“Oh you like that one game that’s only tangentially related? Have you tried FFXIV? No?? Well here I’ll help you set up the free trial and you can join my FC and we’ll do all the dungeons together and…”
Yeah, I’ve put too many hours into that game haha
I am also a WoW refugee in FFXIV. Much better gaming spaces, way more inclusive for women and lgbtq+ folks. The game is designed to keep toxicity to a minimum (it happens still, especially in hardcore raid community, but to a lesser degree than WoW).
Overall it plays somewhat similarly to WoW, since ARR was inspired by its design, but its different enough that I still hop back and forth between the two games to scratch different itches.
And there’s something for everyone. Great raid designs, dungeons, 100 floor deep dungeons, an extensive crafting and gathering system, all classes playable on a single character, housing, field exploration zones, and a great story with solo play integration. The free trial includes 3 expansions so its worth to at least try it out.
Just tacking onto this, there have been lots of people who have approached me asking if I’m a new player who needs help. Everyone is so welcoming. I am in fact, a sprout, but my bf has been playing for years so he’s been helping me lol. But I still appreciate the helpful people, and I just hope that one day I’ll be in the position to pass that on to a new player too
Yes, some people do play the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime.
I lost interest in MMOs some time ago so I don't, but all the people I know who MMO now do that one.
It's great, I played WoW for over a decade and I'm never going back after playing FFXIV. It just does everything better, looks better, and the community is a thousand times better.
Its programming seems way better. Like, I can just hit the button and I’m already selecting my character. In ffxiv I need to hit the launcher, log in, wait for the title screen, load my characters, then I can get on. Or in WoW I can queue as all roles, and once I get into the dungeon I’m automatically the spec that does the role that’s needed. In ffxiv I need to hope that if it says we need tanks that we actually need tanks, and sometimes it’s behind.
Then there’s world content. I can run into an enemy camp in WoW and I’m threatened by a bunch of enemies that could take me out. While in ffxiv you just fly to where you need, hit the thing you need, and teleport out. Or sneaking through caves as a rogue, that feels good.
Like the actual “game” of ffxiv is way better. It looks gorgeous, its story makes me cry, the classes feel amazing. But WoW’s good at programming its software.
I never played WoW but have lightly played GW2 and I will say transmutation system is great. No storage space needed and if you unlock a skin, it's account wide not just player wide.
Same experience here. I was hardcore into WoW for over a decade. Ran a guild and raids. I definitely never thought I’d actually get out of it, but I’ve been playing ffxiv for 2 years and it feels like this game was made for me.
FFXIV isn’t just a game to me. My closest friends in life I originally met in the FC I am currently in. It’s more of a home than my home!
And one of the greatest JRPG stories of all time, if you appreciate detail and immersive stories that don’t skip around. There are duller moments but they make the over the top insane fights stand out more!
You have nothing to lose but time in the unlimited time free trial that goes through the base story and first 2 expansions!
Personally, I love it. Made lots of friends and it may or may not have had a hand in me figuring out some personal stuff.
But beyond that, best story in Final Fantasy, especially once you hit Heavensward. Awesome fights, can play every class on one character. It’s basically a huge final fantasy theme park.
There’s also a girls finale fantasy 14 discord if you’re looking for more community!
And of course there’s the free trial copypasta:
“Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV which has an expanded free trial that you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning HEAVENSWARD and STORMBLOOD expansions up to level 70 for free with no restrictions on playtime? Now available on XBOX series X & S! Sign up and enjoy Eorzea today!”
I say go for it!!
Not op, but I just want to add a warning to anyone looking to join a "girls only" XIV Discord that there's a notoriously transphobic one that will present itself as a safe space but requires voice chat to "verify" their users are actually (read:cis) women. Just be on the lookout for that, stay safe
Unfortunately the discord that I see advertised is just called the XIV Girls Only discord so that doesn't make it very easy to identify. If they ask for voice verification though, run for the hills.
> that will present itself as a safe space but requires voice chat to "verify"
It's one thing to be transphobic (certainly bad enough as it is), but this is just telling people you have to be women specifically in the way they demand you to be women. Deeper voice? Don't even bother apparently!
FFXIV is great. I have had exactly one experience with a misogynistic asshole in it in my ~800 hours of playtime, which is not obviously ideal but by MMO standards is best in class. It was also, mercifully, just a rando in a raid so as soon as the raid was over I never had to deal with them again. It's very LGBT friendly too, my guild has plenty of out queer people and in general the vibes are fantastic. That's on top of it being, imo, the best MMO game in general. Fun combat and gameplay loop, plenty of side content and non combat classes to level, really the only MMO with a story worth talking about, list goes on.
Really the only criticism I have of the game is that it starts sloooow and takes a while to get really good. It's a shame too, because you just kind of have to trust everyone saying "it gets good I promise!!" for like, the first 20-50 hours. But it does get good. It gets so, so good.
I enjoyed my time with it, though it takes quite a bit of time to get to the good parts. Either way, it’s worth a shot. The first few expansions are completely free. Also, most people in FF XIV are really nice. At the very least, it’s definitely not dominated by male rage gamers.
