Does it get better?

[Sivalus]

I keep hearing about how great FF14 is, and with the welcome back event announced, I thought I'd give it another shot after I quit at level 20 before. I did like some things about the game like the class system, but overall the game felt really boring, though. I've only ever heard good things about ARR so I don't get what I'm missing. Does it get a lot better at endgame, or what?

These are the main complaints I had with the game:

• The ridiculously long gcd makes combat feel very clunky.
• The main storyline has so far been painstaking to do. After the first arc (which wasn't bad), it's been very little but just traveling between the three cities (and doing 3 dungeons in a row)
• Leveling an alt class is also really boring, is there anything to do besides levequests?
• There's no incentive to do Fates, either.

I want to like this game, or at least see why it's so hyped. So if anyone could offer their comments, it would be greatly appreciated

[Urielparadox]

I have a played a few and this has on of the least worst grinds for leveling the first couple classes then the other MMO's I played. It also sounds like you started at launch which is usually the worst time with the least way's. They have added lots of low level side quest that can help once you are 10+. MMO's are based on endgame. Stopping at level 20, when you just joined a grand company and you just got your mount, does not really make since I mean you either quite before finishing these quest or just weren't paying attention to the story. You haven't even unlocked a job yet, this is when most things become way more interesting. Some jobs don't really get work till near lvl 50. You get 1 piece of a combo at lvl 10 another at 20 then you won't get the last piece on some jobs until lvl 45+. Or they get the job trait/skill that really defines the job.

Once you get level 50 you will be wishing you had both more time and less time at the same moment on the GCD. The reason it feels slow now is because
1) your a low lvl so you don't really have any off gcd abilities and their isn't a lot to be doing while fighting, as the dungeons get harder their will be more stuff going on for you to worry about. their are a few major "jumps" haku manor(29), stone vigil(41), Aurum vale. These dungeons take drastic jumps that require you to think of everything you have done so far in a previous dungeons into one.

2) your playing a job that doesn't have off gcd abilities. Fates offer good xp rewards and grand company seals. If you want a lvl 20 job to be more fun lvl all classes to lvl 15 this will give you access to most of the cross class skills needed. Several cross classes will work off gcd and give you more to do

Leveling: levequest and dungeons are the fastest way depending on your lvl and gear(more so for levequest). Fates give good xp as long as you can get a gold/silver rank and you aren't the only out there. They also give you grand company seals once you have a grand company. Grand company seals buy you above average armor, minions, crafting items, items to enhance xp earned, and items you can sale for lots of gil. The collectors edition(you can buy a digital code) gives you a helmet that increase xp earned from lvl 1-10 which is great.

[Geryth]

I really do enjoy this game, although to be blunt it doesn't offer a whole lot to the MMO genre in the way of originality though you could tell that it really tries hard to be unique.

If you only gave this game to level 20, you certainly did not give yourself enough time to "get it" if you're looking for something about it to grab you.

For me personally, I actually enjoyed the main scenario quest line up till the first release wrap up at level 50. It does get annoying with the mundane travel it makes you do, but I liked the story. It keeps you entertained through level 50, and it keeps you geared and gives you a decent amount of gil. After the first "conclusion" of the main scenario, it just becomes a chore because now you have all the fun end game stuff to do but still have to trudge through the crappy "go here go there go here go there" stuff to keep up with the latest content (it's necessary to keep going through it to open up all the end game content).

I've not had much beef with the combat system, though it's certainly not the best, I don't have any general complaints about it either.

I'd say the "fun factor" of the game probably went way up for me after I hit level 50, and even higher after I killed Titan Hard Mode as the first really challenging fight I've had in an MMO for many years (it feels good to beat something that's difficult). I think all the dungeon content is at a really good spot challenge-wise.

I'm a casual player so the biggest source of EXP for me while leveling was the Dungeon Roulette for low level. It's almost an entire half-level just for doing a dungeon through the roulette (only as a daily reward). Combine that with fates, hunting logs, challenge logs, and levequests and you really have lots of ways to make leveling quick and interesting. I'm barely batted an eye and I have a second job up to level 37 just by doing low level roulette every day and the rest of the time playing my main job.

If you have the time and money I say you should definitely give it another shot. It's not like the good ol' days of Vanilla WoW (nothing is or probably ever will be), but it's the probably the best designed and fun to play MMO out there right now (including the current WoW). I have my eye on Everquest Next because of the new mechanics it promises to deliver (permanent world changes based on player involvement). But in my opinion this is the best there is right now and will continue to be for a while.

[Sivalus]

Thanks for the replies guys, it's appreciated. It sounds like the game just has a slow start but gets better when you unlock jobs and at endgame. I think I'll try some things out during the welcome back event and see how it goes

[Sapphic]

I used to main BRD but static Im in needed a melee so I made decision to switch to MNK. Never regretted, now when I switch to BRD it feels slow in comparison

@Urielparadox: BRD does get 4 off GCD abilities (not counting the buffs). Blunt arrow, repelling shot, shadowbind and flaming arrow. Obviously can't weave Blunt arrow in when it pops if need to save to silence in fights at specific points. Otherwise, should be weaved between GCDs whenever available.