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If you're a current player of the game, or even if you're not - you can help me! I want to be the go-to guy for Final Fantasy, but I can't if I haven't played all of them! Thank you in advance!
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[@Raikazama]

I think the best advice for a Final Fantasy fan like you is to play the game like a single player FF, not an MMO like WoW. Don't look up guides or anything and play it like you would any other single player FF.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I like this. This I can do lol, I’m familiar with how this works and I’ll definitely use this advice. That’s actually a huge reason I didn’t like MMOs - the REQUIRED need to team up, if I wanted to do anything with a team, I wanted it to be on my terms and it seems with FFXIV, it’s exactly that! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@FishSkeleton-]

​@TheReturnersHideout Yes and no, there are some things you still need to group up for, namely a number of eight person fights called "trials" that cannot be run with AI teammates, as well as a mandatory three part 24-person raid. However, it is worth mentioning that the mandatory difficulty modes for the content I mentioned are incredibly easy. I just don't want you to get a false impression that it can all be done solo/ with NPC teammates.

[@theprodigydragon]

​@@TheReturnersHideout You can do all main scenario dungeons up until the latest patch with a group of NPC players if you wanted to just experience the story (which is probably the best FF story, yes it is that good). Its like a really huge 300+ hour Final Fantasy game but you could do it all solo with the exception of 'trials' and there are probably like 25ish of them. Across the whole game.

[@Alex-tx7ih]

There's a thing called "Blind Runs", where you tackle dungeons without knowing anything about it. I think some Free Companies (guilds) focus on this. It can be fun, working out how the mechanics work live with the other players. But I found the 24-man Alliance Raids were just overwhelming when done like that. A walkthrough on the mechanics drastically improved my enjoyment, most of which I got during Dailies when other raid members would provide directions.

[@Dr0Clockwork]

For squeezing the absolute maximum out of the game, you can play though the story content in the order that it was released. For the MSQ that's not going to be an issue, but there is LOTS of optional stuff that you can miss if you just stay on the MSQ train. Every expansion has a raid series a trial series, and alliance raids that add a bunch of story, as well as there being job quests and role quests that are (oftentimes) really cool as well. So for A Realm Reborn: do The Binding Coil of Bahamut Heavensward: Alexander, and The Void Ark Stormblood: Omega, The Four Lords, Return to Ivalice Shadowbringers: Eden, The Sorrow of Werlyt, Nier Automata crossover raid series Endwalker: Pandaemonium, Myths of the Realm, The Sil'dihn Subterrane, Mount Rokkon, Aloalo Island Don't worry about picking the right job from the start. You can change jobs at any moment by equipping the weapons and job stones for that job, so if you find that you don't like playing lancer/dragoon or whatever, you can pick up other jobs and try those.

[@AlmightySimian]

100% take your time and actually read the main story quest dialog and watch the cutscenes for the dungeons. The story is honestly the part of this game that sets it apart from other MMOs. Also, let people know when you join dungeons and trials that you are new and looking for pointers. It sounds dumb, but you would be surprised how welcoming the player base is to new players.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I don't think it sounds dumb at all! What I've found just from the comment section from this video alone is the sheer amount of helpful people that exist in the community! It's NUTS! Thanks so much!

[@Sllandre]

1: I would recommend doing the blue/unlocking content quests, when they unlock. Unlocking all the different jobs aside, anyways. But the optional dungeons/raids/trials, the normal modes at least, I would do once their available (coils of bahamut aside, as that doesn't have a normal mode... If you play with people though, they'll probably help) Question 2.... I don't remember the entire question, but I definitely know that people do enjoy helping others through the game, there's a community I follow/am a part of that built up pretty well, and it started up around two content creators. The third question, what I've gotten from the game? I met my best friends through the game, and we now play lots of other things together. The satisfaction of clearing an Ultimate is so incredible, or getting that rare achievement, like completing the Baldesion Arsenal mega-dungeon, or getting the big fish for the Feast of Famine quest, or reaching max level on a new job... And then there's the wide variety of emotions that the story has made me feel. No other game has made me feel as strongly as this one, the two other closest ones being Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Last of Us, but neither of them come close to what this game has done.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much! Taking notes on everything people are saying so far! I'm super stoked to restart - I played briefly with my brother and he did a super job of guiding me through it, sometimes I like doing things solo and figuring things out for myself, and I think that's what I'm going to do this time until I get super familiar with everything and then I'll start playing with folks!

[@anightdragonsamusement5710]

I'll give you some tips that I don't hear mentioned enough. MSQ Quests, Blue Quests are your primary focus. They further the story and unlock all content for the game. However: Do not ignore Job Quests. They contain important lore for the class as well as skill unlocks. Try to level one of each type of role (Tank, Healer, Melee DPS, Physical Ranged DPS, and Magical Ranged DPS). There are specific quests in later expansions that replace Job Quests. You won't be able to do them if you don't have a high enough level. This is not as daunting as it seems because of the Trust System recently implemented. You can get through MSQ content even with roles you don't normally play. Who knows, you might even decide you like to play a new role. Do not ignore Beast Tribe/Tribal Quests. They also contain a lot of additional lore that you would not normally be exposed to. It helps when you get further along in the overall story. Not to mention they have cool fashion and mounts you can buy. Same rule for leveling crafting and gathering classes. Not difficult and there is tons of lore about the culture of Eorzea. You don't even have to be elite crafter/gatherer guy. Just do it casually and it becomes very rewarding. Something I also don't hear talked about enough. Side Quests with a picture in their window are Special Side Quests. They are worth doing for more lore and an interesting story. Finally, Try to do Normal Raids and Alliance Raids. Also packed with lore and story (Are you seeing a trend yet? lol). It is not difficult content but some of the raids are fun and pure spectacle. Oh and if you are really feeling inspired, level all the battle classes. You will get a special mount if you do. Not a priority though. Think of it as more endgame content. FFXIV is a VERY special game. You will see. I wish more people experienced it.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

It's what I plan on doing - experiencing all the lore (as that's the heart of this channel: breaking apart the lore and making connections that haven't been made before, and just love for the series in general)! Thank you so much for watching and commenting! That means a ton!

[@anightdragonsamusement5710]

@@TheReturnersHideout Not a problem. This game changed my perspective on life. That sounds very cheesy to say but I mean it and I hope it will have an effect on you as it did me. I eagerly await your experiencing of it. Have a great time in Eorzea.

[@crimsonbok]

I started ffxiv around last august. Got almost 1000 hours in and currently still a trial player. I'd say to know every single little tidbit when it comes to lore and character interactions is basically impossible. There are a lot of small lines in dialog that change based on what jobs. Story dungeons can now be soloed with ai teammates who have their own unique dialog. You won't know references to Ver1.0 without playing it. Heck, there are chunks of 2.0 that was removed to make A Realm Reborn less of a slog. I think the best way to go through the game is to go in blind with other people who have also never done the content. To figure out how bosses work in a group who has never experienced the fight is an experience you only get once in a lifetime especially with older trials and raids.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is a good viewpoint! I kinda know the idea of 1.0 and how it lead to some of the story of 2.0 so at least I have some of that, as for the rest of it I just want to soak it all in although I know the game is ... massive. But this is interesting, maybe I'll find some people who haven't played and round them up and just run into the world and make some sense of it. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@Infeston]

Hey, your video randomly showed up in my feed and I clicked it and I would honestly be excited to watch your journey through FFXIV. I got the most of my enjoyment out of the story, the character customization (making my character look badass by collecting armor) and also some of the side content (Palace of the Dead, Eureka, Bozja, Heaven on High and Eureka Orthos [These names won't tell you anything yet]). I am mostly a solo player, who enjoys games at their own pace. I rarely participate in organized group play. But I think this is one of FF14 strenghts. You can play most of the game till the end solo and still get enjoyment out of it. But you can also play the game with friends if you want. Compared to WoW, FF14 focusses a lot more on solo play. Because it treats itself sometimes more as an Final Fantasy game than a MMO. For the story, expect the same quality of story and writing like the other FF games. I personally am a fan of FF7, FF8 and FF10 and I would say the story of FF14 is as good as the story of those games (if not even better). But I advise you to not overhype yourself with the story, because I have seen people go into the game having "too high" excpectations and then get disappointed. Sometimes the writing and the story can feel somewhat sluggish in the beginning. And a lot of it is "oldschool textbox reading" without voice acting, like in old FF games. But if you have no problem "reading" you will propably enjoy the story. I enjoyed every minute of this game, but I also don't want to overhype the game too much. Simply play the game "with an open mind" and let yourself be engulfed by the story and its characters. The gameplay can be somewhat easy for gaming veterans, but there are possibilities for hard content. But the hardest content is mostly group focussed. I am a more casual gamer who focusses mostly on solo or casual group content, where I don't have to commit to a schedule, so i can't tell you much about the harder group content. But the stuff I told you before (Palace of the Dead, Eureka, Bozja, Heaven on High and Eureka Orthos) also offers a challenge for solo players. So there is always something enjoyable for solo players. Also, very important, you don't need to create different characters to play different classes like in WoW. You can play all the classes simply on one character. And learning a new class simply means accepting a "class quest". Also you unlock more and more classes later in the game. The good thing is you can try them all out with your character. And if you feel like you don't like the gameplay of a class, simply accept the class quest for another class and try it out. Overall I would say to keep your expectations "low" and let yourself be surprised by the game and its story. But I only say this, because people overhype this game sometimes too much. I personally loved the story and every minute of it. Edit: I did read through the other comments. And yeah i would honestly advise you to only do the blue quests and mostly focus on the blue quests with the "meteor" icon. You should definitely ignore all the non-blue quests in your first playthrough. Also don't try to skip cutscenes. :)

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much for this! I'm VERY happy that the video got recommended to you! I'm always a little hesitant for some reason, but all of the wonderful comments, including this one, makes me INSANELY excited to start. Thanks for watching and commenting and welcome to the Returners' Hideout!

[@Infeston]

@@TheReturnersHideout Oh! I also have one important thing to add. As some people mentioned, there are dungeons in this game and you can either visit them with other players or use "Trusts" (AI-controlled NPCS). I would advise you to do the dungeons either with people who are new like you, or you instead use the Trusts. Because if you visit most of the dungeons with other players who already know the game, most of the fights in this game will be a cakewalk. But if you use Trusts, some of the content will be more challenging, because you need to figure out bosses and mechanics yourself instead of other players already knowing what to do and "doing the bosses for you". So if you want to have some kind of challenge I really advise you to go into the dungeons with NPCs. Even nowadays whenever a new dungeon is released I always visit the dungeon with "Trusts" first, so I can figure out the mechanics and bosses myself. With other players it often is less challenging, because most other players are veterans who already know every mechanic of every boss and even if you die during a fight, the other players can still finish it, because they are often THAT good. But if you do the dungeons with non-experienced players it could also be more challenging.

[@JohnSmith-yu8ml]

Trusts arent unlocked until pretty late into the game. It does however have a duty support option for soloing the broad majority of main story dungeons. The duty support NPCs have the same ai as the trusts and are great for learning the mechanics and also add to the story since the npcs who are the main character class also react(scripted) to the dungeon as you roll through it.

[@Infeston]

@@JohnSmith-yu8ml Yeah thank you. I was talking about the duty support. Either way I would advise him to go into the dungeons with NPCs the first time if he wants to figure mechanics and bosses out himself. But the option to play with NPCs will be clearly visible in front of the dungeon. So you should simply look out for the option.

[@bookfiend100]

I always loved final fantasy, I have played a bunch of it. That said FFXIV did something powerful with me, they way it handles some of the topics in shadowbringers and endwalker really gave me hope and perspective on my own life and connected with me in a way no other game ever will. I love this game for all the problems and everything else it might have. This game, as cliche as it sounds, sort of changed my life and I am so grateful.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I love that! Thank you for sharing! That’s kinda how I feel about the series as a whole, which is the reason I made this channel to begin with! I’ve heard (just from comments today) that the story is really something to soak in, and I plan on doing exactly that! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@souperdad]

Hey cousin, cousin here! Currently working on Warrior and I only play tank/heal types so were we to join forces and reunite the flames, you’d always have support in the form of protection or healing. Down to the deets: Every class/job/profession can be done on one character. No need for multiple toons who major in specific crafting. you can literally do it all from Mr. Fibbus if you’d like. Most friendly MMO out there. WoW is still riddled with the most pretentious, min-max’ing sweats in the genre. FFXIV has their share but 95% of players are super kind and welcoming in PuGs. There are lots of references, Easter eggs, and even full on BOSSES you can fight from VI, IV etc. imagine fighting the Zot Tower sisters in 4K. It’s real, and so is fighting Kefka and more. Dungeons are 4 people. 2 DPS, Tank and Healer. There are no legal plugins so you won’t hear people complain about DPS meters because even mentioning you use plugins which are against ToS can get people banned. Granted despite that, some people use them. I would never ever use them… The story is awesome. You can do Gold Saucer at any time and chocobo race. There’s a 100-hour ish investment of breeding and racing Chocobos to become the best. Boss fights are easy to learn and bosses use a predictable gameplay mechanic to teach you how they work. It’s very user friendly. Best MMO I’ve ever played and I was in WoW Alpha and played until 2018, you recall the obsession I had for WoW. All classes now actually feel Unique where before a few classes had identity crises. Dragoon is getting a rework and we are getting Beastmaster(limited job) and Pictomancer (Relm) in the new expansion this summer.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

You just got me even more hyped to play it lol. I'm super stoked, and trying to get over the anxiety of trying something new (I've literally had the New Game option on FF8 for Switch, I'm terrified for some reason)! Thanks for watching and commenting, and yet again I thank you for showing me the series all those years ago man - it's been a lifelong obsession every since!

[@humanaesthetic]

I got a lot of enjoyment out of the end game content. There is still a pretty good community out there playing minimum item level +/- blind for even the older content. As for classes try them all. I was originally dps, got a lot of enjoyment out of Samurai but took a liking to Gunbreaker (so many ogcds), and then Reaper. I stopped playing because my current job doesn’t let me put in more hours into the thing I really loved which is savage raiding with a good group. Lastly the story content is really where ff14 shines. It’s the best story I’ve ever experienced in an ff game. And I’ve beaten 4-16 (except 11).

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks for commenting! I do plan on going super slow to figure everything out and then start playing with people. Right now, I've got a day every week picked out where I do nothing else but play 14, but that will change as I get more into it. I'd like to make videos related to 14 at some point, but even if that doesn't happen I'd still like to play it and soak everything in that it has to offer!

[@rfygband]

I've been playing FFXIV for about 10 years and have 14k hours of playtime. I'm also a long time FF player (since the SNES days). I would highly recommend it to any fan of Final Fantasy, but only if they also enjoy, or at least are able to tolerate MMO's. It sounds like you have MMO experience so you shouldn't have any problems there. Some things to consider when starting to play: - Since all the updates with Trusts in Endwalker, you can play almost everything as a solo player as if you were going through any single player Final Fantasy game. Trials (more or less boss battles) being the outlier here. You still need to run them with other people. This may change in the future since Yoshi P (producer and director of the game) wants to make everything accessible to people wanting to play solo, but it's not a guaranteed change. - As mentioned in another comment, the blue quest markers are quests that unlock a lot of side features (raids, glamours, dyes, mounts, etc). Those are always worth doing. - The story is a massive part of the game, unlike other MMO's. Expect to spend A LOT of time to get through the main story if you are paying attention to it. - If you end up not enjoying A Realm Reborn's story, do your best to push through it. A Realm Reborn (aka 2.0, aka ARR) has a reputation for having a dry, drawn out story and sometimes it turns people away, however it's worth it cause the later expansions, specifically Heavensward (3.0) and Shadowbringers (5.0) are most people's favorite stories with Endwalker (6.0) usually being highly rated as well. Stormblood (4.0) has a lot of mixed reception. - The game, as we have known it for a long time, starts in A Realm Reborn (2.0). 1.0 is no longer playable and is famous for being a disaster and revived into 2.0 by Yoshi P. - Dawntrail (7.0), which is scheduled to release in summer 2024, is pitched at this point as a new start for the story since the big story ark for the last 10 years was finished in Endwalker. - The crafting and gathering systems in the game are actual big systems with rotations and such. It's much more in depth than clicking a Start Craft button and it being done. Some people focus solely on that. - The housing system is very controversial. By this, I mean that there are a limited number of houses, and if you want to get one, expect to have a battle ahead of you there. - All jobs can be played on one character. You don't have to worry about selecting a job in the beginning and being tied to it. You can level, gear, and play all of them. - If and when you get to optional content at the end and want to do some raids, all the raids have storylines. - There's multiple difficulties of endgame content. Normal/Hard trials are tied to the MSQ typically. Extreme trials are optional harder versions. Normal raids are mainly for the raid storylines. Then if you want to run harder versions there's Savage raids and then the hardest being Ultimate raids. I won't give any specifics on what the bosses are, but as an FF fan you'll enjoy seeing some of them. - I could go on with many more things, but the main thing is to just hop in and try it out. There is a free trial with no restrictions on playtime that you should try out first if you're not sure you want to pay a sub for as well. At this point, you can play all of 2.0 and 3.0 with access to almost every feature in the game on just the trial. After Dawntrail releases, 4.0 is being added to the trial as well.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is wonderful thanks for this! When I played last time, I attempted to pay attention to the story but it was a bit drawn out and I was playing with people and didn't want them to wait around for me, so I skipped a lot. The whole reason I play the series at all is for the stories so when I start, I'll definitely take as much time as it needs to soak in all the story elements. Thank you so much for watching and for this comment!

