Best areas to socialize in FFXIV?

Hello everyone! I'm pretty new to Final Fantasy XIV, and I am really enjoying the game so far, despite its negative reception by critics (I've also heard that it has changed a lot since beta and launch). However, it'd be nice to meet some new people in it, too. It seems like everyone I see is in the middle of something or going somewhere important for a quest or something, and there's no sort of global chat, so I was wondering...is there a good place to socialize in the game world? It'd be great to potentially make new friends while waiting for my levequest allowances :)

A *huge* area to socialize is on the main strip of Ul'Dah, just outside of the market wards. You'll want to be around this area if you are looking for groups. (Shouts are NOT region-wide. They're only in a small area.) That whole area is usually filled with people. (The reason for this is because Ul'Dah is *usually* the place people look for people for groups, and the market wards were always the most used of any of the three nations... Although that is now different, old habits die hard.)

Ul'dah usually. Unfortunately most people don't like conversations in shouts, but I shout anyway.

Most people hate it cause they are crafting or something, but you know I can shout while the crafting timer was wicked fast so I don't know why can't people talk know then the timer is slow as crap, or it's gone now.

better ask for a Social LS with /shout, I know some that are really fun =)
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PD: welcome to Hyperion! =D

Hey thanks, guys! I managed to meet quite a few new interesting people in the main strip of Ul'dah :)

Most of the socializing is done through linkshells and not one particular location (a part from Ul'Dah). Ask around or look on the forums for a social linkshell, there's plenty of them recruiting all the time!

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Originally Posted by Colino

Most of the socializing is done through linkshells and not one particular location (a part from Ul'Dah). Ask around or look on the forums for a social linkshell, there's plenty of them recruiting all the time!

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Yeah, I do like to see more discussion taking place in local or shout.

I know there are people who find it annoying for whatever reason (anti-social, think public channels should be restricted to only things they use them for, etc) but there's really no problem with having conversations in local or even shout either. I don't know when this rule came about that "conversation = linkshell only" (or guild only in other games), but it's really not helped the community element of MMOs. And by community, I mean everyone on the server, not just "those in your linkshell".

This is a big reason why people can go through a city and find it feeling lifeless and quiet, everyone's in this "Discussion in LS Only!" mode lately (as in the last few years). Further, there are many people who believe "Community = Linkshell", which is also not true. Community is the entire server. Linkshells are a subset of that community.

It's like a small neighborhood where everyone knows each other. You have your families who all live in their respective houses (similar to LS's or guilds) providing smaller sub-communities. But then those smaller sub-communities form the larger neighborhood community, where people all know each other. There are block parties, get-togethers, picnics, etc.

It was a nice supplement to communities in older MMOs where grouping was more encouraged and people were brought together for other reasons. Nowadays with things becoming more instanced and gameplay becoming more solo-friendly, I think it's much more important.

Shout in Uldah.

As others have said Ul'dah, people however don't seem to like conversations in shouts but I still do it.

I would try to find a linkshell, either on the server forums, and shout for one in Ul'dah (main strip) then you can make friends and socialise all you want (some comments from people when you have a conversation in Ul'dah can be funny.

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Originally Posted by Delsus

As others have said Ul'dah, people however don't seem to like conversations in shouts but I still do it.

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untrue in balmung, hence why we are the best server O:

I'm not going to say Uldah because thats everyones lazy answer to everything.

Getting a linkshell will help because you are guaranteed to bump into members at various cities/camps often at specified times and with each new patch/update there will always be things that you can work on that bring you together.

Other ways I like to do it is to just party with others when doing behests/exp party then start a convo, trying to start before inviting doesn't really work IMO

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Originally Posted by Majidah

untrue in balmung, hence why we are the best server O:

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Gungnir hate it lol.