“Everything is amazing and no one is happy.”

[Xaruko_Nexume]

“If you like ARR, it only gets better from here.” And oh did it ever. A few months in, I met a great FC in Gridania. A place I still consider home, despite not being able to find a house there. We would hang out and chat and play music and do roulettes together. I could try different jobs, and roles, all without ever having to make a new character. Those who haven’t had that experience, of being able to change jobs on one character really don’t know what they are missing. Sadly, that FC broke up due to drama but I keep in touch with some of them and we still hang in Gridania.
The post after this kinda turned into a review of each expansion afterwards, and that’s not what im trying to do so I changed it up.

I love how in this game, every single villain always ends up either misunderstood, or tempered, and redeemable in some way. Its very drastically different from what I was used to in most other games. And I love it. The redemption arc of so many villains in this game really came into my life at a time that I needed to experience a story of forgiveness. It is not an understatement to say these tropes have changed my outlook on life. At the rist of a possible spoiler, I identify heavily with Fordola.

This game really is the best of both sandbox and theme park mmo. There is endless spoon fed content, but the game also makes it so easy to make your own and just enjoy the company of others. It has such amazing single player and group based experiences. Like, I get emotional just thinking about how my life would be different if I had not tried this game. I played WoW for 16 years. I played the wrong game for 16 years. But im home now in the Twelveswood and I will never leave.

Speaking of others, the community in this game is not a meme. It really is great. There are millions of people so of course it isn’t perfect. There are bad people everywhere. But never before in my life have I made friends and relationships so easily, where someone just comes up to me and asks how my day was, and if I need anything or want to run something. Not just a one off experience either. THAT is the life blood of Final Fantasy XIV. Not wall to wall pulling, or spreadsheets, min-maxing. The people that play it are what make it special and magical. And yes, I have fallen in love in this game, though the person will probably never know it. I never expected to meet someone as patient with me as they are, having me do fights and see content I would never have otherwise experienced. Great community by the way.

I can’t help but think of a Louis CK quote often when I come to these forums. “Everything is amazing and no one is happy.” I think a lot of people on these forums are playing the wrong game. I know I was, for many many years and there is no shame in it.

Anyway, if you made it this far, or if anyone at SE happens to read this, thank you for making and maintaining this beautiful world. It changed my outlook on life and other people. Please don’t ever stop.

[Minarisweet]

This game is good if you don't get too into the lackluster endgame . Play it casually and you will never become jaded like the fans that want to care about the game and are forced to see it slowly turn into just another product rather than a world to live in.

[Amon-ster]

This game is good if you don't get too into the lackluster endgame . Play it casually and you will never become jaded like the fans that want to care about the game and are forced to see it slowly turn into just another product rather than a world to live in.

Especially with the recent LL announcement, this might really be the peak way to play XIV. Just treat it as a single player visual novel that you come back to during updates that has some combat gameplay mixed in there.

[Xaruko_Nexume]

I agree that the game itself is good. The community on the other hand.. well..

I am beginning to suspect that the games communities are drastically different data center by data center and server by server.

I have a similar gaming background to the OP, and this criticism of the game has always thrown me for a loop. I love anime, but I cannot see any resemblance between this game and an anime. Granted, some animes center around characters who magically find themselves inside of an MMO, but those animes have just as much in common with WoW, Guild Wars, Everquest, and every other MMO out there as they do with FFXIV. I don't understand why FFXIV gets labeled as a "weeb" game. I can only guess that it's just because SE is a Japanese company. The mindset that a "weeb" game isn't worth trying feels racist and illogical, IMO. Kudos to the OP for maturing past that weird point of view.

It was the cat people. And some of the bosses and spell effects looked VERY anime from an outside viewpoint. And look at me now LOL. Of course there were some isms' there, but never from me personally. I thrive in diversity and experiencing new things, most of the time.

This game is good if you don't get too into the lackluster endgame . Play it casually and you will never become jaded like the fans that want to care about the game and are forced to see it slowly turn into just another product rather than a world to live in.

It's the only way I play, and I enjoy it so much more. It wasn't until this week that a dear friend taught me so many old fights. Ive gotten 24 mounts this week from extremes and what not.

[Shibi]

I am beginning to suspect that the games communities are drastically different data center by data center and server by server.

They are, and sometimes the differences are actually huge.

The English forum isn't really representative of any of them. The English forums are, by and large, a pit of discontent.

[Atelier-Bagur]

They are, and sometimes the differences are actually huge.

The English forum isn't really representative of any of them. The English forums are, by and large, a pit of discontent.