[@Infeston]

@@TheReturnersHideout If you like stories in games, then don't skip it! This game is made for people who like to experience the story of a game. And it will propably lessen your enjoyment of the game as a whole if you are normally a person who is interested in a games story. But I can already tell you that a lot of it is reading. Especially in the beginning. The later expansions have voiced a lot more dialogue and a lot more cutscenes. But especially the beginning is reading a lot.

[@VanceTwitch]

The biggest pieces of advice I have as a previous player of FFXIV: 1. FFXIV is a Final Fantasy game first, MMO second. There's a ton of MMO aspects, but remember that this is above all else a Final Fantasy game. The story is so deeply written, and the occasional call backs to previous games will make you so happy. Treat the story with the love and respect it deserves, and you'll get everything you need out of it. 2. Don't rush to the end game thinking that the game starts when you get to end game; as a player of WoW for damn near 19 years, FFXIV's end game is not the same as you would think from WoW or other MMOs. FFXIV is really what you make of it, it's very free flow and open ended. If you like raiding/PvE content, there's plenty of it. If you like PvP, it's gotten really quite enjoyable. That said, there's plenty more to do, so allow yourself to get lost in the world of FFXIV, and you'll eventually find something you love about the game. The combat at the beginning can be pretty slow; be prepared for that (though since you said you've played in the past, you're probably okay with this).

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Getting lost in the game is exactly what I want to do. Having that feeling again is something I'm constantly chasing! I love that it's an FF game first, MMO second too. I feel like things will be different for me personally after going through chunks of this game, and I'm so stoked! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@Bassua255]

Money is why I stopped playing. My buddies and I managed to buy a guild mansion and it was glorious. It was just down to two of us left eventually, hard times hit, and we missed 2 months of playing. After not entering the mansion for 30 days, you lose it. I lost my motivation the next time I logged in. I played White Mage, but was more of a crafter. I did support in and out of battle and I loved it to be honest. I can't say I remember enough to give you advice though, especially on DPS. It was just too long ago. I'd need to relearn everything myself. I hope you get the help you need from the community and that you have fun!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks for commenting, I can definitely see why that can be a bit disheartening - maybe when I get to a point where I'm playing with people again we can play!

[@HallowedBeThyGame]

I commented my book on your short but just wanted to boost and say your quality is through the roof. I can’t wait to see all your ff takes! Also I was mega into wow and FFXIV. I had to take a break bc I like them a little too much lol

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Aw my friend thank you so much! I’m just trying to get better at this KZbin thing!

[@jacktaru2]

stumbled upon your channel, long time FF14 player here (almost 10 years)- started bout a year after ARR came out. I WAS gonna start when ARR did release, but college, life, etc etc 1) "What's something you MUST do to get the best experience?" Honestly, the MSQ (Main Scenario Quests) and bigger side story quests. You're a big FF fan, so you know that story in a FF is one of the key elements. There are dips in the MSQ (unfortunately kinda early on too) but the highs are pretty freakin high. You mentioned making a couple characters in the past so you probably hit those dips before. As for the side story quests, while most of them are optional, they're kinda like hidden gems- plus, they'll most likely unlock Trials and Raids too! 2) I am currently still playing- mostly raid logging though. The reason for that is because I've done most of the things that I want to do in the game. There's still a LOT of content and achievements that I could go for, but those parts just aren't my cup of tea. If you do start, I wouldn't mind tagging along from time to time though. 3) I've met so many online friends that I would call family over the years. Sure it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows as with any MMO- some folks don't vibe well together and fall out, others have their own plans, and some just play at different levels (like hardcore world racing, or casual zero raid at all). But, for the most part, 4 of my best friends are from FF14, and if they needed help IRL, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Aside from community, I've been raiding since Heavensward launch- it's made me respect and value time. I wouldn't say I'm "HARDCORE RAIDER" (at least not anymore), but it's also made me more aware of optimizing all levels of gameplay. anyways, FFXIV has a free trial- if you start a solo character to just get a feel of the game, I'd say that's a good place to start. Though, story progression isn't shared across characters, just as a head's up.

[@sage595]

I have nearly 4000 hours of playing FF14. It wasn't my first FF game but it was the catalyst that got me to really start enjoying the franchise. Here is what I like the most about the game and my recommendation for playing it: The biggest part that keeps me playing is by far the story. It's the type of story that can only really be told because it's an MMO, mainly due to the length it has. FF games tend to have the stereotype that they are really long, but nothing beats 14 (except possibly 11, I haven't done anything with it). The format lets the story breathe, gives time between heavy hitting story beats to explore them and has enough time left over to give the player some levity and humour before getting serious again. My recommendation for when you start playing is to take your time. The story beats at the beginning are admittedly less than impressive, but almost everything you do or see or interact with WILL be expanded upon or brought up later, and I love the game for it. If you intend to play to a live audience then you'll have a great time, the FF14 veterans are emotional vampires and swarm to new players to get the second hand high from experiencing the story fresh, something they can't do again. If you are looking for a guide, someone who you can ask questions to or talk to about the game and it's many systems and features then I'd love to be that person. If that interests you then send me a DM and we can see about setting something up!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Absolutely, sage! I'll be posting video updates as I go on this journey! Thank you so much for this comment and for watching! The story is what I plan on focusing on; literally putting on headphones and just getting lost in it!

[@scubarubanzaii]

~3500 hour healer main doing raid logging for a casual savage tier 8 main raid static: The biggest thing I can recommend is to take your time and really enjoy the atmosphere and music of the game. RP walk around and look at the vistas while listening to that glorious soundtrack, and make sure you really get your character looking EXACTLY how you want it all the way down to the dyes. Those alone will keep you invested in the story that you end up experiencing, and you might start to feel like your character themselves will have their own personality. I started my second character to join friends and made a character that I started as a healer, a Fem’quote, and doing what I said above really got me a good feel of a personality my character had through my own eyes which dictates which jobs and quests that I interact with. It’s like I’m soft RPing without RPing at all.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is something I can't wait to do. I did it with an non-FF-related Switch Zelda game several years ago (looking at the sights, just soaking it in) and I really want that feeling again! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ricebawwls]

A friend introduced me to FFXIV and I was really hesitant to start it, being avoidant of MMOs and primarily a laidback solo gamer. I never found a MMO that intrigued me and/or kept me interested in any aspect of the game. Funnily enough, I was the one to cave in and sub first. This game has given me a family and community with many wonderful memories attached. If we were to all separate and leave the game forever, I would still have those many moments to treasure for the rest of my life. Breaks from playing or disappearing because of real life is normal for me, but I always find myself coming back because I love my character dearly, I miss my FC friends, and I just sometimes want to be immersed in its world. And that's okay. Yoshi-P, the producer, urges us to try new games. XIV will still be there when you want it to be. FFXIV's story, themes, music, environments, NPCs, and gameplay are worth trying the game out at the very least. Especially now when solo play (aside from major boss battles like trials and raids) is so easily accessible with Duty and Trust Support. I've experienced the whole spectrum of player interactions and people are generally helpful. There's both casual and harder content for those that want it and improvements continue to be made. Needless to say, I am beyond excited for the new expansion. Please, do take your time and don't rush it. Savor the experience. (I'm sorry this looks so long!)

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Don't be sorry at all! All is good, and I love listening to others' take on the game. I am taking my time and experiencing everything in slow motion, with headphones on - I'm getting SUPER into it lol. And I'll be posting video updates as my experiences open up! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@FishSkeleton-]

My answer to how you can get the most out of it is this: Every expansion once you finish ARR has an optional 8-person raid series, 24-person raid series, and 8-person trial series, every one of which is important to story, so decide early if you want to get a 'comprehensive' understanding of the plot and world, or if you simply want to see the main story with as few side branches as possible. There's no right or wrong answer.

[@jordaneats7566]

If you actually wanna do everything? Pick up every blue quest you see. Those usually unlock content.

[@LockeCousland]

As a non fan of mmos ffxiv is the only one I'll play (maybe 11 at some point) because you can be everything on one character. I'm a dragoon/Paladin main, and the job fantasy feels good to me. I have basically all melee jobs at 90. I literally this month took a break for the first time since 2019 when I started. Feels weird not jumping on even just to do dailies, but my fun that kept me there and why I'll be back in April is I enjoy the "theme park" I can just go fight final fantasy bosses as my dragoon I can solo old content and do 24 man raids. It helped me talk to strangers as an introvert, it's actually why I comment here, ffxiv has helped me. Overall I did everything current of my skill level. But if you need a dps tank who can kinda heal I would definitely join if you needed, it's hard to stay away. I mean the game I'm playing now is monter hunter world and it's because I can get dragoon armor lol. I also want to make sure you know I appreciate you and your content.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Locke, thanks so much my friend. I'm glad that FF14 was able to help you break out of your shell even just a little bit, and you commenting on this channel - I mean I see your name pop up all the time, and I'm so glad to see it! It means the world to me, and I'll give another update with 14 as I plan on making content based around it. Thanks again for watching and commenting!

[@bakubread9308]

I got into the game just about two years ago, for me FFXIV has been a game that moved me REALLY deeply with its story, and also a catalyst for growing exponentially closer with my friends. It caused me to actually write *lore* for the character I play as, which is something I had NEVER done before. It has been a near constant source of fun when I've got nothing else to do, it has been a gateway into the series as a whole as I had only ever played 6 prior to this one, and my god the MUSIC in this game. I swear Soken (the man behind almost all of the music) is some sort of wizard, never did I expect to fight raid bosses to industrial metal, j-pop, fanciful fairy music, hard rock, etc. etc. etc. Seriously, if there's any part of the game that will stay with me forever, its the music. Literally, so many songs from this game are on my playlists.

[@tneon9132]

So for Final Fantasy 14 dont see it as Wow with a FF Skin. In wow you basicaly go to an area, accept all quests. Go to the markers, kill the mobs. Go back hand your quest in and if you are get a level up you go to the next zone. Ofc newer expansions have something like a mainstory but its not in the scope of final fantasy 14. On the other hand in Final Fantasy 14 you have 3 Types of quest. The main story quests, Blue quests, tribal, and normal quests. Normal quests just tell you the story of a village or side charakters. You usually skip them and only do it if you like a place or feel like it. DO NOT DO THEM JUST FOR EXP OR GOLD the reward is miniscule. Also dont try to do all of them before you progress you will just burn out. The reward for them is the Story. The imersion in the area. It has its upsides. Forexample you go to city X and later in the story you learn more about city X. So you can go back and imerse in the city when ever you feel like it. Blue Quests Usually Unlock something. Usually Jobs and job skills( final fantasys classes), Dungeons, or game mechanics like mounts . You should do them on sight you always want what ever they give you.. The quality of the writing varys from top tier best seller author to "hey go to the place and look at it". Under the MSQ the game will notify you if another blue quest for your job is aviable. Job Bluequests unlock either, a new skill or a new job. MSQ The main story quest and the reason you play this game. Just follow this. Also treat the MSQ more like a VIsual Novel than like an JRPG. A lot of times the Quest will be go to person A. Head to Spot B. folowed by lots of story. Best tribe quests are dailys to make some other factions like you. then you can buy the mount they offer. Next would be, dont put too much worry into what job you start as. Fairly early on you can just unlock and swap Jobs Final fantasy 3 style. The main impact of your Starting class will be thefirst hour of gameplay. Id recomend you start in Limsa(my number 1) or Uldah because i just like the charakters introduced there the most. Limsa is a costal Pirate town, Uldah is a desert city, and Gridania is a forrest city.

[@theprodigydragon]

Hey. Been playing FFXIV since ARR launched in 2013. I have over 5000 hours logged and cleared 3 ultimate raids so I can give a good answer. Trying to get the most out of this game won't even be an issue. You will start it, play the MSQ, unlock various content and the more you play the more you will understand it's variety of activities. This game rewards you more the more time you want to put into it. It gets better as you play. There are so many things to do: main quests, job quests, levelling all jobs, crafting and gathering (with a decent rotation unlike WoW), housing, decorating, gold saucer mini games, treasure maps with valueable loot, harder extreme difficulty bosses, harder savage difficulty bosses, the hardest ultimate difficulty raids (like mythic +), deep dungeons (where you try to get as far as you can killing mobs, big scale multiplayer areas with players and open world bosses, multiple relic weapons with amazing glamour, a whole comedy style quest line across multiple expansions, achievements, mounts, minions and I am probably missing alot more. To get the most out of this you can try everything until you get bored of playing (and I have not in 10 years). The community is really helpful and kind (there is a novice network for new players and mentors are there to help new players). You can meet some amazing people through the RP clubs at people's housing or through discord and raiding with a static. This game changed my life. My life would not be the same without it and now it is pretty much my 2nd life. I wouldn't worry too much about trying everything quickly though. Just enjoy the main quests, unlock things when you want and ask for help if you are ever unsure. I have literally just started a new character on Phoenix to play through the story again so if you don't mind an EU server I can help. I love helping people in this game and want to share how amazing it is.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Oh I don't want to move quickly through the game. I'm taking in small bits, throwing on headphones and just getting lost within it. I do plan on making video updates as time goes on, so look for those! Thanks for helping out and for watching and commenting!

[@theprodigydragon]

@@TheReturnersHideout Thats perfectly fine. Thats the great thing about FFXIV. You can go through it at your own pace. Even the developers have told people to take a break if they get burned out. Take your time, the game will always be there. Plus there are always new players starting.

[@LulunaEve]

Heya as a longtime player of FFXIV (Closed alpha tester March 2010) I am sure you will enjoy FFXIV a lot. From what you say your love for the FF series is obvious and there are lots of nice references in the game for you. I found the story to be something else, this could be because I was there when they switched 1.0 off and watched what came after. It is something in all my gaming life I will never forget and I have a strong attachment to the world and lore. I have seen almost everything from the good and the bad that the game has to offer. It is now a lot different to how it began some for the better and some for the worse but yet here I am almost 14 years later. I miss my friends from 1.0 and the early days of ARR some have left because the game changed to much for them. I mostly duo or play solo and the game is really solo friendly now you can sit back and do dungeons with NPC's so if you are unsure on a certain job it is good for practice. I enjoy being mostly solo these days but I do jump in with other players sometimes. The alliance raids are fun PVP is quite easy (frontlines). You can work your way through collecting cards, mounts and relic weapons. The game is huge now with a lot to do. I play almost every day and have only took a break from sub here and there . Give it a go I am sure you not regret it.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Firstly, thank you for subbing! That's amazing - I'll be posting videos about my time in the game! I love the series so much, I couldn't cram it all into this video, but it's been a strong love for a LONG time lol and I expect the same will happen here; which is why I've put it off for so long. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Welcome aboard!