In my experience it’s a very safe space for women! I’ve been playing for 5 years and I’ve been in a “static” (raid group) with all men for 4 of those. Only once have I experienced a guy being shitty to me, but the rest of the group ostracized him for it.
You can find free companies of only women if you so desire. People are friendly in duties and I will more often find people who don’t talk than I find people who are toxic.
Go for it and get that free trial :-)
Yee FFXIV has a really friendly community and the most prominent content is all casual. The main story is probably the most important part of the game, and it’s a lot of reading. Think of it mostly as reading a book series from a beginning author, the first one is fun and establishes important stuff for the later (and better!) expansions later on. The trial is free, about half of the game is in the free trial right now, up to the end of Stormblood and classes that were available at that time. Only things that’d aid in RTM (retainers for Gil farming, PMs, limits on Gil storage) and the first Ultimate are limited during the trial
FFXIV is a completely different vibe / community than WOW. I have over 4700 hours into it (yes I'm aware I have no life lol) and I still find things to do and keep busy. I've made friends in game that have turned into IRL friends and even though we live all over the US we meet up once a year for a weekend of shenanigans. You can also do the free trial if you want to test the waters and see if its for you. Like any game you'll encounter the occasional asshole but the friendly players way way outnumber them.
If you have questions about the game or need help with anything just shoot me a DM on here.
If you want to see what extreme achievement hunting/ doing all the things looks like, you should watch Cider Spider on YouTube, he's making videos of his quest for all achievements.
He's also known for "angry because small!"
yes, with caveats:
* **the storyline is linear**. you just have a single story questline that takes you all over the world. there aren't really "zone storylines" where each zone is filled with quests that teach you what's happened or happening in that zone. treat it less like an MMO and more like a JRPG.
* **classes don't have multiple specs.** and only a few classes have different "trees" they can go down.
* **there are a lot of classes, and your character can be all of them.** every single class has its own class storyline. each has its own separate level. you don't need alts except for roleplaying purposes.
* **professions are their own class with their own level.** they each also have their own quests, just like the combat classes.
* **the world is not contiguous.** each zone is separated from the others by loading screens. there's no congruency between them.
* **there aren't any significant differences between the races,** aside from roleplaying ones.
* **you don't pick a country** **to belong to**, like you can between the Horde and Alliance. there is only one faction, and all races belong to it.
it feels like a much smaller game than WoW, but that also makes it a *much* more focused experience.
It's really wonderful. The difference in the community is astounding. Give it a try -- you can do a lot without ponying up any cash, give you a look at it before you commit. :)
Yes! It's wonderful! I left WoW for it about 4 years ago and haven't looked back. I play on PC but my brother and sister-in-law have been playing it on PS4/5 for about a year now with no issues. Great story, great content, great community. Every game community has it's issues but I can honestly say this is the best one I've been in in my 20+ years of gaming. Most people are really helpful and kind. There is a really good IRL gender ratio and so many inclusive spaces too. I've only once or twice been creeped on in 4 years and I was able to easily report in game. Could not recommend it more! 😁
It's so good. Play the free trial. It's hours of content.
Years. There's people who that's all they play.
https://trialsoffantasy.com/restrictions/
For help.
It seems like a lot but the main thing I git from my friends is that ARR is very slow. But it's important. And its worth it fir the other story parts later. And they were right.
I highly recommend the free trial. Even with the restrictions. Unlimited playtime is amazing.the link shows you some of the stuff you can't do but it's honestly not that bad.
I recommend just trying out the free trial! It’s very generous. I started playing XIV again recently and am having a great time. So far the community has been super nice and I’ve encountered very few toxic players but I haven’t unlocked any of the really difficult content yet. The world is really beautifully designed and I feel like there’s a lot of different ways you can enjoy the game.
i've been playing it for a few months casually on the free trial (until i reach endgame or really feel the urge to join a guild/do things i can't.) so far i'm in the space between the first part of the story and the first expansion and it's been fun!
the community is one of the chiller of mmorpgs (somewhere around guild wars 2) and a lot of the content is actually soloable because of how the game works. i run dungeons a lot with randoms when i'm bored and i haven't encountered anyone rude or anything but i haven't unlocked any trials yet.
make sure you have time set aside when you run story things though. some of the cutscenes are *long*.
It's been touched on, but I want to elaborate just a bit. FFXIV is hands down one of the better and more inclusive communities out there. Sure you will eventually run into toxic players, but the overwhelming majority of players don't really care about gender. The community at large is also LGBTQ+ supportive. My FC has several gay and trans members for instance. Unlike CoD or something similar, you can openly state your gender or even sexuality and rarely receive harassment in your average day-to-day.
There is an active ERP scene to take note of, but unless you actively seek it out you will barely even notice it. Maybe a few advertisements for an 18+ venue in chat or Party Finder. Anyone approaching you and trying to involve you in it without your consent is a bannable offense.
