Thread: does anyone play ffxiv?
I played from ARR launch until around 2017/2018.

I don't think you can skip ahead to Dawntrail.

How it works is, to do the current content, you have to have played through the Main Scenario Quests (MSQ) from each expansion.

There are paid skips for the first few expansions (I think maybe up to Shadowbringers). Those allow you to skip the MSQ for each expansion.

There are also paid level skips that let you skip your character up to current or near current level.

Here you go: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/tales_of_adventure/
 
You can't start from Dawntrail unless you buy story and level skips. Otherwise you have to go through all the main game and expansion story content. Dawntrail story so far has been a snoozefest.
 
yup, 100% an MMO. Had hoped for something better due to all the praise, but so far it's just another time wasting MMO. I'll give it another 10 hours as I have a coworker who's asked me to play it with her, but its a slog for sure so far.

the beginning kinda sucks. If you really want to enjoy it you need to skip ahead at least until Heavensward.

But it's never not a time sink.
 
How does one skip ahead?

Edit: Sorry just saw your post above.

I'd also add to my earlier post that the "real game" doesn't start until you're at current max level and caught up on all MSQ.

Although, some of the story missions are actually considered to be quite good. I never gave a shit about any of that and skipped the majority of cutscenes.

Once you're all caught up, the game becomes about progressing through the current raids and getting increasingly better gear.

Some people are into crafting. There's a very rich and intricate crafting system.

Other people love decorating their houses, and just doing the weekly dungeons/normal raids. There's a reason it's so popular.
 
yup, 100% an MMO. Had hoped for something better due to all the praise, but so far it's just another time wasting MMO. I'll give it another 10 hours as I have a coworker who's asked me to play it with her, but its a slog for sure so far.

The main scenario quests remain that way through Heavensward and Stormblood. I started a new free trial account out of curiosity for the same reason, curious about the praise people heaped on it after the expansions.

I think calling it 'just an MMO' gives it a free pass for the seemingly endless series of super-simple, time consuming fetch quests that disrespect the player like no other game I've ever played. A lot of those quests are just running/warping from NPC to NPC, some of which are literally right next to each other.
 
I think calling it 'just an MMO' gives it a free pass for the seemingly endless series of super-simple, time consuming fetch quests that disrespect the player like no other game I've ever played. A lot of those quests are just running/warping from NPC to NPC, some of which are literally right next to each other.
FF16 was like this as well.

It's not too bad for a mmo, though. I've enjoyed heavenward a lot but haven't got back to it. I'm getting sick of monthly fees
 

@Robot Carnival are you still playing FFXIV me boy? I still remember your knowlege of FFXIV and great responses when I had questions about Dawntrail and the other story arcs in the game around the time we got news of Dawntrail making its way to the adventure
 
that sucks. i just wanted to vibe with the new graphics and setting (it seems chill) not caring much for the story until it slowly hooks you in and go backwards from there.

grinding while chatting ya know?
 
can i start from dawntrail? i assume so.

play with me please!!!

FFXIV is a full story that started from the base game and has continued on through each expansion. Would be a total disservice as it's the single best MMO of all time IMO as far as content goes. However every expansion eventually leads to a time gate where you can only progress so much each day. Once you hit the time gated mouse wheel the game hits a level of repetition you really need to have a good social group to play it with as it'll just be a soulless grind otherwise.
 
FFXIV is a full story that started from the base game and has continued on through each expansion. Would be a total disservice as it's the single best MMO of all time IMO as far as content goes. However every expansion eventually leads to a time gate where you can only progress so much each day. Once you hit the time gated mouse wheel the game hits a level of repetition you really need to have a good social group to play it with as it'll just be a soulless grind otherwise.
So basically after a few hours each day the enemies kind of yield very little EXP after defeating, items, loot, etc? As in they're capped off at a certain point to keep players from burning out? Trying to figure out how it works
 
So basically after a few hours each day the enemies kind of yield very little EXP after defeating, items, loot, etc? As in they're capped off at a certain point to keep players from burning out? Trying to figure out how it works

So....end game equates to max level where you're increase in power comes in the form running end-game dungeon instances in which you earn tokens that will then allow you to purchase the new gear except that you can only run these specific token-giving dungeons either daily or a couple times weekly so even if you wanted to grind all the gear out running the dungeon repeatedly you can't forcing you to come back daily/weekly to eventually complete the set.

That has been the loop since the expansion. There are also bigger more elite dungeons with even more elite gear. The original 'coils' as they were described were the most difficult group-based boss fights you'd ever see. Copying one below......the amount of timing/perfection you needed every group member to have meant that 1 fuckup was a wipe. Eventually my group could laugh our way through this stuff.

 
So....end game equates to max level where you're increase in power comes in the form running end-game dungeon instances in which you earn tokens that will then allow you to purchase the new gear except that you can only run these specific token-giving dungeons either daily or a couple times weekly so even if you wanted to grind all the gear out running the dungeon repeatedly you can't forcing you to come back daily/weekly to eventually complete the set.

