[Mordeki]

Ok, I'm staying home right now with my 2 kids so my play time is usually limited to short 30 minute bursts and maybe a few hours in the evening. Only game I've found so far that I can do that and advance much in is WoW. Only bad part about that is that is the only thing I really like about WoW and I was thinking about trying out FFXI again. I remember before it was kind of a time sink and was hard to play for short periods.

So I'm asking if the way things are currently in FFXI if it's possible for some one with my schedule to be able to play and actually get things done in short bursts. Not sure if this effects anything at the lower levels but I only have the first two expansion as well. Was thinking about getting the new ones but wanted to wait and see how the game is now days.

Oh yes, and because of my play time, and since my wife hates the FFXI UI I imagine I'll be solo'ing a lot. I've read that solo'ing is feasible now in FFXI. Advice on that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Mordeki

[Gentoo]

It depends on what "accomplishing something" is to you, but realistically I don't think 30 minutes of play time is really going to let you do much. You might be able to do get some stuff done if you really plan your game session out.

I can burn through 30 minutes running around to manage AH transactions, getting signet, chatting in the LS, and getting supplied. Of course, if you do that during one 30 minute session, then spend the next session actually hunting, you can make some progress -- at least initially.

Good news is that using the field training manuals, xp bonus rings combined with the upped XP rewards for killing EP and DC prey, you can get through the low levels pretty rapidly. Using said devices also allows you to solo for many more levels than was previously realistic.

The same-old news is you'll still eventually hit a point where solo'ing becomes less practical, and you'll want to get parties -- which will require, at a minimum, hours. You'll eventually want to get missions done which will require you to wrangle up other players to help you out -- again hours.

I've got nothing against WoW, it just wasn't my cup-o'-tea, and when I was in a similar [time constrained] position as you, I tried out EVE Online. It's light years away from a fantasy game (ba'da-ching!) like WoW or FFXI, but it caters to both casual and obsessive play styles.

[Kailea]

*hits Gentoo for that horrible joke*

ahem, like Gentoo said, even with all the new stuff, at some point, FFXI will still take hours to do things, WoW and Eve Online would be more suited to your time retrains, now for a game that is warp speeds ahead of anything out there, wait for Star Trek Online ;p