Dev Tracker - Discussion

I fell for the whole translation mishap before where they said they were making a new "line of weapons" for "newer players" who had trouble making stronger weapons. We were all inclined to believe it was going to be a starter set of weapons, which ended up being a trash-tier set of Tokko weapons at the time. Then, after the final reveal, some Ambuscade weapons ended up being outright busted.

There's already so much gear available to newer players, I have a hard time believing they are going to invest another set of armor for them.

Well now that statement as made is wholly incorrect lol

They are literally trying to deceive you. Just not on this, in that way. (maybe)

The only starter gear new players need is a friend with odyssey unlocks for them. You can say whatever you want about odyssey, but it's great for handing people gear unlike Shinryu/Lilith HTBs.

People don't stumble through Play Online on accident. There isn't organic new player growth to this game. You have a friend who plays online games and you convince them to join you and then you PL them through a decade of gear progression. They ususlly lose the will to live getting through all the story missions

Gear for returners that takes a five months or more to get enough metal or fiber to fully upgrade

The new gear will be immediately available to everyone so naturally more inclusive to new/returning players, but not specifically meant for them. Personally, I think this is about the only way they could expect to get any interest from new players. Odyssey certainly isn't a draw for people.

Serious question: has anybody PERSONALLY met a completely new player to FFXI in 2022 who has no knowledge of the game, content, and gearing requirements for modern events, and this is their first time playing? Someone completely new who just picked up ffxi and "wanted to try it out". They keep doing things for these new players; I assume they have analytics to confirm they have actual new players and it's not just a ton of people multiboxing. How are they validating these are actually new players? I've not seen one personally. Is it different in Japan?

I'd wager SE has some official cutoff point where even a returning player is classified to them as a "new player" for demographics purposes- like saying if you returned from a 2 year break the demos consider you a "returning player", but if its a 5 year break you're now classified with "new players"...the numbers are not based in any knowledge just for example.

But I'm with ya, why would any truly new player pick up FFXI over FFXIV these days? Next to nil mention, let alone advertising, of one and completely plastering of the other everywhere; a gameplay that matches current market expectations vs a dated system....I also have a hard time picturing actual new players arriving in this game in 2022.

There was a time when search engines were not optimized and there wasn't a youtube guide for everything, but that was long ago. I still think you're reaching and that this won't be catered to new players, just more inclusive of them. A big part of the reason why JP don't like Odyssey is how exclusionary it is.

I'm not reaching at all. I'm asking a question based on a comment translated from funk that specifically says returnees/beginners (new players).

Well it's all speculation at this point. I just can't see them requiring an investment to RP a set of gear if it's only attractive to new players and wouldn't be used by everyone.

My fiancee is technically a newer player to this game but she started in 2019. She only plays XI cause I do though, I told her I used to play this back in the Ps2 days. I explained that XI is more casual/solo friendly now, and that the main reason I came back in 2017 is cause that was when I found out SE added trusts to the game. She has played other MMO's like Black Desert and a little bit of FFXIV.

I told her how I prefer this game's battle system over XIV's, so she still enjoys playing XI with me sometimes. But she's like super casual with the game though, even more than I am at this point. Like she's still doing the 75/99 era content and not even remotely in the 119 content yet since she doesn't play this on a regular basis. But yeah some new people are joining, just not anywhere near what a more modern game would have in new player count.

From my ls perspective, in the last 2 years, there were like 4 or 5 players that have never played this game before and stayed for good. There were also a few players (sadly can't say the exact number) who tried this game during the free trial, and never came back.

I meet 5-10 per year. I usually give them Gil and tell them to return the favor to somebody down the line. Our LS gets a brand new player every now and then. Also Ffxi subreddit has brand new players constantly asking how to be guided through the game.

My LS has a small handful of completely new players pretty much constantly, problem is none of them stick around long enough to be established because FFXI is the thing they do when they have nothing else to do on their main game.

Yes, I've met at least one this year, and many in 2020/2021. Not counting the countless I've helped outside of game.

You aren't going to meet many just doing modern endgame and hanging around FFXIAH — and I think that sort of bubble must be the culprit here?

Because there's always some trickling in on the subreddit, or various discords, or non-endgame LSes. Feels like I'm constantly giving new players advice.

