How do y'all do it?

[SupaCancerion]

I want to start by saying this is not a troll or trash talking thread. I am genuine about what I'm saying here. Just curious.

I've been gaming since I was a small child. I started on the original NES. You could consider me a casual gamer I suppose, although sometimes with certain titles I will go the hardcore route and beat/obtain everything, etc. I've been playing Final Fantasy since VII came out; it was my first rpg and I've been a huge rpg fan ever since.

However, with as much as I love gaming, and as much as I love this game and other FF titles, I still have not reached level 50 in my first class/job. I've been taking my sweet time and playing when I can- have a roommate and we share the TV (which is used as a monitor for my PC). He likes Halo, I like FF. 'Nuff said. Also I am a busy photographer and student so I don't have a huge amount of time to play. I am not ashamed of this and actually prefer it this way because I assume I'll hit 50 just before or as 2.1 hits and thus I think I will be able to enjoy all the content it has to offer more than people who have completed everything already.

Which brings me to what I want to say- it absolutely blows my mind that people have completed all the content in the game after only 2 months. With how everyone is talking, it sounds like there's not much after 50, but after reading lots of topics on these forums I have realized that there is a TON of stuff to do after 50 that probably outweighs content from 1-50, at least in terms of time spent. I've researched everything I have to do when I hit 50 in order to even start on some of the late endgame stuff, and jeez it sounds like a lot! Given the amount of time it has taken me to get my character as far as I have, I foresee spending a month at least just scratching the surface of endgame, and who knows how long to get into/complete Coil, obtain my +1 relic weapon, etc. And by that time there might even be new content added that overshadows all that stuff.

So here's the question of the hour (for me): how do you guys do it? Is it the amount of time you put in daily/weekly, or something else? How often/how long do you guys play per day/week? I'm sure it varies from person to person. Also this question goes out more towards players who started anew once 2.0 hit, not legacy players who continued playing on lvl 50s from 1.0. I'm genuinely curious.

This is again NOT a troll thread and I do NOT want it to turn into a casual vs. hardcore thread either. Just inquiring, want get some insight into the hardcore gaming world.

[Battlewrench]

Do what? /10 char

Edit: Caught you before edit! Ha! Also this seems like nothing but a casual vs. hardcore thread....it's asking for it.

You dedicate and dictate how time is used in the game. Some use the time more productive in the terms of leveling or crafting then others. Some like to "smell the flowers" so to speak, regardless it's not about how much you play that should consider you, and I LOATHE these terms, hardcore or casual. I joined when the game released for the second time and have a level 50 monk and 43 sch as of a min ago, I haven't rushed doing anything I've done and don't feel like there is a ton of endgame content. I play anywhere from 2-5 hours a night and skip maybe 2-3 days playing a week. WP can take 10min-40min, HM's can take 5-20min (garuda group spamming it I've done in 4min), and Coil depending on the turn can take no time with strategies or all night. I point that out to say that it's possible to complete most of the content since the release of the game.

Edit after edits : do you guys notice that sometimes these threads or conversations become, even if unknown to the people doing it, if you don't live the way I live, do the things I do, or think the way I do then your doing it wrong? So much judgment on others lives based on how much time spent doing something they want to do or how they do it.

[Shioban]

Well, in the case of a lot of people on Excalibur we already have level 50 classes, the content wasn't too difficult for us to pass through. Some of us didn't even put in that much time.

In me and my friends case we rushed ACN to 50 (as we had everything else leveled), and we're still enjoying the game, we've just blazed a little too fast through it meaning we're stuck in a rut where we don't have much else to do.

Even people who joined on release are at the same stage of content fatigue as us, it's not necessarily a bad thing, gives us a time to do other things (if we want).

However the new content patches will keep us entertained, it'll taper off eventually and we'll have plenty to distract us.

[Noahlimits]

I usually just play around 3 hours on Monday (coil) and 1-2 hours every other day of the week. Occasionally more on the weekends if the FC or friends need help with stuff.

[coffeeking]

well by playing as much as possible it does give those hardcore players everything achieve-able, yet the game will consume your time and it might get a bit..addictive. (talking from my own experience with a different mmorpg)

simply said it's better to play for fun and enjoy the 'real world' as well, just a tip though. it's your life, you don't want mine!

[Mitski]

30 year old business professional here; work full-time, married, etc.

I started 2 weeks after ARR because Hyperion was locked. I play ~3 hours a night + weekends, and I'm 8/8 level 50 crafts with T5 on farm. Based on my experience, FFXIV seems like a very casual friendly MMO. YMMV

[Skotie]

I can beat most games in 1-2 days normally though when I play a game I usually tend to focus on it and only it until I beat it, I only ever do the side stuff if it interests me.

[ApolloGenX]

32 yo professional here. I played an hour or two a night when the game came out for a couple of weeks, with 5-7 hours on the weekends. I had 50 within a couple weeks, 2 trade skill 50s and 2 adventure 50s within a month or so. Even my slowest friend has hit 50.

We all agree post 50 is just boring tome grinding. We all "beat the game" (story), got our relics +1 and pretty much dropped playing. We will decide whether to cancel or not for now when we see the patch. (We are thinking we will cancel and try again in 6 months to a year when there is more content).

I am so surprised by the "casuals" that play 3-5 hours a night. I don't get home from work until 6-6:30..that is the days I am not doing consulting work on the side...I am done with making, eating, and cleaning dinner by 8. 3 Hours would be staying up until 11:00 at the earliest...5 hours would be 1 a.m.

If I have any work to do at night, I barely have time to do that before I have to get ready for bed to be asleep by 10:30 or 11.

How late are you folks staying up? Usually, if I have any spare time during the week, I spend it on one of my sewing projects, but even then an hour or hour and a half is precious to find on a weeknight.

[Ed_N_Ants]

I play a few hours a night 3-5 and I just hit 50 for my main... I am also leveling all crafts and playing my ps4 once is a while so it doesn't collect too much dust... I guess it's all in the effort you put into it... You can fate grind your way to fifty in a day or two then bitch about being bored, or you can take your approach and take your time enjoy the game and the content... Content will always be behind game play its the way it is which is why they put grind restrictions to try and slow down the pace of people leveling... Although I don't like them I understand them and for that reason I don't go all hard core on it like most people...

[Ri_ri]

Around three hours per day. Used to play much less when the game started since I had more responsabilities then.

If it's true that "only 10% of the playerbase is doing Coil", I think I can feel accomplished even though I've only beaten T4 once (with a very kind PUG).