What's so good about FFXIV?

[kail]

I didn’t think the story was that great. It’s okay, but not amazing or anything.

It’s cool how it all connects and everything, and it does get better the more you understand the lore, but I never really felt that engaged and curious what was going to happen next the vast majority of the time. It felt more just slow and tedious.

I had a hard time getting into the cutscenes to, the characters looked and felt like animatronic puppets to me and I just couldn’t take it seriously.

I did try to like it, but I just can’t really get into it.

I do like the game and I play it instead of WoW now, but I don’t get the story hype.

The story hype is that it's probably the best story among MMOs (not my opinion but just the general sense that the story has its connecting arcs and interesting characters).

[Lane]

I'm still stuck in the part that i have to train them and give them missions. I'm still going blind on this feature, so i choose to level them up as training. I hope it doesn't take forever before i'm able to use them for Dungeons....or idk what else? Are they also companions?

This is the best guide I've seen. It seems like it might take a couple weeks?

[Cthulhu 2020]

This has kind of always been my argument especially when people compare WoW and FF14. I honestly don't notice or care about the gear stats in either game. 99% of the time, both games ilvl is king so it doesn't even matter (barring trinkets). I wouldn't even be mad if they scrapped "gearing" entirely and made it fully cosmetic. Obviously I'd hope for that resource to go somewhere else interesting in the game, but that's how little I care about stats on gear and I say this as a savage/mythic raider with good parses.

Not to get into a WoW vs FFXIV topic, but when I see people complain about the raiding scene, one of the most common things they mention is "meaningful" gear progression that WoW apparently has and FFXIV doesn't. And yet both MMOs completely wipe the slate clean, making new patch gear always better no matter what. So I don't know why folks think the raiding scene in FFXIV has less meaningful gear progression. If anything, I like FFXIV in that Ultimates are a FORM of gear progression, not because of stats, but because they will always carry some level of prestige. Last I recall, WoW doesn't really have anything equivalent to that. Nothing that is a PERMANENT status symbol. Everyone can go back into old raids eventually and farm the gear, mounts, pets, etc. Will never be able to do that with ultimates. And when folks say "glamour is the true endgame" it sounds like a meme but it's completely true.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Not to get into a WoW vs FFXIV topic, but when I see people complain about the raiding scene, one of the most common things they mention is "meaningful" gear progression that WoW apparently has and FFXIV doesn't. And yet both MMOs completely wipe the slate clean, making new patch gear always better no matter what. So I don't know why folks think the raiding scene in FFXIV has less meaningful gear progression. If anything, I like FFXIV in that Ultimates are a FORM of gear progression, not because of stats, but because they will always carry some level of prestige. Last I recall, WoW doesn't really have anything equivalent to that. Nothing that is a PERMANENT status symbol. Everyone can go back into old raids eventually and farm the gear, mounts, pets, etc. Will never be able to do that with ultimates. And when folks say "glamour is the true endgame" it sounds like a meme but it's completely true.

Perhaps that person meant item effects? In WoW, many raid drops have an effect that change your class' gameplay, which is more exciting than getting another stat stick, whereas in FFXIV there are zero armor pieces in that game that give you a new passive or an ability or augment your abilities. Just pure stat sticks.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Perhaps that person meant item effects? In WoW, many raid drops have an effect that change your class' gameplay, which is more exciting than getting another stat stick, whereas in FFXIV there are zero armor pieces in that game that give you a new passive or an ability or augment your abilities. Just pure stat sticks.

Has there been any kind of set bonus or trinket that truly made significant changes to your gameplay though? Back when I mostly stopped playing Legion, raiding on 5 classes, I can't remember any time that there was a trinket or set bonus that did anything other than boost my damage more than other pieces would. Like, trinkets have been boring DPS (or tank or healing) boosters ever since wrath. Legendaries changed your gameplay a lot, but people calculated out the "best" legendries and you got those and that was your class.

I will say a big thing I like about FFXIV is the predictability. WoW involves a lot of gambling and RNG in its progression, sometimes making it so that you get something you want super early, and a lot of the times making it seem like forever to get the item you want. Plus in the expansion and patch cycles, they make new systems and abandon old ones. They release broken and half finished and only truly come in to what I'd consider halfway salvageable content when they patch it a few months later.

In FF the only real randomness is in rolling on gear coffers if you're in PF. And if you're in a static, your group hands those things out anyway. And if you go a long time without getting any loot, there's always books to exchange for gear that you can't seem to win. Patches and patch cycles are predictable but at the same time satisfying because you know every 3-3.5 months you're going to get some new content. Even if it's not raiding, there's always some new little system that's fun to play with. For as much as people talk about raids being king, I think the vast majority of people like those new little systems. Triple Triad, Chocobo racing, Ishgard restoration, Mahjong, Manderville (which sadly there was no quests for ShB), and so forth. You get new systems, as well as updates to old systems. Plus you'll know they always release complete, tested, and not half baked.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Has there been any kind of set bonus or trinket that truly made significant changes to your gameplay though?

