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| I left my starting job for last. Also, yes, I stayed up til 5AM. |
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| I did the math: that's about 1,610 hours. This probably includes quite a bit of idle time. |
About a year ago, I set out to try and see if it was even possible for me to accomplish this. In the beginning, it was an ambitious "well, I'll try and see how far I get" sort of a project, but as time went on, I became more determined as the goal itself became more and more realistic. The looming deadline of March 2016 kept me motivated as I plugged away at over a decade's worth of content. I was anxious over achievements involving content I wasn't familiar with (especially Ballista), and there were times I wasn't sure I'd make it in time as the months passed into the new year.
In many ways it was a lonely sort of journey. Most players I know had long since stopped playing FFXI, even questioning why I'd go back and play it. Many others had never played the game to begin with, so talking about my latest accomplishments wasn't exactly an interesting topic to bring up with most people. Still, I knew I wasn't the only one still playing, nor was I the only one trying to unlock all the achievements. From Xbox 360 achievement forums to the FFXI subreddit and even finding friends on Twitter, I got encouragement and advice while on my quest to unlock 'em all.
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| Mumba and Bigbrett, indispensable allies in my quest for Ballista gold. Thanks again guys! |
The achievements themselves are mostly an excuse to experience much of what FFXI has to offer, something I hadn't been able to do until recently. While one could argue that achievements themselves aren't important or worthwhile, they acted as a sort of roadmap for me to follow as I finished storyline after storyline, battlefield after battlefield. It was also nice to have "proof" that I accomplished these things, showing what I had finished and what I still needed to do.
I enjoyed a majority of the experience. FFXI is an older MMORPG with an older mindset, but I've always been comfortable with "old games" (because I remember when most of them were new), so that wasn't a negative thing for me at all. The changes made to the game in recent years made soloing most content very accessible, so most of the time, it just felt like I was playing an offline RPG with some online components.
There were certainly quests here and there with annoying requirements, there was quite a hefty level grind involved, and there were entire types of content (Assault...) that weren't very fun solo. At the end of it all, however, I was proud to have experienced FFXI in at least some form. The storylines, characters, and music will remain with me for many years to come, and as the title of this post indicates, I don't consider this the end.... not at all. The game will still continue strong on PC and eventually on mobile, and there are things I've still yet to accomplish in the game.
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| It's not always easy, Lovingyou... |
I'll be writing up a couple more blog posts about my experiences in FFXI soon. One will detail the achievements themselves and my notes about them, and I'll probably write up my thoughts about FFXI itself as well. Stay tuned!
For now, though, I'll be taking an extended break and enjoying my newfound "freedom". When I do return, I'll take my time and enjoy what Vana'diel has to offer. Until then, this is Kittywoo of Asura, signing off!
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| One of my favorite areas in the game. The Blueblade Fell area in Lufaise Meadows. It seemed like a good place to take a nice long rest as I logged off. |
