Holy moly, all this talk about THAT streamer. I'm certainly no fan of theirs and have no intention of name dropping them here. I see there is plenty of that already, so I am nervous to share this with all the toxicity concerns around here.

I recently began my adventure in to FFXIV with my wife and we've been having an amazing time. The community has been so inclusive, kind, and generous. There are so many helpful people. The overall experience has been exceedingly positive, and I just want to give back by sharing some of the things I wish I had known when I started having just arrived from over a decade of WoW experience.

I'm not here to complain about a competitor's game, however. FF has been a pleasure, however fraught with questions I was initially (though I still kind of am). There are no spoilers here of any kind, btw.

Some of those were "is there transmog? is there a barber? what about flying? what is an MSQ?" Fortunately I have been friends with a guild on Gilgamesh that originated in WoW a decade ago, and they were thrilled to finally have my wife and I in the game (friendships made to last!). They were kind enough to answer all of these questions, show us around, help us with gear, and are still helping.

But here are the things I wish I had known going into A Realm Reborn. I translated much of what I could into WoW terms, such as "transmog" to "glamouring" and "flight paths" to "aetheryte, etc.

Link (Google Sheets):

Sprout WoW Refugee's Tips For A Realm Reborn

I don't know if this will be helpful for anyone, but it is an attempt to give back to the kindness the community has shown. My friends and I ran a guild designed to make others feel safe and enjoy the game. We were a haven for folks looking to escape the trials of every day life and were privileged enough to help support a healthy LGBTQ community. Some of them teenagers struggling with emotional and psychological abuse from their own family.

I hope some of these tips will help others coming into the game with a similar experience to mine, but without the immediate free company, to navigate the game somewhat easier.

Thank for your fostering such an awesome community. Everyone I've met has been awesome so, and there are so many sprouts its insane! If I can improve the tips, or if I got something wrong (which is entirely likely), please let me know.

I'll be in ARR a bit longer as I'm working on my relic weapon now. Having a blast.

See you in Eorzea.