What's changed between the first version and ARR?

[indira]

ARR is closer to wow then FFXI.

you have dutyfinder(makes party for dungeons,bossfight, guildheist), FATE(active time evets like gw2), gear is number base only, chain questing like WOW, guild leves. classes are more simplfied

housing coming in 2.1, PVP coming months later

[lordoftheapes79]

ARR is closer to wow then FFXI.

you have dutyfinder(makes party for dungeons,bossfight, guildheist), FATE(active time evets like gw2), gear is number base only, chain questing like WOW, guild leves. classes are more simplfied

housing coming in 2.1, PVP coming months later

a lot of that is just wrong....to start by first version she meant FFXIV not FFXI.

anyway, whats changed. the maps have been completely redone, for the better, there are lots and lots of quests to do, there are now plenty of monsters for everyone to kill, MAIL!, JUMPING! lol (not sure why I find those two so important lol) market(not retainer based). streamlined materia system(WTF? hey SE why isn't "materia" in the spell check on YOUR forums?) added FATEs(easy to figure out when you encounter them). Added Arcanist class and Scholar and Summoner for jobs, reworked all the numbers for money/stats/gear/etc...adding Free Company housing at launch and personal housing and pvp in patch 2.1(early September) reworked the crafting system, rebuilt the gathering system, totally changed fishing. Ishgard will finally be open, new primals (though ifrit(really? SE terms for your game should really be in the spell check that's annoying) seems unchanged), ok so there's more, but that's all I'm gonna say for now. Keith seems to have hit a few I missed.

[RathSkybreaker]

ARR is closer to wow then FFXI.

you have dutyfinder(makes party for dungeons,bossfight, guildheist), FATE(active time evets like gw2), gear is number base only, chain questing like WOW, guild leves. classes are more simplfied

housing coming in 2.1, PVP coming months later

This is actually incorrect, PvP will be in 2.1 as well.

I'd suggest just hopping in phase 4 and giving it a whirl! Like others have said you won't regret it, a lot has changed.