Several! As a Warrior main in MoP, one of the tier bonuses made me go faster when I used Heroic Leap, and I loved it. Fortunately many other warrior players agreed, and due to its popularity it became a glyph in WoD. The SoO prot Pally set made pocket healing viable because of the free cast of a max power Word of Glory. The Windwalker Monk set made the already fast WW gameplay even faster (and funner). And so on. I hated the randomness involved in Legion's RNGendaries, but the effects were quite fun. Soul of the Deathlord gave me an additional talent for having it equipped, so I could have two level 90 talents active at once! And the negative bonuses on the N'zoth corruption gear was interesting. Such as slowing your movement speed or summoning an eye that damaged you, so there were tradeoffs that really changed your gameplay. Felt like a classic CRPG like Morrowind, where you had those boots that gave you a huge speed boost but also lowered your hit rate.

There isn't anything like this in FFXIV. No game changing loot to look forward to. Just the next stat stick with higher numbers I forget about.

- - - Updated - - -

Legendaries changed your gameplay a lot, but people calculated out the "best" legendries and you got those and that was your class.

Picking meta builds only really mattered in high end raiding. If you're some casual bumming about the world, you can go with whatever (though unfortunately world content after MoP is quite lackluster, but that's another discussion).

- - - Updated - - -

For as much as people talk about raids being king, I think the vast majority of people like those new little systems. Triple Triad, Chocobo racing, Ishgard restoration, Mahjong, Manderville (which sadly there was no quests for ShB), and so forth. You get new systems, as well as updates to old systems. Plus you'll know they always release complete, tested, and not half baked.

I do quite like the other fluff FFXIV adds like the jumping puzzles and the ocean fishing expeditions (wish they would add more), but that isn't mutually exclusive with fun gear, and fun gear doesn't have to come only from raids.

[Echo of Soul]

I played WoW to lvl 30 and it sucked. That's what a lot of you sound like

[xmirrors]

Has there been any kind of set bonus or trinket that truly made significant changes to your gameplay though?

Sure. Here is a random example: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Bar...sin_Battlegear

Examples like that are few and far between, but even items that were purely throughput still gave you a feeling of something to chase. The tier sets had unique visuals and unique effects, making them highly sought after. It gave you motivation to do raids and kill certain bosses. Everything being a stat stick doesn't allow for that nearly as well. Even though I've raided in FFXIV for certain glamour pieces I couldn't even tell you what they were called...because the only exciting thing about them were the looks. I don't look back and fondly remember getting a certain drop in a FFXIV raid. I do for WoW.

Back when I mostly stopped playing Legion, raiding on 5 classes, I can't remember any time that there was a trinket or set bonus that did anything other than boost my damage more than other pieces would. Like, trinkets have been boring DPS (or tank or healing) boosters ever since wrath. Legendaries changed your gameplay a lot, but people calculated out the "best" legendries and you got those and that was your class.

That is certainly true to an extent, although there have been plenty of fun trinkets with actual unique effects in every expansion, but a trinket having a 'boring' DPS boosting effect is still better than yet another stat stick. Something > nothing.

The best part about tier sets were the visuals, so FFXIV isn't too different in that regard. The set bonuses were just icing on the cake, even more reason to want to chase them down. Every single tier people would be hyped up to see the tier sets get datamined. Really don't get that at all with FFXIV.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

The best part about tier sets were the visuals, so FFXIV isn't too different in that regard. The set bonuses were just icing on the cake, even more reason to want to chase them down. Every single tier people would be hyped up to see the tier sets get datamined. Really don't get that at all with FFXIV.

I think the problem is that FFXIV doesn't have strong armor aesthetics like WoW does. In WoW, character aesthetics are hugely important. Clearly defined silhouettes. Huge hulking shoulderpads. Huge weapons. The gloves and boots are pretty important too. As of late, they've been knocking it out of the park with the chestpieces, belts, and legs too; they aren't just painted on textures like they used to be. Most classes have iconic aesthetics, such as Death Knights with skulls and chains, or righteous paladins, or the tatooed Illidari, and so on. But with FFXIV, the job with iconic aesthetics are the dragoon. Everyone else is rather forgettable, and the only really defining piece of gear is your hat. FFXIV gear looks rather lackluster compared to WoW gear.

[shadowmatrix]

I'm still stuck in the part that i have to train them and give them missions. I'm still going blind on this feature, so i choose to level them up as training. I hope it doesn't take forever before i'm able to use them for Dungeons....or idk what else? Are they also companions?

http://ffxivsquadron.com

If your going to take the time dealing with squadrons then bookmark that website. Top section is easy to understand,
Second section is where you put in your squadron's information with the lightning at the end being chemistry that unlocks later, all parts can be important.
Section 3 lets you simulate training. Remember that your squadron has two stat lines, the squadron overall as well as stats for each member.

The right side shows the results as party make up with recommended training underneath.

[Xilurm]

They'd have to completely rework the Squadrons for me to find them interesting. More like Trusts. I only got them to the lvl necessary or w/e I needed to do to get that last rank promotion in the GC.