[@Flare935]

If you want to squeeze every ounce out of the game, try to complete a relic for each expansion when you're caught up on your Main Story Quests (MSQ), or when you want to take a break from the long story that the game is. The Relics really unlock a lot of things: ARR and Heavensward has you visit a bunch of the optional dungeons and other stuff that could be missed, Stormblood and Shadowbringer's Relics add some very big pieces of content that a lot of people love but a lot of people also hate. Endwalker's relics are tied to an optional comic relief questline, which adds a lot of additional time, but is a lot of great laughs you enjoy the comedy that they do. You do not need to complete each expansions relics to start on the next, they are all containted to themselves, but sometimes having the previous one will help speed along the process. At least for ARR to Heavensward I know it lets you skip a few steps. Other things that relics don't fully cover would be to play through all of the Normal and Alliance raids starting in Heavensward that are all optional, as they all interesting stories as well. As well as the optional trials like the Warring Triad and Four Lords series. But, importantly, play the game at your own pace. It's a marathon, not a race. There is a LOT of content in 14, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed and feel like you're falling behind. At the end of the day, it is an MMO, with a lot of content, that will take a LOT of time. I know a lot of people love fishing and other gathering stuff, but it's not really my thing all the time. Tips would be: Try a lot and see what you like. And, while it does somewhat suck, if you don't like a combat job and it's before like lvl 60, try to get it to 60 and then re-evaluate it. A lot of jobs get their full main rotation and/or their gimmick started at 60, and even then their rotation can still change. Some jobs will keep changing drastically as they level, while some stay relatively same but just gain complexity. But, most importantly would be to have fun, and enjoy the main story. It's one of the biggest draws of 14, and while ARR (up to lvl 50 quests) can be really slow, but it has it's moments.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Tons of good notes to take from this comment! I already do feel quite overwhelmed to start, but since everyone has made it clear that it can be played like a traditional FF game, I feel a little relieved! I can’t thank you or anyone else enough for providing such valuable information - everyone’s been incredibly inviting and it really makes me look forward to playing it! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@CeresAzalia]

I've been playing for 10 years pretty much non-stop. Here are my takes: First, don't be embarrassed. FFXIV is a massive chunk of intimidating content to get through. "What's something I can do to squeeze the most out of this game?" - Do what you love. Don't force yourself into content you don't like. Alternately, if you want to seek out challenging content, don't be afraid to find people to do that content with! "What's something you must-do to get the best experience?" - IMO, don't skip the MSQ. That's first and foremost. It's a heavily story-based RPG...you know how FF games are. The story is kinda the game. Take your time. There is no reason to try to get to end game whatsoever. And, DON'T skip each expansions raid series. In each expansion from ARR to EW, there will be an 8-man raid series, and a 24-man raid series. Do both and complete them. They're amazingly fun, have great stories, and often tie into the lore of the overarching MSQ in ways that almost makes it seem criminal NOT to play them. "For those of you starting, would you be interested in joining my journey?" - Absolutely. You'd have my assistance until Dawntrail, lmao. I'd need to know what Data Center/ World you end up on, but I love, love, love getting new people into the game. Showing them the ropes, guiding them along. It's great. I AM one of those people who has "done it all". I've maxed every fighting, crafting, and gathering job. I've played every expansion more than once, I've studied the lore. I own the lore books, I've been to the conventions. I love this game. "What have you gotten out of playing FFXIV?" - I don't say this lightly. It literally changed the way I view life, death and the world. The game starts innocently enough. Go here...talk to this guy, figure out what's going on with this bad dude...fetch a pail of water. But...But seriously, by the end, it's contemplating some big questions. What does it mean to have purpose in this world? How do you find meaning? I can't stress this enough. It challenged me, broke me, brought me down to a sobbing mess and then lifted me back up. I've gained so much. And that's whether I was playing this game alone or with friends. This game is EXTREMELY solo-able. I STRESS to everyone I meet interested in starting this game that IT IS AN RPG FIRST, AND AN MMO SECOND. It's all about the story, the rich lore, the world building. The NPCs will become your friends. You WILL have a favorite. You will cry for them if they struggle. I add one more piece of advice - ARR is the worst expansion and the first expansion. We call this expansion "The Great Filter", because you either make it past it and see the rest of the game and love it, or you don't and you never come back. I don't see many people quit past it. Which isn't to say there aren't people who love ARR, it's fine. But if you like ARR, hold onto your seatbelt because it gets 5000 times better. And if ARR doesn't land too much, hold onto your seatbelt and power through because it gets 5000 times better. ALSO, some of the voice actors in english ARR are BAD. Period. We all know it. Ignore this. The bad ones all get switched for much, MUCH better actors starting around Heavensward and moving into Stormblood. The cutscenes get better. There are many more voice-acted cutscenes in the later expansions, etc. You can FEEL the budget increase, essentially. So if there's a person where you're thinking "Omg, the actor sucks." It's okay. Lol. 1- we agree. 2 - it gets better, I PROMISE.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I can't 'like' this comment enough lol. I'll definitely post updates and videos as I make my way through the game! I love that you have all the lore books and all that - that's the heart of this channel is picking apart the lore and presenting things that maybe people have missed! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, it means a ton!

[@TristamWolf]

Hey there! I'm new here, this is actually the first video of yours that I've seen, but I am absolutely willing and interested in following your journey through this game. I can tell you right now that it there are MANY FFXIV players who very much enjoy finding new players (often called 'sprouts' for the new player sprout icon that will be by your name when you first start) and watching their journey through the game. As for what I've gotten out of the game thus far, it's been quite a lot but it's ultimately similar to what you would be looking for in a lot of games. It's a grand adventure that has made me laugh and cry, feel joy, anger, hope, etc. It's also been a great way to play and connect with friends who aren't very local to me any longer. With regards to the best way to experience the game, there are a few things that are useful to know regarding quest icons: The fancy looking 'meteor' icons are the Main Story Quest, which is the critical path for the game (the one you need to progress to unlock new areas and complete the story). Quests with a Plus Sign and a Blue Background inside the icon are quests which unlock things (typically dungeons or new side content), and quests which have none of these and a plain icon are regular Side Quests you can do to further experience the story of an area but which otherwise are not required for anything. Now that you know this, my advice would be to simply do whatever content speaks to you at any given moment. There will be a lot of main and side stories, there will be harder versions of bosses (called Extreme Trials) that you can do, there will be the 8-man and 24-man Raids which all have their own unique stories, as well as the more difficult 'Savage' version of the 8-man raids, there will be crafting and gathering, as well as mini-games in the Gold Saucer, there will be seasonal events just ALL the time. My advice is to just let the game take you wherever you and it want you to go. Keep in mind that you're facing down what will almost certainly be the single longest RPG you've ever played, and so it's best if you don't burn yourself out by trying to push through the story when you don't feel like it. Finally, if you are looking for folks to play with, I would absolutely join you whenever you need it. I'm more than happy to play Tank, Healer, or DPS as the need arises.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Amazing! Thank you so much! I’ll put out video updates as I go along my journey! Thanks again for watching and commenting!

[@FlareHeart]

I play FFXIV for the story. It has a beautifully written story that plays out over multiple expansions and if you are interested in Lore at all, you shouldn't skip a single thing. There is lore buried in side quests, optional dungeons, optional raids, EVERYWHERE! Everything is worth doing in its own way. I'm more of a casual player, I don't do the hardcore raids or ultimate content, but I enjoy just about every other aspect of the game. I love that it is not demanding of your time (you can take a break and not feel like you've been left behind since they add easy ways to catch up). There are some slower parts or less important side quests back in ARR where the pacing wasn't quite as well-done, but persevere and you will be rewarded!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

The story is what made me fall in love with the series 30 years ago, so I love that the same thing is happening here for so many people. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@FalakIll]

Q1: It kind of depends on the player. It's a theme park mmo so there's a wide variety of content. The story will have been recommended by everyone already. If you're looking to get the most out of it then I would say work your way up to ultimates specifically the newer ultimates. It'll probably be a while until you can comfortably go in there but they're a lot of fun and the most difficult content the game offers. It also has the added benefit of finding a static which, while it can go horribly wrong, can lead to you meeting a lot of cool people through the game. There's a whole crafting and gathering system if you're into that and many people spend their time playing the marketboard. There's also people that dedicate massive amounts of time to fishing (not sure why though you'd have to ask them). There's glam (transmog) and RP. People make nightclubs with DJ's live on Twitch etc that you can go to. For more casual battle content Bozja is really good. It has a self contained story and fun power ups to mess around with. For more niche stuff that people don't usually talk about in public there's savage/ultimate logging and speed kills. And a whole lot of stuff beside that. It's probably best if you dabble in everything and see what sticks. Q2: I probably can't join because I'm in EU but I hope you have a lot of fun :) Q3: I was kind of like you in that I didn't like MMO's. I started XIV at the start of the pandemic. I was having a rough time, had cut myself off from most of my friends for reasons I won't go into and at the same time I started hearing about Endwalker and the story. I had played a lot of FF games and other RPG's so that piqued my interest. I had planned to just play through the story solo and stop but I went into the first raid in pf for the story and met a lot of really nice people almost straight away through sheer luck. SInce then I've met even more friends through the game and met many of them irl. I have two trips planned this year to go see them. One is a visit and another one is a wedding. I also found out I love raiding because it offers a challenge combined with a sort of teamwork I hadn't experienced in other types of games. So in addition to a great experience with one of the best stories I've encountered in games or in general really I also found a lot of friends and content I love in the game that will continue to be updated for years to come. I also don't have to be in the game everyday so I can stop to play things like BG3 which, from what I've heard, is a step up from the gameplay loop in some other MMO's. P.S. If you want to look further into what you can expect and how FF differs from WoW I would recommend looking at some of the stuff Preach and Jessie Cox have made.

[@sasakijung]

I only played for 3 years I from GW2. For Begninner advice, Play solo for a while "before" you start to play with other player especially, every dungeon first clear. The reason is; you will get to learn mechanics and how to play more than run with players. Every Main Story Dungeon have NPC AI to run with you along the way until you reach 8 player fights. Not only that, You can spend time as much as you like in dungeon with NPC AI, while run with player is much faster but you dont have time to see anything because most people is rush to finish as fast as possible. 2nd, HUD and UI and Notification Adjustments, even without any mod (which you should not use it) developer provided tons of customization. It may hours or day until you done set it. It will make your game experiences much more easier and better even gameplay. 3rd, Start at Realm Reborn will pretty like WoW, Sluggish and slow progression, but it's the foundation of all story telling. These required lot of reading and pay attention. Realm Reborn is one tough barrier to every newcomer, more than 50% are drop-out because of how it design. So....take your time as much as you need, no need to rush on thing. You have months of content you can spend time on until you reach lvl 70, Stormblood, Third Expansion 4th Have fun in your own way, we all have perspective, how to approach and play the game. You dont have to listen to anyone that may end up bad experiences. The world is yours, the story is yours to explore and discover. The character is your own, to engage people and the world. 5th Community, FF14 Community are completely opposite WoW. Most of player mostly chill and relax. I will not saying there is no issue. FF14 Community can be complicated and and private. many may chill in public but at some corner may not friendly at all (hardcore) It's depend on community that you get yourself into because there are so many of it. Be mindful, GM will not hesitate to punish anyone who ruined other player experiences (They are aggressive on this) I think It long enough as a 3 yrs old player with 8000+ hrs of gameplay and accidently your video is up in my recommendation. And as much I want to explain more, but at the end of the day, it's up to you....Click or not. But you played WoW before, everything should be little easier to get in because they quite similar. if you have more question, feel free to ask me and we player are happy to help you.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you so much for this comment! I think that might be my favorite part is that I can make the world how I want it to be. We all take away our own experiences with the game, and everyone seems to love the game. I want to be one of those people too! Thank you for watching and commenting, sasakijung!

[@Disastra]

I've been a fan of FF for decades, and I really think XIV is the best the series has ever been. It is a massive timesink, but the game is more than happy to let you decide when/how you sink that time. If you've played around with DPS before, starting back up there probably isn't a bad bet-- tho instead of dragoon this time around, I'd recommend arcanist. It's a spell casting class, but choosing this job will start you out in Limsa Lominsa... where at level 10, FF's version of Rogue unlocks (if that's something you're interested in trying). The biggest piece of advice I give anyone looking to start FFXIV is this; go slow, take your time. The story is *always* there. Try things that seem interesting or fun. And don't be afraid to ask people for help!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

That's exactly what I want to do: go slow and let everything sink in. I'll be posting updates as I get started and make my way through the game! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@valience1739]

My only real advice would be don't get too invested in the current Dragoon, as it is getting a rework come the launch of Dawntrail this summer. Some other advice would be to not skip cutscenes. Think of this as an FF game first, MMO second, and approach it as such. Talk to the rando NPCs you find. If they are having a chat, like the ones outside the early dungeons, wait and see what they say. And with the trusts, walk to them and see what they have to say at the end of dungeons when they show up. You can get extra bits of lore that way if that's your jam. Don't get discouraged that the low level gameplay is... mid, at best. It really does pick up for pretty much every job once you're out of ARR, and sadly ARR is still the weakest part of the experience. The story also will probably get bogged down here and there, but keep in mind they're setting up the rest of the game through Endwalker. Some worldbuilding needs to occur. Don't forget to keep a stack of hard boiled eggs on you to pop for bonus EXP while leveling. No need to buy expensive foods until you're at the current expac, and even then you can still get through everything but savage raids without it. Don't skip the 8-man raids. They're ezpz for older patches, especially if you go in with an unsynched party. Also don't skip the 24-man raids, the story for some of them are pretty neat, but more importantly, you'll get exposed to a bunch of mechanics that may or may not make a comeback in later encounters. Try to learn how to learn a fight. Guides and walkthroughs are great and all, but being able to figure a mechanic out yourself is a much better feeling imo. And lastly - play at your own pace and do what you enjoy regardless of what people might urge you to do. If you want to take a stream to just chat with viewers while you run in a circle gathering wood on botanist, do it. If you want to take a stream where you just decorate your apartment in the FC house, do it. If you want to go to a club and see what the night life is like, do it (but avoid flagging for meld.) If you want to min-ilvl every fight in the game... make sure you have a group of people willing to do it with you and do it.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I keep hardboiled eggs on me in real life, so this will be no different lol. I'm definitely going to take my time and move slowly through the world! I know there's just so much and I don't want to rush anything! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@morteaux3662]

7000 hours and still going on. Start playing, explore what YOU want, what YOU will find interesting. Game offers so much that there is no proper way to squeeze it. Find your own pacing and go. There's plenty of side content, grinding content, weekly stuff, collectables and so on - and everything you can start whenever you want. Because the most important part os to enjoy the story (and music). If you plan to go through beginning again, I would say: focus on MSQ, get people who won't speedrun dungeons, so you may take your time within, enjoy the MUSIC the hell out of it, and progress the content expansion by expansion, to not leave good side-stories behind.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much! I do plan on going slow and just letting myself internalize everything, including the music (something I can't help but doing anyway, this series and I go WAY back lol). Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@LilMissThor]

My one caveat that I tell everyone is that you have to come at this game understanding that you will go at it's pace. Unlike other MMOs, expansions are not stand alone. And much of the content is like that. You have to do things sequentially from ARR, to HW, to StB, and so on. You can't do most Raids of each expansion until you do the Main Story. The list goes on. Point being, you should approach this with the idea that you''ll probably be locked out of a lot of the content many people gush about for weeks or even months. That said, it offers a lot of freedom in terms of being able to change classes at any time, so you never feel stuck or trapped in any class you don't enjoy. The dungeons and trials become more elaborate and exciting to play as you go. And the stories are fantastic sweeping epics that could be their very own stand alone FF games imho. I still play fairly regularly, so if you ever end up on Primal Data Center I'd be more than happy to help.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you so much for this! I’m totally fine with things being unlocked as time goes on, all the previous FFs are similar to that and I actually love that; it gives me something to look forward to! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@LilMissThor]

Been a fan for a while, so thanks for making your videos. Also, if spoilers are any concern, then avoiding videos explaining mechanics might be a good idea, as they can spoil some surprises. You can usually find folks who are happy to explain mechanics without spoiling stuff. In fact, FFXIV has one of the better online communities of any MMO out there.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Oh my gosh thank you for the kind words! It means a ton! I’ve noticed (most) everyone that plays 14 is SUPER nice about the game - I don’t mind spoilers, I mean I’m gonna see it eventually lol! I’m excited to start making content about it, but it might be a while. I’ve got videos that I’m working on for February and March at the moment but I definitely want to make 14 stuff! Thanks again!

