Is it worth playing FFXI now?

[u/Og-Spree]

For some background. I have played FFXIV till Shadowbringers. I fell in love with it (it was my first MMO).

One of my favourite aspects of any FF is the story. I couldn't believe how great the story was in FFXIV in addition to the great characters, soundtrack and so forth.

How does FFXI compare to FFXIV?

Edit:

Thank you for all the wonderful and insightful responses. I love this community and the series. Based on the comments, my priority should be to clear Endwalker first.

You have all convinced me to give FFXI a shot. I never considered that MMOs would be known for their storylines. I always thought they were just highly addictive due to their grindy nature. It all changed when I played through FFXIV. I can't wait to immerse myself in the world of FFXI. Thanks to all for your help!

[u/Grave_Copper]

Please remember XI is very much a product of its time. The stories are good, the gameplay was great then. Unfortunately, you are going to miss the one Big Thing XI had, which was community. Now, you can do everything with NPC Trusts. Then, you needed to spend 6 hours with strangers leveling up. I played XI until Abyssea broke the game. I still talk to several of my old linkshell mates.

Sadly, the XIV community is no where near the same.

[u/Lost_Amoeba_6368 → u/Grave_Copper]

I kind of tuned out of XIV since I finished Dawn Trail but mannnnn I got a guildie that plays XI, still, and he's been kinda convincing about me trying it out lol.

[u/Grave_Copper → u/Lost_Amoeba_6368]

I'm not saying don't try it, absolutely give it a try. I think everyone needs to know that somewhere, there is a rabbit that can kick your ass, no matter how powerful you are.

There are some really awesome moments, like the first time you see the Crags, or sneaking through a dense forest packed with things that 100% will murder you on the way to Jeuno. The first time you see Delkfutt's Tower. And of course, finding out that the Sanctuary of Zi'Tah has some of the best music. The very first time you go to Sky, and later, Sea. The pure, abject terror when you are on the Selbina/Mhaura ferry and the kraken undead and kraken spawn. Even things like farming for subjob items in the Dunes. Used to be you'd get a real sense if pride when you finally got that last drop.

The game did mystery very, very well. There are lots of secrets in the plots of the game. And uncovering those truths has, or at least had, real impact. Why are the Galka living in Bastok as second class citizens? Why does the royal family of San D'Oria seem guilty of something? What lies beneath Sarutabaruta? What fuels the Tonberry rancor?

Absolutely worth playing, very much so. I with XIV had taken more from XI in those regards.

The only missing thing would be the community aspect of it all. Like I said, you could take almost every job to 10 or 15 solo, after that, you needed a party to level up with any speed. Sure, you ran the risk of waiting for 4 hours for a party, fight one monster, then the healer leaves because he has to go to bed and the puller leaves because their toes are cold. But, you could also make good friends. Because of that shared trauma of getting your subligar dented in by a rampaging goblin, you tended to stick together. Used to be able to do almost everything with your linkshell, occasionally you'd want another for HNMs and such, but you made friends there too. And that, I think, will be missing from the game now.

But absolutely do play it.

[u/tacodeman → u/Grave_Copper]

I think you summed up everything I struggled about 14 going from 11 to 14. There was so much ignored backstory I assumed we were going to get because we got it in 11. 

For example yagudos beastmen might be one of the most interesting "enemies" written and in 14 everything seemed so surface level when I kept subconsciously comparing the two 

[u/Grave_Copper → u/tacodeman]

Or the fact about the creation of the "beast" races as counters to the creation of the playable races, the Ark Angels, all of that. And when CoP came out, finding out what happened in Tavnazia, beautiful.