Editing Final Fantasy XI

{{Infobox Game
|image=[[File:Final-Fantasy-XI-logo.png|250px]]
|jname=ファイナルファンタジーXI
|romaji=Fainaru Fantajī Irebun
|developer=[[Square Enix]]
|publisher=Square Enix
|platforms=[[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Microsoft Windows]]
|release='''PlayStation 2:'''<br>{{Flag|Japan}} May 16, 2002<br>{{Flag|United States}} March 23, 2004<br>'''Microsoft Windows:'''<br>{{Flag|Japan}} November 7, 2002<br>{{Flag|United States}} October 28, 2003<br>{{Flag|Europe}} September 17, 2004<br>'''Xbox 360:'''<br>{{Flag|United States}} April 18, 2006<br>{{Flag|Japan}} April 20, 2006<br>{{Flag|Europe}} April 21, 2006
|genre=MMORPG
|modes=Online multiplayer
|ratings=ESRB: Teen (T)
}}
'''''Final Fantasy XI''''', also known as '''''Final Fantasy XI Online''''', is the eleventh [[Final Fantasy (series)|''Final Fantasy'']] mainline game and the first {{wp|massively multiplayer online role-playing game}} in the series, developed by Square and originally published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2; later releases for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 were published by Square Enix. ''XI'' was the first MMORPG with cross-platform play between consoles and personal computers, starting with the release of the Microsoft Windows version.

Five expansion packs have been released for ''XI'': ''[[Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart|Rise of the Zilart]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia|Chains of Promathia]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan|Treasures of Aht Urhgan]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess|Wings of the Goddess]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin|Seekers of Adoulin]]''.

==Gameplay==
Unlike all ''Final Fantasy'' games before it, ''Final Fantasy XI'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game with a fixed monthly subscription fee. Servers are not segregated by region, and players speaking different languages can communicate through an automatic translation software. The in-game interface features menus common to the ''Final Fantasy'' series, visual information such as player names, and an in-game log window showing such information as battle logs, system messages, player text input, and in-game dialogue. ''XI'''s interface is designed for gamepads with a virtual keyboard available by default, but all versions of the game have supported USB keyboards to ease text input.

The world of ''Final Fantasy XI'' is fully mapped with a virtual camera following the player. While battles in previous ''Final Fantasy'' games were random encounters in a separate screen, ''XI'' has battles seamlessly begin and end inside the world of Vana'diel.

==Development==
After moving to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1996 to establish Square USA, Hironobu Sakaguchi started playing ''EverQuest'' in his free time. Impressed by the game's massively multiplayer online features and seeing a market opportunity for Japanese-made MMORPGs, Sakaguchi eventually commissioned the production of a MMORPG to become part of the ''Final Fantasy'' series.<ref name="tanakasage">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070206162825/http://www.jeuxvideopc.com/articles/1095-interview-hiromichi-tanaka-sage-sundi-final-fantasy-xi/ Interview de Hiromichi Tanaka et Sage Sundi (Final Fantasy XI)]" (in French). JeuxVideoPC, January 30, 2007.</ref> In November 1999, Sakaguchi presented his ideas to producer Hiromichi Tanaka and ''Mana'' series director Koichi Ishii, with whom he had worked on the first three ''Final Fantasy'' games; he envisioned his ideal MMO as not just an RPG with online play, but also a means to forge bonds between players across the world.<ref>''Weekly Famitsu''. Enterbrain. March 14, 2003.</ref> Though Tanaka and Ishii were uncomfortable with moving from single-player games to online games at first, they became inspired after playing ''EverQuest'' at Sakaguchi's invitation. The two men saw ''XI'' as an opportunity to create their ideal ''Final Fantasy'' without the technological limitations of earlier games, with Tanaka personally considering it it "the most [emblematic] ''Final Fantasy'' out of all episodes".<ref name="tanakasage" /><ref name="ishiip02">"[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=531 WE GREW VANA'DIEL: Koichi Ishii Part 2]". ''WE ARE VANA'DIEL 20th Anniversary Commemorative Website''. Square Enix, October 5, 2022.</ref>

Sakaguchi's idea to make a mainline ''Final Fantasy'' as a MMORPG caused controversy within Square. Initially Tanaka considered giving the game a different name, such as ''Final Fantasy Online'' or ''Final Fantasy World'', but was convinced otherwise by Sakaguchi, who argued that an unnumbered title would cause a major-scale project like ''XI'' to be seen as a spin-off. Square's top management also considered the PlayStation 2 version's additional hardware requirements too prohibitive for ''Final Fantasy'' players; after Sakaguchi's official leave from Square Enix in 2003, then-President Yoichi Wada repeatedly tried to revoke ''XI'''s status as a numbered title, but was convinced otherwise by Tanaka.<ref name= "tanakap01">"[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=104 WE ARE VANA'DIEL #1: Hiromichi Tanaka Part 1]". ''WE ARE VANA'DIEL 20th Anniversary Commemorative Website''. Square Enix, July 7, 2021.</ref>