[@kymera21]

In my opinion the best way to get the most out of the game is to play how you want to play. FFXIV is not a typical MMO, by that I mean you can play a lot of it single player. Play your pace, play your style, play what you can do each time you long in. I've logged in for 15 mins just to do a quest or to gather resources. Dungeons are mostly where you will group up, where you que up by the party finder and the game does all the work for you on that. So while waiting you still could be questing or gathering resources. I am sure that many many people would love to play with you. I would just explain to them what you want to do first so those that do join you go at your pace. There are a lot of great players who will understand. Not everyone plays FFXIV for the same reasons and that what makes it such a great game. I currently have an active account but not logged in a while do to life tasks taking over.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks for this perspective. You're right, I should definitely figure out how I want to play and then - do that. Good to hear from you Kymera! I hope things are going well!

[@jedikitteh]

I've been playing xiv now for around seven years consistently. I started back during the launch of arr but stopped about halfway through and returned during the patches of Heavensward. My advice to get the most out of it that you can is to take your time and enjoy the story at your own pace. What do you want out of it? Raiding? Story? Farming collectables? A sense of community? Something relaxing? Everyone has different wants and you dont have to focus on everything. I just started raiding this past year after all this time out of curiosity. Gathering is super chill and relaxing. The story will make you feel the entire spectrum of human emotion (as long as youre willing to read, alot and be very patient with it in the beginning but it really pays off). Above all, dont rush it. Its a very long game and it wants you to savor the time you put in.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

And savoring it is exactly what I want to do. I want to throw on some headphones and just melt into the world. I'll post updates as I play the game and make videos on stuff I find/experiences I have, etc. and I cannot wait! Thanks so much!

[@WillHuizenga]

I stopped playing because my best friend and younger brother died, and I had spent the last 13 years on the far side of the country. We played WoW and later FFXIV together. I highly recommend just playing through the story like any other FF. With the most recent update you can play it almost entirely without grouping. The story and the lore are very good. The music is amazing at all times. There is so much content you will quickly find things to do. I want to play it again but it is painful now.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Oh my gosh Will I’m so sorry my friend! This time last year my older brother died, so I can understand to some degree, although we weren’t super close - he chose a lifestyle that caused his downfall and no matter what any of us said or did, he didn’t want to stop. Mortal Kombat was our series and it’s kinda the same thing for me. I haven’t touched one since. Don’t force yourself if you’re not ready, just like other people said, ‘the game will always be there’. And also from the way it seems since I posted this video, the community will always help you through it also!

[@armswar]

Long time WoW player that started FF14 back when A Realm Reborn launched. When I played it, I loved it for how it put a decently constructed narrative into an MMO game. Fast forward 10 years later, I'm so glad I eventually made this my main game. The game respects my time and I don't feel like I ever have to play it every day like I did WoW. If you're trying it for the second time, couple things I want to mention: - Unlike WoW, the character you create can pick up all the classes in the game eventually if you want that. If you're a rogue, Lancer/Dragoon and Pugilist/Monk are the two classes you'll feel most at home with. If you're interested in an even greater challenge, I recommend going Thief/Ninja. - As you progress through the game, you will get access to more and more Jobs. For example, once you reach level 50 and have completed the 2.0 main quest, you will see a new quest to pick up the Samurai job. Another example is when you start the Heavensward main quest and gain access to the new hub city. At that point, you'll have access to a tank, healer, and ranged dps job. - Leveling multiple jobs sounds like a pain but it's actually really easy. If you are rolling on a preferred server, you will get an experience gain buff. Aside from this, there are EXP catchup mechanisms such as Deep Dungeon to help you "grind" levels. - The more you progress through the main quest and the game, the more features you will unlock in the game. So don't be shy in playing the main quest! Hope you'll enjoy your second try at FF14. Since you're a big FF6 fan, there are surprises waiting everywhere for you especially in the Stormblood expansion. Won't say what it is now but I guarantee you'll be grinning ear to ear when you see it. Best of luck!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you for watching and commenting! When you say 'preferred server', are there different perks for choosing a different server? Either way, I'm super excited to start!

[@armswar]

Yes there are definitely perks if you choose a world that's designated as a preferred world! This mainly comes in the form of an exp buff called "Road to 80" which provides double the EXP you gain on all your exp gaining activities (Battle, Gathering, and Crafting). This stacks with other EXP enhancing methods such as guild buffs, food, and special earrings you can buy by preordering expansion packs so you can skill up anything you want in a hurry. If you're concerned about your server being a bit barren, there's no need to fear. You can always visit other more established servers whenever you feel like via the cross server and cross datacenter transfer features. I feel it's more important to have the flexibility to power through any battle, gathering, and/or crafting job you want easily with Road to 80. Best of luck!

[@Leinton]

I'll give a bit of a short bullet series on things in the game Positives: - You can play all jobs, crafters, and gatherers on one character, so you don't need to re-progress story in order to try out other styles of gameplay - Tanking and healing are both more straightforward than in other MMOs, so they're far more accessible without losing hard on gameplay - DPS jobs all feel super unique and variable - Every job is viable in both story progression and all levels of endgame content - The story is incredible. Some people say ARR is a slog to get through but my perspective is it depends on what you expect, it's certainly way better than most other MMOs. The rest of the stories are all well loved across the community. - DPS jobs have both complex static rotations and less complex priority systems, depending on which job (examples: dragoon is super complex but completely a static rotation, which black mage is a far simpler rotation but follows largely a priority system) - DPS jobs have a wide range of skill levels required for both entry and master. The most well known example: black mage is the easiest job to learn and by far the hardest job to master - Side stories are really good. The fandom is particularly fond of the Hildebrand questlines, so you should definitely check those out. - All the raid storylines are really good - All the raids are accessible except Binding Coils, through a system similar to LFR but it brings people to raids at all levels, so you can progress every raid story using just the duty finder. Except Binding Coils, but you likely can find people to run that with you. - Raid stories are attached to the easier modes of the raids, the harder modes are essentially fanfic a guy tells people to make you look even more badass - Raids are very fun and have several levels of challenge, so there's places for everyone from extremely casual to extremely hardcore raiders - Crafting and gathering are both way more fun than in any other MMO I've played, I usually avoid them like the plague but in XIV I actually have all gatherers at max level and crafters are all 70+ - There's a bunch of side content that you can do, such as the Island Sanctuaries or Gold Saucer - There's nothing in the game requiring you to be a constant player, the Director has made it clear he wants the game to be accessible to players who want to leave between patches/expansions - If you do want to stay and grind to BiS, it's absolutely doable in a reasonable period of time - There's no gear locking for current content, minimum ilevel for new content is based on gear from the previous tier, not current - Displaying parses in game is against the rules, and those rules are enforced, leading to extremely low levels of harassment based on performance - The community is extremely new-player friendly Negatives - Making the game accessible to players who leave between patches/expansions does put us in regular content droughts - Healers have been pushed into an odd shield vs hot healer binary, which I've felt makes healers feel less unique than in games such as WoW - While the mid and endgame experiences are really good, the onboarding experience is a little lackluster. This probably is less of an issue for you if you're coming from WoW, but it's still an issue. Largely this game has been such a positive influence on the MMO genre as a whole. It also means a ton to me, the story and gameplay are both super fun, hopefully this list from a random person who just found this video is helpful.

[@nazaire7]

My story's a bit different. I started in WoW, played off and on from Wrath until mid-Shadowlands, taking a break during WoD and most of BFA. A buddy of mine was playing ffxiv on his ps4, and had been trying to convince me to give it a try. I bit the bullet, downloaded, and made my first character. The stock-standard catgirl with the same face as 80% of the playerbase uses (If it looks good, it's gonna get picked, I feel no shame). I played through A Realm Reborn, and Heavensward, unlocking and leveling every class and job as they came up, and it was... a drag, the entire time. The quest chains were long and i skipped most dialogue, wanting to get to where my friend was. Also, the 2.5 second GCD was SO SLOW compared to Warcraft's 1.0 sec. I eventually was walking from quest to quest on the beaches of The Ruby Sea, and just... turned it off. Never went back. A year or so later, JoCat put out a video, "So I Wanna Talk About How It Took Me 300 Hours To Like FFXIV (and how you can too in far less time)". If it's something you're interested in, it's at watch?v=7LM08VrEs6k , and while it's about 40 minutes long, but JoCat is very informative, personable, and funny. They know how to keep your attention. After watching that video, I bought a subscription, and dove back in, with the mindset they suggested in their video. I started fresh, reborn as it were, the most vanilla of pastes, a male hyur (the more lithe of the two 'human' options). 222 days, 13 hours, 56 minutes later (about a week ago), I just finished getting my last job to 90, working on them just one at a time, to really get a feel for it start to finish. I hit 90 on two jobs just going through the main story quests (summoner then reaper), and since then have been working on a dozen different things, and I think that's my main selling point of the game for someone not too familiar with it- There's too much to do, and that's a good thing. Some will disagree, but I treat each new activity in-game with full attention, and do my best to get the most out of it. Aside from leveling, and questing, there's- -mounts and minions (non-combat pets) to farm/craft/gather, -the crafting jobs themselves, which to me are kind of like little logic puzzles, especially with the expert crafts (where if you don't meet the minimum stats listed, the project fails outright). -Raiding, with a group of 8, or 3 groups of 8, progressing into savage (hardmode, more and different mechanics, hits you harder, general difficulty spike from normal) 8 man content, into Ultimate content (The toughest fights, 30 minutes average to finish, one error can lead to a group wipe, needs all 8 players in the best gear knowing exactly the mechanics, where to place themselves, etc. I love watching the videos of groups progressing through this content) -deep dungeons (roguelike solo or group content where you descend/ascend floor after floor of enemies, traps, treasure chests, bosses) -Field operations, like Eureka or Bozja, a separate area from the rest of the world where you raise your in-zone rank for abilities and rewards -Blue Mage, the limited job that, much like Strago or Quistis or Quina or Kimahri, learns powerful enemy abilites, and can group only with other blue mages to tackle higher-level content in new and unique ways. There's also gameception - several minigames built into xiv can have whole communities devoted to them, from- -chocobo racing -Lord of Verminion (DotA/LoL in *my* mmo?) -triple triad (Yes, that one, from FFVIII, my favorite FF) -Mahjong -player housing designers and glamour designers (the true end-game), housing-based gardening -fishing/ocean fishing (It's more involved than wow's 'click the bobber'), there are dozens of super rare fish out there to catch, along with grouped ocean fishing every two hours -and even off-the-book in-game activities if you're in to them, like roleplaying (not necessarily erotic), "Hunt trains" that gather groups of people to hunt down high-rank rare monsters in the world; There are even some folks who set up on a livestreaming website, and hand-draw portraits of passing characters. I'm absolutely sure I'm missing several other pieces of whole content too. There is quite literally something for everyone.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Gosh, yeah from everything I've read, there's just SO MUCH to do. And I'm excited for all of it! The community seems impressively nice and helpful too. Thanks so much for watching adn commenting!

[@ryu9933]

I have not played ff14 yet, but I have been contemplating because I hear it has a big free version. But I played some of ff11 when it came out. I paid for the subscription and played as much as I could. I stopped playing because life is to busy and I played it for about a year and I only got 35 to 40 hours total out of the game and wasn't even half way. I felt at the time that it cost too much for what I was getting out of it.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I can understand that wholeheartedly. I plan on starting with the free trial just one day a week for right now to get familiar with everything and then playing with people slowly as I get better at it! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Marvelous_Jared]

I started with the trial in August and purchased the complete edition during post-ARR well before the trial even ends because I wanted Marketboard and Retainer access. Last weekend I finished the 6.0 story. I love this game with all my heart and am thankful I started it. The story really does keep getting better as the game goes on, what hooked me was after the 2nd main trial in the game. To get the best experience, definitely level at least 1 job of each of the 5 types: Tank, Healer, Physical DPS, Range DPS, and Magic DPS. There are specific role quests later on, and it helps you understand how the other roles work. Once you finish an X.0 patch, be sure to enjoy a bit of the endgame at each of those capstone. That includes the raid stories. There is a TON of content in this game, and none of it is irrelevant thanks to Party Finder and Duty Finder.

[@DBellBoi]

It's a long post, but I hope you enjoy your journey. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I've got sources all over the FF14 Community. Literally your video just popped into my feed and so I felt compelled to answer. To get THE MOST out of this game is that you just have to WANT to do something. FF14 will NEVER force you to do anything you don't want to (Except a Storyline in the base game because people didn't know about it but it's 100% necessary/required for the ACTUAL story and to progress). I STILL play because the producer of the game Yoshi P actually loves his game and the way the game is built from his own words "Go play other games when you're tired of this game and come back when you want more". I've been around since late 1.0 (didn't play a lot then, I was military at the time) and through all of the reboot until current. It's a "Tradition" for all who play this game to watch because we REALLY want to see others 1st time reactions since we can only go through the campaign once (Hence why the running joke we call ourselves is "Emotional Vampires"). I'd definitely be willing to boot up my character as would many others and run with you. We're ALWAYS looking for new folks to run through with. Now I will say that when it comes to running the MSQ (Main Story Quests) there are some who want you to run/play it "Their Way" or will try to be more than helpful, but will end up saying spoilers. We're generally good at policing ourselves with NOT spoiling the playthrough of the person (You're gonna have to watch yourself when you're offline/on Twitter or something because spoilers run rampant there). Playing DPS is fun for you then go for it, I mainly run Gunbreaker (GNB) ,Leon from FF8 inspired class, and so I'm more than willing to tank or heal or dps as I'm sure hundreds of others are. If you get bored with a class that's fine because you don't need to play an Alt since you can play every job on 1 character. If you want to run the game like a "Traditional JRPG" instead of an MMO you kinda can because all of the dungeons in this game can be done with A.I. party members save for 8-man content (Trials/Normal/Savage/Ultimate Raids) and 24-man (Alliance Raid). Honestly now is a GREAT time to get into the game since the new expansion will be dropping in June which means that once you finish the first 4 expacs then you'll be caught up with the current content of expansion 7.0 (depending on how fast you consume the current/older content because if you take your time you MIGHT be able to catch up to new content by the time the 8.0 expac comes out realistically speaking, but still NO RUSH IMPLIED). Now lastly, and the BIGGEST thing I think you'll hear a lot of is that A Realm Reborn (ARR for short, 2.0, Base Game) is slow and not good, but once you get to Heavensward (HW, 3.0, 1st Expac) the story telling will pick up. Now everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I do want to preface this by saying that ARR is like the 1st book of The Lord of The Rings or any good fantasy novel. It sets the world/builds the world so you know generally how it works and why it works as well as who these peoples and creatures are. It can be long in the tooth in some sections but they have SIGNIFICANTLY cut down on the quests from what it used to be. So just go into it with an open mind if possible.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you so much for this well thought-out comment! This is exactly what I was looking for, and I'll say this too: with every comment on this video, everyone has been extremely helpful and I can look through and pick out a LOT of similar things that everyone says to do and I'm going to do exactly that! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@emmanuelbetancourt5267]

Pain, that there’s maintenance today too 😭

[@c_huvaknunh9138]

I grew up playing the very 1st Final Fantasy at my friends house and was hooked. I started my journey in FFXIV back in 2.1. It being my very 1st MMO experience, I was mostly a solo player throughout ARR and HW. I'm a collector by heart, so getting weapons, equipment, mounts and minions is what I gravitated more towards in the game. I no longer play due to IRL issues and boredom with how the game is currently in 6.x. My advice to getting everything out of it is this, if it's a long-term commitment, TAKE YOUR TIME. Enjoy the MSQ, the lore, the sidequesting, the level grind, other jobs or class professions. The systems can be overwhelming, but if you take it slow, you'll have more than enough time to learn everything in this game.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I love that you started with FF1, that's not long before I started and I can't wait to get into 14! Thanks so much for watching and commenting! I'll be posting updates as I play!