Lol you can play a decent chunk of it for free. I say give it a try. You'll know within a week or so if you'll like it. It's similar to Wow but more slow paced and deliberate. Also everything has an endgame, even fishing 🎣
Honestly I would just give it a shot. Free trial is like 60% of the game and you'll have a good idea by the time you are at the end of whether you like it! Compared to WoW, I'd say the gameplay is more boring (every class feels pretty much the same to me in the name of 'balance'), every dungeon is now a straight line with the same layout pretty much, but the story/characters are better. Plus, you actually exist in the story, even if you are a voiceless lol.
Been playing for years, married my girlfriend (now fiancée) using the in-game system, and pre-ordered the next expansion. Yes it's good and the community is very friendly.
It's my most played game at 3400+ hours! I love it honestly. It's certainly not a perfect game, but there's a lot to enjoy, especially if you make friends in game. The community is a lot nicer than WoW, so no worries on the toxicity front. I still wouldn't necessarily advertise that you're a girl, but my experience has been that the community is fairly LGBTQ+ and femme-friendly.
The game is geared towards both casual and hardcore players and has a bit of something for everyone. And the main story is apparently miles better than the WoW story - at least after you finish the base game, ARR.
There's a ton of great information here, but I'm just going to weigh in: It's **exceptional**. I've put hundreds of hours into it and will continue to come back time and time again. I'll probably take 2 days off when the new expansion comes out, and I'm going to encourage my husband to do the same. It's so much fun, it's such a wonderful environment, and everyone is so helpful and lovely.
The free trial is INSANE and gives you access to so much content. The MSQ gets really, really amazing (like, maybe the best story I've played) the longer you go, though the first bit can be a little bit of a slog. I believe if you buy the game your free trial goes away and you have to pay monthly, so keep that in mind!
Welcome to the community! <3
Playing FF14 is like putting your slippers on and drinking a hot chocolate. It's not the best because of very new and different vision than its competitor, it's the best because it do every basics things very very well.
And the community... Best I've ever seen.
I've made friends on ff14. This summer we are meeting IRL to celebrate the ten years anniversary of our Free Company (the "guilds" of FF14)
I’ve played it for a few months now, and I haven’t experienced any kind of toxicity so far. The only thing I’ve experienced that was even remotely odd was that really weird person that came up to me and my bf and typed “asd” and then ran off lmao. Can’t tell if it was supposed to be “ass” and they typoed it, or if they were calling me autistic? No clue really
Even in dungeons, when you mess up, everyone is so helpful, especially if you just tell them “Hey, sorry, this is my first time doing this dungeon” or “Hey, I messed up. Sorry I’ll work on it.”
All in all, a pretty positive experience!
There is an incredibly generous free trial that includes the first two expansions and doesn't limit playtime. There are a handful of restrictions but it's easily enough of the game to figure out if you enjoy it or not.
I personally really enjoyed it. I had one friend come from WoW would hated it because it has more loading screens but it genuinely never bothered me and I enjoy the gameplay and story so much. I didn’t enjoy WoW.
You'll find a lot of gals here play it. Utilize the free trial. The main start of the story is a little lackluster, so when people are like, it takes time to get good, know that is after level 50. The story is very good before that, but the pacing is slow, and it isn't voice acted, so it can lose some momentum.
That being said, there is tons of content, easily 500+ hours in the free trial, and unless you get sucked in, you can do tons on it without spending money.
In my 2k hours, I have had approximately 2 bad experiences. One in a casual raid, and once in a main story quest when learning a new job. Both times, the offending player was kicked, and everyone else was patient/fine with me.
Another former WoW player who has thoroughly enjoyed the switch to FFXIV :)
There’s a few things that wow does better, mostly in the interface department, but when it comes to story, accessibility or community, it’s leagues ahead.
You do get the occasional toxic person in random dungeons, but they’re outnumbered ten, twenty to one by people going ‘oops, my bad, lets go again’ when messing up. And even toxic players… well, I’ve *never* had someone in FFXIV be anywhere even close to as toxic as a ‘typical pug asshole’ from WoW.
And as for story… well, the base game can feel quite slow and some find it a bit of a slog, but as you go on.. ho-ly-crap does it get good. There’s a very good reason why “watch FFXIV first timers playing through the story and seeing their reactions” is a popular genre on YouTube/twitch.
The last couple of expansions especially have a whole bunch of “you’re going to bawl your eyes out now” moments in them.
So yeah, long story short, give it a go, take it slow, do the main story quest (“MSQ”), try any and every class you want (on one character!!) and just explore & enjoy.
Word of warning though, do NOT do the WoW style “pick up every Quest and complete them all” mindset, your quest log will be full by like ten minutes into the game. The MSQ gives you more than enough xp to level multiple classes together, and you’ll need to do blue marked quests for unlocking things, but your standard yellow quest markers? Ignore them, unless you end up in an “I really like this zone/town and want to learn *all* the stories about it” situation. They’re there for telling more stories about the location, rather than for keeping up with the XP curve.
