Finally tried WoW

[MayuAmakura]

WoW has better infrastructure and netcoding than FFXIV, which SQE will absolutely never fix, especially now that they apparently are running out of money lol. That's the biggest issue, so don't expect dungeons to get as fun as WoW dungeons, because the framework isn't there. WoW has always been gameplay-wise stronger, from m+ and to actually functioning rated PvP. The only thing I like more in FF gameplay is the raiding, because WoW raiding is so awful, and their raids are generally as boring and lame as FF's dungeons.

I played only Wotlk wow but I would say that wow raids were a blessing compared to FF ones. It's never boring and you are always on your toes because it's unpredictable what will happen. It's generally more fun. Requires everyone to do their best at heroic level. I can't say anything for newer wow as I haven't touched it, but Wotlk had Icecrown and Ruby sanctum which were a blast for me everytime I would raid.

[Uzephi]

I played only Wotlk wow but I would say that wow raids were a blessing compared to FF ones. It's never boring and you are always on your toes because it's unpredictable what will happen. It's generally more fun. Requires everyone to do their best at heroic level. I can't say anything for newer wow as I haven't touched it, but Wotlk had Icecrown and Ruby sanctum which were a blast for me everytime I would raid.

The thing with WoW's older development (can't claim for current as I haven't really played current WoW that much) was they had full creative reigns. No limits. If it wasn't in the engine, it could be added. There are a lot of unique fights in the older versions of WoW that still aren't used in most games.

The inciter in Shadow labs for example would mind control the whole party for a good amount of time and if you were in range of a party member, you two would attack and usually kill each other, so when you heard him yell "time for fun!" It was scramble to be away from your party's aggro range or possibly wipe.

One thing this game misses the mark on is trying new mechanics, not just modifying current ones with new cans of paint.

[Krojack]

But, IMO, the WoW community destroys the entire game. I'll never go back because of that. Blizzard is more worried about the monthly sub than how a person treats others in their games.

[Shurrikhan]

Just as food for thought, some things that would make me try WoW again / more often:

1. More difficulty range available in the open world during leveling, perhaps even with the further option of an actual difficulty setting.

2. Scaled heroic and (at later levels) Mythic mode dungeons available even during leveling, still available via matchmaking.

3. The ability to just list yourself via personalized conditions to an adventurer pool for Party Finder. So, if I want to do any of certain M+ dungeons at these certain levels so long as such and such other conditions are met, those who meet those conditions and are recruiting for any of said content would then automatically be able to see me and invite. (Often feels like the Party Finder is half the total effort, even after vast improvements compared to how things were before.)

4. More difficulty range (or, especially, maxima) also in endgame open world zones, with more conditional events and use of pseudo-sharding to allow for tight control of said difficulty to function as intended.

[Miradelle]

I played only Wotlk wow but I would say that wow raids were a blessing compared to FF ones. It's never boring and you are always on your toes because it's unpredictable what will happen. It's generally more fun. Requires everyone to do their best at heroic level. I can't say anything for newer wow as I haven't touched it, but Wotlk had Icecrown and Ruby sanctum which were a blast for me everytime I would raid.

I played during WotLK and that's not at all how I remember ICC being. The bosses are probably better than ICC now, but they still are lackluster and not very exciting compared to FFXIV's (Savage/Ult) raids. The only thing WoW raids have going for them is the areas are cool, but it's also their weakness, because you have to clear trash every time. In ICC, it had some RNG, but you generally knew what was about to happen thanks to DBM. WoW raiding is almost as scripted as FF due to addons, so the "anything can happen" factor is not really there. It does have more RNG swirlies to not stand in, but WoW boss mechanics are easier and more forgiving.

[Shurrikhan]

I played during WotLK and that's not at all how I remember ICC being. The bosses are probably better than ICC now, but they still are lackluster and not very exciting compared to FFXIV's (Savage/Ult) raids.

So, you're making this conclusion about WoW today from its raids of more than 17 years ago, when the game was still in the first fifth of its lifespan?