[@chibasachiko]

Hey, KZbin recommendations got me landed into your video and this is my take on it. I've played this game for almost three years now and the experiences I had with FF14 were almost like a roller coaster ride. While there are bad experiences in it, I had more good experiences with the game and the community. I would say the first thing you might enjoy is the little tributes that the game had towards the older FF series, given that you mentioned you did play the other FF series. And I meant that not just by the items or minions or pets, but the characters, the references in story parts, and similar characters but different character lores to fit the FF14 world itself. Like the Ivalice story in FF14 shared similar elements yet different setting with the Ivalice of FF12 and Tactics. Like other FF series, to me the story is still amazing. I have laughed and cried at it, and some stories actually resonated with me as it also reflects what I experienced in real life itself. Especially the Dark Knight job quest at Lvl 70 to 80. Though I saw a comment on not to overhype yourself with the story, and that is true. Go in without expectation and heavy comparison of the story writing with the other FF series, and you might be able to see the beauty of the plot itself with the world of Eorzea. Also, I think many comments have mentioned about this too: to play the game at your own pace. If you think the story quests gotten too heavy to push forward, spend some time with some side content like side quests that fleshes out the world a lil more. Or do some fun games in Gold Saucer. Or, if necessary, get friends to go through the story quests together, to walk together with your journey. I got my friends from my free company to walk with me in certain parts of the story quests as it was too heavy for me to experienced it alone. The presence of them around made me feel that everything is fine and all haha! Additionally, many have mentioned before that the majority community is kind and welcoming. It is precisely because of this that getting into free companies and making friends is easy. At the same time, it is because of the people I met when I started the game, I got into raiding. From a newbie that just mashes button with no direction, to learning rotations and mechanics, raiding into Savage Raids and now moving to the next level of raids. I felt myself change from who I was pre-FF14 to now. When I was playing any games before FF14, I get angrier easily at others in MOBA games. But, after playing it, I wasn't that mad in most MOBA games. I became more patient towards others and just let the anger go easily. Perhaps it might be trivial to others, but to me, it is a huge step to my personality improvement. I guess, it also depends on the circle of friends I made along the way. (There are still times I still lash out, but it is definitely way lesser than I was before playing FF14. Even my irl friends commented on it haha!) And raiding with a group of friends I made during the 3 years journey of FF14 made me realise that my communication skills and my coordination skills aren't that. Definitely would help as age creep on and I could see it helps with my brain-to-hand coordination skills. Plus, to clear a tough fight with other 7 people, yelling in excitement in voice chat together, feels like you've achieved something in all honesty. Still the best feeling I had. So I do hope you could find your enjoyment in this game by exploring Eorzea and the FF14 community.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'm very glad it got recommended to you! I love the other games in the series, so any little nod will probably make me emotional, so I probably should go ahead and grab a box tissues. I am 100% going to make video updates on my time in-game and the experiences I have along the way! I don't necessarily have any expectations in mind other than 'I am safely buckled in, show me what you got' and go from there! Thanks for watching and commenting, chibasachiko!

[@Adonteon21]

Once you catch up, you learn just how slow and how little content the patch cycles have. That being said, it will be about 6 months to a year before a new player catches up doing it casually.

[@mosselyn5081]

I am a long-time MMO player, but have only played FF for about 4 years. What I got out of FFXIV that I never got out of another MMO was the story. I have never played an MMO that made me laugh, cry, or even just generally care about the story and its characters the way this game has. I also appreciate that the community is generally friendly and helpful, but I have experienced almost as positive communities in Guild Wars 2 and Lord of the Rings Online. My favorite aspects of the game are the story (MSQ) and crafting, but there is a huge array of activities to choose from. Even if you focus exclusively on MSQ initially, do go back to unlock and sample the side content later, such as PvP, Gold Saucer, Alliance Raids, relic weapons, the RP scene, crafting, beast tribes, etc.

[@SamtinoFoxLP]

If you want to go a power play route, try to get the relic weapons. You can also go Blue Mage and get all the spells. But most importantly, enjoy the story. For myself I'm trying to max all the jobs and I just need two more crafter jobs on max to have maxed out disciple of hand an land. The combat jobs are harder to level because you rely on the duty finder or you have a set group to level with. There is a lot of content rn and I think you will find something along the way. Just remember to pick up blue quests to activate more content.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Also, I see you've almost got 200 subs! Heck yeah, keep at it! I'll be posting updates as I go along!

[@jaron95]

If you're a big FF nerd you will lose your mind in this game. It is a love letter to the entire franchise and even Sakaguchi is addicted to it. There is so much content in FFXIV and all of it is pretty much evergreen. You'll find loads of people still grinding out stuff from years-old expansions. There are Discord communities devoted to organizing raids on old content, and Hunt Trains for powerful S and A rank marks. I'm working on relic tools for my crafting and gathering jobs right now so I can have glowy prestigious hammers and pickaxes 😂 Every little thing comes with a side story and fleshes out the lore just a little bit more. Don't be afraid to try things out and always let people know when you're new to something and we'll trip over ourselves to help out. Good luck and enjoy!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'm a massive FF nerd lol, I have been for 34 years. My little brain couldn't love it any more, and I'm afraid that's still true. So I intend to really get into the lore and everything else this game has in store for me. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@celebrian995]

I have played ff14 for 10 years. If you love ff in general, then you love the story aspect , then 14 will not disappoint. I have played through the msq, have now unlocked every job and an currently leveling those. I enjoy doing the side quests through that process. They break up the grind and add depth to the world of Eorzea. I have dipped my toe into the Eureka and Bozja and Deep Dungeon content as well. And I'm still working on the crafting/gathering jobs too. All this is on my time schedule. Don't do savage raiding just because of the time commitment required to do that doesn't fit right now, but everything else works ,and if I need a break I know it will be waiting for me when I come back, with lots to do. As you can see, I can go at my own pace with no pressure to rush, and I love that.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Yep and I love that too! I adore the series since I stumbled across it 32 years ago this summer, and I expect I'll probably fall in love with this one too lol. Thanks so much for commenting and watching!

[@Deckysaurus]

i have been playing FFXIV for like... 7 years at the very least. its a game i played for a long time and it was introduced to me by my father who's a huge nerd for the game and the series and such. what i get out of it is just so much enjoyment in discovering things i didnt notice last time, doing what i forgot to, filling gaps in my knowledge, meeting cool people. i overall just love the game and final fantasy as a whole. its just a game that i love with my whole heart. also if you need stuff to do theres a giant minigame casino called the golden saucer thats fun as hell. overall tho i stopped a while back due to lack of motivation but im back into it right now because i am a crackhead for summoner.

[@EdTheRobot]

Don't play 14 as an MMO but as you would any other FF game but this time you got friends to tag along with. My first FF was 6 and was peak. and I thought there wouldn't be any other games in the series to convince me otherwise. But yet ff14 continues to prove me so wrong. I implore you to play it but take it slow and not try to get through as much as possible just so you can get caught up. Play through the MSQ so your mandatory job quests and once you beat an expansion play the endgame raids and trials. This game is amazing when taking it with patience. Best of luck! And if your playing on NA data center ill be there to help as in sure many others will too especially if you're planning to stream it.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Heck yes, I'll give update videos as to what's happening and where I'm at! Thanks so much!

[@OwlNightwind]

I still play the game, but right now on a break as there's no real content to do outside of the old expansion grinds, which I will do someday but burnout is real right now. If I were to say what is great about the game and what keeps me in it. Is the community. What got me into the game? It was the story. Which I pretty much binged in around a month and a half. I really enjoy the raiding in the game, as it's somewhat different enough from WoW's that it is a nice change of pace(I am a 16 year WoW refuge). The community driven events are always nice, such as parties(which I only visit when I feel like it). Honestly... There is A LOT of stuff to do, a decade worth of it at that, as a new person you might even get overwhelmed when it all opens up to you after you finish MSQ.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I understand burnout lol, I've experienced it a lot while getting this channel off the ground - but I definitely want to dive into the story and just exist there while it plays out. I'll be posting videos as I make my way around - oh and also, welcome aboard! Thanks for watching and commenting (and subbing! It means a ton!)

[@josiedavis3792]

I've been playing Final Fantasy 14 since the tail end of the Heavensward expansion, like you I started playing Final Fantasy very early on and it has been a constant companion in my life. I've started playing with the original Final Fantasy on NES and at the same time Final Fantasy 2 had just come out in America. (I want to say that this was around 1992-ish?) To be honest I think the best way to squeeze what you can out of the game is just be open to trying new things at least that's how I do it. FFXIV is a bit like a themepark in that while the main story has a very linear progression there's so much other stuff happening around it that makes the world feel like it's well lived in. The game is really good at making side content feel rewarding. When I was first playing all I cared about was getting to the end, playing all the battle content, and enjoying the main story. But now I love crafting, I've filled out my sightseeing log, I've had the Savage Fishing quest (if you know you know) on my quest list for 6 years and every couple of months I try again, I'm slowly working through palace of the dead solo, I'm working on collecting every triple triad card. I do the events when they come around, I visit peoples clubs and houses, I talk to people I would have never talked too before. Like you I've always sort of been a melee dps player, I've run ninja basically from the start to now, I can't see my character as any other job. But as I've been raiding I've been trying out new classes and I've fallen in love with Machinist, and I'm looking to try maybe a caster on the next tier (as a pictomancer) Final Fantasy XIV is long, it's so long that I often think that hard pushing the main story will burn you out. That's why I say be open minded to trying things you wouldn't normally try, the great thing about the game is that it's a journey, it doesn't pressure you to complete it. The entire player base is so diverse and they all love different aspects of the game so you're never going to be completely alone even when doing very old content. Now that being said I have taken breaks before and I think it's pretty common for people to quit every once in a while. In my experience the times that I quit were usually entirely my fault for getting bored of the game, I would often throw myself into these extremely long grinds bashing my head up against this wall and then be bored when I wasn't climbing the wall as quickly as I thought I should. The problem was I was so singularly focused on doing these challenges that it consumed my life, I wasn't doing anything else so I sort of burned out. Which is more of a personal problem than a problem with the game imo. That said even though I've taken breaks I've found that the game is pretty good about welcoming you back, no matter how long you're gone it's fairly easy to pick it back up again and start anew. As far as what I've gotten out of the game; well on the most basic levels I've gotten one of the best narrative in a roleplaying game I've ever played, the characters are very fleshed out and very well realized. But I think the game is aided by the fact that it's had ten years to tell a story, and build upon the threads that it set down in the start, not a lot of rpgs get that kind of luxury of a large sweeping story. In the more esoteric sense FFXIV has given me a sense of purpose and community, I've built up a network of friends that I know even outside of the game, people rely on me for certain things, I get to meet people that I wouldn't normally meet. In my real life I'm faced with a lot of anxiety and I have personal struggles with gender dysphoria. Final Fantasy has let me inhabit a part of myself that I don't normally get to express, it allows me to live in a world that accepts me for who I am, no matter how weird that person is. A lot of people criticize the player base for being weird, or horny, or weebs or whatever else they can think to say. But I kind of like those aspects of the community, I kind of like that it's okay to be a strange little person, that I'm not going to be bullied for having weird thoughts or ideas. All in all I've gotten a lot of FFXIV, I'm not exaggerating when I say that FFXIV has made my life better for playing it. I'm not trying to proselytize for the game but if you have any interest in it I just recommend taking it at your own pace and digging into things that seem interesting or even exploring things that may not seem that interesting,.

[@thatdonparkerVODS]

1) Well I dont play as often as I like/should. But the game will always be there. Which is nice. I feel bad playing for hours when my wife is getting bored without me. I have to stress that some of the events are timed and I'm not missing those. 2) Yeah, I'll start playing with you. As long as I can record my part for my channels 3) I love the sense of community, really. My FC is the best and is really patient. #allhailtibbusfibbus

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks for commenting! Of course you can record! No problem at all! I'll be starting off small, dedicated one day a week to nothing but playing and then I'll be increasing that amount (I still need time to get this channel going - and it takes a lot! lol)

[@thatdonparkerVODS]

@@TheReturnersHideout Shout out to the solo operations out there, and their spouses.

[@balgus82]

There's actually a lot of nods and little detail Easter eggs about other FF games. Especially the Alphascape raids.

[@BiggoChungs]

Honestly, i spent a long time thinking if i could add anything that hasn't already been said by someone here. So instead of worrying about saying amazing advice, I'll just say this. As a FF fan, you already know how amazing the story can be from this series and how immersed one can get with characters that you love and get to know. So as you dive (or just take shallow steps towards the deep end) remember that this game really wants you to treat it like a marathon and not a sprint. Enjoy the little things and find exactly what you want to see out of this game. Want lore? Hit up all the side quests you want and feel free to take notes. Want the core experience with no deviations? Follow the MSQ with only short jaunts to the side to hit up specific unlock questlines. Solo? The game now has a decent support for solo play and if you don't mind other players, well the game was already made for that. We love to see sprouts and returning players enjoy and love the game we've come to adore and whether it be giving advice or starting a brand new character to join the adventure anew, most of us are perfectly willing to give our time (and let's be honest, sometimes some of us also give too much, so keep an eye out) And lastly... If I've gotten anything out of this game, it'll be 2 things: a small burgeoning confidence to try things I've not thought i would be comfortable doing and a sense of community. Before FF14, i would never have thought to try raiding in other games or even to just try new genres in general. I always wanted to, heck, i tried to do a Leviathan raid in D2 when it came out and lost any confidence to try raiding after the group that picked me up ditched me immediately after loading into the central hub area for it. I was convinced that all groups i tried to find would be like that and i just didn't want to get my hopes up for a new experience just to have them giggle and prank me with a "ha, you thought" Then some friends suggested we give a game called FF14 a shot. It was getting a new expansion that was supposed to be the culmination of years of work and progress, leading to an apparently widely expected arc finale. I was sold with little more than the thought that at least it would be something we played together. I was hooked immediately and quickly outstripped my friends in terms of progress (probably because i wouldn't sleep and ended up speeding thru months of progression in weeks), getting to know the cast and meeting some new people thanks to the ingame chat during dungeons. I leveled and experienced so much while making friends and even joining an FC that encouraged me to take leaps and find things i liked and disliked. Come endwalker, i spent all my time talking to these people i had never even met or seen irl like they were close friends or even siblings. And maybe the experience won't be that deep or revolutionary to most, but at the same time, maybe it will be. This game will give you as much as you want to take from it. I realize that at this point I'll just be rambling and losing the point if i go any further. So I'll just leave it at this; Play this game how YOU want and sod the rest. Find what dps you truly enjoy, or play them all and find out that maybe you don't want to just dps. Who knows, this'll be your journey and you'll get to experience it your way. Dive deep or skim the surface, we'll be here watching and enjoying it regardless. TL;DR- Experience as much of this game as you want and explore it to find out just how much you want to experience. We'll be in the wings, or even right there with ya to explain anything not too spoilery and to give advice when asked for. -Rant from a nervous player who saw this on his recommended feed

[@ArtyMartyD]

1: To get the best experience, I'd say go in blind and don't feel compelled to rush to the end. It is a story heavy MMORPG. It's barely holding onto it's MMO component anymore (Not in a bad way) because you can now play from start to finish entirely single player. Also you'll never feel married or nailed down to any single class because you can play all of them on 1 character, that also includes crafting and gathering classes. 2: I would but I barely have time to schedule playing time, sorry haha 3: I guess I'd say... I never felt like I HAD to play it ya know? Like a lot of games have log in rewards and dailies and such, but the game doesn't really push a lot of demand into that. There's no like, weekly reward to get the best gear and become strong. The game is designed for you to play at your own pace and if you ever want to take a break you can without that FOMO feeling. And to go a bit deep here but there's a lot of philosophical storytelling that I'd say is good for the soul, it's a great experience overall. Story = Great, Music = Stellar, Gameplay = Engaging, Content = Good god there is so much content.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

LOL I don't have a ton of time either, so I'm starting slow, soaking it all in as much as I can for that time, and going from there. I'll post updates as I get through the game - I'm super excited! Thanks so much!

