It sucks that I don't have enough bandwidth to host a FFXI server, if Supernova went offline like the other ones I might just setup an offline FFXI server and play.
I would just like to mess around with it, even if it'll get lonely being the only one on the server...
But you would get all admin tools like changing gear, your levels and other hacks.
If I owned a FFXI server, I would convert it to a single player game, where friends can join your game with their characters and you take on the world together.
Enemy difficulty would go up or down based on the number of human players. The story would remain the same for the most part, tho might be a bit more personal since you're the only player. You would be able to hire NPC's off the street, guild, or out in the field to join your team, where they coudl stay as long as they enjoyed being with your group, or leave if they started to not like it. This would require a friendship system and influence with it would be based on your performance. If you're a healer then keeping them alive would gain favor, if you're a tank then keeping your party safe would gain favor, or if you're a DD taking out enemies quickly to reduce the amount of struggle would gain favor. You would be able to gain minor favor with conversations with them as well.
If you get attacked by a bandit, and they were a strong opponent, you would get the choice in hiring them and they stay with you til death, or they leave and gather members come back and attack you where you then end them for their betrayal.
Social interaction with your NPC allies would be a huge priority, because you need to trust your team and they you, without trust a team will crumble and people will leave.
This would allow more difficult challenges, and I would actually love to manage your whole group like you could in FF12, though include movement patterns in their AI customization so you could tell them where you'd like them to go/stay put.
The graphics would most likely be upgraded, but I wouldn't want to touch the core mechanics of the game. For NPC's you'd have a custom script engine sort of like spellcast (or whatever it is called now) where you can code what armor they use and when.
I'd want an Auction House too. The items and rate they are sold would generally stay the same through your entire game, some rare items would only be sold after you reach a certain point in the game. Selling items would work the same way as if you were selling something right now, lowest priced items get sold first. To keep it separate from 14 current selling items could remain hidden as well. If you are trying to sell an item the % chance of you successfully selling something would be based on how you price it compared to the average. If you sell above the average you still have a chance to sell it, it just becomes lower and might take longer.
Being able to see other adventurers is crucial, in towns or out in the field. You'd even have some of your more successful ones well known and have made a name for themselves in your world.
I'd make it so as events happen in the world, your world changes. Anything that damages the land remains there, and as the story goes forward and the world starts to become under threat you see everything change. The end of the game would look different than the beginning, that way you have reason to go back and see what has changed.
The game would end up needing some crazy main antagonist, maybe on the level of Kefka where he threatens the entire world of vana'diel and nearly succeeds in destroying it, maybe even partially doing so, and the warriors of light you end up building together tries to stop him.
Maybe even requiring you to become friends with all 3 nations and jeuno, and foreign nations from lands we have yet to discover. Having to have that kind of power to take him on would be cool, but as we know with any Final Fantasy game what really matters in the end is your team, or even the main character if it comes down to a one on one. That would be an interesting twist, if your NPC's dropped and the only ones left at the end would be the human players.
He could be the Maat of the finale, his fighting style changes based on what class you're playing. If you have a friend playing with you he would become more difficult and merge the fighting styles together to take on both/all of you.
Yay for unrealistic game design expectations.
Wow, I really want a real Final Fantasy game to come out. ._.;