I wish FF14 had a world chat

[Snowdove]

I know this is taboo to a lot of people, but FF14 can be really lonely. Especially for a new player.


Novice Network is invite only. If a mentor doesn't invite you, you don't get in. Some people (like me) are too uncomfortable to go up and ask.


There is no in-game way to contact a Free Company. You either have to respond to spam, ask someone (again, not easy for the timid), or go without until noticed.


Without a world chat, it is difficult for a new person to get help. Especially outside of cities.


Yes, world chat can be a problem with the "wild west" of chat. But world chat can always be optional. Turn if off if it displeases.


But it should be an option.


It feels as if FF goes out of its way to isolate people.


Of course, I speak only for myself and your experience is different. But look at my join date. June 2018. And look at my level. 55. That isn't an alt or another job. That is the highest I have progressed in all that time because FF14 is (to me) too lonely. So I quit. And I come back for a bit and quit again.

[Liyonn]

Just hang out in Limsa? It's pretty much all you'll need to not be lonely. I don't see the issue here

[hynaku]

I'm surprised they don't have one. almost every mmo I have played has had one.

[Hugowulf]

If there were no bots, maybe.

[Snowdove]

Just hang out in Limsa? It's pretty much all you'll need to not be lonely. I don't see the issue here

Because I don't want to just hang around in town?

[Enla]

You're on Balmung as well so I must ask this, do you /really/ want Ul'dah's shout chat to be unleashed on the rest of the server? It got bad enough as it is with world visit and everyone turning an otherwise decent place into Crystal's new General Chat. Imagine the trolls now being able to spam the rest of the server, let alone the gil-spammers.

That said so long as some contingencies are put in place I wouldn't be too adverse.

1. You need to complete the ARR or HW MSQ in order to unlock it.
2. Your character has to be two weeks old. Not your account, the character you're playing on. This would lock out a good portion of the gil spammers as many of them are deleted quickly after spamming only to be quickly remade. Though it wouldn't stop all of them.
3. It is entirely opt-in, not much of an issue given how our chat functions currently work but still important for people who don't want to deal with the stupidity it's bound to bring.
4. Actually needs to be properly moderated. World chat had a habit of getting out of hand very quickly in all the other games I've played and FF14 already has a history of lax chat moderation - ignoring the odd circumstances where the GM's actually bring down the banhammer out of nowhere. If it were to be implemented they'd actually need to be on top of it.

[Rowde]

I mean there's novice network if you're just starting out.

I have several Linkshells and Cross-World Linkshells that get lively at different points during the day depending on who's online.

[ShariusTC]

If there were no bots, maybe.

bot exist in every MMO, just a matter of how they handle them, but then again, some MMO has GM lurking in world chat channel 24/7 to deal with them

[Tlamila]

It's already been proposed before, and recently too, and I'm all for it.

I mean there's novice network if you're just starting out.

OP already pointed out why NN is not a valid alternative.

1. You need to complete the ARR or HW MSQ in order to unlock it.

Getting through ARR takes a crazy long time, you'd basically be barring all new people out.
Not having any entry barrier would make it gold-spammed but...idk.

[Enla]

Getting through ARR takes a crazy long time, you'd basically be barring all new people out.
Not having any entry barrier would make it gold-spammed but...idk.

It is being trimmed down in 5.3 however by a LOT, which is the soonest a World Chat feature could be implemented. So depending on how much is reduced it could be a fairly minor barrier to entry. If it weren't for the issue of gil-spammers constantly deleting their characters shortly after spamming their messages I wouldn't consider it a necessity - but sadly some kind of barrier is necessary. Though I wouldn't even mind if it took until you got your first job crystal either. It just needs to be /something/.