How is FFXIV A Realm Reborn

orangeoreos

Mmorpg player of about 8 years wanting to try a new game. I would rather not pay a subscription, but I have pretty much run out of games to try. So how is this game? How is the population? Overall is it fun and will it keep me entertained for a while?

tixylix

From what I played, it's very traditional old school mmorpg, all I did was run around doing kill 10 rats and all the usual fetch and deliver quests. Everyone kept going on about this amazing story but I didn't see it, the stuff they have in there feels very budget and not like Final Fantasy at all... plus the tiny amounts of voice acting that is in there is bad. I also think the characters look rather ridiculous and nothing about the art style appeals to me personally. 

I just don't get it because it feels very old and yet it's failed to build on it to a standard we expect today. Maybe the game gets so much better at end game.... but that's the excuse every MMO has used ever.

Dragnelus

Great game, great story! 

Colt47

FFXIV ARR basically runs like this: 

Early game:

Minimal abilities and player interaction with the game world until level 10.  Almost all jobs are very rote and probably caveman simple with 2 second GCD on all abilities, so expect to be a little underwhelmed if you are experienced at the genre.

Story is your typical "hi stranger, lets get you familiar with the city and go get you started on doing all the broom cleaning we need done around here" for the first 10 levels, with some plot pushing you towards the whole Garlean 2.0 conflict.  

Mid Game:

Good news is you are done with broom cleaning.  Bad news is that now you are grinding through whatever madness the 2.0 AR storyline is taking you through and likely are running off of what simple quests are available.  You get to finally hit your first few dungeons at level 15-20 that get you the ropes of grouping up in the themepark dungeons and afterwards you'll be shipped off towards other nations.  This is after getting that airship pass that everyone seems to have even though it's supposed to be restricted.

Mid-Late Game:

You finally get past level 30 and finally get your good abilities so the combat doesn't feel like an exercise is pressing three buttons repeatedly.  Also, congratulations you got to your first job.  Now you need to double back and make sure you get those cross class skills in order by leveling up a few more classes by grinding leves or doing whatever leftovers for quests are available... which usually is more spring cleaning in cities and the usual field work.

Late Game pre-Heavensward:

Welcome to Praetorium and all that lovely stuff.  You finally get to work your way through the last stretch of the original quest line and complete the main game.  Except there is more!  After the ending of the original game, you still need to go through the pre-prep stuff for heavensward, which awards no experience points so be ready for that.  Also, all of your gear is going to get outdated very, very quickly, so don't get attached to your AF armor.

After all of that madness you will finally be in the good part of the game... that being Heavensward and hopefully all the other content that comes out afterwards.   

Man that took more typing than I thought.

Splattr

The game was a lot of fun. I played for about a year and a half before real life took away my raiding time. It is well worth the $15 sub in my opinion.

Tixylix is correct about the art style. Some of the outfits my character had while leveling were quite...unique? There were a couple of times where I thought my guy would fit right in at a BDSM convention. It wasn't enough to turn me away from the game though. 

Tixylix is way off about the questing though. Sure, the quests were your familiar fare, but there were plenty of other ways to level as well. Zone bosses, lower level dungeons are quite good, daily roulette quests, etc are all in there. 

EponyxDamor

I'd say it's easily the best themepark MMO available at the moment. If vertical progression and traditional "kill 10 rats" treadmill content is your cup of tea, you'll love it, especially if you're just starting out. There's a ton of stuff to do and see in FFXIV; Yoshi-p created an awesome living world for players to explore! It starts out a lot like SWToR in terms of story and gameplay, but it ends more like WoW in late game progression; the focus shifts from having fun and enjoying the story, to being an "experienced only" level of difficulty in late game. That's not to say it's a bad thing, but there's not much "midcore" content in the game; it's casual level faceroll or hardcore-or-gtfo.

If you're just starting out, you probably won't have any problems with the game. The complaints primarily come from veteran players who are burnt out on the treadmill-style grind; outside of housing and inventory management complaints, I'd say you probably won't have any problems getting $15 worth of entertainment out of it.

Try to pick a high population server, though, if you're looking to take part in serious raiding and progression. I believe Balmung is the highest population server, where the majority of raiders transferred; most of the high-end raiding guilds will be there. I played on Hyperion (legacy server) and there was never a shortage of people to play with.

