This game means so much to so many, its nigh on impossible to truly quantify just how much. During the pandemic especially, it was a way for people to still stay connected, to play and keep up with one another. You will make friends the world over, i certainly have. It has been a joy to stream, that I stream it all the time (i'm a bit of an altholic x'D) but I never tire of this journey. The story is so good, that there are still moments where i feel i have to be silent, for the story deserves that. The fact this journey is still not over, that this is just the end of one story is exciting! The community has its ups and downs, but what community doesn't? I remember the day Miura, the mangaka for Beserk passed away. All worlds on all data centers got together, lined the streets of Ul'dah, swapped to either dark knight (or bard, or at least wore black) and stood there, in honor of this man. Although i'm not a big fan of Beserk, even i cannot deny his influence on FF as a whole, or fantasy in general. Yoshi-P later on during an interview thanked the community for this, it was even talked about in a gaming journal. Then Soken. A musical wizard, who hid his struggles until the last fanfest, and seeing those two on stage, moved fans to do something in game for him as well. Everyone who works on XIV have earned our respect over the years, and for very good reason. It's also why I'm so excited for XVI! All in all, this is a fantastic game, one that deserves to at least be tried, if not played in its entirety. See you in Etheryis!
I can't go over all of this with my current migraine but I will say the story and gameplay is really good for it's time and continues to innovate and improve. This game reconnected me and a few friends of mine and was the MMORPG my brother and I got to play together. I got back into it since I never got into MMORPGs but when I finished ARR the story really started the grip me. Then I hit all the patch content back when it wasn't trimmed down and was a bit of a slog to power through, but the story was still good. Then I hit heavensward and fell in love. No one expansion is bad, it's just varying levels of good and great. It's got a little something for everyone and the game lets you do what you want and play how you want with it's toolbox of toys. Definitely one game I always come back to and I've debated redoing another character on.
@@Simmons101 once u do one character more ur doomed xD tho if u do decide to do it, i highly recommend doing a different race and possibly even gender! some scenes are different depending on ur race or gender, and even ur type of class! it's such neat details that has me doing it all the time xD
It’s funny I got recommended this video because I just started playing this game today😂 I was already getting bored of the main quest, but knowing it gets better latter on help a lot. Imma take my time and enjoy the game slowly
I'm currently about 3900 hours in this game (startet when Heavensward was freshly released) and I promise you the wait is definitely worth it! Shadowbringers and Endwalker brought me to tears more than once :D But yeah, the msq starts very slow and in my opinion Stormblood is a step back from Heavensward, but like I said: Shadowbringers and Endwalker got a fantastic story
Yup, realm reborn has slow start but good ending. Heavensward is really good with story. Stormblood felt like it overstayed and should have been better if it had ended an hour or two ago. Currently going through Shadowbringers, halfway almost and I can guarantee this is the best out of all expansions so far for me. It engaging and heartfelt from the beginning and pacing is good so far.
When they say the game gets better, they meant the story gets better. Gameplay wise, the fights and dungeon design get better too, but not to a groundbreaking level. It’s basically like reading a graphic novel.
I find that I get msq fatigue after a while, no matter how good the story is. But there are lots of other things to do. Crafting, housing, other jobs, the gold saucer. I took years to finish realm reborn because i kept getting distracted by other areas of the game 😅
I have been playing Final Fantasy XIV since the last beta phase in August 2013, meeting new players and seeing old players throughout my time. I have maxed out all my jobs, my crafting and gathering classes, done extreme fights, raids, and became a mentor to help other players in the field and in dungeons. I love hearing these stories from others about their experiences in XIV, and am glad that you have enjoyed yourself.
I just started ffxiv and for years I heard praise of this game, I always wanted to play so I did the free trail years ago and my character did get up to level 60. So years later I did pick up the game again from the start and paid the subscription and it was worth it. So far I’m going pretty slow with the msq because I get distracted easily. There is just so much to do and I love that, I get to do so much in the world. But what made me feel so welcome was the other players. I have social anxiety and its hard for me to talk to people even online but everyone so far in my journey I met has been so nice. Everyone is so welcoming to sprouts and they’re willing to be patient with them and teach them and I love that. Especially my fc has been very nice and welcomed, I’m not going to lie I cried when I made friends within the game and that is pretty stupid thing but for someone like with social anxiety who has a hard time making friends lately, I felt loved, welcomed and not alone anymore when I play games. I’m glad I picked up this game and hope to enjoy more of the game and hopefully make more friends along the way.