[@giathrixxie5857]

- How do you squeeze the most out of FF14? Personally I think this is, in a sense, the wrong question to ask, although a common one. This is a game that has a LOT of content, and a lot of very diverse content. Not everything is going to catch for you, and perhaps something surprising WILL catch your eye. I usually hate crafting in MMO's, but in FF14 I have maxed all my crafters and gatherers and genuinely enjoy just walking around and gathering! Point is, your initial goal might not be what you really *need* in this game, so keep your mind open if you can c: If your goal is to know lore, then FF14 has a LOT of it! Aside from the MSQ side-quests are EVERYWHERE and many have a lot of interesting lore bits. That said, it's, as stated, a WHOLE lot of it - FF14 has thousands upon thousands of side quests.. For a general 'how do I get to know everything from a gameplay standpoint', I'd say the following: - finish MSQ, - level at least one of every role to max, - level at least one crafter and one gatherer to max, - complete a relic weapon (or one from each expansion) - try savage and perhaps ultimate raiding - try PvP - try Bozja and Eureka However.. No list is ever going to show everything.. These are the 'basics', but there's so many more things to do and to get skilled at! The thing that matters most to me may not matter in the slightest to another player. Hell, I spend most my day just doing Mentor roulettes and taking pictures of my character! - Would anyone join you? Yes! Absolutely! The people who are passionate are extremely passionate about FF14, and I, for one, am one of them. If you want to get a team together it doesn't much matter whether or not they're all new, so long as they're the type of player who knows to wait for you to finish cutscenes and who keep their mouth shut about potential spoilers, or ask if you want to be told a mechanic or figure it out yourself. Most players DO this, but occasionally you come across someone who doesn't adhere to the unspoken social rules, but it's usually nothing malicious. I'm certain that you can reach out to people here or on stream, whatever you wish to do, and people will be glad to join your adventures in Eorzea c: I know I, for one, would love to - there's few things the community loves more than teaching sprouts and seeing the joy they get from the game c: - What have I gotten out of playing FF14? Friends. Joy. Meaning. FF14 has helped me learn to control my emotions better (I have an emotional disorder) and how to properly communicate with people despite my feelings. It has given me a new feeling of forming bonds with others, both actual people and the characters you go through so much with.. It helped give me something to fight for, and especially Shadowbringers and a certain bird in Endwalker really touched me deep in a way that is both extremely painful and yet more beautiful than I could ever describe. It made me feel heard and seen not just on a surface level, but fully. Like the game itself understood me. The people and the game itself have genuinely changed my life, and I cannot recommend it enough, although with a few suggestions: - Enjoy the story. Even when it's boring, it's leading to something that won't be. I have ADHD - I know it's hard to stick with it sometimes, so don't push yourself to do story things if you can't focus on it. Savour it. - Whatever you do, do it because you want to. Don't burn yourself out focusing on what you 'should' do. You'll get back to that eventually, so give yourself the space to just have fun even if it 'isn't the time for it' or you want to rush to the end of that content. FF14 is all about the journey, not the destination. I genuinely hope you find as much community and love in this game as I have, and I look forward to seeing your journey c:

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Everyone has been SO nice about this game! A few people have stated that the game made them embrace life a little differently, and that's astounding to me. I know, for me, the entire series did that in multiple ways, so if this game is doing that for other people, then it's a no-brainer for me. Thank you so much for watching and commenting - and I love the list you gave up there!

[@RickeyDute]

Hey! I'll admit I've never seen your content but the algorithm put you in my dashboard because of FFXIV. I am intrigued by your questions so I will try to give you my take on them. 1) How to squeeze everything out of this game or something that you must absolutely do? As many will tell you, MSQ or the story quest. FFXIV is really known for its story and I think it is one of the strongest aspects of the game. Now, this is subjective because some people play the game for the gameplay and skip the cutscenes. So this will depend on your likes and wants. I would suggest trying everything just once and see what is it that you like about the game. There's a lot of content and some of it is walled behind a level cap, some isn't. Do your story quests, which will be your best way to level up your first job, then as you unlock things, try them out! Check the high level trials, try out dungeons, raids, Deep Dungeon, Chocobo Racing, FATEs, GATEs, Hunts, Treasure Hunting, etc. and see which content you like the best! If you're a story guy, MQS (Main Story Quest) will be an amazing experience with ups and downs, but it is satisfying, in my opinion. If you like DPS, I think you will love some of the other jobs, like Ninja or Reaper. The latter is level gated to Lv80. Now, when you do group content, depending on the content, you may find DPS jobs plagued with longer queue times for certain content. 2A) Anyone who would join you in your journey? I would love to join you. With the NewGame+ feature I can take my character and go through the story again. Once you arrive at Lv30+ I have jobs I could level. The only prerequisite for that is that we need to be in the same Data Center. (I am in the Aether Data Center). Once there, we can travel to any server and within the Data Center and party up. Free Companies (Guilds) are server specific so if you are playing with someone and want to join their guild or vice-versa, your home server will need to be the same. 2B) Am I still playing? Yes and no. I love FFXIV but the game encourages you to take breaks. It is made with that in mind. I play a bit weekly, maybe like 1 or 2 hours a week currently as I am playing other things with my friends. A new patch is actually releasing today, so I may go back to do that content some time soon. To me, I play the game when I feel like it and when I do feel like it I play it a lot. I enjoy doing dungeons and combat content, but endgame content is best with friends, at least to me. 3) What have I gotten out of the game? Enjoyment. I enjoy the game. I have been since release. When I met my wife, she started playing with me, and now we enjoy the game with our daughter as well. It has become a family thing that we do together every so often. I have made good friends in game too and have been introduced to various communities, like glamour, hunts, and PVP communities that make events in-game for players. I think, like everything, this answer will vary depending on the person, but the important thing is that in the end, I still play the game and after 13 years (I played 1.0 as well), I am still enjoying it. I am truly excited for your journey to start! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

[@BinxNet]

Ayo! I've been playing very frequently for the last 3 years, and JUST caught up to current patch MSQ. Currently working on end game raid sets :) The story, the buildup and natural progression of all the in-game content, is second to none as far as mmos are concerned, imo. The community is really cool and raid parties are generally more understanding and willing to teach new players different mechanics than other mmos i've played. I don't know a whole lot about FF beyond this game, but as a standalone it's still one of my top 3. I can't speak on lore references or anything, the mmo and the plot is just awesome. About to join a friend of mine through his first FF and FFXIV experience :)

[@tenshiaimi5493]

I started FFXIV around 13 years ago when the game was bad in it's Legacy iteration but it's constant evolving and "getting better" mindset from the dev made me stick and i was quite right with how the game become ! You mentioned FFVI as your fav game and say you are a Final Fantasy fan ? The game is made for you ! Almost a third of it is do references implicit or explicit or even remake content from certains games as awhole and it's amazing.The Dev team is passionate , the commmunity is passionate and i'm sure as a FF fan you will have a blast as I have right now ! To me , as someone who played the whole franchise , FFXIV is my favourite with VI , VII , IX and X and is totally on par storywise with them.What i would recommend is to really not to fail to get your first job because i had some friends leaving or retrying the game later because they started with a job they hated and made them quit the game.Being okay with reading a lot and with long cutscene (even tho a lot are voiced !) and be oki to have a slow start with A Realm Reborn but otherwise to be frank i dunno how you wouldn't like it Like certain people said in the comments , the game also changed my life and made me feel better because the community and the developpers are caring and pay attention to you so it can only just make you feel good to be frank ! If you want to get the whole of this game i would recommend to do the MSQ ofc but also the raid series of each expansion , they add a nice flavour to the story ... and they have ref to old FFs .The sidequest of Hildibrand is also super nice if you like goofey stuff that can make you laugh a while ! Really take your time , never hesitate to ask questions to people for help or anything and try stuff ! The game have a lot so even if you dont like some things its okay it have ton to offer tbh !

[@hkoizumi3134]

Like you, I am a fan of Final Fantasy series as well. I still do have my own copy of all my FF series since I started back in 1990. Unlike you, I didn't shy away from online version. I played FF11 from launch in 2002 to 2009. I believe having played FF11 helped me transition to FF14 quite well because both game are more similar than any other in the series. The advice I give is don't expect it to be like any other MMORPG. Treat it like a solo adventure. If you are streaming, do not worry about being entertaining. Play FF14 like a copy of retro FF and play it like you used to. Do not be afraid to explore and make mistake. Having to learn to hate certain classes is part of the journey. It's not about the destination or maxing things out.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Playing this game like a retro FF is absolutely something I can do lol - and I'll do just that! I plan on soaking in everything the game has to offer and I'll be posting video updates as it goes on! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@tskophield9230]

Haven’t played ff14 yet. Afraid to play it. I have to stay away from MMORPGs. I have a family and a job. If I play a MMORPG, I won’t have those anymore…

[@TheReturnersHideout]

LOL This is my one reservation. I might actually get hooked and push everything else away! Other than that, I'm super stoked to start!

[@short0811]

I played FF14 solo to really take my time and enjoy the story. I played as a Summoner because you get a dps and healer as one character that level the same time (Different gear though). I REALLY enjoyed the game and story but I quit after I finished the Stormblood story because my life demanded much more time and I didn't have near as much downtime to play video games. The story is by far the best part of the game for me. If you only play through level 60 and do the story you will be happy with your time spent.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks for being here, my friend! That's probably exactly what I will do is solo through at least a good portion of it to get my bearings and get familiar with the setup! Always good to hear from you!

[@RPGtourguide]

Pause for paws. 😜 I haven’t gotten into FF14 either, so I’m just mainly commenting for algorithm purposes. 👍

[@Quintalian]

As a big FF fan myself, the major draw of FF14 for me is partly in the "theme park" feel of a lot of the content. More than just the series staples of chocobos, moogles, a guy named Cid and some familiar enemies as is the norm, swathes of references are here to tickle the nostalgia center of your brain. At this point I believe every main FF and more have been drawn from in some fashion for content to populate the "theme park." The game's original story content is a close second and honestly it's my favorite overall, even more than the classic titles. The overarching plot that starts in A Realm Reborn just got its wrap-up in Endwalker and what a journey it's been, I'm glad I went along for the ride. The next expansion promises to begin a new arc of similar scale. Last but by no means least is the phenomenal, mind-blowing variety of music in so many styles. Every single patch there's music that expands the terrifyingly diverse range of genres integrated over the years. Composer Masayoshi Soken is a madman in the best way.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you for this! Your comment along with all the others was exactly what I was looking for when I put this video together and you’ve made me excited to start! Saying that 14’s story is your favorite overall is massive so I’ll definitely be paying attention to as much of it as I can! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@Quintalian]

@@TheReturnersHideout You're welcome, glad to be of some help! By the way, as for DPS jobs, I main Ninja currently, it can be a bit complex to get into but it's as close to Thief as I can get (until Dawntrail introduces Viper, or so I hope). Machinist is cool as a ranged DPS that borrows tools from Edgar's kit, and the ever-dapper Red Mage is pretty fun for spell and sword slinging!

[@Steve-YT383]

Take your time. There's so much side content and ares to get lost in. Enjoy it all. A lot of ppl ask for your main. I look at my main per role class, not overall. So for example I main: Summoner, Sage, Reaper, Machinist, and Gunbreaker. Niw, I only focus on one or two roles at a time. Currently Gunbreaker and Sage. That may change for Dawntrail. Do the MSQ and the side quests like 8 and 24 person Raids. The only other MMO I played was FFXI. XIV is very different. The FOMO is so much less. Don't worry about max/min till you're in end game raiding. If it's something you're interested in, i'd recommend getting into Savage and Extreme as you go along. As you complete ARR, do the Savage/ Extremes then, and then move to Heavensward. Sure if you're in the NA data center I'd be happy to play with you!!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Awesome thank you so much!

[@alaharon1233]

Ngl have not seen anything on this channel before this video, so I have no context besides this video, but here you go. Starting with stuff others have probably said, ending with stuff they probably haven't. First thing to decide is if you want to start on free trial or subscribe immediately. I recommend starting on free trial and then if you find that you can't deal with the restrictions, upgrade to starter edition, and then when you finish that, buy the latest expansion, which will come with all the other expansions not included in starter edition Second is the question of which server to play on. Obviously if you know anyone, play on their server, but otherwise, the choice is basically do you want to start on a preferred world where you'll get an xp buff, or one where you won't. Most people will tell you to go on a preferred world so that leveling is faster. Most people probably should! But for me I actually regret that. I never thought I'd go kinda completionist on this game, but I ended up kind of doing that, so with the xp buff I just leveled up *so* fast that all the side content that's there to help level your different jobs was meaningless for me, which I didn't like. The MSQ gives enough xp for your main job regardless Third, tip for very early game: you're gonna get a MSQ quest saying that you need a set of level 5 equipment. You start with all level 5 stuff besides head. You can get head from class quest. Which speaking of, make sure to keep up with! Fourth, I never thought I'd get into achievement hunting, but eventually I did, and the one thing I wish I'd done before was levequests! The achievements for levequests total at taking like seven or eight years to complete them all, because you get three allowances every 12 hours. You cap out at 100 levequest allowances, which takes like two weeks to get, so don't let them cap out! They're a good source of gil too, whether in early game on free trial, or in paid game once you've reached free trial cap. Speaking of levequests, once you start fishing, look up which fish have levequests to hand in and save those fish when you're out fishing for other stuff. This way the gathering levequests are just handing in stuff you have anyway rather than having to gather specifically for them This one may be specific to me, but if you're playing a female character, your race determines of you sit on horses side-saddle or regularly. Midlander and Elezen sit side-saddle, everyone else sits normally. I really don't like how side saddle looks in this game, so I used the one and only free fantasia the game gives you to switch from Elezen to Highlander. If you are playing a female character, I recommend looking up the animations and having this be a factor in your decision of what race to play, whether that's just a small factor, or a big factor like it was for me. Also be sure to start playing before Dawntrail releases because they're going to give everyone a second free fantasia with the release of Dawntrail this summer Next, find your own fun! The starting of the game can be rather boring if I'm being perfectly honest. Do side stuff, do stuff with purposely underleveled archer/bard, be silly, vary your content. The combat takes significantly longer than it should to get fun, so pace yourself, don't get burned out, do other shit too Make sure to watch a video about the plot of 1.0 since this game is essentially a sequel to that. Not *required*, but provides context that you *should* have. In the ARR post-game, you'll unlock something called The Binding Coil of Bahamut. Before doing those levels (which are really fun), I recommend doing the sidequests Remembering the Past and Preserving the Future. They're relevant. I have like a thousand hours in this game on the free trial, it's a good time, enjoy!

[@jazelisk]

Hi I've only played for a month so hopefully my take still counts. So basically out of all the MMOs i've played FFXIV's story is what really got me invested first and foremost. The rest of what FFXIV had to offer followed after. Sure it took a while to get invested like i'm talking about Act 3 of the base game only then did it start to reel me in. Outside of the story there's plenty of stuff to get invested in it just depends on what you like doing. Eventually you will come to realize that the activities are connected so you will eventually do the thing you initially thought you would never touch with a 10 foot pole. So don't worry, have fun and the only thing you have to know is that there's so much people to meet in NA, Crystal. I've been to the JP Elemental server and found it as too quiet compared to NA where the cities are full of activities. Cant say anything about endgame content since I myself haven't reached that yet.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Of course it still counts! That's exactly what I plan on doing: taking my time and experiencing everything at my own pace. I generally don't have a ton of time, so it'll have to be slow lol at least at first! I'll post update videos as it goes on! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Hilipinapixili]

I'm sure you've already got a ton of answers like this, but the thing about FFXIV is that the game at times feels more like a single player JRPG with some MMO components thrown in. You should just follow the MSQ missions (the ones with the meteor icon) and take your time with the story, paying attention to it (FFXIV is VERY story-centric). The rest should flow in naturally. You can ignore the yellow exclamation mark missions, but take the blue missions into account, as they unlock content like classes, game features, optional dungeons and important side stories. You will spend most of the game doing the MSQ solo. Unlike a ton of other MMOs, the MSQ actually has a lot of talking to NPCs and cutscenes, and surprisingly little actual fighting outside of occasional dungeons or trials. The story can be a bit long-winded at times and has some lulls here and there. The post-game of ARR is a pretty infamous one, even if it's true it has been trimmed down. For those moments there's optional dungeons and stuff you can do to spice things up. I think your intention to take it slow and chill is probably the best state of mind you can have for this game; do not try to rush to endgame. For many of us the story you're being told as you naturally level up is what makes it great. Not to say gameplay isn't fun either, but at least for me it's not what made the game special. Gameplay does get better as you advance, you can totally see the team getting their bearings and making much more fun dungeons and such in later expansions. Storytelling also improves as the expansions come in, with the base game being the weakest part. Job-wise, since the game allows you to change it as you please, I wouldn't get too hung up on it. Just choose whatever looks cool to you and if you don't like it you can always change. A few dungeon roulettes should level up your new job in no time. I started being a Monk, didn't really like it and changed to Ninja. Then I had a time in which I had to stop playing for real life reasons and when I came back I didn't remember hot to use Ninja at all, so I used that excuse to start with Bard. Now Bard and (poetically) Monk are my favorite classes to play. Just make sure you do your class questline as you level up. You get some abilities through it, and in the case of the initial classes you also unlock the advanced job through it. Don't be the dude who is still a Lancer instead of a Dragoon at level 40. :P As a side note, if the FF series is important to you you're in for a treat with XIV. There's so many love letters and nods to past games in there it's not even funny.