If we did the same to XIV (2011-2025), we'd be judging it off the likes of Ifrit Hard Mode.

That said, I'd still take raids like Heroic Lich King, Blood Council, Sindragosa, Gunship, etc., over, say, Savage Dancing Green.

[Miradelle]

So, you're making this conclusion about WoW today from its raids of more than 17 years ago, when the game was still in the first fifth of its lifespan?

If we did the same to XIV (2011-2025), we'd be judging it off the likes of Ifrit Hard Mode.

That said, I'd still take raids like Heroic Lich King, Blood Council, Sindragosa, Gunship, etc., over, say, Savage Dancing Green.

Not what I said. Just responding to someone talking about ICC, I said the more recent raids are better than ICC, but still not good.

This tier was kind of garbage, that's true.

[Raikai]

Just as food for thought, some things that would make me try WoW again / more often:

1. More difficulty range available in the open world during leveling, perhaps even with the further option of an actual difficulty setting.

Interesting fact that with Legion Remix coming in a near future, it will have something like a hard mode for the leveling / open world experiences. I wonder if they are going to be testing waters for this feature to see if it's good enough to make into the main game.

[Vitallian]

Having played both games, and letting my sub lapse on WoW because TWW isn't fun to me.
2. Didn't happen until Dragonflight
4. The exact same side quests that exist in FF
5. Voiced for the main story only, and outside of "Champion", or "Death Knight" no one else even acknowledges you exist. You are along for the ride while everyone else does the driving.
7. Already technically do that in FF since we can just flip to whatever role. Specs would be interesting to add to an extent.
8. Technically already exists in FF, just a "ok you're here, go in there and beat things to death." instead.
10. You actively need to put points into specific gathering trees for this, to my knowledge it isn't out the gate and I had to do it twice. (Also crafting and gathering is now my most disliked iteration WoW has had, they took terrible ideas from FF and ESO and smashed them together into one of the WORST systems i've ever had the displeasure to mess with. It actually made me see how much better FF and ESO's crafting is.)
11. subjective, personally I feel like an errand boy in either.
13. While WoW does in fact have the ability to let you look at every single piece of gear that you've "collected", you still cannot dye any of them. ESO, imo, has the superior version of this allow you to use all the stuff you've collected AND dye them.
14. irrelevant since you can do everything on one character in FF
15. Not all the time/irrelevant because of #14. This also didn't start until Warlords of Draenor, and Shadowlands definitely did not have it for the base game. In fact you only got it if you bought the "heroic edition". TWW also did "early access" but only for the "Super Duper Mega Stupid Expensive Edition", meanwhile FF let's anyone who pre orders have it.
17. interesting idea
18. Which is all fine and dandy until you're trying to just get to an area, but now have to deal with 8 mobs that are so densely packed that, you should've just flew over them.

I'll also go ahead and throw this out there, both DF and TWW have MAJOR Dawntrail energy, as far as story goes (just missing the cat). I believe their next Expac is the make or break point for that game....and after BFA, SL, DF, and TWW...it ain't looking good.

[MicahZerrshia]

But, IMO, the WoW community destroys the entire game. I'll never go back because of that. Blizzard is more worried about the monthly sub than how a person treats others in their games.

I have heard so much about the WoW community that I was scared to even run a dungeon or do anything that required me to group up. Then I actually did, and started talking to and engaging with ppl. And wouldn't you know, the moment I said, "Hey I am new" in my very first dungeon I got tons of helpful advice about mechanics and how to better play my class and being someone who actually wants to improve it was fantastic. I met a couple ppl doing world quests who learned I was new and they helped me farm some better gear. Then I joined a few guilds and ppl were talking, laughing, having a great time and some were even helping each other out. All in all it has been an absolute dream and the complete opposite of what I not only expected but what I have experienced here since...idk StB.

Both communities have their good and their bad. The big difference is much like the game itself in recent days, the quality of the good seems much better in WoW and the quality of the bad seems much worse here.

But hey, the WoW community is a great and easy strawman for ppl who don't really have another arguement.