This Game's Community...

[HAcoreRD]

After years of playing MMOs. Final Fantasy 11, WoW, Old Republic, Rift, Aion, GW2...this is one of those games I can say has a special community.

I quit this FF14 some 5 months after release because I had maxed two classes, and couldn't commit to raiding. That and my friends who I met through leveling quit (after giving me their gil), and my free company collapsed. I returned yesterday after being fizzled out of Warcraft. My friend from work spoke highly of the game, and despite him being on another server, I wanted to come back before the expansion. Just to see if it was worth a second look.

I came in with item level 66, never toughed an extreme primal fight, and I was decked in the finest Dark light gear my Dragoon could wear. I shouted for a FC, and got an immediate invite with a teamspeak channel. These guys picked me off the street, gave me HQ Ilevel 90 gear, and carried me through Moogle king, Titan/Garuda extreme, and soon to be Ifrit. All the while keeping me encouraged to keep plugging away at my story quests.

They then held their weekly guild meeting, which takes place in their Guild House in a very Carbuncle themed room, and spoke of raising more money and helping the other returning people gear and progress for the expansion. I was introduced: "This is Leaping lizzy, a returning player. No he wont drop his boots."

Honestly, in any other MMO I wouldn't have gotten as much done in a day as I have in this. It's not even me working, it's others helping a player out above and beyond what I'd expect.

This game's community is something fantastic.

[Graeham]

It's very refreshing. A few bad apples exist here and there but for the most part my experiences with FFXIV's community have been very positive. I play on Balmung - the unofficial role-playing server - and I've met more friendly people in the year and a half that I've played FFXIV then I did during the seven years I played WoW...

[Deleted]

The amazing thing is this is par for the course as well, this has been my experience with the game as well so far and any of the usual attitudes I'd find in any other mmo are actually the exception here. It makes me want to be nicer to people as well, which is great

[Advent]

Well I haven't met anyone yet, but I guess this bodes well for only roughly 2 month played.

[Snuckerpooks]

I've been playing or one month and have loved my interaction with other players. I play with Japanese players but all English speakers have been equally nice if not more by helping me with leveling gear.

I've been really amazed at this community.

[A Chozo]

Had a very similar experience! Got into a free company, and everytime I login, people go "Hey S'eer!". It's refreshing. Also had a reunion in their Ifrit-themed Company House's auditorium, where the FC's Miqo'te overlords planned to do an Libra-themed event for the members.

Nice people. 10/10.

In comparsion, if I log in on WoW, the guild doesn't even care. They only greet the people from their inner circle. It's... sad.

[dope_danny]

I had similar experiences. Not just in FC though, aside from the growing cliche of the french troll player the communities were the sort were people would /wave in town and talk instead of whisper. People were known for being traders, or manic chefs with a big stockpile of ingredients for anyone needing raid or xp foods and so on.

Sadly everytime i DID see a douchebag in FFXIV they usually had names like "darklady windrunner" or "princess lichking" or "arthass dkqt", take from that what you will -_-

[xezar]

Had a very similar experience! Got into a free company, and everytime I login, people go "Hey S'eer!". It's refreshing. Also had a reunion in their Ifrit-themed Company House's auditorium, where the FC's Miqo'te overlords planned to do an Libra-themed event for the members.

Nice people. 10/10.

In comparsion, if I log in on WoW, the guild doesn't even care. They only greet the people from their inner circle. It's... sad.

Funny, I get that vibe quite a bit from WoW as well. Hell I was even one of the ones who transferred with several others to a new server and it's pretty much no one cares.

[Deleted]

Dam i just returned and my previous FC is gone. All i can find on Pheonix server is French and German FC's :/

Hope to find a similar FC, not interested in being given gear but am interested playing with a nice bunch who i can do the harder stuff with.