I also suffer with social anxiety, and struggle to make friends, and I just want to say, Welcome Back to Eorzea, fellow Warrior of Light. We're so happy you're back with us again.
Good for you buddy. I wish I’d be able to make some friends in this game too. I’ve been playing this game for almost a decade and managed to keep my friends list pretty empty. I find it hard to speak in my fc because I also have social anxiety.
Ive cried so much playing this game the story truly is beautiful, im an avid msq procrastinator but man im so excited for where the story takes the warrior of light. (at the beginning of stormblood atm)
Lol same on the procrastination part, I've been subbed for 390 days but I'm literally at the start of Stormblood. I cleared arr and heavensward in a week, but mainly due to me waiting for my friends to catch up my sub count kept getting longer. Subbed even when they didn't, and just grinded other jobs, Gill hunting in the marketplace, crafting, gathering, mounts, relics, pvp etc, alot of stuff to do even when you don't progress through the expansions
Oh man, stock up on tissues for Shadowbringers and Endwalker if you've cried a lot already! It took me ages to get through MSQ to EW but somehow it just keeps getting better and better
Oh man ... if you've cried this much already and are just at the beginning of StB now, you might want to look into having a therapist on standby for later ... I'm not exactly prone to crying in games (with, say, RDR2 being a noted exception, as well as some older FF titles), but Shadowbringers and Endwalker absolutely DESTROYED me. Multiple times.
I cried at RDR2, didn't with shadowbringers (was devastating though, and honestly i'm still working through that ending), hopefully Endwalker goes crazy for me
For me ARR was like "huh, this is like good World of Warcraft expansion, generic fantasy with kinda cheesy plot". Then post-ARR happens (42 minute cutscene, which feels like it is 10 minute ) aaaaand, well, I found my fullfillment.
@@MindstalkerMedia You don't want to know when it's coming. Very often the game will warn you "several cutscenes will play in sequence" whenever something like this will happen. The majority of the time that warning just means 15 minutes of talking without a break to back out and have the game save, but always be prepared for at least half an hour just in case. THAT cutscene (the 42 minute one) is an absolute whammy of a storytelling beat and you want to be completely blindsided by it for best effect. Forget about it. It'll happen when it happens. Assume it won't be any time soon.
@@chef416 pretty sure that entire 42 minutes there are voiced or atleast a big majority of it is voiced. Stop being so impatient and just try to enjoy a good story being told..
@@pleasedontkillme1185 I'm not sure if it's impatience, I'm just not interested in the story part of the game. It's not why I started and I feel no need to go back for it, I'm here for the gameplay and fortunately they have nothing to do with each other because SE don't like to teach anybody about the game or make any useful information available in-game.
I've always felt that JRPG storytelling is way more personal and visceral than the other branches. And the reason I liked XIV story way more than WOW and GW2 is because the games makes a massive effort to make it personal. After all, you are the Warrior of Light, and the more you progress through the story, the narrative entangles player and character more and more. You are not a random adventurer that by coincidence was at the right time on the right place. Your reason to live, to fight, to carry on is being constantly put in check, and Endwalker delivers a masterpiece of a existentialist plot and hits like a goddamn truck.
That is incredibly well put, the more time as gone on, the more I have appreciated Endwalker so much. I'm glad we can all share such an amazing experience with this game!
Endwalker for me hit like a truck made of other, explosive trucks. It hit me so bad (I cleared msq the very Sunday after launch), that I stood near the entrance of the final area and cheered on everyone that arrived. For THREE DAYS.
@@MrTalithan Yeah, Endwalker was something else man ... After a ... certain cutscene about 2/3 through the game (I'm sure you know which one), I felt the urgent need to pour myself a scotch just to cope. I hadn't previously known that a game could *hurt* so much.
I've been playing FFXIV for more than a month now, and just reached the end of base HW. The game has honestly been one of my favourite gaming experiences I've had, and the hours I've put into the game has rewarded with me such a great time, from the music, the story, and the people who've been helping me along the way! This video made me even more excited to continue, I loved watching it :)
One thing I love about FFXIV is how it lets me continue to be introverted, while still being a "massively multiplayer" game. I do still enjoy playing with others every now and then, but for the most part, I like not having to chat, or voice chat with anyone. Or even not having to be in a grand company to do everything I want to do. I played WoW for years up until Shadowlands, where I just couldn't play it anymore, due to the lack of repetitiveness and what felt like forced communications with the Mythic+ dungeons and other stuff. But this is a game that lets you play at your own pace and on your own terms.
