How does FF14 compare to WoW? (And other MMOs)

[Illmaeran]

I agree, tab-targeting is the way for me; action RPGs are a bit too busy/buttonmashy for me. I like the more relaxed combat movement of XIV; especially given the long and intricate rotations involved.


I've played both WoW and XIV for extended periods, starting in mid-Vanilla and early-ARR, respectively, taken long breaks from both, and gone back to both at different times. The most significant difference between WoW and XIV is the breadth and depth of content. XIV has many, many more ways to play than WoW from inane-but-fun bird races to the most trying raids; the game modes are (generally) more engaging/interactive; and the development team takes strong interest in the quality of the game *as a whole* not just in the most current raid tier.

The most significant difference, to me at least, is the ability to do everything on a single character. Being able to go through the MSQ *once* then level any other class/job and gather/craft everything on a single character without having to do the traditional level grind slog to have multiple crafting/gathering professions or another class for raid/PVP versatility is HUGE! I'm a filthy casual who likes to play dress-up and decorate my doll house more than I do high-intensity content, so I very much appreciate having a One-Character-Fits-All option.

[Lunalepsy]

These two seem to be the biggest MMOs on the market right now. I have heard over and over again that FF14 has a nicer community than WoW, and my impression is that WoW is more hardcore. What are the main differences between FF14 and WoW? I would love for someone who has played both games to give us some idea on how the two games are different. (Comparisons with other games are welcome too! Always curious and always willing to learn more!)

Edit: Can we please not turn this thread into a superiority complex race on who's more hardcore like the other one? The whole point of this new thread is to promote an unbiased and level-headed comparison of the two games since the other one is drowned in negative comments.

Edit2:

Interesting. I do find FF14 a bit quiet in-game which is why I decided to join Reddit and the forums to discuss this game more!

They are two sides of the same coin. Looking for differences is just an illusion of choice.

[Ronduwil]

WoW is just the better game overall. They care about their raiders unlike ffxiv.

These words you will never hear from a FFXIV developer:
https://www.pcgamer.com/wows-directo...s-we-hear-you/

The article was more specific: "Raiders, we hear you." That's the only portion of the player base that they listen to or care about. For everyone else it's a skill issue or a personal problem because the devs' way makes the game "feel more alive." Shadowlands has been out for nine months, and you still can't fly in the relevant endgame zone. Also, actions speak far louder than words. Judging by the way I've seen the game evolve as I've progressed through the expansion, it really feels like the FFXIV devs took the time to streamline the stuff that players wanted to skip while enhancing the stuff that players enjoyed. As soon as Blizzard sees players enjoying something, they remove it. The most recent example was nerfing timewalking XP because too many players had discovered that it was more fun to level that way. A more classic example is this 1200+ upvote post complaining about removing portals:

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...portals/113178

And the WoW community manager's response in that thread:

I understand that changes can throw people off a bit at first, but I also think they help keep the world of Azeroth feeling alive. When there are fewer portals, does the world feel a bit bigger to you? Do you like that? How difficult is it to get to the locations you mentioned without a direct portal (talking to everybody who isn’t a mage here)?

Yeah. The players liked it so much that over 1200 forum goers demanded they quit doing it.

[Ronduwil]

I must say, that sounds like a breath of fresh air compared to some MMOs I've played. From what I've seen reported in WoW, the slightest under performance is an invitation to all manner of speculation about one's character flaws.

It is, but that's because WoW has conditioned its players that way. A screw up in a WoW dungeon means the entire party misses out on half the loot for the current run, it prevents they key for everyone in the current party from being advanced, and it degrades the key of the party member who initiated that run. Basically the entire group is penalized for one person's screw up, so of course they're all mad at the person who messed up. In contrast, the penalty for one person screwing up in an FFXIV dungeon is that tens of seconds are potentially added to the fight, along with the "soul crushing" knowledge that you carried someone who "wasn't pulling their weight." Judging by some of the posts I've seen in this thread, that's causing far more consternation than what I would have imagined, but I far prefer the FFXIV way of doing things. I have far less sympathy for the elitist who is salty about feeling like a pack mule who carries players than I do for the player who's getting crapped on just because their phone rang or their kid stubbed their toe and needed to be calmed down.

[Almagnus1]

WoW's current state is so bad it makes FFXIV 1.0 look amazing!

[Bearded]

On other machines I have done GW2, WoW, SW:TOR, LOTRO, ESO and more I have forgotten about. FFXIV personally is super casual friendly, offers a ton of content that keeps you busy and allows you to experiment with other classes/jobs without being penalised.

It's not for everyone as FFXIV is also very story driven and focused.