New Player, my thoughts

[Khasar]

Hey all, wanted to just give the devs my thoughts so far on the game as a new player. I played the early beta/alpha stages of the earlier version of the game. Since the re-make of the game > A Realm Reborn, I didn't really stick with it, the MMO genre really took a nose dive for me where a lot of MMO games didn't grab me is as Warcraft did back in the old days.

I gave FFXIV a try, twice but never stuck with it for long. Until I decided a week or so ago to try again, and I am glad i did! Now level 17 I am really enjoying this, like I did playing WOW back in the old days.

I'm not sure what it is about the game that has won me over and made me enjoy playing an MMO again but it's great and I can't wait to level more and explore more content

As I love the FF world (FFX, Cloud and Lightening) here is my toon with Lightning's attire. It has made the game that much more fun!

Cheers Devs

[Rinari]

I started recently and fell in love with the game as well.

There really isn't any one thing that wins me over. I love the FF world, and particularly the FF6 style on some of the art (like magitech armor!). The art overall is very appealing. I loved character creation, which is very important first impression for an MMO. I love how polished most systems are. I love how much there is to do, even if it is overwhelming at first. I love the freedom we get to experiment with every class without having to settle on one right away. I enjoy the new take on crafting where I'm fighting my materials. I like how group content gets tied into the main story and how involved the main story is. I love the glamour and dye customization. I love the Gold Saucer. I love the Palace of the Dead. I love the combat system and all the dancing around it entails.

I love the community especially. I still haven't had a bad group experience. I know there are some bad sorts out there, but everyone I've met has either been really nice or just quietly getting the job done. Any time I've needed information, great people in my FC, novice chat, and linkshells have been able to help out.

A recent high point for me was when my party wiped at around 70% on Palace of the Dead lv 50 boss Edda, except me. I managed to finish the fight! All that dancing around to avoid attacks, turning for Cold Feet, and tracking all my warrior self heals, made it a very tense fight and I don't think I've ever had so much fun in a single MMO battle before. I know people go down there and solo Edda all the time, but it was a big deal for me and I was glad I could pull through for my party.

[bswpayton]

You came to an amazing game I have gotten hooked my self starting this past summer enjoy the journey.

[Khasar]

That was the problem with WOW the community is vile... I am yet to expereince groups and such in this game but from what I hear it sounds like my kinda place.

[Sigmar_Heldenhammer]

I'm loving the game as well.
Having a hard time getting into the story, just hit 2.2.
WoW on the other hand had me hooked from lv1, but that's because I've been in love with that world since Warcraft 1.
And the nosedive in story is what made me quit.
FFXIV on the other hand, seems to be getting better, so, I'm excited for the future.
Also, wife plays as well, so that helps too.

[Rinari]

That was the problem with WOW the community is vile... I am yet to expereince groups and such in this game but from what I hear it sounds like my kinda place.

WoW wasn't always like that! I played WoW from launch up through cataclysm and then off and on since then. I'm sure experiences vary, but my early WoW experience was amazing. People were generally friendly and it was comparable to my experience here in FFXIV now. I didn't really see any community trouble until the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, when raids dropped form 40 to 25 man. Most large guilds were built and structured around 40 man raids. Cutting a team size to 25 was a tough blow and many guilds didn't survive it. My guild, which had been the #2 most progressed raid guild on Earthen Ring, broke up around Cataclysm launch, surviving a lot of strife with the new raid structure, but losing its heart. Part of the guild reformed into a new one, but it was never the same for me. Over those two expansions, grouping with random players went from pleasant to grating, but it happened gradually. That combined with my old guild family being more or less gone is what killed the game for me. I've been back a couple times to try and see if I could recapture the magic, but it hasn't worked out. I think I have too much history there to enjoy what it has become. I suspect my past experiences are tainting my perceptions too much. I'd be curious how new players react to WoW now, but it's so mainstream practically everyone has played it.

[BloodRubyXII]

The game feels great because it's new. It still is to me because I only started taking it seriously again recently. It's also like a massive weight off my shoulders no more feeling horribly behind because I missed a weekly clear, no more having to fear which class blizzard "tunes" next making me go from a staple in every group to seeing a stream of "declined" every single time I sign for parties. Even if Summoner god forbid became terrible to the point of the playable, I could just pick up any of the other jobs, one of which I think I even share gear with (SCH?) and proceed. No more losing any connection to my main character because I decide to play something else.

Oh and christ, the storyline is amazing, I really feel like an influential part of it instead of someone who's just helping to kill/collect 10 of x for a pretty end of zone cutscene (that doesn't even involve me)

I envy people from FF14 who have never seriously played WoW before. It's actually extremely stressful.

[Khasar]

done some dungeons as I leveled enjoyed it no one really said anything really but it went smoothly. Not the experience I had with WOW can't say it was bad all the time but for the most part I avoided doing any with the way players would talk to each other and leave when they got what they wanted. Not like that here (yet)

[Rinari]

done some dungeons as I leveled enjoyed it no one really said anything really but it went smoothly.

People are usually down to business in dungeon finder groups and don't say much unless communication is required, and often not even then. I usually greet people at the start, give a run-down on boss mechanics for more complex fights, and give a farewell at the end. I crack a joke here and there if I have a moment and something interesting warrants it, but I don't want to slow things down. I've had conservations after the last boss, but mostly the DF players are from other servers, so you're unlikely to see them again... which kills any real friend-making experience. Pre-made groups from your own server are much more fun, as people are more willing to socialize.

[MysticWoolie]

I fell in love with this game as well.
Aesthetically pleasing (to me), I love the way the language is used, the characters all look very nice and I do not feel like the quests are tedious affairs.
All the little things I have come to unlock so far, such as the hunting log and the ability that you can play every class and job on one character make it even better.

The story itself is good enough for me to sit down and read (most) it, and the fact that it's Final Fantasy is great for me too.
One thing in particular I have to praise is - up to this point at least - the game really makes me feel like I am the hero, something alot of other games can really learn from in my opinion.

I started playing this on a trial basis on the 25th of this Januari, a day later I grabbed the full ARR game and the Heavensward expansion a day after.
Simply adore my Au Ra character.

Currently only level 15 THM and 7 CNJ, but I am literally excited to see what more the game has in store for me.
Also, Chocobo mounts? yes please!