Mwahaha

Well, its very slow starting and there is a ton of hand-holding which gets old quick.  The game has a solid population and excellent graphics and music.  Your character has the ability to become any class which is something I've never seen before.  Overall I'd say its worth a try if you can look past the vast amount of hand-holding.

simsalabim77

It's a lot like WoW  but worse in pretty much every category with the exception of crafting, storyline, and graphics. 

Shaiapouf

FFXIV is a "Theme Park" MMO, but it is, in my opinion, the best of the theme park MMO's out there right now, and offers enough of a variety of activities to generally have something to do at all times. The story is of course something most people talk about, with it possessing cutscenes, and voice acting for important ones, and while it occasionally slows down due to "filler" (Something they generally did better in the expansion to cut down story filler), still remains one of the higher parts that people talk about.

As for classes and combat, each one generally has its own feel, and makes them fun to play. Some people sometimes complain that FFXIV is "Slow", however, since the GCD is 2.5 seconds instead of like 1.5, but each ability generally means more, with more impressive animations, and you're usually dodging all sorts of mechanics from Trash to Bosses.

As for content itself, FFXIV comes with a whole lot of dungeons that are still played, as well as various "Trials" which are essentially just a single fight against a hard boss, sort of like the end boss of a dungeon, or Raid, as well as Raids themselves (12 8-Man Wings, and 3 24-man Raids in 2.0, then 4 8-man wings, and 1 24 Man Raid in 3.0 so far). Trails can vary in difficulty, going from Normal (Easy peasy), Hard (Dungeon End Boss, or Easy Raid), Extreme (Raid Boss level with complex mechanics), and an upcoming Savage Difficulty.

Outside of your standards, you also have Gathering and Crafting, which actually takes considerable effort and comes with their own stories, gear, levels, etc., Triple Triad (Card Game), Chocobo Racing (Ala FF7), Lord of Verminion (Mini-RTS), Beast Tribe Daily Quests (Again, with Storylines), Zodiac/Anima Weapons (Legendary weapons you have to do a variety of tasks for), and so on.

Its not a new style of game overall though. It doesn't reinvent any wheels, but it does make the ride pretty damn smooth. Population is also high, particularly depending on the server you go on. The highest population servers, even after 2 years, and like a year after the expansion launched, still has the occasional population queue (Usually not long, but there).

So in short...yes, I think you should give it a try. Particularly as Humble Bundle has FFXIV in the Square Enix Bundle at the moment for like $6 (Along with a plethora of games), so you can try at least a month of it there for quite cheap and get some extra games.

Colt47

Jean-Luc_Picard said:

My opinion:



If you're into that kind of games, get the best of them, WoW.

I would say going with WoW or going with FFXIV is basically pears vs oranges.  WoW has the advantage because it lets the player skip ahead to the good stuff, albeit with a fee.  FFXIV has a more up to date graphics engine and the Final Fantasy franchise backing it, but is rougher in a lot of respects.  The community is a little better in FFXIV ARR though than WoW last I checked.

Edit: I mean we are talking about the "Law and Order" of the video game world with these two titles.  They are basically comfort food games much like Destiny or Black Ops III, so they have little to offer outside of quick thrills and some pre-ordained goals for people to pursue.

tixylix

splattr said:

Tixylix is way off about the questing though. Sure, the quests were your familiar fare, but there were plenty of other ways to level as well. Zone bosses, lower level dungeons are quite good, daily roulette quests, etc are all in there. 

I just find it all repetitive and boring, it feels like check list content and I have no desire to do any of that stuff. I miss the days when content existed because it was fun, not to grind a reward..

borghive49

It is a solid 7/10

HellboundHeart

Housing and inventory is broken. So broken it kills the game for everybody. Now the game is dead. Nobody play's. Servers are dead. People are leaving in droves. 

0/10

Diadem is dead because I do not want to make an effort to get a group or join a free company. Why be social in an mmorpg, am I right?

0/10

Relic and Anima. Now it is more time based then a grind just like I wanted. But, still not good enough.

0/10

Raids are either too hard, too easy or just right. Irregardless i'll still complain.