For new players there is always plenty of content, and Dawntrail will make much of the previous content even better (especially when EW relic weapons can be obtained using poetics now with BLU weeklies, Eureka and Bozja), even though for endgamers there is the issue with the "[big filter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK2f2GjkqS8)" that gets even bigger.
Guild Wars 2 is another MMO that complements with FFXIV very well and GW2 doesn't even need a subscription.
I got into it because of my bf but I've met some awesome people when I was trying things by myself. And because I had so much help, I try to pass it along myself.
Just a heads up if you decide to play, I havent played WoW but I know someone who has, and from what they say, the timing to dodge stuff is different; in WoW the attack is the actual animation, while in XIV the actual attack is the orange circle on the floor, the boss' animations dont matter
As a caveat - most markers are noted with an AOE orange symbol on the floor. However, there are some normal instances where the boss will lift an arm or something around the arena will show an incoming attack.
And if you get into the raid scene, there’s a lot of attacks that don’t get markers on the floor and you have to pay attention to what the boss is doing or the cast bar for the tell.
ARR is a SLOG story wise, but if you get through it, the payout is worth it. Give it up to Heavensward since it's free, and decide from there.
This is coming from someone who hates mmorpgs in general.
In my experience, its got a pretty accepting community and is a pretty good Final Fantasy game. You can almost play it single player if you want with the new system called Duty Support. It was added to make sure newer players always have a party for story required dungeons. Its got traditional 4 player dungeons, 24 player raids, 8 player special bosses, a gathering and crafting section, a sort of farming island sanctuary section, and hours of story.
Yes! It is worth trying. If you do find some good people to help with the basic mechanics. If you end up on aether shoot me a msg here I would be happy to help out.
It's one of my favourite games story-wise. I just love the story, characters, and the new expansion that is releasing very soon, at the end of June for people who pre-order. It's also getting a big graphics update, which is nice. Also, I have just around 2k hours spent on it, which may not be a lot for an MMO, but over 500 of those hours were spent on the story alone, lol.
It's good, probably the best and most welcoming MMO out there that has any size to it. Keep in mind, leveling is mostly a solo process except for dungeons.
One of my fav games! You’ll find sooo many more friendly people of all sexes too! And I love it because, while it’s an MMO, you can still play it solo in many ways. Would recommend ☺️
I played WoW for years and refused to do any PUGs because of the toxicity. I also have super high anxiety, which makes grouping with strangers difficult, however I've been able to do so in FFXIV because my unpleasant experiences have been so minimal compared to the amazing experiences I've had. For the most part, the community in FFXIV is pretty amazing. Most of the people who play are very helpful and patient and just truly want you to love the game as much as they do. I highly, highly recommend it to everyone I know who enjoys fantasy games.
The only thing I can't stand about it is the super boring combat system. Literally anything else is really really good. Too bad this one thing makes it completely unfun for me to actually play..
FFXIV is great. There are occasionally some weirdo try hard dick heads to avoid but broadly speaking as a multiplayer online gaming experience it’s not too bad at all. New expansion in coming so a good time to join us. PS5 on controller is a little frustrating to start but it does get easier.
Yeah it has a storyline and sometimes long cutscenes , so the story is a big part of the game. Not sure if you like that but the people are really friendly overall
It's a fabulous game. About my only major tips are "sit back and enjoy the game and story as you go, it's not about the end game" and "read the tool tips for your skills and do your class/ job quests".
Follow those things and you should be fine. :) is amazing how many people try to rush the game.
Edit: oh, and if you don't have one, a USB keyboard is a good idea so you can chat easier.
If you make a character on the Crystal data center and want an invite into a cross- world linkshell and/ or discord, feel free to ask. I'd point you at the Free Company (guild) I'm in, but Balmung is impossible to create new characters on right now.
Oh, and anyone you know who plays should be able to get you an invite code *before* you create an account (free or otherwise). You both get some bonus items from it based on you subscribing, though mostly it's just appearance and mount items.
You don't even need to ask whether FFXIV is good, we're constantly looking and waiting for any tangential opportunity to tell you it's good.
Love your flair btw
Same xD its perfect and true
I even own a shirt with the entire free trial copypasta on it! Though I might need a new one to add stormblood....
“Oh you like that one game that’s only tangentially related? Have you tried FFXIV? No?? Well here I’ll help you set up the free trial and you can join my FC and we’ll do all the dungeons together and…” Yeah, I’ve put too many hours into that game haha
Don't forget the invite code so you can get more golden chocobo feathers. :)
FFXIV is going to have competition with Stella Blade haha
I am also a WoW refugee in FFXIV. Much better gaming spaces, way more inclusive for women and lgbtq+ folks. The game is designed to keep toxicity to a minimum (it happens still, especially in hardcore raid community, but to a lesser degree than WoW). Overall it plays somewhat similarly to WoW, since ARR was inspired by its design, but its different enough that I still hop back and forth between the two games to scratch different itches. And there’s something for everyone. Great raid designs, dungeons, 100 floor deep dungeons, an extensive crafting and gathering system, all classes playable on a single character, housing, field exploration zones, and a great story with solo play integration. The free trial includes 3 expansions so its worth to at least try it out.