Omg, your story with Kugane Tower really got to me. My bf and I were playing through SB for the first time and accidentally found out about the jump puzzle, which from then, we completely stopped whatever we were doing to try and complete the jump puzzle for our first time LOL Soon after, someone else started attempting their own first time with the tower too!! We ended up actually befriending them and made it up to the top around the same time. Eventually, they even accepted our invite and attended our in-game wedding anniversary. I've also played other MMOs and for real, it spoke volumes of how amazing the FFXIV community could be. It really impacted me as someone who had poor MMORPG experiences in the past.
9:39 That's one of the reasons I absolutely love Leap of Faith. It's just so nice when people stay at the end and welcome you or support you with glowsticks. Even when I'm still jumping I feel that strange connection when I see someone failing the same jump as me or I'm happy seeing them success
I was one of the WoW refugees last year (or was that almost two years ago now). I went through from start to finish and took a little over a year to go through each of the expansions and the content (trials / relic weapons / etc) as it was relevant. However, as I made it through Stormblood (post-MSQ Doma story) and into Shadowbringers (snap) I realized just how special this game and its storytelling was. Endwalker was a truly masterful resolution to the story going all the way back to ARR (and possibly beforehand). I look forward to returning in the future to continue the adventure.
What drew me to the game was a very well done April Fool's Day joke in 2019! The "Omega Home Assistant" video that S-E put out that year is what got me to stop procrastinating and give it a shot. Later that month, I went all in and bought the Stormblood Complete Collector's Edition on the PS4. I regret nothing, save for the fact that I would have been here sooner had I caught 2018's April Fools' Day video which turned out to be even funnier.
I finally got into the game back in last September. This is now one of the best games I have ever played after beating EndWalker back in April. It's such a beautiful experience. It has probably my favorite storyline of the entire series. I could go on for a literal essay for this game. The smiles, laughs, depressing moments, inspiring moments, and literal teaes shed. I did not expect this game to impact me the way it did. I have not had a game stick with me and give me this much of an impact since I was still younger.
Hello there! Seeing your take with the whole experience makes me nostalgic. I'm still playing FFXIV grinding some current endgame stuff but I agree whole heartedly that ARR was slow even for my taste but it rewards you immensely after. I did enjoy ARR but what solidified by love for this game was Heavensward and what made me more invested was Shadowbringers. Up until now, the entire story arc of Hydaelyn and Zodiark is a rollercoaster for me. I haven't been as much as an emotional player before but this game made attached and emotional until the very end.
Very well done with this video. The script and representation was excellent. And made me realy happy. I have been playing ffxiv for 10 year's and love meeting and helping new players. And I really think this video hits what makes the game special. For those who have just started I wish you safe adventures. Welcome to ffxiv. ^_^
Been playing FFXIV for just over two years now. When I checked my playtime last (a few minutes before posting this comment) it said "Total Play Time: 449 days, 22 hours, 51 minutes". This game is my single most played game. It has captured my heart. It is enjoyable to the extreme. From doing the MSQ to casual dungeons to the savage raids to the ultimates... nothing is not enjoyable to me. I've made friends because of this game. I've grown closer to other friends. My FC is made mostly of friends from Monster Hunter who joined me and my boyfriend in the world of FFXIV.
Wait, so you're saying that of those just over 2 years, you spent roughly 2/3 of your time ingame? ... how does that even work? I mean, that's almost 11k hours.
@@rogthepirate4593 To be fair, I didn't have much else going on. It was during the height of the pandemic that I started playing and literally had nowhere else to go or do because of my area being completely shut down. So I just... played FFXIV since I couldn't do anything else or go anywhere else.
@@thatdragonperson damn. Still, impressive. I did start playing during the lockdowns as well, but I don't even have 1/10 of that playtime on record haha
@@rogthepirate4593 Haha, it kinda became a hyper focus for me as well. Like I had Shadowbringers beat within a month and a half of starting the game. And it was a few months later that I had gotten all my jobs to the level cap at the time, which was 80. And then I started doing high end content. AND THEN ENDWALKER CAME OUT LMAO. Didn't help also that I have replayed the story dozens of times using New Game Plus because of how much I enjoyed it. I really no-lifed the game.
Been playing ffxiv for about 2.5 years now (since shb) and I've loved every moment. You hit on all the points I'd talk about to convince other people to give it a shot and then some. At this point I've convinced several of my friends to try it out and now they're caught up too and trying to convince their friends to play as well lol. Here's to another 10 years of ffxiv!
