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[itshutton]

So yes, should I give FFXIV a go?

I am a big Final Fantasy fan and have played all of the offline mainline games since 6 and most of the spin-offs. I loved every one of them and feel a real connection to the franchise. I am a completionist and always go for the Platinum, which I know will be a big time sink with this game.

I have never really played an online game before and to be honest, I am not really sure I know what an MMO is! I don’t really like playing with others (psycho I know) and will most likely solo the game, is that even possible? I am really curious to find out how they work though.

I am a bit of a workaholic, and am recently single for the first time in forever meaning I have free time for once! Add to that, I live in the UK, so I am stuck in lockdown meaning I can probably commit ~10 hours a week to a new game.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

 

[crozier]

I just started yesterday. There are tons of people in the newbie starting areas which indicates a healthy population. Yes, join us!

 

[Cornbread78]

I'll be firing it up in April with the PS5 update:


Final Fantasy XIV Online coming to PS5》

The PlayStation 5 version of Final Fantasy XIV Online arrives on April 13 with the launch of an open beta, with the full version launching soon after. New and veteran adventurers will be able to play the full experience (all of the updates through Shadowbringers) with all of the upgrades and enhancements PS5 users have come to expect—the perfect way to prepare for Endwalker!

PS5 features:
•Significantly improved frame rates.
•Faster load times.
•4K resolution support!


*free upgrade for PS4 users with a license!*

 

[Amaranty]

Go for it. The community is healthy. The base game story might be a bit of a drag, but the expansions are great.

 

[DrumNBassDanTTV]

it'll be ok to start now.

 

[Mr.ODST]

Yeah definitely play on PC, hoping an Xbox Port comes at some point like they said they would, will play the PS5 ver when released.

 

[MarlboroRed]

Since you are a fan of Final Fantasy as a franchise, it's a no brainer. Go for it.

 

[YukiOnna]

You can join anytime and IIRC the game up to the end of the first expansion is entirely free trial? it has a healthy community and there's incentive to do older areas, so duties are always active. Just go at your own pace.

You can "solo" earlier content in the sense that the instance will automatically join you up with other randoms and you finish a dungeon/trial with no problems. Later expansions introduced being able to solo the more later instances with NPC's so it made going through main scenario quests easier. The entire process has become automated, so it's not like you have to actively ask/seek out people to party up unless it's an old side content that no one does anymore.

 

[Coconutt]

I've been debating this as well, I want to start an mmo on my PS5 and it's between Elder Scrolls Online and FF14, they both look good but wondering which one is friendlier to newbies.

 

[Abriael_GN]

So yes, should I give FFXIV a go?

I am a big Final Fantasy fan and have played all of the offline mainline games since 6 and most of the spin-offs. I loved every one of them and feel a real connection to the franchise. I am a completionist and always go for the Platinum, which I know will be a big time sink with this game.

I have never really played an online game before and to be honest, I am not really sure I know what an MMO is! I don’t really like playing with others (psycho I know) and will most likely solo the game, is that even possible? I am really curious to find out how they work though.

I am a bit of a workaholic, and am recently single for the first time in forever meaning I have free time for once! Add to that, I live in the UK, so I am stuck in lockdown meaning I can probably commit ~10 hours a week to a new game.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Lots of people are going to start this year. New expansion and platform do that.

 

[Jeeves]

It's pretty much never too late. The director just remarked the other day that he would likely continue to work on the game for the rest of his life. There's tons to do and see already, and plenty more on the way for years and years to come.

It's definitely possible to minimize human interaction, but even if you're approaching that way from the start, don't be surprised if you end up making some friends. And once you do...you'll wonder how you got by without them. The social aspect ends up being at least half of the appeal for this genre.

 

[itshutton]

Thank all, I’m convinced. Downloading now!

 

[Kokoloko85]

Im looking to join too. Will probably do it after PS5 update

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

 

[Tschumi]

In my experience by this time in an mmo lifespan they've reengineered the grind so much to favour people trying to power level alts that the sub-cap world is barely worth the price of admission..

i guess whole sections of appeal - grind, reward, exploring, taking your time, grouping to beat challenging obstacles - are probably entirely changed from their original formats.

Apparently there's a new vanilla WoW private server coming out in a few days, i recommend that.. though they haven't sent me a confirmation email for sign up which is annoying.. and apparently they're going to use classic code, rather than vanilla, which feels like it'll probably be hugely undertuned..

 

[kunonabi]

Yeah it's more of a solo game so you should be fine. kind of sucked for me since I wanted to play through it with brother and some friends

 

[Shifty1897]

If you've never played an MMO before and don't have any friends to help you or show you the ropes, there's a high chance you'll bounce off of it. That being said, it's free to play for a major part of the game, so give it a try.

 

[Belmonte]

I started playing FFXI last year. So I think it is ok for you to start FFXIV now.

 

[Blond]

lol people still play FFXI and the original Everquest go for it

 

[RNG]

Not at all. I just started last Fall and will probably get back into again soon.

 

[RoboFu]

You can get to 30 very quickly nowadays

 

[Dr. Claus]

This isn’t an MMO like Warcraft where they actively change everything from expansion to expansion (making it worse each time , at least since WOD). The game stays mostly the same and often times improves itself, especially when the pacing of content and story is concerned. It is never too late to start this game.

 

[Snakey125]

Go for it. It's never late to jump into FFXIV especially with the helpful community. I quit a few years ago and came back recently. It did not take me long to get my first 80 job.

The base game's story sets decently, but the shine is in Heavenward and Shadowbringer. People say some of the best FF writing is in those two expansions.

