Seeking Veteran's / Advanced AdviceFollow

Hi there :)

I don't know much about WoW or the other examples that you mentioned, but to answer your question... Something I wish I knew before I started this game that I know now would be the fact that, generally, every single endgame fight is fixed. I was hoping for a bit of randomness with the bigger fights; something that can't be so easily predicted. But as it stands now, every fight has a set pattern that, once you learn it, the fight basically loses the challenge and the gear grind for that fight begins. Some fights are easier than others, sure, but they all follow the same principle. A boss will always do X attack at X HP%, or begin X phase at X HP%. I would have loved an unpredictability factor in at least some of the fights.

To be fair though, there are some instances where there is a bit of a random element involved. For example, in an endgame raid battle known as T6, random party members will receive a mark above their heads and must move to a specific place on the battlefield within a few seconds of receiving it. But it's like... That's random, and it isn't at the same time. Sure, the affected party members is random, but once you learn the pattern of the fight, everyone knows when to prepare for said mark to appear. I'm not sure I explained what I meant in the way that I wanted to, but...

TL;DR version I guess is... I wish battles weren't fixed and predictable. ^^;

True, it could be said that too many moments of randomness could effectively break a fight, or like you said, leave the outcome of the fight up to chance, but I'm sure there has to be a way to implement unpredictability without breaking a fight. Something like... I dunno, off the top of my head...

At random intervals, the boss uses a skill that transfers enmity from the tank to a random party member (I think there actually is a fight like this, but it's also fixed I think?), keeping tanks on their toes. Or, at random intervals, boss uses a skill that locks some player skills/abilities for a short time. Probably not great examples but what I'm ultimately trying to get at is wanting a battle where it's still fair and challenging, but also where nobody knows what to expect next.

I really love FFXIV, so what I'm about to say isn't a problem for me, but it's something that has been a problem for others.

I think WoW is the same way, so it may not be a problem for you, either... but this game is definitely vertical in its progression, and a set of top-level gear probably only remains truly useful with most of the newest content for around six months.

If you hate gear treadmills -- or if you hate the feeling of wasting time for gear that will soon be "obsoleted" (I really hate that gamer term) -- then think carefully about how many jobs you choose to level in FFXIV.

I mainly just focus on keeping two jobs geared up well, and I never feel like I've wasted my efforts.

That's right. The game differentiates between "classes" and "jobs." Jobs are unlocked at level 30 for each respective class. So when your MRD reaches 30, you'll do your final class quest and get a quest to become a WAR.

Unfortunately, DRK is unavailable to new players because of the way the expansion is structured. The new jobs unlock at level 30, but the quest to unlock them is gated behind completion of the main story through patch 2.55 which requires you to be level 50. If DRK is something you're interested in, you'll get there, but don't be surprised when you don't get access to it at level 30.

What should I know going in, in regards to servers?

For example, in WoW we had PVP servers that basically had "kill on sight" always on for race wars, PvE servers, RP servers, etc. There were low-population servers with terrible economies and such. High-end servers where raid-oriented players migrated to (Illidan being the most notorious in NA).

If I'm a raid-oriented guy that likes to dabble in PVP and expect a decent population, are there specific servers I should probably be making my character on?

My MMO life as gone like this (Over the past 12 years now..wow, it really has been that long..): FFXI > WoW > Star Wars > WoW > RIFT > WoW > FFXI (again) > FFXIV > WoW > WildStar > WoW > FFXIV (currently).
Also a few F2Ps that I played for a few weeks here and there.

As you can see there is a lot of WoW played. I've not logged into WoW for a month or so (2nd part of Blackrock came out in LFR, did it once, gear was not an upgrade to normal HM..laughed..guild was breaking up and therefore I was not able to raid Normal BR...not logged back in).
So I totally understand the want and need to move or play a different game.

I picked FFXIV to come back to. I played at re-launch of 14 few years back. Went back to WoW because the small group I was playing 14 with all up and quit. Playing MMOs alone is...dumb lol. Small group that played 11 took forever to start 14...I have many RL friends who play WoW, they are the reason I keep going back -.-

However,I'm not sure if I'm going to keep playing. Last few nights have just, I dunno, bummed me out. I just might really need to take a very long break from MMOs.

