Need help installing FFXI on a PS2?

[mariosmentor]

I got some money, and bought the following stuff: an HDD, a network adapter, an ethernet cable, a 128 MB memory card, and FFXI. What do I do now? And yes, you can call me retarded.

[loaf]

Do you have the old school big Ps2?

[mariosmentor]

Yeah, I got the fat model. Got it as a birthday gift from my cousin. However, the games that came with it are all scratched to nothing, and the system itself has the oh-so-hated disc read error. There's a professional tech guy here in town, and he said he could fix it for about 65 bucks. I'll take his word over anyone else's because he once fixed a DS Lite my mom snapped in half. (He charged $15.) I'll have the money for him before long, I just want these setup beforehand, and the internet isn't being too helpful about it. Unless of course, you have either a PS3, a PC, or just want to play Seekers of Adoulin on the PS2 version.

[Andromeda]

Once you get the client for FFXI installed, most of the rest of it I think is handled by the internet. Most HDD for the PS2 came with FFXI pre-installed on it already. So it might be on already. I think the only other game it was supposed to be tied to was Socom. But unless it got wiped, odds should be good that the HDD still has FFXI on it. If not and the disc read error is preventing you from installing the client then you're not going to be able to do anything. Once it is on the HDD though it all takes care of itself pretty easily. But even ignoring all of the expansions. You're going to have 13 years worth of patches and update to grab. So it's going to take a while most likely.

[mariosmentor]

@Andromeda ????????????????

Here's what happened to me: I found a used Sony HDD with the FFXI install disc (I take it THAT's the "client" you were talking about?) on Amazon. The product details said it had FFXI preinstalled. I guess that makes the disc redundant? The customer reviews said something about a registration code to get started with the game, but I haven't found a code anywhere. (I didn't get any instruction books.) Also, how am I supposed to put BOTH the HDD and network adapter inside the PS2? Do they fit together somehow? And, seeing how you mentioned updates, does that mean that I can just download all the expansions, PLUS add-ons (Crystalline Prophecy, Moogle Kupo d'Etat, Shantotto Ascension) and Abyssea, without buying any installation discs?

Told you I was clueless.

[Andromeda]

Yeah, the disc would have the client and probably a very small portion of the game. Especially at this point. The registration code is going to be required to actually play the game. The only way to be able to play without getting a new registration code is going to require knowing the previous account holder's information. If you know the sign in information, you'd be able to get on to playonline and from there likely edit the old bill information to update it to your own. Because the game is already linked to the existing code. The account is likely inactive at this point, but reactivating old accounts is easy since FFXI is always running the Welcome Back to Vana'diel Campaign to get old users playing again.

So playing with what you have you'd need to contact the seller for the necessary account information otherwise the game and disc you have is going to be completely locked to you.

As for how the HDD and network adapter work. The HDD plugs into the network adapter. If you look on the adapter there is a connection slot there for the HDD. Once the HDD is connected to the network adapter you slide the whole unit into the back of the PS2. If you look on the back of the PS2 you'll see there is a panel I think it's labeled HDD or something like that. But it'll be roughly a bit larger than the side of the HDD. This panel can be removed. Once you remove it you can slide the unit into the PS2. And the screws on the adapter will lock it into place. And then you're done. Powering up the PS2 and browsing the data storage/disc read area will show you a new device on there. There you can enter into the HDD to access the data and save files. You'll find in there a FFXI icon as well you should be able to launch the client, playonline. If you have the sign-in information or if the sign-in information is auto-log in, which is possible, you can then go into the FFXI and start downloading patches and updates. Any expansions or add-ons would not be included until the previous owner purchased them. There are some general content from all of the expansions that is available to everyone, so you will get some of it, but the bulk of it will not be available.

If none of that is available, I found two ways on Amazon to get a new code. Buying either of these would give you what you need.

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-...collection+ps2
http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-...XVWNX349GDSN7N

The best thing right now is to plug in the HDD and adapter and see what happens. The nice thing is with the client already on there, you don't need the disc anymore. Everything is stored on the HDD and plays from it. You just need to know if you can sign-in to playonline. If you can get on to playonline then you should be able to do everything you need to play again. If you can't then you're going to need re-purchase a new copy of FFXI to play.

[mariosmentor]

@Andromeda .................Phew, good thing I lied about buying all that stuff. My lack of knowing what to do would've wasted a lot of money. The bit about my busted PS2 was real, however. Thank you for clearing up all of my misconceptions. One last question though: I read somewhere that Vanadiel Collection 2008 (the item in the first link you provided) didn't come with the add-on scenarios or Abyssea. Was this a lie?

[Andromeda]

That's probably accurate, since I think the add-ons came after 2008, not completely sure. But the add-ons were download purchase only they never got a physical release. So they would still be easily bought.

[mariosmentor]

Okay, thanks. I'll assume the add-ons can be purchased at the main site? I'll be sure to update my old timeline theory sometime soon. Just wait, it'll be a lot less confusing.

[Andromeda]

I know that they can be bought when you're logged into Playonline before you're in the game. That's where I did it. But it maybe purchasable elsewhere.