I used to invite returners who shouted for pearls or completely new people, but 50% of them were miserable *** and the other 50% never stuck around

I'm glad to hear people are meeting new players and they are coming to the game. I honestly never knew it was attracting new players. I wonder why SE doesn't do more to bring people in then?

Thanks for the testimonials.

As someone who knows a ton of people, I randomly get messaged saying "How is the game?" "Is it still fun?" Because they see me playing it on Discord. My answer is always the same. "I am having fun playing with friends and clearing hard content" which brings up FFXIs real problem, the 6-man limit on the harder stuff that has the best gear locked behind it. I am lucky enough to have a group that spams x3 and know other groups that when they need a body I can be subbed in. This isn't the normal experience for returnees or some causal players.

For most, they are passed on or skipped when they attempt to join groups either for low ML, Lack of knowledge, or weak gear. Why? Requirements are so strict with 6 man vs 18 man that groups can't afford dead weight.

As for Funk's translation... They've already said that whatever content Empyrean +2 is obtained via will be entry-level, so that's where my mind goes when I read "introduction of new equipment enhancement / equipment update contents" — especially since that was planned for July.

And I think the Empyrean upgrades are probably going to bring with them a couple new WSD pieces that don't overlap with AF/Relic, giving new/returning players a viable path to a near-full WSD set without relying on DM or Nyame augmentation. Not to mention all the potential TPing or job-specific utility pieces Empyrean +2 could bring, or the JSE accessories mentioned before.

Of course, maybe they do mean some additional new upgrades for Ambuscade gear or something like that. But it seems uncharacteristic of them to add more to their plate when they're already sweating over adding Empyrean upgrades on time.

They said that Empyrean +2 will be doable without a party; that's not quite the as it being entry level.

Not anymore. They essentially removed the cap on those a while ago without mentioning it anywhere. The Gallantry cost per item is rather prohibiitive, but you can get a total of 125 (Hallmarks) + 375 (Gallantry) metals and fibers per month now. So in theory you could +2 the majority of the sets in a single month with enough grinding. +3ing after that shouldn't be an issue.


On the r/ffxi subreddit there's a new thread every other week of somebody asking how to get started with the game because they're either playing through the entire FF series from start to finish or they're from FFXIV and want a change of pace. Most probably don't stick around, but they are completely new players.

Funk's translation of the anniversary livestream noted that the Empyrean +2 content was soloable and that "fresh 99s can contribute."

That sounds about as entry-level as it gets, probably equivalent to low tier Ambuscade or Geas Fete / UNMs.

My daughters (11 and 14), are getting their friends to play. My daughters have only a passing familiarity with it, and nowhere near enough understaning to pass anything on. It wasn't a "wanted to try it out" randomly-- they were essentially invited-- but they are very definitely new, young players. I've also met some folks who joined the game because of some streamers who were pushing it. I've also got a couple of folks on my friends' list who left the game in 2005/2006, and came back because 20th Annni, and are hooked; while not technically new, from that era... they may as well be.

This so much. While I love Odyssey - the 6 person limit is a linkshell killer. With all prior events, Dynamis, Omen, Vagary, Delve, etc - you could take in an alliance of people and the entire linkshell could partipate. For years we had regular linkshell events centered around one or more of these.

Now with Odyssey, due to the nature where you need to use you KIs every other day, and only 6 people can participate - it just killed linkshell events. After doing Odyssey really do not have the time and energy to do other events. And Odyssey is locked to only 6 serious players - and does not leave room for casual people who use to float in and out of dynamis or other events.

I was hopeful that SE would make Odyseey an alliance event after the first year - just like they did with Omen (it was also originally 6 man only) - but no luck.

Agreed, odyssey sucks at making ffxi a team game and inspiring people to play together. If anything it just tears people apart because it's too hard for the normal players like myself that aren't good enough to win win win. I don't want difficult/thought provoking content.

I want content that 18 people can participate in at once, chatting and having fun in pt chat, while still able to win and drag along a few newbies or returners to help them out and get them geared up as well.

honestly, I expect a removal of the subjob restriction long before they even consider making Odyssey into an alliance sized event.

Datamining a few months ago showed us they already did some tests on that.
Which doesn't necessarily mean it WILL happen, but it means that they at least considered the chance.

People crying over Odyssey having best sets and being linkshell killer or splits playerbase. I guess none remember Salvage?