[DanskenVI]

1. It runs on every computer
2. it's appealing to a large asian market

ESO is booming harder in the west than FF at the moment

[Wrecktangle]

Not to get into a WoW vs FFXIV topic, but when I see people complain about the raiding scene, one of the most common things they mention is "meaningful" gear progression that WoW apparently has and FFXIV doesn't. And yet both MMOs completely wipe the slate clean, making new patch gear always better no matter what. So I don't know why folks think the raiding scene in FFXIV has less meaningful gear progression.

I'm probably not the greatest person to have this discussion with merely because I could care less about gear especially compared to most. I'd be glad to offer my insight if you cared, but like I said previously, I think both games have shitty vertical gearing schemas. I do LOVE me some glamour in FF14 though, significantly more so than WoW. There's a handful of sets in WoW that are like the toppest of top tiers aesthetically (like literally 3 for me), but on average FF14 has significantly better ones that are much easier to mix and match sets. There are even some really great standout ones.

If anything, I like FFXIV in that Ultimates are a FORM of gear progression, not because of stats, but because they will always carry some level of prestige. Last I recall, WoW doesn't really have anything equivalent to that. Nothing that is a PERMANENT status symbol. Everyone can go back into old raids eventually and farm the gear, mounts, pets, etc. Will never be able to do that with ultimates. And when folks say "glamour is the true endgame" it sounds like a meme but it's completely true.

This is true, but with caveats IMO. It's well known in the high end community that ultimates get easier as time goes on. They're still challenging mechanically, but only TEA has a DPS check anymore due to potency buffs and job changes. This may be impacted further in EW when the squish comes.

Has there been any kind of set bonus or trinket that truly made significant changes to your gameplay though? Back when I mostly stopped playing Legion, raiding on 5 classes, I can't remember any time that there was a trinket or set bonus that did anything other than boost my damage more than other pieces would. Like, trinkets have been boring DPS (or tank or healing) boosters ever since wrath. Legendaries changed your gameplay a lot, but people calculated out the "best" legendries and you got those and that was your class.

Plenty of the years, but my memory is a little hazy on the more recent ones. I have fond memories of WoD Ret where your spender would buff your other spender allowing you alternate finishers. I also really enjoyed the one from WotLK that made it so when you crit it did like 20% of the damage over 6s as a DoT which could be repeatedly rolled over, so you would try and stack crit and time your abilities to overlap crits and get a huge DoT. There's the one that makes HoW available anytime on spender proc, that would then subsequently make your next Exorcism generate 3x resource.

[FossilFree]

The raids and trials in FF14 are challenging and awesome. They put every other game's raids to shame, really.

[Swnem]

They'd have to completely rework the Squadrons for me to find them interesting. More like Trusts. I only got them to the lvl necessary or w/e I needed to do to get that last rank promotion in the GC.

The trust system is the evolution of the squadron system. It's doubtful they will do anything else with it. Squadrons only go till level 60.
But, they aren't so bad if you are leveling a dps job. The queue is instant and you get an archer dps in there for the great damage.

[Albertacanady]

FFXIV is a fun and interesting game I like playing it. But the real problem is the Balance Discord and the ffxiv reddit discord to an extent. Balance discord mods are the same people who gatekeep the entire endgame community. The are some of the worst most miserable people on the planet and a majority of them are beyond disgusting when you get to know them.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

FFXIV is a fun and interesting game I like playing it. But the real problem is the Balance Discord and the ffxiv reddit discord to an extent. Balance discord mods are the same people who gatekeep the entire endgame community. The are some of the worst most miserable people on the planet and a majority of them are beyond disgusting when you get to know them.

Yeah that discord isn't very helpful. Also reddit by it's very nature isn't a good place for discussion because the upvote system creates echochambers that filters out the dissenters.

[Echo of Soul]

One thing I've realized recently is that I enjoy all the sexual innuendo sprinkled throughout the game and sometimes it's not even innuendo, it's right in your face LOL.

I really appreciate that the devs can have some fun that both men and women can appreciate

[Binaris]

Final fantasy has

A solid story for those that are into it
Boosts for those who are not
A huge rp community for the rpers even if the erpers are a bit aggressive in thier spam
Variety of classes you can do on a single character
A crafting system that very few games could think to rival
An endgame broken up into smaller more easy to swallow sections. No need to raid 4-5 hours.
An attitude from the devs that it is perfectly ok to enjoy the content and then take a break to wait for more.
The attitudes of the players present in every game, though it is more strictly enforced.

What it does not have
A pvp system worth engaging in for the majority
An endgame that will keep you glued to your chair every night of the week for the entirety of an expansion
a solution to the most toxic place in the game, castrum/prae MSQ dungeons. Please help the sprouts out there so they stop quitting at that wall.

[Onikaroshi]

a solution to the most toxic place in the game, castrum/prae MSQ dungeons. Please help the sprouts out there so they stop quitting at that wall.

What's wrong with castrum/prae? Every msq roulette has been a great time with fun conversations.

Pretty sure they're working on a trust system for them for next expansion though.