Suggestions from a long-time MMO and FF player
Hello, I tried FF14 in 2011 and didn’t care for it. I returned to the game in Sept 2021, and have been playing regularly since, and enjoying it. There are 3 main reasons that I continue playing FF14. First, I am a Leveler, who loves to level my classes (jobs) and feel a sense of progression as I grow my character, so having a game that allows me to play every class (jobs) on the same character is best case for me. Other popular MMO’s I have played since 1999 (including WoW, Everquest, Guild War 2, SWTOR, etc) only allow 1 class per character with limited crafting/gathering professions on the same character. I typically have quit those types of games (with the exception of EQ’s Alternate Advancement system) after my character reach max level. Maybe a few alts, but other than Guild Wars 1 that allows you to group with your alts, alts tend to bore me after a while.
The second reason I have stuck with FF14 for 8 months now and counting is the Squadron system. I love party based RPG’s and played FF1, FF2, FF3 as a teenager. Being able to recruit Squadron members, run dungeons with them, watch them grow and progress, and glamour their outfits is probably the most fun I am having in FF14, and is the closest thing to a party-based RPG within FF14. I have noticed the Squadron system hasn’t been updated in quite some time so I am hoping and asking the Devs to NOT remove it from the game. If anything, please update it (note since I am leveling every job at the same time I am not level 70 yet so can’t speak to the Trust system). But regardless, please don’t remove the Squadrons.
The 3rd reason I am still playing FF14 is the excellent story. Story in RPG’s is crucial to me and I would put FF14’s story (so far) near the best of all MMO’s (not quite as good as SWTOR and all its Companion quests). Speaking of Companions, can FF14 add Companions who you could group with, level with, build faction with, who have a personality and an individual questline, etc? Kind of like Dragon Age Origins type of Companion relationship or like SWTOR has.
A few things I miss from WoW. #1 is surprisingly the Pet Battles. Initial impressions of FF14 Lord of Verminion system is that is overly complicated and clunky, especially compared with what a traditional FF turn-based combat should be. Other thing I miss from WoW are the pet classes, I.e. Hunter and warlock. EQ and GW2 have similar pet classes. With FF14’s EW expansion, the Summoner job was changed to basically eliminate its pet. I don’t like these changes and hope FF14 will bring pet classes back in the future. Thanks for reading this long post!