Thank you so much for your story. It reminds me of my first day on this game and had no idea how great it would payoff after almost 10 years of playing. It’s once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m so lucky to be a part of it. This game is one of my most beautiful memories in my life.
Wow, thank you. Your passion and beautiful narration is inspiring. I've been with FF14 since the beginning, and you have caught why I play. Beautiful. *drops mic*
Ysayle was the first character that drew me in. It really felt like her and subsequently Hraesvylgr and then all the domino's after fell into place. Her as Shiva definitely elevated it
After watching virtually every video on RU-vid about this game, this is by far the best video anyone could be shown to explain exactly why this game is so good. I will def be forwarding this to anyone I think would be interested in the game!
This was... a wonderful, amazing video. It almost made me tear up at times, and it very hard for me to cry. This game is tied with Okami as my 'Favorite Game of All Time', for different reasons. Okami is art in a literal sense, the music and visuals are wonderful. But, FFXIV? It, too, is art. The story, the music, the tales it tells, the bonds it forms. I have almost 10k hours in this game, playing with strangers and friends alike--even roleplaying as a general store owner who helps teach new adventurers via her job at her Grand Company. This game--this wonderful, amazing game--has made me not only cry, but sob aloud. Shadowbringers and Endwalker are two parts of the story that are not only amazing on their own, but made all the better by playing through the whole game. 10 years of story, with yet another 10 more to come. 'Tis a story about helping those who need help. About those who support you in your darkest hours. About the will to overcome and forge ahead despite deepest despair. So many quotes. So many memes. All loved by the community and the devs. Soken is... simply put, a massive memelord who loves the Otomatone. Yoshi-P has cried on stage out of care and orchestrated a live-action meme dance at a fanfest. Koji Fox is obsessed with references and loves to joke with us, in-jokes and popular ones. We've seen the bounties of the waters beneath, we've travelled far and wide and helped those who need it, and we've been to the literal end of the universe. Yet, despite that, we've still not even fully explored our planet. So I say this: stand tall, my friend, for our journey shall never end.
i loved your anecdotes of player interaction! the reason i love this game is playing with other people, that i've never met and never will meet again just yesterday i was gathering a rotation of nodes, to get an endgame gatherer currency. there were 2 other people doing the same rotation as me. somehow we became the "scrip gang" and chatted while we waited for the items we needed to spawn. when someone arrived to the next area late we teased them for being late to "scrip gang". then we all finished our gathering and went our own ways.
Thank you for this video Pollymacho! I have had a very on-off relationship with FFXIV, but I don't think I ever really let it in. I think I spent so much time lamenting what it's not rather than appreciate it for what it is. I picked it up again recently, and I'm in love. Great work! ❤️
I dont know why but lately my youtube recommendations page is full of first time players reviews of the game and they are all so good :) I loved your video!
it's so cool to hear different content creators' reasons why they play. you said you play for the story, and someone else said they play for chillin with friends and killing stuff together. it's so cool how much this game offers for different types of players man. cool video dude!
FFXIV is my childhood and I am so incredibly grateful that it is. Especially Heavensword, my love for dragons got even greater which I didn't thought would be possible. I love XIV and I wish everyone a beautiful time for my favorite game
I remember 1.0 I played on and off, my poor little miqo only making it to Lv 30 PUG, where I spent most days fishing near gridania because my PC wasnt exactly the best and it was the only activity it seemed to work without issue. Though these days that poor little miqo PUG became a Lv 80 DRG, complete with survivor tattoo which I have shown to many a streamer who was curious about it. A nice reminder than regardless of how bad things are, even at their worst, this little miqo toughed it out and made it.
i was putting you on second monitor while i work and felt like the music shifted into something familiar.... then it's fucking Bravely Default OST and it's an immediate subscribe from me holy shit
I wanna share this with people to help explain why I love FFXIV so much. The story, the lands, the characters, the hope, and, at least for some of us, a way of being a more true and complete version of ourselves than we get to be in the physical world. While people generally don't have as favorable of an opinion of ARR (and with mostly good reason), I had an entirely new appreciation of it after finishing Endwalker. It made me see that there was actually a lot more depth behind what happens in ARR than I was able to understand when going through it for the first time without the context that comes much later.
Can I just say, when I first started playing around the time Stormblood came out, I rushed through ARR and Heavensward to get to "end game" because I hated the idea of being "behind." Ive been caught up ever since but I recently decided to start a new character on a different server and I've been having a blast. Im aking my time and immersing myself in the MSQ and side quests. Its all about having the right mind set going in.