[@DeviousCrypto]

I am a FFXIV fanboy, heck even my PFP is my mi'qote. My advice to any new player is to not get caught up in the "get to the next set piece" grind. I think its so easy for people who played MMOs before to want to rip through some of the more mundane bits, but really do take your time. I'd focus on the MSQ obviously, but do the Raids as they come available. Some of the most impactful stuff is "side" content. Also, with how server and DC travel is nowadays you don't need to worry about finding the "right" server or DC. Though generally speaking the Primal DC is more casual than Aether. Cri'to Otokoneko, Brynhildr

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I feel like the mundane bits are where the gems are! It's the small details to any FF game that's what got this channel to where it is - it's one of my favorite things to focus on! I'll post video updates as I go on my journeys! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@moosecat00]

FFXIV will likely never be the type of MMO to ever demand that you play it religiously. You will never feel like the game is giving you daily or weekly chores to do, though they do exist, you don't have to do them. I know this because this expansion was the first expansion where I didn't do any of them after the first week. As for squeezing the most out of the game, that depends on you, what kind of content you enjoy doing. Although it's entirely possible that content you thought you didn't like, might become more palatable from a different lens. Throughout the A Realm Reborn Main Story Quest(MSQ), you will encounter a whole host of "blue quests" from class/job unlocks, to general functionality unlocks such as mounts, dyes, transmog, and melding. However most of those happen naturally, even some of the aforementioned above will happen naturally, sometimes forcibly. However there are some things you can miss. Starting at level 15ish you can unlock The Golden Saucer, which like in FFVII you have a whole host of mini-games that earn a currency spendable at said Saucer for all sorts of prizes. As you reach level 30ish you will unlock PVP at the Wolves Den, a totally separate game mode with completely different class design, I like it, but many people don't. At level 50 you can unlock your first Alliance Raid(24man Content similar to LFR, but separate entirely from the actual Raid Tiers in both story and content.) You will also be able to unlock your first actual Raid series(8-man content similar to Normal and Heroic/Mythic content.) Unlike World of Warcraft, race choice doesn't matter, you can play whatever, so don't worry about stat differences when creating your character. Although I am worried, about starting Lancer(LNC)/Dragoon(DRG). While DRG is probably the most intricate, as they actually have to worry about something other than "Holding for 2 minute burst," they are also notoriously the worst paced job. An example, all Black Mages hate playing low level content, mostly because they only have 16 skills and very little resembling their actual rotation. By comparison, DRG has 12, doesn't get any AoE till level 40. By contrast Monk get's their first 123 combo at level 6, and their first AoE at 26. I wish Monk was the template on how base combat functions unlocked for all melee, but sadly this isn't the case. I'm not saying you can't stick it out, but I have known players who could not. As for finding players to play with, I'm more than confident you can find people to play with. Unfortunately this needs to be said, BE CAREFUL. The larger any fanbase is, the more likely you will run into unhinged fans. One of the best of us was recently bullied off the internet with death threats aimed at his family and at their places of work and rest no less. Even more unfortunate he hasn't been the only one. Which is why I'm recommending the "Crap Guide to FFXIV" series, which without spoilers touches upon the basics of each role. As gameplay is still very different from World of Warcraft. Personally in terms of what I've got out of this game aside from the "friends we made along the way," I never used google docs for cooldown planning until this game. Healing in this game, while seemingly simple, can be as complex as the ever imposing Black Mage. Mostly because of the variables known as the 7 other toddlers running around the OSHA violations and other safety hazards. That is until you can find that special someone who will play SCH+SGE with you, at which point healing becomes a breeze. Unless you both happen to be Dyspraxic and can't figure out North from South and blast each other with the same cleave overlapping upon one another. Finally if you do want viewers to play with you, scheduling could help, nothing too in-depth, just a simple "I'm probably going to be playing from X to Y hours, on these days."

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'm definitely going to ride solo for a while to become accustomed to everything. There's so much to get into and eventually I'd like to run with some folks while I make my way through, and I will be posting video updates on my experiences! Thanks so much for this comment and for watching!

[@DP9k]

I think one of the things that xiv does better than the rest of the series is that it has an incredible world that really does feel alive, previous FF games involved world changing events as you go through them, massively changing the world around the characters as they move through it, thats not a bad thing but you cant ever really just take a while to exist in the world and experience small stories. XIV does have you participate in world changing events and incredibly important things, but for most of the people life goes on, and you can immerse yourself in those small side stories that other FF’s just cant.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is one of the reasons I want to play it. The world is so massive, yet you can find so many small things that you love. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@KaldwinUnderscore]

I'm a fairly new player, I started playing in August 2020, right when they expanded the free trial to include all of ARR and Heavensward, and I've got 4000 hours played since then. My biggest advice would be to treat FFXIV like a classic Final Fantasy, not like WoW. The story comes first. It's long, hundreds of hours long, but it's about the journey. The Endgame will wait for you, it's not going anywhere, you can take your time and enjoy the story. As for what to do to squeeze every drop of content out, there's currently 19 combat classes, with 2 more coming in Summer, a more restricted "Limited" job, 8 crafters, 3 gatherers (And crafting and gathering is an actual class with a proper rotation unlike in wow) There's optional side content like raids, deep dungeons, and field duties all with their own fully fleshed out storylines associated with them. And all of it can be done on one single character, so the only reason to make an alt is if you want to do it again a second time. And for what I personally got out of it? I got one of the most impactful and meaningful RPG stories I've ever played, I got hundreds of hours of story, world building, characters growth, I got to fall in love with these characters in a way where I feel their highs and lows. I got laughs, I got tears, I got some absolutely incredible music, and I got to do it all alongside my best friends as they picked up the game at the same time. I no longer play, and I haven't played in around 6 months, not because I've fallen out of love with the game, but because other games were vying for my attention, 2023 was stacked with fantastic games, and the current storyline didn't grip me in the way I had hoped. The characters involved absolutely did, but I'm fairly lukewarm towards the story. But the story we're in right now also isn't part of the main FFXIV story, it's a sort of post-story to the main saga which is done, and I enjoyed every second of that.

[@criminalmatrix6]

I'm a veteran and have been playing since A Realm Reborn launch. My biggest suggestion for the best experience is... take your time. The scope of the game is, frankly massive and it plays first as a Final Fantasy game and secondly as an MMO. Do not be afraid to take breaks, play other things, or do side content. The story for each expansion is easily enough to fill a full fledged Final Fantasy Title on it's own. As far as gameplay. If you're playing group content just keep up with your gear and class/job's quests. If you're a tank, probably make sure you have the highest level gear you can afford. Try not to be afraid to ask for help/inform people that you are new. The player base is normally super helpful to new players, even if the mentor system is kind of weird. In the end, do what you think is fun, don't worry about optimizing unless you're end game raiding and welcome to FF14.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

That's one thing I've noticed: The people that play are for the most part very nice and helpful, and that makes a huge difference! I'm super excited to get started and I'll post updates as I go along! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@nataliet4293]

1. Join the Novice Network. Just yell in your starting city. If you ever have trouble with q popping (lol dps q) someone will probably be on to help you by playing tank or healer, partying up with you and giving you their shorter q. 2. Other people have given you good advice about doing stuff in order, but I have got to say, take breaks instead of pushing through. Being annoyed because you're tired, hungry, headachy will put the whole game in a bad light, especially since it's reading heavy. And any audience you pick up will be understanding please don't worry. 3. I'm not playing right now. It was like 3 different things. I like it when lots of msq builds up, the story pacing is better. I swapped to the new data center, so the ebb and flow of player pop wasn't the same. The last grind I had to do before I had to eat my vegetables (do deep dungeons) was the ARR relics and the stage where you do like 6 dungeons for each relic broke me after the...9th one? When there's more msq it'll feel better.

[@ultimategamer4969]

To answer your third question, I’ve tried to play this like 5 times, something would always get in the way of me playing the game which resulted in me never leaving the starting area. This time though, I got my buddy hooked and have a friend who’s up to date as well as his girlfriend, to guide us through and play along in dungeons etc. (which is great, because both my buddy and I are on trial). A lot happened to me last year, heartbreak, family drama, but most importantly, my best friend sadly passed away, and now, the grief and especially the guilt is coming back, my memories take me back to the last time I saw him, spoke to him, and, honestly, I just wish I did things differently… and ofc. the day we all found out about his passing, having a hard time dealing with it all, and since then I’ve grown to be more lonely… I get out less, see less people, which is something I was used to, before I met him… I miss my old friend group, just the three of us, but now I’m alone again, and honestly, playing this game, beating ARR, which felt like an event to me, it’s like hanging out with friends again, albeit in a game, and every moment of it I get to share with my buddy, and it’s each moment that helps me to just keep going, and keep trying in life, which is something that can’t be understated.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

My friend thank you for sharing and I feel terrible that all these things have happened. Let me first say that I’m glad you’re still here and you made this comment for me to read. In a time where everything happens so fast, it’s important to sometimes sit for a minute and just breathe, which is what I was doing when I read this comment and - it reminds me of why I started this channel to begin with: to have a bunch of friends who have stories with this series. Nothing I can say can change anything that has happened, but I feel like you and I are in the right place right now. You’re welcome here, and I’m quietly tinkering away at some upcoming releases to get even more friends on board here. Life is completely unexpected, so let’s look to something that remains a constant and consistent source of solace. For me it’s this entire series. Thank you for being here.

[@ultimategamer4969]

​ @TheReturnersHideout Thank you for making me feel welcome here, I've recently sat down, had a good talk about it all, and it put a lot into perspective, some of the choices I made as well, they started making more sense. Just not sure what to do with it all honestly, everything's just happening to fast for me to comprehend, however, I'm only 22, I'm still growing, I still got a lot to learn, and hopefully in due time I'll figure it out, just kinda lost rn. Right now, however, I'm finding myself a lot in FF7, and it's helping me learn more about myself, figure out why I feel the way I feel through the characterization of Cloud, and even tho I have no idea what to do with this information, I do feel like it's helping me in a way. I just love how media and entertainment can help me and plenty of others like this, and channels like yours, and ofc. you yourself enable this very much, makes us all closer, and in a way more at ease, so, thank you, really, I mean it!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

@ultimategamer4969 oh yeah, at 22 I had no clue what was happening in life lol. There’s still a LOT of time to figure everything out! Talking it out can work wonders and I’m glad it worked well for you! But you don’t have to thank me at all, I’m just a guy figuring it all out also! Again, I’m glad you’re here!

[@Switch-2501]

FF14 is about community for me. no matter how big your circle of in game friends are. Enjoy the MSQ story, its a good decade in the making yarn. But find what it is that excites YOU. Highest tier raiding, Fishing, crafting, Glamour, Roleplay, large scale field content, lore hunting. There will be something that catches your attention and you'll want to dive in, either with friends or solo. Some of the sought after achievements can ONLY be done solo... If you DO make a character somewhere, I'd be happy to come help out!

[@EchoXVince]

I started playing ~2,5 years ago. XIV is pretty much my first MMO. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it because I was so used to single-player games, but it has really gained a special place in my heart. I've almost caught up in the story by now, and I see a lot of people rushing through to get to the newest content. Of course the current content is fun, but the MSQ is honestly a gem that should be savoured imo. Starts out slow but boy does it get good. That's the first thing you wouldn't want to miss of course, and probably the thing you would want to focus on at the start. No need to get overwhelmed by the optional stuff until you've settled in somewhat. :D Later on, as others have already said, the more prominent optional quest lines like alliance/normal raids for each expansion are pretty fun and add on to the lore. Personally I've also grown quite fond of the PvP (another thing I didn't think I would like), so I always recommend giving that a shot too! Since you can change jobs at any time, it's also fun to try out some other stuff once you've gotten comfortable with your starting class. I started as DPS and now play all three roles. Tanks have grown on me especially. I find that every new job/role you get familiar with gives you a new perspective, and might even improve how you play. Always adds some new flavour to the game if you change to a role you don't play as much. Good to try it eventually! The jobs come with their own quest lines too, and some of them are quite good. Another big plus, as you've probably heard, is the community. It has its bad apples like any other game, but the overwhelming majority are genuinely fun people. While XIV can be enjoyed mostly on your own, I think the community really makes it shine and you shouldn't be afraid of engaging with it. I'm sure it will lead to many fun adventures. Who knows, maybe we'll go on some together. :D

[@stoicoak]

Current player chiming in, Hello! While I'll happily throw in my two cents worth into the digital void, I want to preface my inputs with one thing, that FFXIV is an RPG first, MMO second. While the game is definitely designed with multiplayer in mind, the story in which is crafted is something that stands tall amongst the other Final Fantasy entries. While there are millions of other warriors of light, as far as the story is concerned, you are one in a billion. As for "quintessential" things to do, it's kind of hard to say, we have the Endgame Extreme trials, harder boss fights than the versions you encounter through the MSQ, and then the Savage Raids, which are another tier up from difficulty from EX content. Branching off from this, there are "Deep dungeons", Which are RNG dungeons with independent leveling systems that span from Floor 1 to floor 100 (200 for ARR's Palace of the dead), which is often thought of as one of the hardest gauntlets to face, as various traps or floor-wide debuffs can make even the mundane murderous. They can be challenged in groups up to 4 members, or if you want some bragging rights, there is the Solo ascent achievements for every Deep dungeon, titles like "Necromancer", "Lone Hero", and "Once and future King/Queen" are all locked behind Solo Deep Dungeon Full Clears. If you enjoy collection glowing weapons, each expansion has a slew of "relics" to farm for, while 90% of them are glamour at this point, the grind is still recognized by those whom are familiar with the effort involved to obtaining them. Even further beyond that, if you find yourself loving the Story, but feel like you want something sillier, there is the Manderville Quests, a series of slapstic investigator (Think Inspector gadget meets the three stooges, without the tech gadgets) esque stories that take place between major Expansions. As of writing this comment, the Endwalker Manderville Quests saw their conclusion. There's many multifaceted ways to respond to this question, and I would be happy to go further in depth with this if your availability agrees with it.

[@arcanathehermit6787]

Hi saw in this vid my recommended. I've played ff14 for a while but I still don't feel I have even scratched the surface of what this game can offer as I mostly have played the main story quests, but I would really like to offer my perspective as limited as my experience is. Q1: I think the best way to experience FFXIV is something @Raikazama said. Play the game as if it were single player. And I would add on and say this is especially true if you value the story highly. I think the social aspect of the game also really helped to generate interest for the game. Going out of my way to join a free company (a guild basically) was probably the best decision I've made. There is a whole community willing to help out and interact with you when you share your journey. I also think playing with some friends is always great fun. One of my friends is further in the game than me and actually helped me with some of the content and vice versa which helped to speed along content some parts of the content. Q2: Depends on what you mean by joining you on your journey. If you mean going in game and going to dungeons, it is unlikely due to irl commitments, potential time zone differences, and even just being on different world servers, but I can try to be there when I can. I tend to play at random times depending on my schedule. If you mean watching your vids during your journey through the ff14 content, absolutely. I love seeing other people's perspectives, analysis, and reactions to the game. Q3: Via its story, I was taught and reminded of some important life lessons through its amazing storytelling. Via the social aspect, this game has taught me to go out of my comfort zone and try to be more social even irl. I also think it's a good game to bond with some friends as it did so for me. I hope that answers your questions!

