RMT Bots Have Won...

This is untrue, unless you know of a trick to increase ML's beyond 50 or get gear that doesn't yet exist in the game. Several of the bosses have mechanics where you just need to roll a "natural 1" or they roll a "natural 20" and you lose, end of story.

You can have the best gear, play a perfect fight, and the boss just says "no, you lose". Which is why you just keep trying and eventually get a win. There is a skill factor, and that factor is extremely apparent the first few times you fight a boss, but after the sixth or seventh you have it down and then it's just a matter of you not getting unlucky and the boss not getting lucky.


There is an extremely high learning curve to those fights, and V25 fundamentally changes things with with insane regen under 40%. Some of our "no fail" strats that worked at V20 stopped working entirely at V25 due entirely to the massive burst DPS check you need at the end. In theory a pug might get lucky and win, but that's like expecting the lottery to be your retirement. Instead you get six people with the correct job combos together, then keep at it day over day / week over week until you nail down the strategy and have the teamwork and coordination down. Then just keep throwing yourselves at it until you have a run where you don't get unlucky and the boss doesn't get lucky.

I am the guy you saw - stage 4, almost stage 5 prime DRK with Nyame R30. I’ve only cleared a handful of V25 fights (Arebati, Mboze, Bumba) because I replaced someone in a static that had already cleared the rest. There are videos online of us defeating the above NMs. I assure you that no one is being “carried” through these fights, because if you have attempted them you would immediately realize that is not possible.

Someone mentioned it earlier, and they are correct in that it’s getting harder to find members interested in grouping up for the V25 fights. Most hardcore folks have already cleared and the rest are close to doing so. Seems to be very few left with no progress at all. So, that leaves shout groups. Say what you will about the actual difficulty of these fights, but a large portion of it has to do with the required coordination. That gives random PUGs a very steep hill to climb.

Reach out in game if you need V25 clears and are interested in forming a group. I have at least two others interested, and I’m happy to redo Arebati / Mboze / Bumba.

I wouldn't worry about some *** on a forum for some dying game.

It's odd how many still do. Just saying.

To be honest, I laughed when I read the posts, but then realized this is a golden opportunity to reach out and recruit a few junkies for a new static. Late to the party, I know, but there must be a few lurking here.

There are major issues, and it's not just related to FFXI, my friend.

You see, in most "modern" games, everything is pay-to-win, and they are infested with "whales," whom I respect, as they have every right to spend their money as they please.

Take FIFA, for example, perhaps the biggest pay-to-win game in the market. People invest exorbitant sums of money in it. For instance, my favorite streamer, CrackHeber, spent $8,000 on packs at the start of FC24.

Diablo 4 is another clear example. Asmongold has reacted to the "whales" of D4 in his videos.

WoW and FFXIV, both of them can also be considered pay-to-win. People buy wins for mythic content and ultimate raids, and they even buy houses.

So, can FFXI be played for free without pay-to-win? The answer is "yes," but if you succumb to the temptation of pay-to-win, you'll progress much faster.

The main reason Square Enix doesn't get more aggressive with Real Money Trading (RMT) is because they ban these players approximately once a month, and they repurchase the game with each ban to continue their "business," which leaves the company with profits.

The second reason is that they would have to do a revamp of the Master Points and Job Points, along with all the content, to make it playable without pay-to-win.

In conclusion, everyone has the right to play as they please, and we shouldn't vilify those in FFXI for such behavior when the same happens in all modern games, and no one says anything about it. In FFXI, we won't be lynching these players.

Using Vic Logic...

In order to "win" FFXI you must first play the game. To be able to play the game you must pay SE money. Therefor FFXI is "pay to win"....

We get it you buy gil/mercs