[Effedup]

Originally Posted by eticket109

I'd love to see a newer and fully fleshed out version of the Atlas. I loved all the tidbits they had about the history of the zones and the mobs that inhabited them.

I agree, I think if SE put out a new and updated Atlas that would sell much better than a straight-up "guide", preferably a little larger sized then the old one (think road atlas sized). Sure, it would cost more, but I'd happily pay a few extra dollars to have a nice large map to consult when running around some of the more confusing areas (the yhoater/yohtunga jungles come to mind, I get lost there all the time whenever I am going somewhere off the beaten path; I am directionally challenged unfortunately, and the maps online are a little small for my tastes).

With windowed-mode now available and such good reference websites out there (like the clopedia) I really don't see the need to release another game guide. I bought the "updated for '04" Brady guide when I first started playing and used it like 3 times; I ended up giving it to a friend who collects such things. Like others have said, a useful guide on an MMO is an impossibility when things are added and changed so often, and honestly, who would pay money for something they can get for free online with a search function? It would be neat to have in the context of a collectible or art book, but I doubt that it would really be used too often for it's intended purpose by very many people.

[TheGrandMom]

Originally Posted by Effedup

...and honestly, who would pay money for something they can get for free online with a search function?

I would and I know some of my friends would too. We don't have the time to sit for hours at the ah and compare stats or look at several sites to get people's opinions. It would be great to have a guide to give me an idea and I could actually read it while waiting at an appointment or while visiting my mother.

[Jarre]

The other fact is like what happens at work, its ok grabbing manufacturers details off teh website for certain specific details, but when your trying to draw the details on the CAD system, its a pain to have to keep flicking backwards and forwards between windows when a hard copy on your desk is much easier.

Also theres the fact is that it takes longer to hunt for the info on the internet via google and other sites than just to open the book at the right section. I still have a drawer full of print outs for all the crafting guilds I used before getting the brady games book, but the one thing I didn;t like about that book was that their crafting pages didn't have the cap levels of the recipies in it.

[Dimus]

If it had the resources that the online sites have I might buy it, depending on the price. Even though I think the online resources for FFXI are rather lacking in information there is still a lot of stuff there and I doubt a strategy guide could fit it all.

[dirtyclown]

My dad bought a guide back during NA release, and over the years since we got it it's become nearly illegible. It's covered in drawings, random scrawled notes, graffiti tags, and probably a few racial slurs. I think there might be some coffee stains on it too, but I haven't seen it in nearly a year. I'm not much of a collector of guides, so I don't think I'd drop the cash to get one. My laptop gets the job done just as fast, and plays music and pornography for when I'm bored.

[Jaice]

I'd more or less buy any updated/art/informative guide they come out with just for the sake of printed type. I love guide books/hint guides even though I rarely use them, I still have the origional Brady production for the strategy guide and still honestly use it for mapping out armor and crafting recipies at the turn of a page rather than clicking on 4+ different links just to see what I need to make a cookie If they had an ongoing volume with a bit of an art additive for the FFXI series I think i'd be twitching on the floor in joy.

[Effedup]

Originally Posted by dirtyclown

My laptop gets the job done just as fast, and plays music and pornography for when I'm bored.

What a great way to sum it all up, I love it