[@FlynnFromTaiga]

Don't squeeze. Try all stuff and choose what you love. I personally hate raids, so I don't raid in ffxiv. But I enjoy deep dungeons and crafting. Don't try to "finish" the game. It's a journey, not a sprint. FFXIV is rpgmmo. You can treat it like a single player game . Or you can treat it like an mmo. Or you can treat as many separate games connected via social stuff. I personally don't play right now. I've spent hundreds of hours there last year, so I am on a vacation till Dawntrall. FFXIV is a great game to play it when you want it. You are not punished for not playing it. What have I gotten? Man, this game has the best rpg story I've ever played. My free company helped me overcome social anxiety. Deep dungeon grind for Necromancer taught me how to overcome hardships. Endwalker's story prepared me for the despair wave of 2022 (I live in Russia). might sound over the top, but this game helped me become better version of myself.

[@soundnfury]

So first question. What can you really squeeze out of it to make up for your time? That answer is different for everyone. Be it crafting, raids, pvp, hunts, or just socializing. My guess for you...soloing Palace of the Dead. Do all 200 floors in ONE UNINTERRUPTED RUN. You can also try being one who commands a train in Eureka/Bozja or any other field like that. Why did I quit? Well I'm level 90 everything. I also don't care to raid because one you figure it out you will always do it unless the group with you doesn't. I don't have patience for others and only want to win or fail because of ME. What did I get out of it? Made some good friends. Most I still talk to this day on Discord and half of us don't even play the game anymore. Also my main Renalt El'Doran is now how I see that character even if I use the name in other media like Baldurs Gate 3 or DnD. Renalt is pretty much my online Alter Ego now and he will always be a part of me even though I'm done with FFXIV.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I LOVE that Renalt is a part of you - that's the type of connection I want with this game, and I'll be posting updates as I play! Thank you so much for watching and sharing!

[@ellieellieonthewall9189]

Play WHM you’ll have allllll the power, also play FF14 at your own pace, don’t worry about endgame content, you’ll get there when you get there, it’s a very fun game when you allow it to be fun and silly and enjoy fashion and just running around having fun leveling collecting minions and mounts

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! I plan on taking my time, just immersing myself into it slowly!

[@venabre]

Veteran XIV players LOVE to help out new players. You'll find no shortage of people willing to jump into the game and help you out. Even in the game itself, if you ever have questions you can ask and people will help. I like that you're saying you want to take things slow because that is the best way to go about the game. The story starts out good (not great, but good enough to engage you at key moments) but it is definitely made in the vein of MMOs at the time, so it's very fetch questy and tedious in-between high impact moments. The patch content also drags out in the leas up to Heavensward, the first expansion, and at times you will feel like you just want it to end more quickly. But believe me it is very much worth the push to get past it. I would say that if you can find a friend to play the game alongside you it would make the experience much better. Not because the game is lacking unless you do it, but because it is something inherent to MMOs that you can't do with the single player games. I know two people that were very vocal about their disdain for XIV after having only played for a bit, and yet they ended up being won over by the game because being allowed to play with friends made it that much more enjoyable, and the player expression it allows you with dressing up your character and emotes and stuff like that makes the interactions you have with other people feel more natural and uniquely yours, instead of them just being a standard reaction button. XIV's strongest point has always been the narrative. Take your time with it and enjoy it. Everything goes somewhere eventually and the story builds on what came before to enhance the impact of the narrative. The main story is all contained within the main story quest and you don't need to go do any of the side content like the raids, but I would still recommend you do, as they are good stories in and of themselves and expand upon the lore of the world. Lastly... you might want to make your character in the Aether Data Center. I won't go into too much detail, but people leave Primal, Crystal and Dynamis to run content on Aether, so queue times on those others are nightmarishly long at times. You can still do the journey yourself if you made it in one of the others, and you can probably count on the people helping you out to take care of the queues, but it's still just something to keep in mind

[@PipPanoma]

What I've gotten out of this game is a great story, a game to play with friends that I would've otherwise lost contact with and a new friend group. Roleplaying and immersing myself in my character has also helped me safely experiment with my gender expression (alongside the existence of fantasia's). Some bad things I've gained is mistrust in writers, a dislike for transformations and plot twists. Also a distaste for any MMO that doesn't include the QoL stuff that's only in FFXIV, mostly the class switching. I'm currently playing the game sporadically and it's mostly because I've reached the "endgame" and I can't keep up with gear requirements for the latest content, as they require some grinding that I do not enjoy. I could go do content that I have missed, there's plenty left, but I'm not motivated to do that. I mostly play for social reasons until the next expansion drops.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'm very glad that this game gave you some sort of path to navigate while learning more about yourself - the series has done that for me countless times and I expect it'll be the same for this game. Of course, I know that there always comes at least a little negative things, but based on everyone's comments (including yours), the positives FAR outweigh the negatives. I can't wait to get started and I'll be posting updates as I make my way through! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@FACENC]

FF14 rekindled my love of the FF series. After 12 the series started leaning REALLY hard into the Nomura school of thought and every game that came out was disappointing in one way or another. Not to mention they had horrible trouble keeping on a schedule *coughFFversus13becomingFF15cough*. I had basically given up on FF and SE as a developer and just assumed every game they managed to put out was going to be bad for one reason or another. FF14 definitely is an easy game to bounce off of. The pacing is /very/ deliberate and MMO questing will always be meme worthy. But if you take the game on its own terms and really buy into the fact that they're telling at 10-year narrative, it is immensely rewarding imo.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I got very close to giving up on the series (for the sake of starting this channel, I'm REALLY glad I didn't) and I've heard from a few people that this game restarted their love for the series. I'm going to start slow, put on some headphones, and just exist in the world for a while, a little bit at a time! Thank you so much for watching and for commenting!

[@21bywater]

I have played and like most of the main FF games, and I have played XIV for about two years. I don't really consider what I'm about to say a spoiler, but people are super weird about that in this game, so keep that in mind. You like FFVI, so if you like playing jobs in FFXIV and need some encouragement I think it would be good for you to know that there are instances in XIV involving characters from VI, mostly bosses. Also, FF Tactics, vibes from Tactics Ogre, a whole thing with a boss from FFVIII, some fun stuff with NieR Automata which I haven't played but I quite enjoyed. And the list goes on. I got to the part with the Tactics references and completely lost my mind because it was so awesome to me. Taking the fast paced chaotic nature of an MMO and scoring it with classic Tactics music in an appropriate setting is so enjoyable to play through for me. I wish someone had told me that sooner because I slept on that content for a few months after I could have unlocked it, thinking it would be like the previous expansion's which I wasn't as fond of. Anyway, my point is that XIV is fun if you like playing its jobs, and it becomes a long term fun game if you also enjoy the nostalgia it gives you by incorporating the feels from older FF titles, or possible also newer ones. If you want to start a new character and have it ready for youtube content by April, that would be an immense grind in my opinion. But if you are continuing a character and want to level a couple jobs to see what you like, you might consider transferring the character to a New server. (It has to be a server that is designated as new). If you do that, you will get double exp for all jobs, even exp from quests and frontline etc. up to level 80. This is a lot more fun and honest than just paying for a level skip in my opinion. However, the new servers are kind of low population so you may find yourself ironically data center hopping to get better queue times. You can transfer to a new server for free, but transferring to a higher population one costs $18. My career highlight thus far has been clearing Zeromus extreme enough times to get a bunch of his weapons. I quit for a long time last year after failing hard at Barbariccia, so clearing Zeromus has been extremely rewarding to come back to. I had basically sworn off harder content until one day I decided I wanted to try again and watched a few videos. I have also tried some of the last expansion's savage content unsynced, which has been interesting and educational. Before I recently got into the current Extreme, I had run the ShB extreme trials unsynced for material farming and made millions of gil off of that, so I came to a point where I felt I didn't have much left to do that I *could* do. If you slowly open yourself up to endgame, it can be very rewarding. The music, camera shakes, using your job as well as you can amidst all the mechanics, it can be very cool. The wrong group can get toxic quickly, but just leave if that's what happens. Even now, as the active players keep falling there are plenty of people running this stuff so just find a group with a good vibe. If you really don't want to do extreme trials or even savage or ultimates, then of course the true endgame is glamour. There are dozens of different things to unlock simply to obtain a very specific piece of glamour. I'm currently going through the Bozja instance to accomplish two things: grinding levels while my Road to 80 buff is still active, and gloves. Yes, there is one pair of unique gloves that you can only get from Bozja and a big part of why I'm doing it is just for that one piece of glamour. Look up Eorzea Collection's site and find some interesting fashion to go after. All that said, if you don't enjoy the game you don't have to play it. It's not the same experience as other FF games, even FFXI is different. In most FF games, you have the ability to make a decision about how you want to play the game, and that can vary quite a bit even within the same game. Playing FFVII with mostly Vincent or mostly Barret or mostly Yuffie for example. These are all choices you could make, and there are other challenges or extremes you could push other FF games to, like playing the first Final Fantasy with all white mages. But in FFXIV there are not that many decisions you get to make about your play style other than what job you want to play. If you are able to memorize a dungeon, trial, or raid, and you are able to incorporate your job's ability and skill rotation to muscle memory, then there are very few times when you really need to decide on what to do. You can play the game without memorizing mechanics, at least up until Extremes and Savage, but at some point you realize it's just better to learn the fight and know what to expect. Same thing with your job's rotation, you can play the game not knowing the optimal rotation for your job and just kinda figuring it out on your own, but at some point you realize it's better to just know the best thing to do and do that instead of guess and hope you are correct. This whole lack of decisions thing really turned me off for a while, but I came back to the game and I'm glad I did. Once you start to understand game mechanics and play different jobs to see how they differ exactly, it all starts to make sense. The pieces start to fall into place. I also played wow for a bit back in the day, so trying to think about an XIV job like you would a Ret Paladin build or a Shadow priest is not going to work. In this game, you are more like a soldier. There are a *few* different decisions you can make about exactly how to play certain rotations, but that kind of comes after spending a lot of time with the default ways that everyone agrees works. Some jobs tend to have two different skill speed levels for instance, which might let you use one to three more GCDs per minute. The last slightly controversial point I will make is that installing ACT has made me a much better player and has increased my enjoyment of all sorts of content. Knowing how much damage you and others do exactly is for some reason forbidden officially, yet it is always right there in your Battle Log. So, being able to have insight into how I'm doing exactly has taught me a lot. Just don't talk about it, ever and you're good. Anyway, this is already too long so if you want me to type more then you can leave a comment on my comment. Good luck!

[@tehzerp]

I first played 14 within the launch month of ARR and couldn't get into it. I tried again in Heavenward and same thing. At the end of Stormblood I really gave it the old college try and played for a few months but I played the game wrong and burned myself out. I was clearing entire zones like WoW instead of focusing on the MSQ. When the WoW exodus happened I saw some videos describing the best way to enjoy the game and tried them and I'm still playing. Here are my recommendations. 1. Focus on the MSQ and ignore all the other quests. You can always come back to them but if you aren't feeling the MSQ you'll hate all the slow roll world building of regular quests. 2. If there is someone in your community who is willing to build a good breakdown of stopping points for the time you can play it helps as a content creator. 3. If something strikes your interest chase it. Even if it means ignoring #1. Think crafting or PVP look fun go for it. You'll quickly realize to expand your access in those you'll need to progress so everything builds upon itself. 4. If you are not feeling the MMO aspect play solo. There are probably around 20 trials that you'll have to play with people and that's it.

[@Nazuiko]

Dont go into XIV thinking about "getting everything out of it"; There is so, so much to do. Almost no content is removed or left completely obsolete, even if its not needed for gear progression or its side content, theres still value and there's still roulettes and all of that. There is so, so much more to FF14 than just raids and bosses; the story is magnificent though it falls on its own face sometimes particularly early on, and it is *very* long, such that I would not expect to get "caught up", given an expansion is also coming out at some point during the summer, until the end of this year if youre starting from scratch-ish in late Spring. Take the time to meet people, organize a community, just have a good time with it. Whether you wanna hunt bosses in dungeons or the overworld, make money (gil has next to no practical use, but its still fun to hoard), or just fish, the world and the game are rich with whatever you can come up with. Going through the main story on streams is probably the best way to draw people to you if you want to build a community that way, and then when you do reach end game and high end, you can start making guides and "educational" style content, that tends to be the most well received stuff from FF XIV and likely the FF community at large.

[@acehealer4212]

I have been interested in FFXIV for years, but I didn’t play very far because I didn’t like the idea of playing any further on PS4. I want to get a PC. Then I’ll really get into it. Even when I’m not playing, I love the art, fan fiction, and videos fans have made. And the glamour outfits they put together! The world and the characters are a big draw for me towards this game. And there’s a ton of side content outside the story that looks interesting to me, like the Golden Saucer, Eureka, Palace of the Dead, and so on. Edit: Also the job I’m most interested in is Paladin. But the magic DPS coming in the next expansion looks awesome too.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'm kinda in the same boat, I just got a new PC for work and I'm able to play things I couldn't get into before! I've always been into the series (as evidenced by the channel lol) but I think this will be a whole different experience, all while making subtle nods to the others and I can't express how excited I am! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@daykeyboard459]

Now is the very best time for you to get back into the game since there's about half a year for you to do what you want before the new expansion comes out

[@GarnetDust24]

Currently playing and having a great time during the “content draught”. FFXIV has a really good way to make me do stuff I never said I would do. I never play melee classes but I’ve leveled and ENJOYED ninja and samurai. I said I’d never craft and gather but now I am max level on almost all of them. I said I’d never do ultimate level content but I’m currently running my first ultimate raid UCOB. I said I’d never level squadrons now I’m a captain. I love glam and mounts most of the stuff that I wanted was locked behind content. The more you play the more you’ll find and enjoy. I can say I will never level another ARR relic weapon but who knows 😅

[@PeacefulPorcupine]

All the jobs are good, but they're good for different reasons. Play what you like. Enjoy the MSQ. Do the Alliance Raids (like Crystal Tower) and normal raids (like Alexander raids) for the story. There's a lot of things you CAN do. Try a few of them, do whatever is fun. Some things you'll probably hate, that's fine. You might get hooked on ocean fishing or the island or something, no way of predicting these things.

[@Calculusman1084]

Im a HUGGEEEE OG FF fan myself. With IX and VI being tied for my favorite...until June 2022. XIV has taken over the spot as my fav game OF ALL TIME! I hated MMOs. And never touched one. But FF friends of mine kept pulling me towards XIV. So ii. June 22, i rried the Free Trial on Ps5. 15 mins in, when i stepped out of my Starting city, i knew i was in for a ride. Almost a year and a half later, ive put 2100 hours into XIV, have recently started Ultimates (similar to Mythic + i believe from WoW) and am at Endgame. The biggest thing ive gotten out of it, as an OG fan, is the 1000s of amazing subtle nods toward the FF series. It is a celebration of FF. Also the story is the best story ive ever zeen in ANY form of media. So yeah. Def try the Free Trial, take your time with MSQ, and explore all the amazing content avenues you can follow. I also recommend checking out Cider Spider, and Pints vids, if you wanna laugh at XIV a bit.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

A celebration of FF is exactly what I'm looking for. I've loved the series for so long and to hear that 14 is a love letter to the series, I migiht as well break out the tissues now before I even start! I'll post video updates as I go along! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@Calculusman1084]

@@TheReturnersHideout it really is an incredible experience. and plz plz plz stream. many XIV players whove beaten the full main story enjoy watching others experience the highs and lows. the story can be a slog at some points, but stick with it!

[@kiiturii]

idk if it's really what you're looking for but one pitfall I see most content creators who try this game fall into is that they only play with their community, every dungeon they queue has to be with fans, imo you really should get the "authentic" experience of queuing with randoms and meeting people and learning all the unspoken rules/etiquette while playing. Don't get me wrong it's definitely great to play with people you know and it's super useful to have people willing to play when going for "dead" content that you might not find randoms for, but seeing people go through the whole game like it's a coop game without actually experiencing the mmo side is a bit sad lol

[@Dyxid]

Hmm... I'm curious how far you made it into the main story when you tried it before. Because there's a certain mount you get at the end of A Realm Reborn I'm sure you'll love.