How long can you stay offline?

[Jorginus]

I've heard how you can take up to 3 months off the game without paying the subscription fee before your character account is permanently removed. But I've heard some people that the deadline has been increased to one year. I've been wanting to take extended breaks from the game, but I have no idea how long I can stay unsubscribed before my character is removed for good. I would love an official answer on this, thanks.

[Effedup]

I may be wrong, but I think the official time is still 3 months from date of deletion before things get sketchy. At least, that's the official word from S-E (link (http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/polnews/news1411.shtml)). I had a rl friend contemplate coming back to FFXI after a year long absence, and his information was still there (this was during Return to Vana'Diel 06); he ended up not coming back...the call of WoW was too strong for him to deny. But anyways, yeah, one year later his chars. we're still there. As for items, job levels, etc...not sure. He only confirmed it was even possible before he decided not to start playing again. How he did it, I don't know...I ain't cancelling my shit until I know I ain't playing no more. I worked too hard to take a chance.

My advice to you would be to keep it under the 3 month mark. For all we know, you could cancel your acct and come back in 5 years and have it work (if the games even still being played, then), but if you ARE planning on coming back better safe than sorry.

[Aeolus]

If you cancel your Playonline account completely you can re-activate it within 3 months. If you only cancel your Content ID's you stop paying the monthly subscription (as Playonline is free) and have upto 1 year to re-activate your Content ID's. Im like 99% sure on that.

[Dalin]

it may have something to do with the name, or space on the server. With populations down nowadays, the time may have increased,

altho if it has something to do with the name being reused, as soon as your name is picked up by some one, your char may be gone.

[Murphie]

I thought that if you canceled your Playonline account it was canceled forever. As your POL account is free, there is never any reason to cancel it. To stop billing all you need to do is cancel your content IDs. You don't need to delete your characters (in fact, I would suggest against it) or anything like that.

[seq]

altho if it has something to do with the name being reused, as soon as your name is picked up by some one, your char may be gone.
GMs will ask you to choose another name, i'm 100% Sure about this one.
to the OP,i'm not sure...i was hoping to find an answer in here too ^^;

[Toksyuryel]

It's my understanding that after 3 months some guy can go in and *manually* delete your char, but you have a year before the server *automatically* deletes it... was it almost a year or over a year when your friend checked? And of course there's the whole "return to vana'diel" thing they like to do once a year.