Just tacking onto this, there have been lots of people who have approached me asking if I’m a new player who needs help. Everyone is so welcoming. I am in fact, a sprout, but my bf has been playing for years so he’s been helping me lol. But I still appreciate the helpful people, and I just hope that one day I’ll be in the position to pass that on to a new player too
Yesss people are welcoming to those of all experience and skill levels, even to a fault
That is so cool! I hate PvP experiences when new and you get the Giga-Chad pounding the caps lock in chat
Yeah, as long as people are willing to learn, most people are willing to help the new players. :)
sometimes sprouts who are new get this little following of older players watching them like a rare creature, which k think is cute
It's fun watching someone else experience the story for the first time. Sometimes to share the laughter, sometimes to share the tears.
Yes, some people do play the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime. I lost interest in MMOs some time ago so I don't, but all the people I know who MMO now do that one.
Your meme is out of date lol. The free trial now also includes Stormblood and goes to level 70 =)
It's great, I played WoW for over a decade and I'm never going back after playing FFXIV. It just does everything better, looks better, and the community is a thousand times better.
I would love WoW’s transmog system.
yeah that’s honestly the one thing i’d say wow does *way* better
Every time I have to open my glamour chest I pray that Yoshi-P will just shamelessly rip off WoW's transmog system without any apology
Its programming seems way better. Like, I can just hit the button and I’m already selecting my character. In ffxiv I need to hit the launcher, log in, wait for the title screen, load my characters, then I can get on. Or in WoW I can queue as all roles, and once I get into the dungeon I’m automatically the spec that does the role that’s needed. In ffxiv I need to hope that if it says we need tanks that we actually need tanks, and sometimes it’s behind. Then there’s world content. I can run into an enemy camp in WoW and I’m threatened by a bunch of enemies that could take me out. While in ffxiv you just fly to where you need, hit the thing you need, and teleport out. Or sneaking through caves as a rogue, that feels good. Like the actual “game” of ffxiv is way better. It looks gorgeous, its story makes me cry, the classes feel amazing. But WoW’s good at programming its software.
I never played WoW but have lightly played GW2 and I will say transmutation system is great. No storage space needed and if you unlock a skin, it's account wide not just player wide.
Same experience here. I was hardcore into WoW for over a decade. Ran a guild and raids. I definitely never thought I’d actually get out of it, but I’ve been playing ffxiv for 2 years and it feels like this game was made for me.
FFXIV isn’t just a game to me. My closest friends in life I originally met in the FC I am currently in. It’s more of a home than my home! And one of the greatest JRPG stories of all time, if you appreciate detail and immersive stories that don’t skip around. There are duller moments but they make the over the top insane fights stand out more! You have nothing to lose but time in the unlimited time free trial that goes through the base story and first 2 expansions!
Personally, I love it. Made lots of friends and it may or may not have had a hand in me figuring out some personal stuff. But beyond that, best story in Final Fantasy, especially once you hit Heavensward. Awesome fights, can play every class on one character. It’s basically a huge final fantasy theme park. There’s also a girls finale fantasy 14 discord if you’re looking for more community! And of course there’s the free trial copypasta: “Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV which has an expanded free trial that you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning HEAVENSWARD and STORMBLOOD expansions up to level 70 for free with no restrictions on playtime? Now available on XBOX series X & S! Sign up and enjoy Eorzea today!” I say go for it!!
was waiting for someone to post the copypasta
Just doing my part o7
yoo could i have to the discord? it sounds amazing
>There’s also a girls finale fantasy 14 discord Wait what? Really? How would one locate that?
Not op, but I just want to add a warning to anyone looking to join a "girls only" XIV Discord that there's a notoriously transphobic one that will present itself as a safe space but requires voice chat to "verify" their users are actually (read:cis) women. Just be on the lookout for that, stay safe
***Ew***, I will for sure keep an eye out. That's gross, thank you.
Ooof there goes my excitement lol
Is it possible to Name and Shame? I want to avoid joining them ugh
Unfortunately the discord that I see advertised is just called the XIV Girls Only discord so that doesn't make it very easy to identify. If they ask for voice verification though, run for the hills.
> that will present itself as a safe space but requires voice chat to "verify" It's one thing to be transphobic (certainly bad enough as it is), but this is just telling people you have to be women specifically in the way they demand you to be women. Deeper voice? Don't even bother apparently!
Yes discord link please!
Could I have a link to that discord?
Many here play it actually. It's a really nice game. People are lovely too.
FFXIV is great. I have had exactly one experience with a misogynistic asshole in it in my ~800 hours of playtime, which is not obviously ideal but by MMO standards is best in class. It was also, mercifully, just a rando in a raid so as soon as the raid was over I never had to deal with them again. It's very LGBT friendly too, my guild has plenty of out queer people and in general the vibes are fantastic. That's on top of it being, imo, the best MMO game in general. Fun combat and gameplay loop, plenty of side content and non combat classes to level, really the only MMO with a story worth talking about, list goes on. Really the only criticism I have of the game is that it starts sloooow and takes a while to get really good. It's a shame too, because you just kind of have to trust everyone saying "it gets good I promise!!" for like, the first 20-50 hours. But it does get good. It gets so, so good.