0/10

3 retainers at 200 inventory slots a piece and a months time for only 14.99$ giving me 800 inventory slots for the price of an average subscription, FAIL !!

0/10

No WoW classes.

0/10

Content almost every 3 months like clock work? NOPE !! FAIL. It was 37 day's last time. THEY LIED, FAIL !!

0/10

DX11. Pshhhh call me when you have DX12. FAIL !!

0/10

A development team that actually listens to it's players? HELL NO, that's just creepy. FAIL !!

0/10

Not a sandbox, no thanks !!

0/10

Actually going through story in a story driven game? What the hell is this, an mmorpg? Somebody needs to keep their story the hell out of my RPG.

0/10


Worst game ever. Should never be an mmo. F2P in a month.

/sarcasm

Soki123

Wow an 8/10 would mean FFXIV is 6/10 IMO. It tries , but not quite there.

HellboundHeart

Soki123 said:

Wow an 8/10 would mean FFXIV is 6/10 IMO. It tries , but not quite there.

This guy get's it, 0/10

Soki123

HellboundHeart said:

Soki123 said:

Wow an 8/10 would mean FFXIV is 6/10 IMO. It tries , but not quite there.

This guy get's it, 0/10

Sucks to have an opinion hey.

jitter77

Have you seen the commercial for zootopia with the sloths talking?  That is what the combat reminds me of. 

I like the rest of the game your one character can literally master everything / be every class, but I cant imagine the amount of time that would take. 

Crafts are like classes.  Depending on which weapon / tool you equip is the class / crafter you become.  Crafting is like a mini-game so it is a bit more interesting.

The story is fine, leveling seems a bit slower compared to a lot of MMORPGS.  My biggest complaint is the combat.  The cool downs are long and the combat just seems so slooow......I did enjoy the dungeons that I have done, but I have not made it to end game or anywhere near it.  You will definitely not run out of things to do for a long long time and you will get your moneys worth.

HellboundHeart

jitter77 said:

Have you seen the commercial for zootopia with the sloths talking?  That is what the combat reminds me of. 

I like the rest of the game your one character can literally master everything / be every class, but I cant imagine the amount of time that would take. 

Crafts are like classes.  Depending on which weapon / tool you equip is the class / crafter you become.  Crafting is like a mini-game so it is a bit more interesting.

The story is fine, leveling seems a bit slower compared to a lot of MMORPGS.  My biggest complaint is the combat.  The cool downs are long and the combat just seems so slooow......I did enjoy the dungeons that I have done, but I have not made it to end game or anywhere near it.  You will definitely not run out of things to do for a long long time and you will get your moneys worth.

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

reeereee

HellboundHeart said:

jitter77 said:

Have you seen the commercial for zootopia with the sloths talking?  That is what the combat reminds me of. 

I like the rest of the game your one character can literally master everything / be every class, but I cant imagine the amount of time that would take. 

Crafts are like classes.  Depending on which weapon / tool you equip is the class / crafter you become.  Crafting is like a mini-game so it is a bit more interesting.

The story is fine, leveling seems a bit slower compared to a lot of MMORPGS.  My biggest complaint is the combat.  The cool downs are long and the combat just seems so slooow......I did enjoy the dungeons that I have done, but I have not made it to end game or anywhere near it.  You will definitely not run out of things to do for a long long time and you will get your moneys worth.

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

HellboundHeart

reeereee said:

HellboundHeart said:

jitter77 said:

Have you seen the commercial for zootopia with the sloths talking?  That is what the combat reminds me of. 

I like the rest of the game your one character can literally master everything / be every class, but I cant imagine the amount of time that would take. 

Crafts are like classes.  Depending on which weapon / tool you equip is the class / crafter you become.  Crafting is like a mini-game so it is a bit more interesting.

The story is fine, leveling seems a bit slower compared to a lot of MMORPGS.  My biggest complaint is the combat.  The cool downs are long and the combat just seems so slooow......I did enjoy the dungeons that I have done, but I have not made it to end game or anywhere near it.  You will definitely not run out of things to do for a long long time and you will get your moneys worth.

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

See, 0/10

I am streaming right now and can show you a level 60 MNK and how fast they are: http://www.twitch.tv/420gaming666

But you're right, game sucks 0/10.