That has been the loop since the expansion. There are also bigger more elite dungeons with even more elite gear. The original 'coils' as they were described were the most difficult group-based boss fights you'd ever see. Copying one below......the amount of timing/perfection you needed every group member to have meant that 1 fuckup was a wipe. Eventually my group could laugh our way through this stuff.



Coil was the best era of FFXIV for me.
 

@Robot Carnival are you still playing FFXIV me boy? I still remember your knowlege of FFXIV and great responses when I had questions about Dawntrail and the other story arcs in the game around the time we got news of Dawntrail making its way to the adventure

So basically after a few hours each day the enemies kind of yield very little EXP after defeating, items, loot, etc? As in they're capped off at a certain point to keep players from burning out? Trying to figure out how it works


yes I'm still playing. been slowly making progress in DT since I've been a little busy the last week or so.

as for the question on loot and stuff, as Hinedorf had mentioned already, there are different tiers of activities you can grind different gears from. what part of the MSQ are you at right now? which expansion? you can now do a lot of the normal dungeons with just NPCs and even if it takes longer you'll be able to keep all the loot. so grinding for gears is not that bad. and there are usually plenty of people grinding old stuff for glam (fashion) and other stuff. as for XP, you tend to get enough XP to level up your main job just by playing the MSQ already. for additional/alt jobs, you can grind the daily roulettes and get a big chunk of XP from those everyday, and then do repeat them for less XP. for gear levels, you can use the tomestone you earn through just playing to get some pretty good gears in older content. here's the official "guide" on it.


usually the best of those gears can get you through to close to the next "tier" of content. for example, I'm currently still using ilvl 650 gears from level 90 while I'm doing level 96 or so content in the MSQ. I will probably have to switch out to some actual new armors by level 98 or so, but it shouldn't be too hard to grind and get some. and same goes for the older stuff. top ilvl level 50 gears should be able to last you from ARR to almost the end of HW. and top ilvl level 60 gears should get you from HW to SB, and so on. you only really NEED to grind for gears if you like the way they look or if you're doing current content and want to do higher tier activities. at least that's how I go about things.
 
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yes I'm still playing. been slowly making progress in DT since I've been a little busy the last week or so.
It sounds like the developers did a bangup job as numbers are making record breaking surges thanks to Dawntrail. I'm mainly concerned about how great the story is going to be for FFXIV and all its additional adventure arcs. As long as the MSQ and all those that come after are very strong then I'm not worried about too much else. This game is widely considered the greatest MMO of all time so the gameplay elements don't concern me. FFXIV is probably addictive as any game will ever be. But a lasting story to remember is what I prefer in FF
 
It sounds like the developers did a bangup job as numbers are making record breaking surges thanks to Dawntrail. I'm mainly concerned about how great the story is going to be for FFXIV and all its additional adventure arcs. As long as the MSQ and all those that come after are very strong then I'm not worried about too much else. This game is widely considered the greatest MMO of all time so the gameplay elements don't concern me. FFXIV is probably addictive as any game will ever be. But a lasting story to remember is what I prefer in FF

Did you ever play FFXIV? My brother tried to play it for the story and he didn't last. It takes FOREVER to progress. You basically have to make it your only game and play 4-5 hours a day and do that for months and months to even get close to catching up on the story. And during that time, you'll be mostly doing MMO grinding, not enjoying a story. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Some people will be like "you can just play 20 mins a day man, it's a super casual MMO!" They are wrong.

I'm just trying to set your expectations.

Honestly if I wanted to see the story, I could go watch a compilation of all the cutscenes for each expansion on YouTube.
 
Did you ever play FFXIV? My brother tried to play it for the story and he didn't last. It takes FOREVER to progress. You basically have to make it your only game and play 4-5 hours a day and do that for months and months to even get close to catching up on the story. And during that time, you'll be mostly doing MMO grinding, not enjoying a story. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Some people will be like "you can just play 20 mins a day man, it's a super casual MMO!" They are wrong.

I'm just trying to set your expectations.

Honestly if I wanted to see the story, I could go watch a compilation of all the cutscenes for each expansion on YouTube.
Dude, that's a bit of a shocker tbh. So the main game is massive? 4-5 hours per day must mean the overworld is enormous, the dungeons and all enemies in the game are tough, and it's kind of more like fighting battles in a war rather than singular battles a lot of the time? I can't imagine any story taking longer than 50-60 hours to complete if the player is aiming to primarily see the entire story. Wouldn't mind playing FFXIV often each given month, but only if I was able to start during a 2 month vacation and dig into the game for like three weeks straight
 
Dude, that's a bit of a shocker tbh. So the main game is massive? 4-5 hours per day must mean the overworld is enormous, the dungeons and all enemies in the game are tough, and it's kind of more like fighting battles in a war rather than singular battles a lot of the time? I can't imagine any story taking longer than 50-60 hours to complete if the player is aiming to primarily see the entire story. Wouldn't mind playing FFXIV often each given month, but only if I was able to start during a 2 month vacation and dig into the game for like three weeks straight

Give it a shot and see. It's been years since I played. I was pretty serious about it when I did, so maybe I'm remembering it from the perspective of someone who was grinding to always be able to do the current top tier content and get the best loot. I think they've added things that make playing the story easier too. They added NPCs you can do dungeons with right around the last time I stopped.
 