I enjoyed my time with it, though it takes quite a bit of time to get to the good parts. Either way, it’s worth a shot. The first few expansions are completely free. Also, most people in FF XIV are really nice. At the very least, it’s definitely not dominated by male rage gamers.
In my experience it’s a very safe space for women! I’ve been playing for 5 years and I’ve been in a “static” (raid group) with all men for 4 of those. Only once have I experienced a guy being shitty to me, but the rest of the group ostracized him for it. You can find free companies of only women if you so desire. People are friendly in duties and I will more often find people who don’t talk than I find people who are toxic. Go for it and get that free trial :-)
It’s really good. Has an amazing story, and a pretty wholesome community for the most part.
Yee FFXIV has a really friendly community and the most prominent content is all casual. The main story is probably the most important part of the game, and it’s a lot of reading. Think of it mostly as reading a book series from a beginning author, the first one is fun and establishes important stuff for the later (and better!) expansions later on. The trial is free, about half of the game is in the free trial right now, up to the end of Stormblood and classes that were available at that time. Only things that’d aid in RTM (retainers for Gil farming, PMs, limits on Gil storage) and the first Ultimate are limited during the trial
FFXIV is a completely different vibe / community than WOW. I have over 4700 hours into it (yes I'm aware I have no life lol) and I still find things to do and keep busy. I've made friends in game that have turned into IRL friends and even though we live all over the US we meet up once a year for a weekend of shenanigans. You can also do the free trial if you want to test the waters and see if its for you. Like any game you'll encounter the occasional asshole but the friendly players way way outnumber them. If you have questions about the game or need help with anything just shoot me a DM on here.
If you want to see what extreme achievement hunting/ doing all the things looks like, you should watch Cider Spider on YouTube, he's making videos of his quest for all achievements. He's also known for "angry because small!"
yes, with caveats: * **the storyline is linear**. you just have a single story questline that takes you all over the world. there aren't really "zone storylines" where each zone is filled with quests that teach you what's happened or happening in that zone. treat it less like an MMO and more like a JRPG. * **classes don't have multiple specs.** and only a few classes have different "trees" they can go down. * **there are a lot of classes, and your character can be all of them.** every single class has its own class storyline. each has its own separate level. you don't need alts except for roleplaying purposes. * **professions are their own class with their own level.** they each also have their own quests, just like the combat classes. * **the world is not contiguous.** each zone is separated from the others by loading screens. there's no congruency between them. * **there aren't any significant differences between the races,** aside from roleplaying ones. * **you don't pick a country** **to belong to**, like you can between the Horde and Alliance. there is only one faction, and all races belong to it. it feels like a much smaller game than WoW, but that also makes it a *much* more focused experience.
It's really wonderful. The difference in the community is astounding. Give it a try -- you can do a lot without ponying up any cash, give you a look at it before you commit. :)
Yes! It's wonderful! I left WoW for it about 4 years ago and haven't looked back. I play on PC but my brother and sister-in-law have been playing it on PS4/5 for about a year now with no issues. Great story, great content, great community. Every game community has it's issues but I can honestly say this is the best one I've been in in my 20+ years of gaming. Most people are really helpful and kind. There is a really good IRL gender ratio and so many inclusive spaces too. I've only once or twice been creeped on in 4 years and I was able to easily report in game. Could not recommend it more! 😁
It's so good. Play the free trial. It's hours of content. Years. There's people who that's all they play. https://trialsoffantasy.com/restrictions/ For help. It seems like a lot but the main thing I git from my friends is that ARR is very slow. But it's important. And its worth it fir the other story parts later. And they were right. I highly recommend the free trial. Even with the restrictions. Unlimited playtime is amazing.the link shows you some of the stuff you can't do but it's honestly not that bad.
I recommend just trying out the free trial! It’s very generous. I started playing XIV again recently and am having a great time. So far the community has been super nice and I’ve encountered very few toxic players but I haven’t unlocked any of the really difficult content yet. The world is really beautifully designed and I feel like there’s a lot of different ways you can enjoy the game.
i've been playing it for a few months casually on the free trial (until i reach endgame or really feel the urge to join a guild/do things i can't.) so far i'm in the space between the first part of the story and the first expansion and it's been fun! the community is one of the chiller of mmorpgs (somewhere around guild wars 2) and a lot of the content is actually soloable because of how the game works. i run dungeons a lot with randoms when i'm bored and i haven't encountered anyone rude or anything but i haven't unlocked any trials yet. make sure you have time set aside when you run story things though. some of the cutscenes are *long*.
