Is it worth playing?

Hello all, I've been thinking about playing this game for sometime and even downloaded the free trial to try it out on my ps3. Even though I like the game, I wouldn't have endless time to play because of school and I have to buy extra stuff to play it effectively on my laptop (graphics card, maybe a mouse, and a 60 day subscription). Is this game worth all of that even if I won't always have time to play?

Frankly, that question is only answerable by you.

There's several ways to think about it:

You've already played so you know what the gameplay is like. You might have a sense of the community and some online friends that you'd consider playing with.

There's some who say the game doesn't really get exciting until lv.50, and that is true if you're familiar with the MMO genre. The gameplay and mechanics for each class/job doesn't actually really make sense until lv.40 or so. That means you probably can't be certain you like the gameplay until then. I'd take a look at some of youtube videos of the raids and dungeons. You won't know what's going on, but just look at the actions of the players.
Tanks are always positioning bosses and handling aoe mechanics
DPS are managing a skill rotation and dodging telegraphed attacks
healers are healing and acting on contingency plans to keep the party alive.

The community however is great. Even if there are some players who complain about the playerbase, it is better than most other online communities.
If you can, talk to more experienced players. Some will ignore you, but a number will be tired of the current content or have the inclination to talk and share the game with you.
Just be aware, most of the advice you get here is biased. We're all playing the game for a reason or we wouldn't be in the game or forum.
Ask players for their reasons and check how much you agree with it.

Consider, roughly, how much time you have each week to devote to it. Then think roughly what you want to get out of the game.
Have friends and want to chat/play with them? You can probably spend 10 hours a week to do that and leisurely go through the content.
Want a little more, perhaps to maintain an in-game house or a FC? You're probably need to be online 2 to 4 hours each day for that (so 15 to 20 hours a week).
You want to raid? It'll probably take a solid chunk of 60 to 100 hours in the beginning to gear up and progress through the story, but then it's about 20 hours weekly (depending on the group you're working with) to maintain it.
Going for the world firsts probably means going 40 hours a week or more.

If you're considering money, simply think of all the games you have bought or want to buy. If you're playing an MMORPG, you probably won't be as enticed to make those purchases (because you have to divide your game time between the new game and your mmorpg). If you don't buy games often, the subscription might cost you more money for the same amount of game time and enjoyment.

I personally fluctuate between periods of frequent and infrequent play. Sometimes I simply have less time to play, but I find the game worth it in either regard. It is a very rich game with excellent content and a great community. So yes, to me, it is completely worth it.

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Originally Posted by Anova

Consider, roughly, how much time you have each week to devote to it. Then think roughly what you want to get out of the game.
Have friends and want to chat/play with them? You can probably spend 10 hours a week to do that and leisurely go through the content.

If you're playing an MMORPG, you probably won't be as enticed to make those purchases (because you have to divide your game time between the new game and your mmorpg). If you don't buy games often, the subscription might cost you more money for the same amount of game time and enjoyment.

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Funny thing is that I did come from another MMORPG, but it's community was very much against the game. I don't have any intentions of going back though.

I'd still like to have time to play the game, but as of now, I'd only be a casual player since I don't have an estimate of available free time within the next few months. I want to be able to balance this game with the rest of my life.

For me its not bout content, its bout I'm Ff fan lol

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Originally Posted by Mehweweh

Funny thing is that I did come from another MMORPG, but it's community was very much against the game. I don't have any intentions of going back though.

I'd still like to have time to play the game, but as of now, I'd only be a casual player since I don't have an estimate of available free time within the next few months. I want to be able to balance this game with the rest of my life.

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It sounds like you've already reached a decision. It's the right choice. Jump in when you're ready and can really enjoy the game.

The game will probably still be here. The community will definitely still be here. Good luck!

The nice thing about this game is its VERY VERY friendly to casual gamers all the way to pretty much endgame raiding. Alot of static players at endgame only have around 3 hours a day 3 days a week to play the game and they make it all the way to the literal end of the game. Also gearing doesn't take long and there are mechanics in place to gear you up that are very time effective and its super easy to catch up.

I've seen players that had very little time each day start from lvl 1 go all the way to lvl 50 in a few weeks time and were looking for their first static in a month.

Cool. Everything that's been mentioned sounds really promising. Now the only thing I have left to worry about is how to get my laptop up to par (which should've been my first concern). I don't really know anything about graphics cards, but unless I've been researching incorrect information, they're the main source of the game's efficiency when it comes to resolution quality. I've seen that the GPUs recommended by Heavensward are pretty expensive, so I don't really know what to do about that.

The trial is god awful. You will not get a fair glimpse of the game without the ability to level beyond 30+.