Should I buy the game?

Hey :)
Recently I had an urge to play a MMORPG once again, and then I found FFXIV, wich I have heard to be one of the bests there is today.
So I've been playing the trial for about 3 days now and it was a good experience so far.
BUT, there's still something missing for me.
I used to play RO and TERA, and I had a really great time there. The reason for this it was mainly because of the social interactions I had in game. Every map that I went in RO I would easily find parties to join and have fun chatting. In TERA, in the very first map, the tutorial area, a guild master invited me to his guild.
So far in FFXIV, I've been doing quests all alone, and every other player seems to be too focused in doing his own thing.
I really wanted to buy FFXIV 'cause it really seems a quality game, but for me the social interaction is primordial, and so far I've seen none of it.

I'm currently at lv 20, at Brynhildr server, and I've only walked through Limsa Lominsa surroundings.
Thanks :)

you need to find an free company (that's a guild). part of the rp, and what keeps ffxiv civil, is that people communicate through linkshells. that's like having a cell phone in your ear. people are talking all the time, they're just communicating on private channels

but until you get into a free company, just use /shout to talk. that's kinda like General chat

also, try posting in your server specific forum asking for a free company to join
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/forums/966-Brynhildr

actually, what you should be doing is asking someone with a crown on their name if you can join the novice network. novice network chat is the closest thing to General chat and is there specifically for new players

Thing is, I can't really do that in the trial, and I'm scared to buy the game (I don't have much money) and regreat it :/

Try a different server? I made Alts on probably 3 different servers before settling on my current one. Some have really active FC/Guilds, others are a little more secular. If you don't want to commit yet, I'm not sure what to tell you. Unfortunately there are some pretty legit reasons to limit people on the free trials. Try a Linkshell, or just see if you can find a veteren player that is willing to help out for a bit. I know my sis (mains PLD) have been approached by a few healer newbs in Gridania, and she'll go run Fates with them for a couple hours and answer questions.

edit: cheolsu's suggestion to post in your server specific forum is probably your best bet. Just mention that you're new and looking for someone to show you the ropes in game. :)

Yeah I totally reccomend you buy it. I bought it and i experienced what youre experiencing but lately my novice chat has been popping and its extremely fun. More chatting seems to be happening later on in the game. And honestly for me the gameplay is so much fun that it overshadows the silence abit. Im currently on gilgamesh which is pretty populated. Id reccomend you try to get in there. Once you get into a FC and stick with one you like. Itll be even more fun tbh.

As has been stated, there is a lot of communication it just doesn't typically happen in say/shout outside of the current hub (at the moment it is Idyllshire which you don't access until level 58ish). Many FCs have lots of conversation, you can equip up to 8 different linkshells simultaneously, and many smaller groups have VoIP programs that they chat through like Teamspeak or Discord

i suggest you make the most of your free trial period to get the feel of the game more. also the ingame /say and public chat is very dependent on your server. some are more populated while some are slightly less.

on popular american servers such as balmung and gilgamesh, you'll have lots of people running around and lots of people gathering in one place and doing social things - but the problem with this is that these servers are usually locked for new character creation so getting in will be very very difficult

as for you main question, i love the game and will be bias and say, i'd recommend you buy it :)

Thanks, guys :)
I'll be playing the trial for a few more time to get the feeling ^^
And thx for the tip about the server especific forum, I'll be sure to check it out right now to see if it improves my experience.
Once again, much appreciated ^^

you should buy it. ffxiv is the best

the entry level subscription (only one character per server) is $12.99 (that's less that 50 cents per day for unlimited fun). and you only need one character to do everything

be wary of the venom on the forums. it's just the nature of forums that those with problems are going to post here. most people are doing just fine. i absolutely love ffxiv. all my dreams come true here, from riding chocobo, to getting livia's white magitek mount, to sophia music, and now they're doing alice madness theme for dun scaith. the best. the very best! ^^

Ah, it's just how MMORPGs are nowadays because of how they're designed. TERA was strangely popular from the beginning and was an action RPG, so I guess that's why it was different. The number of servers in any MMO has a significant impact on this issue as well. Anyway, I played those games too and loved them, so I know what you mean even though I didn't personally care as much as you about the social aspect.

Also um, not to make you feel bad, but if $20 is too much for you now, how would you afford $13 every month? Granted, it IS important to be frugal, absolutely, but I think this is completely worth it as long as you can enjoy a simple, slower-paced game, especially compared to RO and TERA.

Hi,
I also just started out a few weeks ago and totally love it! The game did indeed feel very lonely and more like a single player game at the start with no general chat (but that's probably because some of us are so used to having silly general chat to read from time to time while questing/leveling). It got SO much better once I was invited to the Novice Network chat. People are always spamming away there, team up for dungeons etc or exchange info. You most definitely should join! It makes the game so much more social.

I also played the trial so I know you cant sends tells to anyone (or make more than one character) so just go to one of the main towns' shopping mall and /shout for an invite to the Novice Network chat.

I guess it depends on what server/world you're on but on Phoenix for example Limsa's shopping street looks almost as full as Prontera's used to be in RO. :D

Also, as FFXIV nears its third expansion it's only natural that the regions/zones/towns from the first expansion are a bit more empty than the ones in the higher level, currently relevant regions as the high level people are probably not doing much in the lower level regions anymore but hang out in the higher level places so I wouldn't be too worried about that part.

The end game doesnt suit everyone. Some people dont like grinding for tomes. If you know what a theme park mmo is, good. If not, I suggest you google final fantasy endgame and see if its right for you.

well a few things for the OP

most people hang around the end game area and the other thing is that number on FFXIV dip running up to a major patch which is due to hit next week when numbers will go up

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JotaHowl

but for me the social interaction is primordial, and so far I've seen none of it.

I'm currently at lv 20, at Brynhildr server, and I've only walked through Limsa Lominsa surroundings.

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i would really recommend you to move or start new char since you are still low level on a more population server, where you can find a lot of social Linkshells or FCs.
i am basicly only chat with friends via LS which i really love it you also can use Chat filters to read only the stuff you interessting in, since most ppl already gone from my FC and some ppl are changing FCs like underwear every day seems LS a good task.
anyway Linkshells seems to be the best social thing in this game.

regards hobbit

I started about 3 weeks ago myself, and I was worried about the social aspect of the game being too dead (ie, idle chatter is hard to find.. I miss general chat). I found that it's a matter of getting out of the starting zones, finding a good FC fit, and making some friends later where grouping is encouraged more. Big cities are lively and zones in the 40+ range have a lot of grouping going on (for Fates, hunts, ect). If you just want to shoot the breeze, you'll mostly rely on your FC or a good linkshell. Once you make a few friends, all those avenues open up more quickly. The right pick for an FC can help a lot in that regard. I'm hooked on FXIV now, but I can't really say if it's the right MMO for you.

I played RO a lot back in the day. Experience there varied by server, but the communities were always tight knit. The game was designed in a unique way with a niche community making it hard to compare to modern MMOs. Those RO memories are among my best game experiences.