Actual development began in December 1999. Due to the scope of the project, Tanaka, Sakaguchi, and Ishii drafted as many developers from Square as possible, with the final staff being merged from four different development teams: the ''Legend of Mana'' and ''Chrono Cross'' crews in Tokyo, and the ''Brave Fencer Musashi'' and ''Parasite Eve II'' crews from Osaka.<ref name= "tanakap01" /><ref>"[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=381&lang=en WE DISCUSS VANA'DIEL #10: Naoki Yoshida Part 2]". ''WE ARE VANA'DIEL 20th Anniversary Commemorative Website''. Square Enix, May 30, 2022.</ref> ''XI'' was developed concurrently with the PlayOnline service, into which the game is fully integrated; both together cost between US$ 17—25 million (2—3 billion yen) yen to develop and were projected to turn in profits within five years of launch. Development used the NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti graphics processor, described by Square's then-President Yoichi Wada as the most powerful on the market at the time.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104092442/http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/05/10/final-fantasy-xi-big-plans-big-money Final Fantasy XI -- Big Plans, Big Money]". IGN, May 10, 2022.</ref> The localization process started as soon as ''Chrono Cross'' finished its localization. To fulfill the vision of a "world without borders", the English and Japanese scripts of ''XI'' were made at the same time, with characters and enemies each keeping a single name across all languages.<ref>"[https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/05/15/e3-2003-final-fantasy-xi-developer-interview E3 2003: Final Fantasy XI Developer Interview]". Jeremy Dunham. IGN, May 15, 2003.</ref> Instead of different server groups separated by language, ''XI'' uses a single set of servers hosting players from all over the world, reducing development costs by 66%.<ref>"[https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/gdc-creating-a-global-mmo-balancing-cultures-and-platforms-in-i-final-fantasy-xi-i- Creating a Global MMO: Balancing Cultures and Platforms in Final Fantasy XI]". Christopher Woodard. ''Game Developer'', March 24, 2006.</ref> The development process was so fast for a game of its scale that Ishii was burned out after the mastering process; even then, a considerable amount of story and content planned could not be finished in time for launch and was split off into ''Rise of the Zilart''.<ref name="ishiip03">"[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=538 WE GREW VANA'DIEL: Koichi Ishii Part 3]". ''WE ARE VANA'DIEL 20th Anniversary Commemorative Website''. Square Enix, October 12, 2022.</ref><ref name="katop01">[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=309 WE DISCUSS VANA'DIEL: Masato Kato Part 1]". ''WE ARE VANA'DIEL 20th Anniversary Commemorative Website''. Square Enix, March 2, 2022.</ref>

''Final Fantasy XI'' was announced in January 2000 at the Square Millennium event, with a mockup trailer and key artwork by Shinichi Kameoka. It was announced to require two peripherals, the PlayStation 2 Network Adapter and the PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive, for its online capabilities and software updates respectively. Its reveal as a numbered title was met with negative press, and several reporters questioned its status as a mainline title and if it would have a structured story, which was not common in MMORPGs of the time.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116221144/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff11/index.html Creating a Global MMO: Final Fantasy XI]". Chris Winkler. RPGFan. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved on May 30, 2023.</ref>  A month later, Square announced a simultaneous worldwide release for PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows, but this plan fell through due to delays in production of the required PlayStation 2 peripherals; as a result, the PlayStation 2 version was released late in North America and never released in Europe.<ref name="tanakap01" /><ref name="ishiip03" /><ref>"[https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/09/colossal-final-fantasy-xi-revelation Colossal Final Fantasy XI Revelation]". Dave Zdyrko. IGN, February 8, 2000.</ref> A port for the Xbox was scrapped because the console's 8GB hard drive was considered too small.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20080221120550/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=15400 AGDC: How Square Enix Hunts The Hunters]". ''Gamasutra''. Brandon Sheffield, September 6, 2007.</ref>

''XI'' was designed with the key theme of "bonds". The combat system and character-building was heavily influenced by ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' and ''Legend of Mana'', with many systems from the latter incorporated into ''XI''. The game's high difficulty curve was intended to not only increase the stakes of battle, but also allow players to bond over their experiences of overcoming adversity and be rewarded for skillful cooperation. Director Koichi Ishii was responsible for designs related to the worldbuilding and lore; he first drafted the world of Vana'diel in a hand-drawn map, and from there, elaborated on its lore including the backstories of its five races and nations with help from planner Kenichi Iwao and writer Masato Kato.<ref name="ishiip02" /><ref name="ishiip03" />

After a closed beta test of the PlayOnline client in September 2001, Square began recruiting beta testers for ''Final Fantasy XI'' in November of the same year.<ref name="POLbeta">"[https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/07/20/playonline-beta-test-begins PlayOnline Beta Test Begins]". IGN, July 20, 2001.</ref> Applicants required a PlayStation 2, the necessary peripherals, and an e-mail address from an internet service provider, then were entered through a lottery system and spread across four Worlds: [[Chaos (Final Fantasy)|Chaos]], [[Xande|Zande]], [[Golbez]], and [[Exdeath|Xdeath]]. The test proper began in December 17, 2001 and lasted until April 26, 2002.<ref name="FF11betahistory">[http://www.finalfantasy7110.com/etc/beta/index.htm FINALFANTASY XIβ - クリスタの記憶-]</ref> Early into the beta test, a playable demo was made available at the Square Online Party 2002 event, where the ''Final Fantasy XI'' beta kit was also sold as a set.<ref>"[https://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2001/12/22/103,1009009662,2797,0,0.html オンラインパーティ2002で『FFXI』が楽しめた!!]" ''Famitsu''. Enterbrain, December 22, 2001.</ref><ref>[https://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/328/328270/ "スクウェア、ネットワークRPG『ファイナルファンタジーXI』のイベントを開催"] ''Ascii.jp''. ASCII Corporation, December 23, 2001.</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/index.shtml Official site] ([http://www.playonline.com/ff11/index.shtml Japan], [http://www.playonline.com/ff11eu/index.shtml Europe])
*''{{wp|Final Fantasy XI}}'' on Wikipedia
*''[[gamicus:Final Fantasy XI|Final Fantasy XI]]'' on Codex Gamicus
*[http://www.playonline.com/ff11/manual/index.html?loc=en ''Final Fantasy XI'' Game Manual]

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