This game is so incredibly important to me, it's a wonderful world with many beautiful locales, wonderful characters, a welcoming playerbase, amazing musical variety/quality and most importantly of all, my friends... I have made so many friends on my adventures throughout eorzea and they mean so much to me, I've lost so many irl friends due to simply the passage of time and growing apart as life goes on but this felt like a new start for me. Hell I've met some of my closest friends just from doing the older version of this games pvp before the rework, "feast". I've made new best friends, many friends and even met my boyfriend through this game, hell one of my close friends that I met through pvp met his WIFE in this game and they live together irl! Theres so much to do and discover in this game and I wish you all the best possible adventure in the lands of eorzea/etheirys! This is Rin onishi from famfrit-primal, good night :)
16:50 --- Nice moves :D 21:15 --- Honestly, the story started to get interesting for me, when Lahabrea summoned that horse sized scorpion to kill me (like, dude, I'm a lvl20something nobody, the hell did I do that you dump THAT on me??) ... and then the massaker after Titan... I still dont get the hate ARR gets from everywhere... I played WoW and GW2, and old GW1, and I can say to anyone asking: ARR is the superior game narratively and in matters of world building. Also, unlike other MMOs, FF14 goes from strength to strength, improving with every patch and expansion (though, yes, some would argue this point where Stormblood is concerned ^^°). Very good video :) I think the best "advice" you can give new players is: dont expect anything. If you played a MMO before, forget everything you learned there and treat this game as a wholly new experiance. Because, unlike pretty much every MMO out there (and especially the king, WoW) in FF14 the journey matters, not so much the destination. Meaning, dont focus on "endgame" but pay attention to the "now" - its quite telling that most high end raiders and those, who buy a story skip, almost all regred their decision :)
I think Lahabrea's very questionable decisions can be due to too many body jumping attempts, or it's a post-Endwalker spoiler 😅 (but yea he's not exactly the smartest schemer when you have Elidibus and Emet-Selch around)
@@crowdemon_archives I'm still very interested in how we get from ARR-Lahabrea (btw. did you do the solo duty after new Praetorium? - highly recommend :D ) to Pandeamonium-Lahabrea... Maybe we get some more info there... One can hope :D
I like you have played allot of games! I love MMORPG's! I have played EQ, EQ2, GW, GW2, Rift, Wildstar, AION, WoW, just to name a few! FFXIV is my Main MMORPG! It has the best story I have ever experienced! It has saved me from being in a very dark place! It has touched my soul in the best way possible! I am stoked for the future story! Great vid, keep up the good work! Liked & Subbed! ;)
There's undeniably something incredibly special about this game; timeless even finished ARR a few months ago and haven't played since Said I'd "take a break" after the slog of quests that is the base game Might be time to finally come back
Excellent video! It's always so pleasant to hear players' stories of how they discovered the game and their journeys and how they match up with (and differ from) my own. I tried out the ARR beta on my wife's account and then decided to get my own account in 2.1 in large part because of Tumbling Down, the boss theme from the Crystal Tower raids that is a rearrangement of the Final Fantasy 3 boss music. ...somehow I have 637+ days in here according to my /playtime since then and while, yes, of course a bunch of that is afking or just standing around chatting, it's astonishing to me that something could hold my interest this long.
That's awesome! Sweet to hear and its gotta be awesome to follow the game for a while and see it grow over time. And thanks for checking this video out and the nice comment!
