I have an intense bias against WoW at the moment due to playing it since Vanilla's open beta. Pretty much note everything that is wrong without looking at what they did well this time. So I won't even say which one I think is better to someone looking on.
Though I will recommend FFXIV if you like story, crafting and community (and a focus on little details and or housing and character creation and such). Still a pleasure getting into random pugs and seeing people say hello. Though some general chat is still a little meh, and there are elitists like anywhere else. It also has more difficult to understand combat with 50+ rotations (rotations having rotations, legit positional requirements with each separate attack on some classes, mini games in the middle with combat with some classes, etc.). No addons to help with it.
WoW if you want a relaxed experience. They don't update as often and abandon new systems pretty quickly, and don't focus much on the things anymore... but both they and Square have the money to do what they need to when the need arises. They (WoW) tried to go all out after pissing so many people off with WoD and their 20+ months of no real content (6.1 being a laugh, and 6.2 only introducing a feature that was supposed to be in 6.0, as well as a raid).
FFXIV has a new expansion in a couple of months, introducing the Red Mage and Samurai, as well. Good time to dive in and prepare for that.
WoW is also pretty entirely RNG based in Legion, as well. Whereas FFXIV still has the "work at it and you'll get it" system for the most part. It's up to you whether you want the ability to get lucky and get something the first day, or never get it at all versus definitely get it after a little work. Though they both have their own RNG in some ways. The gameplay for WoW consists of just grinding reputation at the moment. Hoping an RNG drop comes along. Whereas FFXIV has dozens of systems in place and multiple things to do for Disciples of War, Hand and Land. Highly recommend Deep Dungeon premades.
Due to frequent travel in my youth, English isn't something I consider my primary language (and thus I obtained quirky ways of writing). German and French were always easier for me despite my family being U.S. citizens for over a century. Spanish I learned as a requirement in school, Japanese and Korean I acquired for my youthful desire of anime and gaming (and also work now). I only debate in English to help me work with it (and limit things). In addition, I'm not smart enough to remain fluent in everything and typically need exposure to get in the groove of things again if I haven't heard it in a while. If you understand Mandarin, I know a little, but it has actually been a challenge and could use some help.
Also, I thoroughly enjoy debates and have accounts on over a dozen sites for this. If you wish to engage in such, please put effort in a post and provide sources -- I will then do the same with what I already wrote (if I didn't) as well as with my responses to your own. Expanding my information on a subject makes my stance either change or strengthen the next time I speak of it or write a thesis. Allow me to thank you sincerely for your time.
No the world is - it is a disfunctional system that people have just accepted as "thats just how it is"
We are all in a messed up frame of mind as that is the only way we can accept the level of dysfunction and chaos in our lives.
everyone knows that so much is wrong with our world, but we all just keep plugging along.
Look to see who we elect as the government officials (all parties included), look at our education systems, our healthcare, the corruption and injustices run deep, but we just accept it.
Look at how we treat our environment, and ourselves
Look and see nations still behaving like immature children towards eachother
Just look at the state of the world - how can a sane mind accept this?
When I say "who in their right mind" - i am talking about all of us. We are not in the right mind, because the only way to accept the status quo of our world is to not be in the right frame of mind.
Just look at the vast number of ways we have to turn our minds away from reality - video games, movies, religions, substances of all sorts.... and on and on
Otherwise, to a sane mind the world would be an unbearable place, this is why in a way as you put it - we are all metally ill and drunk, as we keep drinking the koolaid collectively
So again - who in their right mind would play a themepark?
yep - none of us, but hey like everything else, thats what we settle for, it aint that bad right?
Dude, seriously. I think this is the best post I've read from you. It's like Jerry Maguire.
@Jean-Luc_Picard - Some people have fun playing Pokemon or Candy Crush also.
And why not? Who are you to judge? Those people do not affect the fun I have in the games I play. Or are you some kind of control freak telling others what is ok to do and what is not?
No. All I'm saying is that just because a certain number of people have fun (or once had fun in the past) playing something or doing something, that doesn't mean that those said activities are intrinsically worthwhile.
A lot of people might do things just because they don't know any better, have never been exposed to anything better, or just can't imagine that there could be anything better.
FFXIV is a much better version of WoW. Sadly for me, there is nothing worth my time at the moment. The days of looking forward to Raid Nights are long gone and it seems they won't be coming back judging from what most people seem to like now a days.
@Jean-Luc_Picard - Some people have fun playing Pokemon or Candy Crush also.
And why not? Who are you to judge? Those people do not affect the fun I have in the games I play. Or are you some kind of control freak telling others what is ok to do and what is not?
No. All I'm saying is that just because a certain number of people have fun (or once had fun in the past) playing something or doing something, that doesn't mean that those said activities are intrinsically worthwhile.
Well, that just applies to computer games in general.
@Jean-Luc_Picard - Some people have fun playing Pokemon or Candy Crush also.
And why not? Who are you to judge? Those people do not affect the fun I have in the games I play. Or are you some kind of control freak telling others what is ok to do and what is not?