[Deleted]

My gf started playing yesterday and she had an awesome thing happen to her on her first day! While she was out exploring the early areas of the shroud a lvl 50 dragoon comes up and seeing the little green leaf by her name proceeded to ask her if she was new! She told her (dragoon was also a girl) yes and then the dragoon gave her 50k Gil and put out her 2 seat chocobo to guide her around her quests and fates! She called me right after to tell me! Needless to say she's sold

[Pterodactylus]

Maybe all the toxic people crying about no flying and canceling their subs in WoW will join the FFXIV and poison the community?

[Veluren]

Maybe all the toxic people crying about no flying and canceling their subs in WoW will join the FFXIV and poison the community?

I hope to god not, though I am expecting at least a degree of the floodgate of dumb to open with Heavensward, all those lost subs are going somewhere, and it's probably not Wildstar or GW2

Every now and then I run into some incredibly toxic idiots, but that's usually in 24 mans where the anonymity is stronger than the rest of the game, I guess the fact that dungeons pull from your server before looking cross-server helps with the "If I'm an asshole, people will know because we're on the same server" mentality.

Rule one I've learned over my years of existing on the internet, people are only as assholish as they can get away with.

Still, I rarely have issue with the community as a whole, most of the drama I've dealt with in XIV has been from divas who tried to throw a hissy in our FC and promptly got booted for it.

[Grym]

Maybe all the toxic people crying about no flying and canceling their subs in WoW will join the FFXIV and poison the community?

WoW took away flying, people rage quit over that.


Now FFXIV adding flying.

I have a bad omen.

[Sgtkreoss]

Ill speak to the other side of this coin, I just tried the game after finally getting a computer that could run it. I had one FC approach me but I declined the invite cause it was a dry invite, with no preface. Since then I joined a FC but when I type in FC chat they pretty much ignore me, varying from good mornings to questions. There not bad people though, there just first name basis with each other, and meet in rl for events. But not having any community or people to talk to has been sucking the fun out of the game for me. I'm very tempted to Xfer servers, or do something cause the game is fun, but I dunno. Bummer to make it to 40 and quit.

[Grym]

Ill speak to the other side of this coin, I just tried the game after finally getting a computer that could run it. I had one FC approach me but I declined the invite cause it was a dry invite, with no preface. Since then I joined a FC but when I type in FC chat they pretty much ignore me, varying from good mornings to questions. There not bad people though, there just first name basis with each other, and meet in rl for events. But not having any community or people to talk to has been sucking the fun out of the game for me. I'm very tempted to Xfer servers, or do something cause the game is fun, but I dunno. Bummer to make it to 40 and quit.

What server are you on?

[Sgtkreoss]

What server are you on?

It's Courel (Sp?) I started here due to my friends playing on this server but none made it past 15

[Advent]

Ill speak to the other side of this coin, I just tried the game after finally getting a computer that could run it. I had one FC approach me but I declined the invite cause it was a dry invite, with no preface. Since then I joined a FC but when I type in FC chat they pretty much ignore me, varying from good mornings to questions. There not bad people though, there just first name basis with each other, and meet in rl for events. But not having any community or people to talk to has been sucking the fun out of the game for me. I'm very tempted to Xfer servers, or do something cause the game is fun, but I dunno. Bummer to make it to 40 and quit.

I'm not experiencing much social interaction either, and I'm on Gilgamesh. I don't think the answer is to quit, but then again I'm just enjoying playing the ninja. In fact, this is the most entertaining game I've played since gw2. I stopped playing that game for a while because I didn't want to progress in dungeons and fractals by dropping my necromancer so I came here. No doubt, it would be infinitely better with a really active and helpful FC though.

[Ferrair]

I agree.

WoW is just... whatever, it drove me to find other means of entertainment and since I had a FF XIV ARR CE that i played for a few hours only, i decided why not, subbed and tried it again.

Within an hour, I got a tell from a FC, speaking to me in complete sentences, perfect english, asking me how i was enjoying the game, would i like to join their FC, its a casual/social FC, rank 8 bla bla bla, i was amazed. we conversed for about 30mins before he invited me to the FC.