Ok…. So you checked your playtime and well, in turn, I decided to check mine cause I haven’t in forever… 526 days 13 hours I may have a problem 🤯 Also, how dare you give Aymeric the credit for Alphinaud’s turnaround when we all know a smile better suited his true hero. 😋
You mirror so much of my own sentiments. This is an absolutely lovely video - and my first here. I can definitely relate. MMOs are always more fun with friends. I have a friend group that - while it's had a few rotate in and out over the years - I've played with since I was a teenager. I was blessed with a friend who gifted me a copy of the core FFXIV game with 30 days free before I had to commit. Having them there definitely made it better. The Ifrit fight was the first spark for me that there was something interesting, more so in the aftermath of Titan. By that point I was sold enough to know I'd hit end game - Stormblood at the time. But, oh boy, I kept thinking the patch content was nearly done and I could mosey on ahead - but that was before the reaping and condensing of the massive 100 + quest slog. It really isn't as bad as we at Endgame might say it is, it is quite serviceable. It's just, there is *so* much better later down the line. I am currently a mentor. That's more of a recent development, but I've found myself giving out advice repeatedly in many situations, so I'd like to think I'm one of the better possessors of a Burger King Crown (I know quite a few mentors that are really great people.) Orbonne Monastary. Only a couple weeks after it had launched. I was a Bard, it was my only level 70 job at the time. First boss - wiped twice - beat it. Someone did a Vote/Abandon. We didn't. Some people left. Waited to replenish team. Rinse and repeat after every boss. I am actively being the chat cheerleader and explaining mechanics in /alliance chat. We didn't get to the last boss until there were only 20 minutes left in the raid. I didn't even get the Aiming hat I was after. But, I walked away laughing in voice with my friends, and taking away 5/7 possible comms as a DPS. I also remember my attempts at Kugane tower. I spent like, 3 in-game days on that thing before moving on, and trying a few times to finish it on my own. There were always people climbing it, somehow. So, on one particular attempt, I found a couple guys who invited me to a party. They showed me a Jump puzzle I didn't know about - the bath house - and then we made the climb to the top of Kugane tower. With them encouraging me (they even invited me to their Discord server) we finally made it to the top. It was a wonderful experience ^-^. I also remember a "Make it Rain" campaign where there were actual queue times to get into the Leap of Faith, and I found a Bard playing a tune I recognized. I shifted to Bard and started playing with him. It was.. not great, but we chatted while waiting for the queue pop. I thought that would be the end of it, but he friended me and we kept running into each other in Gridania. He's still a buddy of mine and a Deep Dungeon enthusiast. With his help, I have reached floor 200 of PotD, and 100 of HoH. Never thought I'd do that when I started. Yoshida and his team's commitment is part of why I love the Rising event so much and look forward to it each year. The holidays - any of them - can reflect the mood and messages they wish to convey , but as a unique holiday celebrating ARR, it is singularly Yoshida-san and company's time to shine. The year I joined, I think we had a repeatable quest where we could pick up litter on the beach from the Moonfire Faire. Turned out to be letters from the dev team - I did every one. It was also a very bold move to have a brand new soundtrack in the game by Masayoshi Soken. While he has proves himself a worthy match to Uematsu, it did take some time before he really got a chance to surpass him. Some of the 1.0 tracks really are wonderful. As a long time Final Fantasy fan, dating all the way back to the first NES title, I'm well pleased at all the winks, nods, and shout-outs to other FF games. They have always been self contained, and I was thinking 14 might just be fan-wankery, but it's not. They really do think how the things they bring in will work within the established world. Loosely speaking, the Life Stream and Materia hail from FF7 (though very different execution) and the Garleans definitely have the aesthetics of the Empire from FF6, down to the Magitek Ride Armor that Tera used in the intro. I even get to suplex a train! But, that all aside, you don't need inside knowledge to really care about this game or understand it. You know, I even remember when 1.0 was in the works. I remember seeing the news that it bombed on launch and my thought was "Bummer." A friend of mine really liked 11, and I was hoping 14 would be something we both could play. Well, now we can.
I love this video, it reminds me of all I love about FFXIV and it's community, thank you so much for making this and sharing your experiences. I'm not even going to lie, I cried a bit in the Version 1.0 section when going over the expansions and their rating. On the topic of the ARR "slog". I find all my friends who I've roped into the game have enjoyed ARR since I don't tell them "it sucks" or some variant. I myself didn't find it boring either, but that's because I gobble up lore like a starving cat who's been hungry for two weeks, and I wasn't told "ARR sucks" until I was in SB. We all agree is it the weakest (Actually I dislike Post ARR far more than ARR, the last ten quests of Post ARR being good does not make Post ARR good) but we don't think it is bad or sucks. It depends what you started the game for and what kind of player you are. If you started the game to catch up with all your friends in EnW asap, you're screwed and you won't enjoy yourself at all because you're just sitting through every moment wondering when you'll be watched up when it will take another 300 hours. These are the people who tend to skip and then complain about EnW being "mid" because they're not attached to the characters like you would be if you watched them grow and bond with each other and "you" through the last 300 hours. EnW is the the final buildup and stretch of this longass journey we've been on, the reward for making it this far, of course you won't enjoy it as much as you should when you don't even remember who Alphinaud is, and who the hell is this grey haired elezen? No- watching recaps, and videos telling you the story is NOT the same as living it. A friend telling you about their nice lunch will not be as pleasant as you actually having a good lunch yourself, naturally. However, if you know what FF games are like, and that they are STORY FIRST, combat second, then you already know what to expect and are used to the world building and lore. This is one of my friend's first exposures to FF but he is a lore nerd and enjoyed ARR like I did. People who come into this game with a neutral or positive mentality on what they're getting into will have a more enjoyable time compared to ones who were told it's the worst part of the game and think of their seconds wasted. They consider the story skip more and more, which is tragic if they're there for the story. If you're a player there for the combat only, go nuts on whether you want to story skip or not but don't be that combat player who skipped everything and then complains about the expansions being shit story-wise, hates how much they're paying for the sub (which is not a lot) for what they're doing, or asks a million questions about the lore they didn't want in the first place. Because I'm just going to tell them "Go play New Game +". Of course, like stated, going through ARR with friends makes it easier. Hell, punish the friends who dared get you into it by demanding they go through ARR with you through NG+, it's only fair haha. Especially if you're struggling with the motivation, if they want you to get to the end they should help.