No. All I'm saying is that just because a certain number of people have fun (or once had fun in the past) playing something or doing something, that doesn't mean that those said activities are intrinsically worthwhile.
A lot of people might do things just because they don't know any better, have never been exposed to anything better, or just can't imagine that there could be anything better.
I hope for your own sake that you realize how arrogant that is. I can't even find a single argument in favor of that way of thinking.
You may call it arrogance, I call it wisdom and experience.
Who in their right mind really wants a "themepark grind" ?
/shudder
Even though I agree with your answer but it feels like you're saying do what I say don't do what I do cause you as well play just themepark grind games. You play: Rift, Archeage, BDO all of them are themepark grind games.
They are indeed thempark grind games IF you play them like themeparks.
BDO and ArcheAge can be played without doing a single quest, so you donr have to play them as themeparks at all. Rift is hard to not play as themepark as thats what it is at heart, unless you just focus on dimensions - then its not a themepark at all.
As long as there are options to completely bypass the themepark grind, its not really a themepark game.
Last time I played Archeage it was forced linear questing to get mounts unlocked, boat unlocked then I quit but pretty sure more things to do in game are locked to the linear questing so how do you play ignoring the questing? edit: in FFXIV after unlocking all things offered by the game you can play as you want as well nothing dictates you what to do.
My main games are ESO, LotRO, and SWTOR. I solo a lot and my schedule can get busy so I go through stretches where I can't do group or guild play reliably. Those games fit what I like.
I did like FF14, but it would be most fun with a guild, even a small one, where I could settle into crafting and do dungeons for gear grind. I didn't get that far, but I've played enough of that style of game to know that it would check a lot of the right boxes, especially crafting. It just didn't work solo and I didn't find the right guild in the time I played.
WoW is okay and I enjoy the combat, but the crafting in FF14 is a lot more fun and useful. WoW crafting, at least between WoD and Legion, was sort of pathetic. I like to craft and I hate having the systems reset every season now so FF14 makes more sense to me between the two. Neither game is more fun solo than my 3 favorites so I rarely play WoW and haven't resubbed back to FF14.
Basically the same situation for me. I've mainly been playing ESO or taking breaks with GW2 or WoW. Sometimes SWTOR or Lotro or some other. I always dabble.
@Jean-Luc_Picard I'm not down on anyone enjoying themepark games. I enjoy them myself. I'm not judging how anyone has fun in their gaming. I'm just saying that DMK said some things that are worth considering beyond gaming. I don't have to agree with someone on 100% of what they've said to consider other parts of it.
Comments
Though I will recommend FFXIV if you like story, crafting and community (and a focus on little details and or housing and character creation and such). Still a pleasure getting into random pugs and seeing people say hello. Though some general chat is still a little meh, and there are elitists like anywhere else. It also has more difficult to understand combat with 50+ rotations (rotations having rotations, legit positional requirements with each separate attack on some classes, mini games in the middle with combat with some classes, etc.). No addons to help with it.
WoW if you want a relaxed experience. They don't update as often and abandon new systems pretty quickly, and don't focus much on the things anymore... but both they and Square have the money to do what they need to when the need arises. They (WoW) tried to go all out after pissing so many people off with WoD and their 20+ months of no real content (6.1 being a laugh, and 6.2 only introducing a feature that was supposed to be in 6.0, as well as a raid).
FFXIV has a new expansion in a couple of months, introducing the Red Mage and Samurai, as well. Good time to dive in and prepare for that.
WoW is also pretty entirely RNG based in Legion, as well. Whereas FFXIV still has the "work at it and you'll get it" system for the most part. It's up to you whether you want the ability to get lucky and get something the first day, or never get it at all versus definitely get it after a little work. Though they both have their own RNG in some ways. The gameplay for WoW consists of just grinding reputation at the moment. Hoping an RNG drop comes along. Whereas FFXIV has dozens of systems in place and multiple things to do for Disciples of War, Hand and Land. Highly recommend Deep Dungeon premades.
Dude, seriously. I think this is the best post I've read from you. It's like Jerry Maguire.
A lot of people might do things just because they don't know any better, have never been exposed to anything better, or just can't imagine that there could be anything better.
Playing DnD with some friends though. /highfive
Well, that just applies to computer games in general.
You may call it arrogance, I call it wisdom and experience.
Last time I played Archeage it was forced linear questing to get mounts unlocked, boat unlocked then I quit but pretty sure more things to do in game are locked to the linear questing so how do you play ignoring the questing?
edit: in FFXIV after unlocking all things offered by the game you can play as you want as well nothing dictates you what to do.
Basically the same situation for me. I've mainly been playing ESO or taking breaks with GW2 or WoW. Sometimes SWTOR or Lotro or some other. I always dabble.
@Jean-Luc_Picard I'm not down on anyone enjoying themepark games. I enjoy them myself. I'm not judging how anyone has fun in their gaming. I'm just saying that DMK said some things that are worth considering beyond gaming. I don't have to agree with someone on 100% of what they've said to consider other parts of it.