Give it a shot and see. It's been years since I played. I was pretty serious about it when I did, so maybe I'm remembering it from the perspective of someone who was grinding to always be able to do the current top tier content and get the best loot. I think they've added things that make playing the story easier too. They added NPCs you can do dungeons with right around the last time I stopped.
I don't mind battling nonstop as long as there's ton to choose from and think about in the combat system as well as w/ the inventory system. I'm fine putting in a ton of work to complete levels as long as the game's well made coming from all angles. Like if the game were just FFXII's dungeon design, I'd be like nope I'm done. Because there is some truth to those who called it hallway simulator. The dungeons in FFXII were basically just a bunch of hallways and corridors, pressing buttons. So I'd expect a lot more from FFXIV in the way of quality if they have players investing 200-300 hours for the MSQ. Somebody was saying the villain in FFXIV was one of the best in the series like top three (he thought he was #1) but yea I just know that I don't want to miss out on the FFXIV experience cuz everyone loves it for one reason or another
 
I believe after they cutting out some of the fat in the MSQ a while ago, ARR is more streamline these days and you can get through it without too much downtime. the story really picks up at the end of ARR (level 50) and in HW. and while SB is widely regarded as the least loved of all the expansions, I kinda like it more than HW due to some of my personal reasons. then of course you have ShB and then EW. both are neck and neck for the best expansion of the series. I think ShB has an edge in that area if you judge them as stand alone content, but EW is kinda like the Endgame of XIV. it's an accumulation of everything all the way from 1.0 to ShB and they did a great job putting everything together and hitting you in the feels with it.

I finished the DT MSQ just a couple days ago and I think they did a great job changing things up a little. it's not without it's flaws in terms of story and character building, but I appreciate what they've done here. comparing it against MCU once more, Disney/Marvel kinda dropped the ball in terms of direction with everything after Endgame. but I suspect SquareEnix had learnt from the MCU's mistake and they really focused the story into something that can stand on it's own legs instead of a vehicle to get you to "the next big thing". the world and the story it tells is pretty fresh and interesting and with the Trust system, you can pretty much do the whole MSQ with the NPCs, outside of one boss fight. you can really set your pace to your liking with that and it's a great way to make people feel comfortable with the game.

in any case, everyone will have their preferences on how they like their MMO. at the end of the day, the story/MSQ of XIV is the main draw but that might not be for everyone. and while I feel everybody should give it a try and get to ShB or EW to truly experience the greatness of the game, there are of course a lot more other things out there that might be more attractive than playing through something that you feel is too slow and uninteresting. if that's the case, never feel pressure to stick to something you dislike. just go play something else and wait until if ever you feel interested in giving it another try to come back again. the game is always welcoming to new and returning players, if nothing else.
 
I did, but I'm still suffering from burnout from leveling some alt jobs some months ago. And I barely made it post-Shadowbringer ...

yeah, don't grind for anything unless it's actually fun for you. there are plenty of things you can do in game. go try all the other things to avoid burning out. take your time, enjoy the scenery and all the little things in game instead of just grinding away on alt jobs that you might not even touch all that much.
 
Well I came back to the game about two weeks ago. I've been cutscene skipping my way through the MSQ for the end of Shadowbringers, and Endwalker. I just finished Endwalker moments ago. I've also leveled my PLD from 80 to 92, Miner from 80 to 90, SAM from 80 to 85, and a couple other levels here and there. The bitch is back. And i still don't give a shit about watching cutscenes.
 
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Well I came back to the game about two weeks ago. I've been cutscene skipping my way through the MSQ for the end of Shadowbringers, and Endwalker. I just finished Endwalker moments ago. I've also leveled my PLD from 80 to 92, Miner from 80 to 90, SAM from 80 to 85, and a couple other levels here and there. The bitch is back. And i still don't give a shit about watching cutscenes.


well, you do you. play however you want. you can replay the cutscenes and even the whole MSQ later on if you like. just know that we're silently juding you and talking behind your back :ROFLMAO:. other than that, have fun.
 
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The one thing this game needs to do is get rid of the obnoxious zoning and make it 1 interconnected world like WoW. I think every time I come back to it I keep longing for that one key feature that makes the world feel alive versus endless grind.

From memory a lot of that zoning was due to PS3 restrictions, then they dropped PS3 which meant we got larger zones in expansions but I guess things are still limited by PS4 and they haven't gone back to revisit the older zones. I do wish they would though, WoW felt so ahead of its time for having a seamless open space.
 
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