Ff14 is just so lonely

[Lighthope]

I keep trying to get into Ff14 but the game seems to go out of its way to keep people isolated.

Making new players have to seek out a mentor to join NN.

No world chat.

FCs that are just as bad as guilds in WOW.

I keep trying FF and keep wandering away because the world full of people (Balmung) is so empty.

[Swnem]

It's a game of extremes.

It needs to be played as a single player game for the longest time. But, to do some stuff you need a pre-made group. Eureka, Savage, Bozja, alot of BLU content, etc.

I do have an easier time getting a good guild in WoW. What upsets me in FF is the "static" concept. People make off-guild groups to raid and the groups are often closed. That makes it extremely difficult to find a raiding group.
With that said, it is also up to you to socialize with other people and make friends. I do wish that the systems were better organized though.

[Saltysquidoon]

FCs that are just as bad as guilds in WOW.

How so? I mean depending on your answer to my question I suspect no game is going to give you what you're looking for.

Guilds have always been 'the community' in WoW, you can't honestly expect randoms off the street who don't know you from a bar of soap to strike up a conversation.

[Lighthope]

How so? I mean depending on your answer to my question I suspect no game is going to give you what you're looking for.

Guilds have always been 'the community' in WoW, you can't honestly expect randoms off the street who don't know you from a bar of soap to strike up a conversation.

That is one of the beauties of world chat. You can jump into a public conversation. FCs are like knocking on a door of someone's house.

[Arewn]

The story is mostly solo (though even there, the dungeons and trials are group), but the rest of the game is good and proper multiplayer. Often requiring groups in fact.

It's true that highly convenient LFG tools can degrade aspects of community building, but it's also true that at a certain point the onus is on the player to reach out and be social if that's what they are seeking from the game.

If I'm feeling chatty, then I chat with the randoms I'm in group content with. They aren't always receptive, but often enough you'll get some banter back.
If you want to be part of a social community, you'll have to do some searching and find an FC or linkshell or static that is the right fit for you. I play off and on, but have been a part of the same FC and linkshell since Heavensward. Every time I come back to the game, a few of my old FC mates will be around too, and we'll occasionally chat and hit up roulettes or raids or whatever. And that works for me.

Take a college campus for example. It's a place full of people around the same age, forced into classes and groups together, with plenty of social hubs and recreation available. But you'll still be lonely if you don't put in the time and effort to socialize.

[Mifuyne]

Balmung? There should be enough people at the quicksands

[Saltysquidoon]

Wait, you're lonely in FFXIV because there's no barrens chat? Spicey take my man.

[Tenjen]

the novice community chat is essentially a world chat, but helpful

[Val the Moofia Boss]

FFXIV is an epic JRPG first, and an MMO second.

If you want to find other people to play with, join discords or try to get into an FC.

FCs that are just as bad as guilds in WOW.

In my experience each guild is different. Some are populated by nutters, others are totally chill. Keep trying.

- - - Updated - - -

Wait, you're lonely in FFXIV because there's no barrens chat? Spicey take my man.

Seeing other people's names does help give the impression that the world is lively, even when it's a glorified singleplayer experience.

- - - Updated - - -

Balmung? There should be enough people at the quicksands

I think he means he isn't really seeing many other people when he is out in the zones, like walking across Western Coerthas or whatever (well it's also because people can just fly, same problem as WoW where after BC you didn't really see people in the zones while questing).

[Graeham]

It's a real shame, though the game can feel very quiet at times. Free Companies are very hit or miss, I've found. Most of the people who are serious about coming together for content already have a group to operate with, too - so it can be tough finding a reliable bunch of players to raid or delve into multiplayer content with.

[KrayZ33]

Maybe.

I like it that way though, because people are dumb and you'd have to ignore the chats anyway during leveling because people would spoil everything with some kind of snarky remark about something that implies XY is going to happen by saying shit and then they'd pretend they didn't spoil - after all, they didn't spell out the character names or bullshit like that.

Like

X to Y:"What did you think about *that* death scene?"
Z: "Oh man, don't tell me "Wombojumbo" is really going to die?? Thanks for the spoiler man"
X:"I didn't say who is going to die" or "the game is out for 3 months now, everyone probably knows that already" - herpa derpa.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Expecting everyone to casually blow through a 200-300 hour long story in 3 months is rather ridiculous, especially when people who have jobs and responsibilities don't have that much time to play anyway.

[heartless8604]

Between Free Companies and Linkshells there is always somewhere to talk and meet people. FF14 is far more social than wow is to me. Most Guilds in wow barely say a word. You'll have a hundred plus people online and not a word will be said. WoW has a problem with raid loggers and a general lack of things to do. FF14 has a lot more to do and the player base tends to be far more open and friendly.

