If you want a FFXI vs. FFXIV for those mechanics:


In XIV you can hold up to eight Linkshells, and they do not use inventory space.
You can read chat from all 8 of them at once, but you speak with one at a time only.


Parties have a maximum size (as of this writing) of 15 members. There are no alliances, but a PT of 15 is already a buttonmash fest.
Parties are very very common for leves (a kind of in-the-field Assault, but you get 8/day), but pickup EXP/SP parties are hard to come by, and are far less rewarding than leve groups.

If you miss the grouping up with 5 strangers for hours of grinding---some of whom will become your friends, others your blacklist content---you probably won't get that here.
The general consensus seems to be get into an LS, then party up for leves with them.

If you've got friends playing, or you're good/quick to make friends, you might enjoy the game in its current state.

If I didn't like the people I'm playing with as much as I do I'd have quit by now- I miss XI's party grinding more and more every day. I loved meeting strangers for EXP, and every PT was a new group.


I don't want to discourage anyone from playing XIV, but I don't wanna be like "come play, it's social/strategic/finished/awesome" and have people be disappointed.

I've told my RL friends to wait until the game's ready, but don't forget it's currently FREE. If you're looking to sample it and already have the game or a buddy pass, it won't cost you anything to find out if you like it or not.