From the time that Ive spent here recently its pretty much conclusive that the forums are 80% negative andies complaining about every single thing. To be fair, there's a lot of good criticism and feedback mixed in here and there but it gets overshadowed by people just addressing their issues with such contempt that its such a miracle that the in-game community isnt like this at all. I figure this is just the typical MMO forum flair though, just kinda hoped that the forums here at the veeery least better reflected at the so called "positive community" of FFXIV.

No I'm not looking for everybody becoming special snowflakes here, let me just outright state that before someone decides to either read too much into what I say and get offended or ignore my words and just cherry pick the parts that gives their knickers in a twist.

[Illmaeran]

SNIP

You've summed up everything I love about this game. Like you, I played other games for years and years, and enjoyed them in their time. Unlike all the others, XIV's the only game I've ever wanted to BE IN; not just play, but immerse myself in the world simply for the enjoyment of being in the world. Gridania's my home as well and few things in the game are as enjoyable to me as simply walking through the different zones in the Shroud.

I've had to take breaks for RL reasons at different times, both from XIV and different games. XIV's the *only* game I've always come back to.

The variety of content options blew my mind when I first started; being able to do everything on a single character got me incredibly invested in him, and through him, the world, and through the world, the game. It's only been in the past couple of months, seven years after starting my XIV journey, that I've made an alt. I only did that to re-experience ARR and HW as a fresh character, not in New Game +, and not out of any dissatisfaction with my main. Seeing the story unfold with knowledge of what's to come has only heightened my appreciation of the game.

Everything's amazing, I'm VERY happy to be here, and have every expectation of being here for many years to come.

[Lunalepsy]

“If you like ARR, it only gets better from here.” And oh did it ever. A few months in, I met a great FC in Gridania. A place I still consider home, despite not being able to find a house there. We would hang out and chat and play music and do roulettes together. I could try different jobs, and roles, all without ever having to make a new character. Those who haven’t had that experience, of being able to change jobs on one character really don’t know what they are missing. Sadly, that FC broke up due to drama but I keep in touch with some of them and we still hang in Gridania.
The post after this kinda turned into a review of each expansion afterwards, and that’s not what im trying to do so I changed it up.

I love how in this game, every single villain always ends up either misunderstood, or tempered, and redeemable in some way. Its very drastically different from what I was used to in most other games. And I love it. The redemption arc of so many villains in this game really came into my life at a time that I needed to experience a story of forgiveness. It is not an understatement to say these tropes have changed my outlook on life. At the rist of a possible spoiler, I identify heavily with Fordola.

This game really is the best of both sandbox and theme park mmo. There is endless spoon fed content, but the game also makes it so easy to make your own and just enjoy the company of others. It has such amazing single player and group based experiences. Like, I get emotional just thinking about how my life would be different if I had not tried this game. I played WoW for 16 years. I played the wrong game for 16 years. But im home now in the Twelveswood and I will never leave.

Speaking of others, the community in this game is not a meme. It really is great. There are millions of people so of course it isn’t perfect. There are bad people everywhere. But never before in my life have I made friends and relationships so easily, where someone just comes up to me and asks how my day was, and if I need anything or want to run something. Not just a one off experience either. THAT is the life blood of Final Fantasy XIV. Not wall to wall pulling, or spreadsheets, min-maxing. The people that play it are what make it special and magical. And yes, I have fallen in love in this game.

I can’t help but think of a Louis CK quote often when I come to these forums. “Everything is amazing and no one is happy.” I think a lot of people on these forums are playing the wrong game. I know I was, for many many years and there is no shame in it.

Anyway, if you made it this far, or if anyone at SE happens to read this, thank you for making and maintaining this beautiful world. It changed my outlook on life and other people. Please don’t ever stop.

Oh darling. Enjoy your honeymoon phase to its fullest!

[Xaruko_Nexume]

Oh darling. Enjoy your honeymoon phase to its fullest!

I don't think that is fair to say to me. I've been playing mmorpg's for decades. I am familiar with the so called "honeymoon phase" of the MMO experience, and this isn't it. Things would have to take a serious downturn for me to feel differently about the game.

[Yencat]

I don't think that is fair to say to me. I've been playing mmorpg's for decades. I am familiar with the so called "honeymoon phase" of the MMO experience, and this isn't it. Things would have to take a serious downturn for me to feel differently about the game.

Umm, stop trying to gAsLiGht everyone and get with the programme sweaty. This is the no-fun-zone so any enjoyment you could possibly be getting from the game could only possibly be attributed to being new or having bad taste ok?