The MMO writing style is bubble over with titles vying for the tending of anyone uncoerced to invest significant parcel of their time in a single game . There are no doubt peck of killer option you’re able to make based on what type of combat , endgame , and payment mannikin you prefer , ensuring that you ’ll almost sure enough find one that fits you just good . I ’ve been adorn off and on in the genre for over two decades , with thousands of hr poured into everything from old , recess championship likeSilkroad Online(which I just larn somehow still exists ) to worldwide successes likeWorld of WarcraftandGuild Wars .
In recent years , though , I find myself disappointed in various aspects of many popular MMOs , whether it ’s an overwhelming focus on endgame raiding , too much PVP - centric cognitive content , or inimical communities that make me cringe when I even glance at the chat . None of that is a problem when I regress toFinal Fantasy XIV . I somehow sense at peace treaty each time I load up Square Enix ’s long - move MMO , and it ’s becoming harder and arduous for me to want to venture elsewhere .
Unlike most MMOs that I give up for good anytime I ’m hit with a burnout phase , I ’ve been systematically hop in and out ofFFXIVsince its rerelease and rebranding asFinal Fantasy XIV : A Realm Rebornin 2013 . Each new expansion , including this year’sDawntrail , brings me back into the plication . I never miscarry to have a good time with each revisit , whether it ’s for just a few effortless weeks or multiple months of daily playday . It is n’t conk out away anytime shortly either , as testify by themobile versionof it currently in development .
While I can nail a ton of things about the game that keep me eager to bound back in , I ’ve identified three key thing that contributed the most to me continuing to choose this MMO over every other in 2024 .
The community is simply delightful
Though there are plenty of well-disposed , helpful people inthe adept MMORPGs , the writing style has an unfortunate tendency to attract elitists who are quick to make the experience less fun for casual role player . For case , I recently had a stint with the unexampled gratis - to - play MMOThrone & Liberty . While I had a good time overall with its combat and world , I frequently encounter hardcore players who would instantly give up others from parties inthe very first dungeonif they did n’t already experience the boss machinist . It was thefirst weekfor chrissakes !
As I ’ve grown old , I just do n’t have the patience for this variety of demand and electronegativity . Because of this , the biggest appealingness ofFFXIVfor me is its astral community , which has earned a much - merit reputation as delightfully friendly . Every keep run is met with happy people who typewrite “ O/ ” into the schmooze to simulate a person waving , and there ’s almost always a individual or two who will tell everyone to have playfulness , jest around with the grouping a bit , or otherwise treat you precisely the way a secure friend would in literal life . good of all , I ’ve almost never receive a grouping where someone gets mad over a rub or becomes argumentative about someone not being perfect at their role . alternatively , participant are generally well-chosen to explain grease monkey , toss you a revive , or just give you a sureness boost with an uplifting , “ That ’s okay ! We ’ll get ’em this time . ”
Beyond that , it can be utterly magical to spend a few hour in Limsa Laminsa , the extremely lively hub in which the consuming majority of players have chosen as the game ’s elementary congregating smirch . It has become a crowded and eclectic location for C of players to show off their fashion , have favorable conversation in chat , or even offer up entertainment by playing one of many musical instruments . Hell , I ’ve often check full bands of Bards come out and put on concerts in good order in the middle of the city with dozen of players dance together to the jams . And people do n’t shy away from using a wide variety of emotes like hugging , laughing , gamey - fiving , and more with each other in passing , either , take to genuinely engage with one another in the social , cooperative direction that MMOs were ab initio designed to facilitate .
As a subject of fact , if you ’re study this as aFFXIVplayer yourself , I ’d like to thank you in person . You ’re probably one of these super - squeamish folk , and the world need more people like you . O/
One character to rule them all
I ’ll just go ahead and say it : I loathe alts .
There were a few times during my hardcoreWorld of Warcraftdays when I ’d get burned out with a course and need to adjudicate something newfangled , so I ’d outright delete an old character and start a new one to avoid get multiple character to jump between ( and because I was obsessively attached to my username at the time ) . I ’m an uttermost example of alt - hating , patently , but it ’s nevertheless rightful for many of us that having multiple eccentric can lead to feeling a lot less connected to a single one .
Luckily , FFXIVmasterfully stave off this pitfall by making it so that your character can switch effortlessly between any job in the game with just a few release — at least supply you ’ve obtain that job , which is almost always as easy as feature a few conversation with some NPCs somewhere in the world .
As someone with a perpetual case of decision paralysis and a tendency to develop bored easily , I love that I can tank with the Gunbreaker job when I ’d like some quick donjon queues , or select the Machinist line of work when I ’m out questing and desire to burn down baddies just a bit faster . I can also play around in other job like the Reaper or Black Mage when I palpate like putting down the small-arm and taking up something a bit more magical in nature . This effective way of handling classes in the game ensures that I ’m always attached to my persona ( and his name ) and that his overall advance in the game is impregnable regardless of which role I feel like playing on any given day .
So much content, yet so little overwhelms
There ’s a lot to do inFFXIV . I mean , like awhole slew . In addition to playing through the main account quests to point up and experience the story , you could also run tons of dungeon and raids , go out of your style collecting glamours for customise your theatrical role ’s unique elan , invest in a astonishing amount of non - combat task , operate in some PvP , or find dozens of other way to agreeably spend your clip in this nostalgia - fueled world . It ’s simply filled to the brim with quintessential Final Fantasy clobber to see and do , and since I ’m a sucker for the manner the plot serves up endless fan service , I ’m all about take in as much of it as I can . Weirdly , though , this is n’t overpowering .
Unlike most MMOs with many years ’ worth of content to exercise through , something aboutFFXIVfeels so relaxed . Sure , you have your hard-core raiders and people who take the game very seriously , but the absolute majority of folks lumber in each twenty-four hours to just spend time with friends or embrace their favorite in - game activities . As such , there ’s significantly less pressure to push endgame content here than I ’m used to , meaning I do n’t feel like I ’m being leave out of something important by focusing my energy on the aspects of the game that I find most gratifying .
I mostly like running dungeons across multiple job for fun , collecting glamours ( because I ’m a fashion - first sort of player ) , and generally just take in the experience of living within a vivacious , magical man for a few hours . Yeah , I ’m down to raid once in a while — but it ’s sure nice that it does n’t feel like the central point of the game . And even when I do , I ’m always thrilled that I ’ll probably get paired up with some really nice brother who are n’t give way to yell at me if I do n’t see a mechanic the first metre I ’ve travel to the combat .
And because of that , I ’m sticking withFinal Fantasy XIV .
