How exactly is FFXIV like WoW?

[Wolf_Gang]

Never played WoW but interested in picking it up with the new expansion. I keep seeing people reference WoW when describing this game but no direct comparisons are made to features.

I know FATEs are the dynamic events from GW2, what features were taken from WoW?

[Fluttersnipe]

People always credit GW2 with those dynamic events for some reason. RIFT made them popular, not gw2.

As for comparison to wow. Most mmos are just evolutions of other mmos. People see the holy trinity and go "Omg wow clone". While the games are similar, ffxiv has enough to differentiate itself IMHO. Wow is an EQ clone, if you wanna get technical.

Try the free trial for wow before buying if you've never played it. I think it let's you play up to level 20.

[Zaft]

FFXIV isn't necessarily "like WoW." It's like a lot of MMORPGs. It took what it considered were the good parts of previous MMORPGs and tried to combine them.

But when people are referencing WoW, they're more than likely talking about the PvE and combat. Off the top of my head...

PvE:

• Guaranteed loot
• Weekly lockout
• Instanced
• Specific group sizes

Combat:

• GCD based
• Holy Trinity (Tank, DPS, Healer)
• Lack of actual hybrid class viability
• Fire that you can (and should) move out of

[Renik]

FFXIV isn't necessarily "like WoW." It's like a lot of MMORPGs. It took what it considered were the good parts of previous MMORPGs and tried to combine them.

But when people are referencing WoW, they're more than likely talking about the PvE and combat. Off the top of my head...

PvE:

• Guaranteed loot
• Weekly lockout
• Instanced
• Specific group sizes

Combat:

• GCD based
• Holy Trinity (Tank, DPS, Healer)
• Lack of actual hybrid class viability
• Fire that you can (and should) move out of

This... it could be resumed as: mindless gameplay.

[Teryaani]

For me the biggest similarity is how progression is handled. That seems (to me) to be the biggest design choice they both use. Both use what is known as "vertical progression". Your level and ilvl go up with each respective expansion. Some games use a horizontal progression which involves giving you a wider range of choices in how you itemize. I believe this is how XI did things, but having never played it, I can only operate on hearsay.

Both use the normal leveling methods of questing and dungeons (5 player rather than 4). The notorious monsters of WoW (world bosses) are about achievements and gear, so similar to hunts except that it's faction tagged rather than open.



If you're going to play WoW, be prepared for the differences. One character - One class. If you want to play other classes, you level an alt. Gathering nodes, quest items, quest mobs, holiday events, everything is competitive and normally amazingly so. The game has factions that, depending on your server, can and will kill you when out and about in the world. PVE servers offer some protection from this, but there are ways even here for people to grief you.

I can not stress that point enough, the entire game is built around player competition. If you thrive on it (and many do like the element of danger), then it can be a lot of fun. If you don't have the patience to be someone else's content, then it's less fun.

Also, the game isn't as pretty, but it also is 10 years old and has 10 years of content.

[Kalandros]

Pretty sure the "Dynamic events" you speak of were first seen in the failure that was Warhammer Online with Public Quests, PQs.

[Wolf_Gang]

Pretty sure the "Dynamic events" you speak of were first seen in the failure that was Warhammer Online with Public Quests, PQs.

I don't know where the concept was invented but I mentioned GW2 because Yoshida did reference it specifically when talking about Dynamic Events. He's been pretty vocal about admiring other MMOs for certain features.

[Mugiawara]

I don't know where the concept was invented but I mentioned GW2 because Yoshida did reference it specifically when talking about Dynamic Events. He's been pretty vocal about admiring other MMOs for certain features.

Vista's points were also taken from GW2.
Thing is, DE's were actually really fun in GW2 when I first played. [A month after opening.]
FATE's here are pushed into too much content and it's not fun at all.

[TThibi]

How is FFXIV like Wow you ask.

WoW implemented Transmorgrification which allowed you to use the appearance of a piece of armor of similar type in place of the item model you were wearing. That feature is in widespread use after your first 50 in this game too.

Instanced lock out raids which require visiting the dungeon first again something that was not present in FFXI, but was required in WoW from Vanilla and daily quests.

Another favorite of mine Collectable mounts again wow did it first, up till now every ff title has exclusively used the good ole chocobo.

Another great similarity WoW's tag loot system, implemented in Mists of Pandaria allows players to loot the same NM or rare kill regardless of faction or party just by tagging or attacking said nm or rare in the field while it is being killed.

The ability to jump freely!!! nuff said something ffxi needed for years. Also projected flying mounts.

There are other similarities

[TouchandFeel]

Everyone references WoW because it was the game that really brought the MMORPG genre into the mainstream and was the first MMO that many people played, it was in no way the progenitor of MMO's as I would more give the title of father of the modern MMO to Everquest as that really defined how MMO's have been structured and built since and if you want to go even farther back in the evolution, Dungeons and Dragons Pen n' Paper>MUD's>EQ. WoW just simplified, "streamlined" (for better or worse) and popularized the genre.

Also while public events were popularized in Rift and Guild Wars 2, Warhammer Online did them before either of those.
(Ah, beat me to it while I was typing!)