OK, I believe I already said I quit FFXI, here's a quick rundown on why.
The problem with games like Final Fantasy XI is while they claim to be a MMORPG, they only get the first half right. They are Massive Multiplayer Online, oh yeah. 500,000 characters or something like that in one game says a lot, even abridged over so many servers. But anyways.... the point is, the RPG part is lacking. No one KNOWS how to RPG really in a MMO. So you end up with a Massive Multiplayer Online Diablo Ripoff. NOT helped, BTW, by SquareEnix's inability to include XP for anything but killing stuff... which only increases the Diablo-esqe feeling it throws. It gets BORING. Here's the main problem me and my fiance were going through:
1) Need Money
2) Easiest way to get money: fishing
3) To fish well, need woodworking skill up
4) To do THAT, we need money.
Repeat unto infinity.
Money is damn near impossible to get unless you're a high-level thief. NOT helped by the fact that once you pass a certain lvl you can't even solo anymore. NOT helped that it costs thirty dollars a month that we can't afford.
So, FFXI is not a MMORPG. It's just an MMO. Beware thirteen year olds with bad additudes. I may yet return to it, but it'll be a while.
Besides, World of Warcraft is on the horizon (where quests give you XP!), and there's going to be a free MMO coming out too (Clan Wars? something like that?). We'll see. I'll let you know when I decide on something.
Why the hell can't there be a D&D Online? HUH?