[xmirrors]

The downside to having a driven narrative for your character. Your first character that levels by following the story can't really do it all that well in a group. My wife and I leveled separately because grouping just didn't work. Kind of the same problem SWTOR had but worse.

Leveling alt jobs can be very social but your first experience will probably be quite lonely. At least they do try to force some social interaction with quests requiring dungeon runs.

[Flame6]

The worst thing is trying to level your first job with friends. The game pretty much forces you to do it solo.

[Talrath]

its especially empty because of one reason, the content has been dry for a long time because of covid. Their schedule has been maybe delayed by around 4 months and their concept is that they come with some content every 3 months. So everyone (Raiders mostly) are bored and start doing something else, well the raiders that are like me.

The savage raids (5.2) have been up from februari, so most of the people have done them or atleast killed 2 bosses and so are content with their gear progress. 5.25 came with a trial and a quest for relic quest. 5.3 came with a new 24 man raid wich was fun doing once, but after that I didnt do it since I didnt need the gear and this must be the case for most people aswell. 5.35 came and with it the bozjan front instance (kinda like a bg but pve only) + relic weapon quest. Finished the relic weapon quest that same day and got the weapon, got gear of the bozjan front after a week or so.

The other people in FF14 start lvling alts or show off their glamours or grind mounts/pets, but well I like raiding so I wont be doing that.

[Swnem]

its especially empty because of one reason, the content has been dry for a long time because of covid. Their schedule has been maybe delayed by around 4 months and their concept is that they come with some content every 3 months. So everyone (Raiders mostly) are bored and start doing something else, well the raiders that are like me.

The savage raids (5.2) have been up from februari, so most of the people have done them or atleast killed 2 bosses and so are content with their gear progress. 5.25 came with a trial and a quest for relic quest. 5.3 came with a new 24 man raid wich was fun doing once, but after that I didnt do it since I didnt need the gear and this must be the case for most people aswell. 5.35 came and with it the bozjan front instance (kinda like a bg but pve only) + relic weapon quest. Finished the relic weapon quest that same day and got the weapon, got gear of the bozjan front after a week or so.

The other people in FF14 start lvling alts or show off their glamours or grind mounts/pets, but well I like raiding so I wont be doing that.

The covid thing has affected all mmo's.

SWTOR has not had a new planet or raid in more than a year.
WoW hasn't had a new raid in 11 months.

The problem with FFXIV is that they seem to waste so many resources on content that gets abandoned quickly. In this case Bozja. A new zone, several new fates, several raid bosses and a raid instance locked behind it all requiring a grind that basically requites a pre-made group.
This content will be locked to many players yet a ridiculous amount of resources was put into it.
They could have done at least 2 dungeons or 4 trials with those resources and say a new daily zone and an alliance raid.
I can only imagine the riot if Blizzard did something like that. Then, Yoshi says in interview he would like a mythic+ like system but they don't have the resources. Like, sure... when you are wasting them like this you won't.

[Subrias]

interesting.. everyone i know seems to feel the exact opposite.. lol

[Feronar]

The problem with FFXIV is that they seem to waste so many resources on content that gets abandoned quickly. In this case Bozja. A new zone, several new fates, several raid bosses and a raid instance locked behind it all requiring a grind that basically requites a pre-made group.
This content will be locked to many players yet a ridiculous amount of resources was put into it.

Actually, Castrum Lacus Litore (The "capstone" raid in Bozja) is absolutely 100% puggable, and no harder than a typical LFR in WoW, even with as few as 30 or so players out of a possible 48. When it's up, you can queue for it, and if there is room (Practically guaranteed, as I have *never* seen a completely full Castrum raid), you will be able to join.

[Swnem]

Actually, Castrum Lacus Litore (The "capstone" raid in Bozja) is absolutely 100% puggable, and no harder than a typical LFR in WoW, even with as few as 30 or so players out of a possible 48. When it's up, you can queue for it, and if there is room (Practically guaranteed, as I have *never* seen a completely full Castrum raid), you will be able to join.

I know. I managed to find a nice group that basically tolled me around.

No casual player is gonna get to that point. I have an FC member that doesnt like grouping and was farming fates one at a time solo.
It is incredibly stressful. I tried that as well, but a single mob can easily kill you and make you lose mettle. No casual player is gonna go to castrum, even if it's easy. The place (bozja) is not casual friendly.
I dunno if it's the same with castrum, but in critical engagements you can queue solo but then you aren't grouped with anyone. It's completely dumb. If you are in a dps no one is gonna heal you and you will die and lose mettle, which defeats the purpose.
Sure, you can get some of those ancient abilities and items, but solo it's gonna be slow and hard. I don't see a reason why it has to be this contrived.
In turn, these restrictions lead the place to lose population fast.
Surely there is a better way to make this content work or use the resources to something everyone can enjoy.