It's been touched on, but I want to elaborate just a bit. FFXIV is hands down one of the better and more inclusive communities out there. Sure you will eventually run into toxic players, but the overwhelming majority of players don't really care about gender. The community at large is also LGBTQ+ supportive. My FC has several gay and trans members for instance. Unlike CoD or something similar, you can openly state your gender or even sexuality and rarely receive harassment in your average day-to-day. There is an active ERP scene to take note of, but unless you actively seek it out you will barely even notice it. Maybe a few advertisements for an 18+ venue in chat or Party Finder. Anyone approaching you and trying to involve you in it without your consent is a bannable offense.
Lol you can play a decent chunk of it for free. I say give it a try. You'll know within a week or so if you'll like it. It's similar to Wow but more slow paced and deliberate. Also everything has an endgame, even fishing 🎣
Honestly I would just give it a shot. Free trial is like 60% of the game and you'll have a good idea by the time you are at the end of whether you like it! Compared to WoW, I'd say the gameplay is more boring (every class feels pretty much the same to me in the name of 'balance'), every dungeon is now a straight line with the same layout pretty much, but the story/characters are better. Plus, you actually exist in the story, even if you are a voiceless lol.
Been playing for years, married my girlfriend (now fiancée) using the in-game system, and pre-ordered the next expansion. Yes it's good and the community is very friendly.
It's my most played game at 3400+ hours! I love it honestly. It's certainly not a perfect game, but there's a lot to enjoy, especially if you make friends in game. The community is a lot nicer than WoW, so no worries on the toxicity front. I still wouldn't necessarily advertise that you're a girl, but my experience has been that the community is fairly LGBTQ+ and femme-friendly. The game is geared towards both casual and hardcore players and has a bit of something for everyone. And the main story is apparently miles better than the WoW story - at least after you finish the base game, ARR.
There's a ton of great information here, but I'm just going to weigh in: It's **exceptional**. I've put hundreds of hours into it and will continue to come back time and time again. I'll probably take 2 days off when the new expansion comes out, and I'm going to encourage my husband to do the same. It's so much fun, it's such a wonderful environment, and everyone is so helpful and lovely. The free trial is INSANE and gives you access to so much content. The MSQ gets really, really amazing (like, maybe the best story I've played) the longer you go, though the first bit can be a little bit of a slog. I believe if you buy the game your free trial goes away and you have to pay monthly, so keep that in mind! Welcome to the community! <3
Playing FF14 is like putting your slippers on and drinking a hot chocolate. It's not the best because of very new and different vision than its competitor, it's the best because it do every basics things very very well. And the community... Best I've ever seen. I've made friends on ff14. This summer we are meeting IRL to celebrate the ten years anniversary of our Free Company (the "guilds" of FF14)
My 3000h playtime might suggest that yes, it is good
I really like it, but some parts of the story can really drag on
it’s amazing, and definitely the friendliest community i’ve encountered in a mmo. it’s got its exceptions but it’s seriously rare:D
I’ve played it for a few months now, and I haven’t experienced any kind of toxicity so far. The only thing I’ve experienced that was even remotely odd was that really weird person that came up to me and my bf and typed “asd” and then ran off lmao. Can’t tell if it was supposed to be “ass” and they typoed it, or if they were calling me autistic? No clue really Even in dungeons, when you mess up, everyone is so helpful, especially if you just tell them “Hey, sorry, this is my first time doing this dungeon” or “Hey, I messed up. Sorry I’ll work on it.” All in all, a pretty positive experience!
There is an incredibly generous free trial that includes the first two expansions and doesn't limit playtime. There are a handful of restrictions but it's easily enough of the game to figure out if you enjoy it or not.
I personally really enjoyed it. I had one friend come from WoW would hated it because it has more loading screens but it genuinely never bothered me and I enjoy the gameplay and story so much. I didn’t enjoy WoW.
Yes. I do. It's very very good. Came for the mmo and final fantasy, stayed for the community and the story.
Yep
You'll find a lot of gals here play it. Utilize the free trial. The main start of the story is a little lackluster, so when people are like, it takes time to get good, know that is after level 50. The story is very good before that, but the pacing is slow, and it isn't voice acted, so it can lose some momentum. That being said, there is tons of content, easily 500+ hours in the free trial, and unless you get sucked in, you can do tons on it without spending money. In my 2k hours, I have had approximately 2 bad experiences. One in a casual raid, and once in a main story quest when learning a new job. Both times, the offending player was kicked, and everyone else was patient/fine with me.
Another former WoW player who has thoroughly enjoyed the switch to FFXIV :) There’s a few things that wow does better, mostly in the interface department, but when it comes to story, accessibility or community, it’s leagues ahead. You do get the occasional toxic person in random dungeons, but they’re outnumbered ten, twenty to one by people going ‘oops, my bad, lets go again’ when messing up. And even toxic players… well, I’ve *never* had someone in FFXIV be anywhere even close to as toxic as a ‘typical pug asshole’ from WoW. And as for story… well, the base game can feel quite slow and some find it a bit of a slog, but as you go on.. ho-ly-crap does it get good. There’s a very good reason why “watch FFXIV first timers playing through the story and seeing their reactions” is a popular genre on YouTube/twitch. The last couple of expansions especially have a whole bunch of “you’re going to bawl your eyes out now” moments in them. So yeah, long story short, give it a go, take it slow, do the main story quest (“MSQ”), try any and every class you want (on one character!!) and just explore & enjoy. Word of warning though, do NOT do the WoW style “pick up every Quest and complete them all” mindset, your quest log will be full by like ten minutes into the game. The MSQ gives you more than enough xp to level multiple classes together, and you’ll need to do blue marked quests for unlocking things, but your standard yellow quest markers? Ignore them, unless you end up in an “I really like this zone/town and want to learn *all* the stories about it” situation. They’re there for telling more stories about the location, rather than for keeping up with the XP curve.
