The fact that Final Fantasy XI is a now-ancient MMORPG made to run on the PlayStation 2 and never designed as a PC-first experience means that the game contains a number of compromises to keep the game functional. One of those compromises, for example, is the low-resolution maps that you fly over while riding on the game’s airships. The real-time slow march of the airships itself is itself not wholly necessary, but there’s something about the compromise that makes the whole experience charming.
Having older MMORPGs for us to play means that a lot of things that were once just necessary accommodations for hardware limits or network issues are now less mandatory. But sometimes those low-tech solutions have their own degree of charm, and even when you recognize that it’s a compromise, that’s its own form of endearment. So what’s a low-tech solution in an MMORPG that you find charming? Even if there could theoretically be a better solution now, what’s more charming in its current state?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!