In WoW you would get the standard "Hi we are a group of casual raiders looking for people, join us etc. etc." then they throw an invite and thats it.

I went in to dungeons/raids blind, learnt everything on the go and it was amazing, no cursing/swearing, some people helped me along, it was awesome.

The game itself is also fun, tons of stuff to do, at least for me. my FC members are all busy getting cosmetic gear, selling pony runs to earn money so we can buy a bigger plot of land for the FC and pay for the airship in Heavensward.


I have yet to run into trolls/idiots yet, even in Coils and World of darkness raids, 1 guy even facepulled the other day and everyone was like "ok who's being impatient" "lets wait for the rest", no swearing, no name calling, no vote kicks, amazing.

and having an FC really helps, i didnt understand anything about the game and they helped me a lot.

i'm sure there are some trolls somewhere but so far, im in Tonberry and have yet to meet one, even in Shout, people are generally quite amiable.

- - - Updated - - -

I hope to god not, though I am expecting at least a degree of the floodgate of dumb to open with Heavensward, all those lost subs are going somewhere, and it's probably not Wildstar or GW2

Every now and then I run into some incredibly toxic idiots, but that's usually in 24 mans where the anonymity is stronger than the rest of the game, I guess the fact that dungeons pull from your server before looking cross-server helps with the "If I'm an asshole, people will know because we're on the same server" mentality.

Rule one I've learned over my years of existing on the internet, people are only as assholish as they can get away with.

Still, I rarely have issue with the community as a whole, most of the drama I've dealt with in XIV has been from divas who tried to throw a hissy in our FC and promptly got booted for it.

Wait til they find out they need to complete the insanely long Main Story to access Heavensward stuff.

They will flip their shit and quit, and FF XIV will be saved from the dumb.

[Sohrae]

In WoW you would get the standard "Hi we are a group of casual raiders looking for people, join us etc. etc." then they throw an invite and thats it.

To be fair, a casual guild in WoW is pretty much just a cesspool guild unless you find a group of friends. You can still find decent communities in raiding (and I guess pvp) guilds, I just think the game for a 'casual' player has a lot lacking in terms of being able to join in with the community as a whole. I have actually come across this type of purely social cesspool guild/FC in FF:ARR too where you get instantly invited and when you say "hello" you are met with silence even though there are 20+ people online.

The thing that I think helps the community in FF:ARR are the many reasons to actually communicate with other people outside of your free company (in WoW I felt like guilds were a comfort zone for people). Link shells for chatting or hunts, static raid groups with a mix of FC players, FATE parties and even crafting are 4 things that come to mind that help people to connect with others.

I have only been playing the game for around 3 months and I have seen some horrible people, but as some have already said its the internet so you can't escape them all. I actually think the most toxic things I have seen being said in any public chat lately have been because people are sick of seeing "selling coil runs, selling pony runs" etc or if someone missed a hunt target or FATE and they throw a tantrum.

My FC are awesome and have been helping me above and beyond as the OP has said about their FC. They helped me complete Steps of Faith before it was nerfed because I had been stuck on it for so long lol and just last night I was taken to coil to learn the fights and through some of the extreme primal fights.

I actually tried playing WoW again, but the first thing that I found to be a huge brick wall to me being able to enjoy it was trying to find a guild as I was so behind in gear (and everyone seems to have some sort of requirement for ilvl/achievements) and as mentioned.. social guilds aren't particularly social lol.

[Polarthief]

I have a theory for why FFXIV's community is so positive, but I don't think you guys will enjoy it: It's because PvP is a minigame. Think about it. PvP brings out the absolute WORST in people (that and people not listening/following directions in raids). With PvP being a side-game, we don't have two types of players constantly fighting for their side to be heard more. In addition, we don't have the typical PvP trolls constantly harassing PvE players in their content.

Just a theory, of course, not 100% (as there's still tons of bad apples), but... yeah. That's all I got XD

That said, outside of CT, I've rarely encountered trolls.