeps me coming back. I want to see the game... I want the story. Out of all the mmo's I've played, this one is still special to me because of that.
Ok, enough of that mushy stuff. C'mon dave. make with the violence and the witty 1-liners and the dragon munch munch... >.>
I'm rather curious as to what your plans are for FFXIV, Dave; I sincerely doubt you plan on putting FFXI aside, given all you've put into it, but do you plan on juggling the two or even trying FFXIV?
A wise man once said " The destination matters not, the journey is all." I think you have found the ultimate gamer expression of that. :-)
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