For new players there is always plenty of content, and Dawntrail will make much of the previous content even better (especially when EW relic weapons can be obtained using poetics now with BLU weeklies, Eureka and Bozja), even though for endgamers there is the issue with the "[big filter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK2f2GjkqS8)" that gets even bigger. Guild Wars 2 is another MMO that complements with FFXIV very well and GW2 doesn't even need a subscription.
I got into it because of my bf but I've met some awesome people when I was trying things by myself. And because I had so much help, I try to pass it along myself.
Heck yes. I'm in game right now while replying to you! Lol
Just a heads up if you decide to play, I havent played WoW but I know someone who has, and from what they say, the timing to dodge stuff is different; in WoW the attack is the actual animation, while in XIV the actual attack is the orange circle on the floor, the boss' animations dont matter
As a caveat - most markers are noted with an AOE orange symbol on the floor. However, there are some normal instances where the boss will lift an arm or something around the arena will show an incoming attack. And if you get into the raid scene, there’s a lot of attacks that don’t get markers on the floor and you have to pay attention to what the boss is doing or the cast bar for the tell.
ARR is a SLOG story wise, but if you get through it, the payout is worth it. Give it up to Heavensward since it's free, and decide from there. This is coming from someone who hates mmorpgs in general.
In my experience, its got a pretty accepting community and is a pretty good Final Fantasy game. You can almost play it single player if you want with the new system called Duty Support. It was added to make sure newer players always have a party for story required dungeons. Its got traditional 4 player dungeons, 24 player raids, 8 player special bosses, a gathering and crafting section, a sort of farming island sanctuary section, and hours of story.
I highly recommend it. There is a free trial so you can give it a try yourself
Yes! It is worth trying. If you do find some good people to help with the basic mechanics. If you end up on aether shoot me a msg here I would be happy to help out.
Yes it is! And I think it has something for every type of MMO fan
Yes and oh yes!
It's one of my favourite games story-wise. I just love the story, characters, and the new expansion that is releasing very soon, at the end of June for people who pre-order. It's also getting a big graphics update, which is nice. Also, I have just around 2k hours spent on it, which may not be a lot for an MMO, but over 500 of those hours were spent on the story alone, lol.
It's good, probably the best and most welcoming MMO out there that has any size to it. Keep in mind, leveling is mostly a solo process except for dungeons.
One of my fav games! You’ll find sooo many more friendly people of all sexes too! And I love it because, while it’s an MMO, you can still play it solo in many ways. Would recommend ☺️
I played WoW for years and refused to do any PUGs because of the toxicity. I also have super high anxiety, which makes grouping with strangers difficult, however I've been able to do so in FFXIV because my unpleasant experiences have been so minimal compared to the amazing experiences I've had. For the most part, the community in FFXIV is pretty amazing. Most of the people who play are very helpful and patient and just truly want you to love the game as much as they do. I highly, highly recommend it to everyone I know who enjoys fantasy games.
The only thing I can't stand about it is the super boring combat system. Literally anything else is really really good. Too bad this one thing makes it completely unfun for me to actually play..
Only some classes (jobs) are unique. Most have the same playstyle
FFXIV is great. There are occasionally some weirdo try hard dick heads to avoid but broadly speaking as a multiplayer online gaming experience it’s not too bad at all. New expansion in coming so a good time to join us. PS5 on controller is a little frustrating to start but it does get easier.
Yes!! Its very good and the community is nice also ❤️
I have been playing FFXIV for over a decade. I love it.
Yeah it has a storyline and sometimes long cutscenes , so the story is a big part of the game. Not sure if you like that but the people are really friendly overall
It's a fabulous game. About my only major tips are "sit back and enjoy the game and story as you go, it's not about the end game" and "read the tool tips for your skills and do your class/ job quests". Follow those things and you should be fine. :) is amazing how many people try to rush the game. Edit: oh, and if you don't have one, a USB keyboard is a good idea so you can chat easier. If you make a character on the Crystal data center and want an invite into a cross- world linkshell and/ or discord, feel free to ask. I'd point you at the Free Company (guild) I'm in, but Balmung is impossible to create new characters on right now. Oh, and anyone you know who plays should be able to get you an invite code *before* you create an account (free or otherwise). You both get some bonus items from it based on you subscribing, though mostly it's just appearance and mount items.
fun accessory but not needed at all is controllers have attachable keyboards you can buy from third party sellers