Warlyx

is a theme park but still have a Main story quest to follow , that will keep u hooked (there are some parts that ugh....but its worth it!) .

the graphics are awesome , lots of classes to choose from , crafting is cool , lots of mounts , minions , minigames (gold saucer , chocobo races , lottery , a mini RTS game even ) , events , glamour gear...

u will have content for weeks !

my advice :

Try the free trial and see it yourself 

Colt47

HellboundHeart said:

reeereee said:

HellboundHeart said:

jitter77 said:

Have you seen the commercial for zootopia with the sloths talking?  That is what the combat reminds me of. 

I like the rest of the game your one character can literally master everything / be every class, but I cant imagine the amount of time that would take. 

Crafts are like classes.  Depending on which weapon / tool you equip is the class / crafter you become.  Crafting is like a mini-game so it is a bit more interesting.

The story is fine, leveling seems a bit slower compared to a lot of MMORPGS.  My biggest complaint is the combat.  The cool downs are long and the combat just seems so slooow......I did enjoy the dungeons that I have done, but I have not made it to end game or anywhere near it.  You will definitely not run out of things to do for a long long time and you will get your moneys worth.

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

See, 0/10

I am streaming right now and can show you a level 60 MNK and how fast they are: http://www.twitch.tv/420gaming666

But you're right, game sucks 0/10.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.  I can tell you really love the game, though.

simsalabim77

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

See, 0/10

I am streaming right now and can show you a level 60 MNK and how fast they are: http://www.twitch.tv/420gaming666

But you're right, game sucks 0/10.

Your GCD is 2.41 seconds as a DRG without Selene. If you were on MNK, it would be 15% faster. A whopping .09 seconds faster than the default 2.5 seconds. Combat is and always has been sluggish. It's one of the main reasons I don't play anymore. 

Albatroes

Eh, the game is okay the first time you run through it completely, maybe even the second time, but don't expect anything worth really investing in unless you like vanity since that's like 80% of your end game. The challenge is there for a lot of content but the rewards are very lacking. Till they fix this, the game is only worth playing for the story and going from 1-cap will only take a month depending on your playstyle and class. Personally, I'd wait till the next expansion if you can or maybe 3.5 when all the current and future content till then is dumbed down completely (anima acquisition).

HellboundHeart

simsalabim77 said:

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

See, 0/10

I am streaming right now and can show you a level 60 MNK and how fast they are: http://www.twitch.tv/420gaming666

But you're right, game sucks 0/10.

Your GCD is 2.41 seconds as a DRG without Selene. If you were on MNK, it would be 15% faster. A whopping .09 seconds faster than the default 2.5 seconds. Combat is and always has been sluggish. It's one of the main reasons I don't play anymore. 

So you only like action games? WoW, EQ1&2, Lotro, etc all have 2.5 gcd. I love ESO, it is my #2 go to mmo out right now.

simsalabim77

HellboundHeart said:

simsalabim77 said:

GCD is way faster at end game. I mean fast. Especially if you're a MNK.

0/10

Not really, GCD is still slow as hell at end game, you just have off GCD skills that need to be used between GCD abilities to keep you busy.

See, 0/10

I am streaming right now and can show you a level 60 MNK and how fast they are: http://www.twitch.tv/420gaming666

But you're right, game sucks 0/10.

Your GCD is 2.41 seconds as a DRG without Selene. If you were on MNK, it would be 15% faster. A whopping .09 seconds faster than the default 2.5 seconds. Combat is and always has been sluggish. It's one of the main reasons I don't play anymore. 

So you only like action games? WoW, EQ1&2, Lotro, etc all have 2.5 gcd. I love ESO, it is my #2 go to mmo out right now.

WoW does not have a 2.5 GCD. It is 1.5 seconds globally with certain classes having 1 second GCD's. GCD is also affected by haste like skill speed in XIV. Not sure about the others as I haven't played them in a long time. I like all kinds of games, but in MMO's I want combat to feel engaging and snappy seeing as that's what 90% of my time is spent doing, and XIV does not deliver on interesting combat. 

It's not exactly as though there's a lot of strategic decision making going on in XIV that would require such a long GCD. The only reason, IMO, for it being so long is to better support controllers which makes sense, but is not something I enjoy.