Thanks for the very well put together comment. I think there's some great advice in there. And thanks for checking this out, I'm honored you got some enjoyment out of it
As of roughly 200 days ago of ingame playtime my journey into FFXIV was a bumpy one. But a very dear friend of mine kept me sane and pushed me to play. Offering me to play as a tank instead of a dps and well, on a beach in Limsa near Aleport for the next 5 levels i had it beaten into me what it means to be a tank. As of 3 days ago this little paladin on a beach in limsa and a bestest friend of 16 years sit watching the waves with now a gunblade on my back with the title "Legend". And what a journey it has been and i cant wait for the next one.
There are two kinds of mentors. Those who only grind for the mount, so they get annoyed when their precious grind time is 'wasted" (and they are usually not very good players). And the other kind knows the game and wants to help other players while getting the achievement mount on the side. Guess which one gave a bad rep to mentors?
I like that they are willing to gently change arr. flying, duty support, removing some quests. Still yes it can drag but it is needed for the story. Oh yes and changing the dungeons and boss mechanics.
currently in the patch quests of stormblood and let me say, the best part of the game for me was the end of the ARR patch quests during the banquet. the ARR patch quests are such a slog to get through and they go on literally forever. but if you even halfway pay attention and dont skip any cutscenes, the payoff at the banquet is insane. bc its like the catalyst for everything that comes after. the drama and the stakes are so high and even though heavensward and stormblood have been good, great even, nothing for me up to this point has quite hit that mark again. just wish i had friends who played it, im not even in a FC yet 😭
I’ve been playing this game on and off since ARR launched and finished Shadowbringers when it came out. I took a long break when Endwalker came out due to issues with someone I knew both in game and in real life. Just last month, I decided to come back. Logging in with my old toon brought back too many memories, so I decided to start fresh. Made a new character, logged in, answered Hydaelyn’s summons as if it was my first time. I cried as the scions gathered in the Waking Sands introducing themselves for “the first time”. I think I understand G’raha Tia a little better now. This is a journey I’d gladly retake.
This has consumed 8k hours over the span of 9 years. Im here because ive been searching for the perfect video to introduce a bew friend i made to the game as they no experience or expectations being new to both mmos and the final fantasy series. I think ive finally found one i can send em. Well 🤞 I love following new players through the msq and taxi-ing them around and answering questions they may have. This game is awesome I wanna share it with people who havent given it a chance yet.
Man, I have a lot of hours in this game, and more characters than some free companies, and this video really did capture what's great about this game. Really well done, my man. Though I really should have closed my eyes.
I've been playing FFXIV since around patch 2.2 or so, it has cemented itself as my favorite game of all time and I hope it is one I will be able to share with my son when he is older. FFXI is still around so hey, maybe FFXIV will still be around by the time he's a teenager.
As a 12k hour veteran of the game (started in 2017 with the pre-launch of Stormblood), there are times I take breaks, but I never unsub, and I've never uninstalled. I'm always coming back, either for the social side or the story (mostly the story xD). It is, and I say this unironically, my home in digital space. Just as cozy and lived-in as my home in real space. And the $15 of 'rent' I pay each month to stay in that cozy digital home is more than worth it for what I get out of it. Side note, I'm glad I'm not the only one who plays this game on a potato and needs to crank down the quality to get by. Struggle on, my Potato PC Compatriot. Struggle on.
Thank you for sharing your perspective on the game, that's awesome! And glad there are people out there like me for running the game, and a struggle on for you too.