 

[Perfo]

Yes, it's absolutely worth starting it even now! You heard it many times but XIV is probably and without a doubt the best entry in the series, and it grows only better expansion after expansion. Being an MMORPG should not scare you because if you want you can play it basically in single player most of the time from start to end. The social elements and other players are there just for pro stuff, for the rest I enjoyed it as my typical mainline FF. Please play it!

 

[Kumomeme]

no you not and never too late. the game content mostly can be done solo. only need wait for que at trial and dungeon run. latest content is quite fast, but old content you need to wait a little but nothing much of a problem. you can get almost instant que if play healer or tank. the game also casuals and mmo newbie friendly.

each expansion is like a fullfledge single player rpg. easily 30-60hours of gameplay, depend on how you play and if you do all the side quest. the game structure very much like modern rpg. if you familiar with xenoblade chronicles, then it is not far off. you gained exp by completing quest, instead of grinding on field 24 hours.

Currently there 3 expansion. A Realm Reborn(ARR) which is base game 2.0. Heavensward(HW) which is first expansion 3.0, Stormblood(SB) 4.0 and Shadowbringers(Shb) 5.0.

so if 1 base game/expansion took 1 month, (play 2-4 hours per day), in around 3 month you can complete the content to catch up when Endwalker 6.0 launch.

by earlier of March you should finished ARR
by end of March/earlier April you should finished HW
then in May you should finished second expansion SB
by June you should already in latest Shb

Endwalker supposed to come at fall
only need to take note that atleast your whole half year gaming schedule might only full of FFXIV.


ARR just base game, the content bit bloated(which is already trimmed alot in 5.2 patch). the great part is on expansion onward. the quality, pace jump tremendously. whats important is you completing ARR first. it worth all the hassle.

dont forget free trial cover lv1-60(base game ARR + first expansion HW) after that you can consider buy game. buy latest you can get all expansion before. you get 1 month free before need to pay sub. by this 'calculation' you probably start pay for sub around in june.

my advice is, just take time slowly, dont rush, and dont try to absorb everything at one go. or you might get overhelm and lose all motivation. just focus on main story quest(MSQ).
you never late to any content. the game designed so player could sub and resub however they want and still not lose progression. so even if you want to take break and resume the progress at another months, it is not a problem.

you surely not gonna dissapointed. the modern FF that fans been dreaming of is right there.

 

[Hudo]

Just try it if you are interested. You can always stop playing if it's not for you.

For me, it's the best modern Final Fantasy game.

 

[I don't like pirates]

How is one too late to try a videogame he or she likes to try. Just fucking try it, you doubtful and undecided. shy gamer. Fucking play it. It's not going to bite you or something.

 

[Zheph]

How is one too late to try a videogame he or she likes to try. Just fucking try it, you doubtful and undecided. shy gamer. Fucking play it. It's not going to bite you or something.

Never understood those topics too...

OP -> you good its just gonna be long, they did revamp the first part of the game to make it smoother and they will do the same for the rest

 

[Dunki]

Just try it if you are interested. You can always stop playing if it's not for you.

For me, it's the best modern Final Fantasy game.

MMO are a biut different. If noe one is in the starting area not doing or helping with the dungeons etc it will be a drag to play. Luckily FFXIV included a lot of systems that makes all players also play the newbie dungeons. Also I think you can now have an AI party as well if you want.

 

[Zheph]

Also I think you can now have an AI party as well if you want.

It only works in Shadowbringers for now

 

[Hudo]

MMO are a biut different. If noe one is in the starting area not doing or helping with the dungeons etc it will be a drag to play. Luckily FFXIV included a lot of systems that makes all players also play the newbie dungeons. Also I think you can now have an AI party as well if you want.

Yes, you can have AI companions (with restrictions, of course). It's called the "Trust System" and was inspired by a similar system present in FF 11. You can basically do the story dungeons with an AI party. And most of the time, they behave more intelligently than your usual player, which is an upside.

 

[Coconutt]

Got into it myself yesterday, Endwalker just looks so awesome and I have no context for it, may as well start now.

 

[JORMBO]

There’s a lot of good story content for you to work through. The way the game is set up if you need other players to clear a dungeon to progress the story it will automatically find the needed players pretty quickly. I also think there is a free trial? You can try it out for a bit and see if you like it.

 

[Komatsu]

Ok fellow GAFers, I decided to take the plunge. My only prior exposure to FFXIV was perhaps a couple of hours invested on the free trial.

Loving it so far. The plot is surprisingly sophisticated and the soundtrack is amazing. I’m basically playing it as a single-player game.

 

[sublimit]

Ok fellow GAFers, I decided to take the plunge. My only prior exposure to FFXIV was perhaps a couple of hours invested on the free trial.

Loving it so far. The plot is surprisingly sophisticated and the soundtrack is amazing. I’m basically playing it as a single-player game.

Are you still in the beginning? Because after a point the game kinda forces you to join a group of other players. That was were i stopped with my free trial back in 2014.

 

[EverydayBeast]

I appreciate what final fantasy is but I don’t understand the linear levels and there’s a lot of numbers flying around when I attack.

 

[SkylineRKR]

The game is great, I am at the HW content but my account has been suspended for security reasons. Didn't bother to contact SE yet. Don't play it anymore and only used free trials etc. But awesome game. ARR is slow though. And if you're on console, idk about Tanking, I sucked at it and went DPS. Most players are helpful, don't forget to read the log. Sometimes players drop tips in there or warn you.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Are you still in the beginning? Because after a point the game kinda forces you to join a group of other players. That was were i stopped with my free trial back in 2014.

Except it really doesn’t. Only time you need to be “forced” to be with players are during trials and dungeons which are so simple that you shouldn’t have any issue breezing through them without saying a word.