How does FFXIV fare against other modern MMORPGs?

[Super_Bee_Brian]

I get the impression that A LOT of people think FFXIV is the best.

I myself have played World of Warcraft a little bit and Elder Scrolls Online a lot. I can't say much about World of Warcraft because I didn't really give it an honest chance. I left it as soon as I figured out that A.) It had no housing and B.) Its artwork is on par with those cheap Korean MMOs.

However, I can say a lot about Elder Scrolls Online. This is what I have to say...

It is as expected. FFXIV has better art work. This is crucial. JRPGs in general MUST have superior art work because they usually have inferior gameplay mechanics. Elder Scrolls Online arguably has MUCH MUCH better overall gameplay and combat system. Each player playing that game can create a truly unique build suited to what he really wants. There's a lot of options available. While in FFXIV, you're stuck with two options and two options only: Play well or play terribly... However, like I said, its art work trumps ESO by a mile. The writing, the music, and the visuals are beyond great. They are out-of-this-world whacky. Classic example, King Thordan the primal and Ravana the primal. They are pure flawless in every way...

What are your thoughts?

[Adeacia]

I played wow once. It was so generic I quit before reaching level 10. Did that twice, each time a few years apart.

I tried this game. I was ready to buy heavensward and sub by time I hit level 10.

I was in the beta for eso. I played it once, didn't bother logging back in.

I think that says it all.

[MomomiMomi]

I find ESO's combat to be inferior to this one, and by quite a bit. It's pretty bland.

The housing is superior, and the open world is leagues better than XIV's. Quests as well.

XIV has, to my knowledge, the best crafting system in any MMO (though it's a bit underutilized). And the story is great. It also has something that no other MMO has: a 30 year history of fanservice to deliver.

[Floortank]

FFXIV is the best by a good margin.

[Floortank]

XIV has, to my knowledge, the best crafting system in any MMO (though it's a bit underutilized).

*record scratch*

[Skivvy]

For me, XIV is just middle of the road. I resbub now and then out of habit/familiarity, but it's not one I'd miss tremendously if it went away completely.

I'm not a fan of how they just rehash the same dungeons/8 man raid / 24 main raid, trial each patch. When they do try to branch out, it falls flat (diadem, Eureka, etc.). There is no real way to play at your pace when it comes to gearing. So many weekly caps in place, which only highlights a lack of relevant end-game content. Very little overworld content. The game feels like a rather fancy waiting room at times.

I do love the fact that you can level all things on one character (but this is ruined a bit due to how gearing/caps work). For the most part it's a very stable game, very minimal in-game glitches, etc. Looks nice (IMO).

There's a lot more to both sides for me, but the overall feeling is just sort of 'meh'.

[Theodric]

As far as I'm concerned it's the best MMO on the market right now. It has something for everybody and is perfect for a player such as myself who likes to dabble in different activities.

[Areic]

I don't think it compares to WoW in a lot of regards. But it definitely beats almost any other mmo in like 99% of things

It's content is dated and gets stale very quickly. Combat can feel kind of slow and clunky sometimes, and the entry with MSQ being forced down your throat can turn off a lot of new players. Their architecture also feels very dated, like only so much glamour appearance space, no bag changes, etc all being locked off due to how it's built

What it does have over WoW and definitely most other MMOS. Housing is very nicely done as a system aside from the way servers for it are handled. The graphics and zones are just beautiful and do a nice blend of realism and fantasy. Music is top notch for most boss fights. And crafting is handled very uniquely. Some may even like the slower paced combat over other games, it's definitely nice to relax to while playing.

Overall it's an 8/10 from me, definitely shines and I still play it just not crazy often.

In the MMO market you essentially have WoW and FF14 as the top dogs anyway, with ESO down there a bit further, GW trailing that, and then a spread of niche games a particular crowd would enjoy

[Nici]

I have played or at least given a chance to most of the MMOs out there save for a few Korean MMOs recently released, I just don't have the time or in some cases patience for grinding in mmo's anymore which most korean mmos are very good at having you put an enormous time sink into, i go between ESO and FFXIV, WoW i gave 10+ years of hardcore raiding and finally kicked that addiction...and to the point where i don't even get excited for anything new from that game...including its recently released expansion, FFXIV on the other hand piques my interest every time...every new patch theres something interesting, whether it's continuing story or the new dungeons or raids.

As for ESO...it has THE best Housing i have seen in an MMO...and so much wish FFXIV had housing like ESO does, and i do like how there are multitude of ways to play and build your character and play style, and at least for me i like the questing and storyline DLCs, and theres not much else to say about ESO other than it's greatly changed from it's Beta and Release iteration, a great MMO to play while waiting for the next patch update or expansion for FFXIV.

[Rymm]

I played WoW for twelve years. I played RIFT for about two years when it was new. I've gone back and forth on Guild Wars 2 many times since it's come out. I played Aion twice for a total of about 14 months. I beta tested ESO, TERA, and Secret World. I played a handful of other F2P MMOs like Perfect World off and on over the years. FF14 is the only one I am playing right now, which should give you a good idea how I feel about it.

The only game whose combat I liked as much as FF14 was WoWs; they are a great deal different from each other but I found them both to be fun. For art style FF14 easily beats them all except for Aion, which was a gorgeous game. In character customization FF14 is only middling at best. Music is another easy victory for FF14. Story (one of the important for me) is another category where FF14 beats all comers, hands down. FF14 also gets bonus points because it feels like they have more casual 'fluff' content than a lot of other MMOs, which isn't necessary for core gameplay but it keeps me logging on and entertained after I cap on tomes for the week, etc.

XIV has, to my knowledge, the best crafting system in any MMO (though it's a bit underutilized).

I'm with MomomiMomi on this one. I absolutely love the crafting/gathering system, though I realize it's not to everyone's taste. Only thing I wish FF14 would do is take a leaf out of GW2's crafting book and let us craft with mats held by our retainers.