Game is awesome, probably the best story in video games to date. I love world building so the ARR stuff didn’t even bother me and it does indeed get better from there. Started the game May 2021 and just got up to be ready for Endwalker with a week spare. Dove tail that into Elden Ring and it was probably one of the best stretches of gaming in my life.
ffxiv is my very first mmo! started playing it back in 2021 because of the meme (lmao), spent almost 2 years of being a free trial player, over 300 hours during my ft stay (i think it took me 100+ hours to finish ARR) and now i hit over 650+ hours mark and i still wanna re experience it all over again (except for ARR have mercy) i miss the time i'd laugh, play with friends, fc members helping me out, crying over cutscenes at ungodly hour from stormblood to endwalker, being in awe for experiencing the musics for the first time, new boss mechanics, and many more. now i miss my favorite characters so much sometimes i wish i could have a found family like my wol does in the game :")
Hey its always possible! , Much like our WoL jumping into a new adventure with each new patch and expansion. Hope you find it soon and thanks for watching!
Amazing video. Just have a question - HOW THE HELL YOU PLAY WITH THE CONFIG SETUP! 8:11 ??? Just letting you know you can shrink all that by going to Configuration and shrink it by 50% or more. 😅
Amazing video, I've put over 3000 hours into this game since 2020 and FFXIV has come to feel like home to me. I do have one suggestion for you tho, if you haven't already customize your ui, the base ui in the game is pretty bad and the game gives you a lot of options for customization without having to use mods.
Thanks Vang! Yeah a few days after recording I've finally changed some elements of the UI to make it better, may watch a video for additional tips just to see what's possible, I really appreciate the time you took for the comment and checking out this video!
Been playing ffxiv off and on since the start of HW. Just when I find myself getting bored and/or caught up on everything they always reign me back in when they update. The content of both patches and expansions, the story, gameplay, hell even the music is all beautifully executed and melded together. Taking another break from it now but I know I will defiantly be coming back to it soon enough.
Played MMORPG since I was young but none stick. FF14 Got me hours just fixing my glamour items. I'm so glad I pick it up. The community is so wonderful and the storyline and everything else makes it super fun to play. Still waiting for the Lucian prince jacket tho.
I've played a LOT of MMOs starting with Everquest, with thousands of hours in many of them, it's been my main hobby for three decades. in all that time there are only two MMOs who really stand out as a genuine attempt to deliver a good time for the players with minimal friction, maximum good ideas, that stand as giants above the others and that's Guild Wars (1 & 2) and Final Fantasy 14. A lot of the other MMOs I have played have had good parts to them be that WoW's size or BDO/Warframe's combat or EVE's PVP, what have you but they all contain some element of nasty and just don't have the all round player centric, rich design philosophy of these two front-runners. Plus yeah, no one does story like FF14, not even a contest.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on it! What a great hobby to have! (I played a Silvari guardian in GW2 and that game is absolutely amazing! And thanks for watching!
Jokes on you, I started playing again last night after my free month ran out nine and a half years ago. My old character was gone so that sucked and I fell asleep before I even left the bar in Limsa Lominsa but I started regardless.
right now, you can buy the game with all the expansions for under $30. it's an anniversary sale. and the free trial has been extended to all but the last two expansions. o7
Been playing this game since 1.0, and let me tell you. If you piss anyone off in this community you are not gonna have a good time. You can't even give valid criticism for some of the flaws this game has... also there is drama left and right for this game just to point out. if you wanna experience this game for the story, that's fine go for it. its good. But just don't get on anyone's bad side otherwise they'll get the whole community on your ass.
Man Before many of you played. -.- god dammit XD i wish allot of you played during HW/Storm blood you guys wouldve have loved Astrologian tho you guys would have Hated the TP system tho. 628 hours impressive.... i know im pass the 4-5k hours been playing for almost 7 years and i dont regret it.
OH yeah if someone is mean to newbies in FFXIV, expect others to chew them out for it. Most of the community considers that unacceptable. While I do understand sometimes having a bad day and losing patience, a real man (or woman) apologizes as soon as they realize.
Great video! But dang you click all your spells? I found that keyboarding shift alt and ctrl to mouse buttons makes it so much easier. You can just keybind everything around wsad and use the modifiers for different bars
So I spent the last couple of days just watching 14 content. Then downloaded it in the early hours of this morning. When I logged off I had played my first 11 hours of this game. Which left me feeling like... when do I get to play more?