But anyways, Info I looked into for coming back:

-Want I wanted to play as.
When I 1st played I was a DRG, but could never get a party invite, so I became a Healer (WHM). Made it to 46 before I threw in the towel.
When I came back I knew I wanted to play as a Ninja. I leveled "sub jobs" 1st. IE: Monk to 15, then I became a Rogue, and took it 30, unlocked Ninja. I had already had other jobs leveled up to 20+ (came back to old character).

-Server.
I came back to the EU server Odin. Back when FFXIV came out, servers were stupid packed on NA realms. Easy fix was to play on the other realms. Jump to now, and I was logging in to say goodnight to people who were logging out. 7pm my time was like 3am server lol. I did transfer, but I did not come to a NA realm. I tired them, and having a queue just rubs me wrong lol. I've worked and waited all the day play..to have to wait more....nope. I play on Tonberry. I researched it out. It was the largest English speaking community on a JP realm. My connection is always great and I hardly, if ever, have lag. Just have to spark a convo, to find out if people around you do speak English, or are they late night Japanese players.
I've never had an issue with the lingo barrier. I played FFXI for such a long time, I'm pretty masterful with the auto-translation lol.
I just googled FFXIV server population, and found a few sites that have stuff charted out.

What I can tell you, someone who has never played FFXIV, but is coming from WoW:

Do not expect WoW, at all.

The 2.5 GCD is a slower game play. Every class/job has a combination of abilities that you will always use in a certain order, with a few that have their own rules (If you Dodge an attack, THEN you can use [Insert Ability]).

I hope you are different, because it has always bothered me.

11 to WoW was "omg, so many buttons to push ALL THE TIME!!!!". WoW to FFXIV is "So many buttons! BUT I CAN'T PUSH THEM YET!!!"

There is a correct and a wrong way to level via quest and game story. I think part of my stupor is FATE and Levequest grind to level. The story quest I stopped on is lv46.
Don't jump around to all the towns, just because you can. Save them quests for when you need to level another/other jobs. If you don't you will be grinding levequest over and over while doing FATEs over and over.

Harvesting jobs seem to still be the money makers. I always waited to work on crafts.

If you have never played an Asian MMO, they are all about grinding and putting in time to get anywhere.

Don't worry about the new expansion coming out next month. You will need to advance in the main story as Callinon has said above.

I think everything in FFXIV's cash shop is cosmetic.

I never touched Fishing in this game. In 11 it was like a mini-game and that made it fun.



Then you will be fine. I know so many who just don't understand why Asian games are grind-y, and will get turned away.

I can't wait until June 19th now. I have that "little boy on christmas eve" feeling. haha
I wish that they would release the Mac version of Realm Reborn now, rather than only sell it in a package with Heavensward. It would let the upcoming Mac player base get a foothold before the expansion.

But yah, a big thanks to everyone that provided advice. I feel much better about making the switch now. :)

Hey now, we have lots of new players too!

I suggested a Legacy server though because this player sounds like he's more hardcore-ready, and the Legacy servers probably have more like-minded hardcore players rather than new casual players. That said, Hyperion has lots of new players too.. we're always getting new folks in our FC (we're probably a Lamia-type FC on Hyperion, compared to some of the other Hyperion FCs).

That said, "new player" doesn't have as much meaning in FFXIV. It just doesn't take long to level a job to 50 and work up the iLevels. If you plan on being a grindy completionist, then you should go where the grinding completionists are. It's not like other games, where there are in-game reasons to band together with other new players.

Which, I guess, brings me to my next tip... if you intend on mastering endgame, you WILL need a static.

Edited, May 15th 2015 12:53pm by Thayos

Edited, May 15th 2015 12:53pm by Thayos

Static is the FFXI's/XIV's "raid group"

I only knew the term back in 11. In old FFXI you leveled up by grouping up (party of 6: 1 tank, one sub tank, a Healer, a support, 2 DPS - this was like the "perfect" party set up, but other types worked out just fine.) and going out to a "camp" spot. You literally went to somewhere in the world stay there, having 1 person (not the Tank like in WoW and now in FFXIV) pull mobs back to the party/camp spot. Killing this type of mob for hopefully a few hours. Netting 50-200+exp per kill. Back in the day, iirc, to level from 74 to 75 (the then cap) was 47,000. It took awhile.
Thus having a static of either friends or people that always played at the same time, you could get stuff done. Gain them EXPs, get missions done, boss (God) fights, etc.

WoW's recruit-a-friend and end game raiding is close to the same idea. WoW however doesn't have much "everyone needs to be on the same page" type of quests/raids. If someone leaves raid group, you can easily replace. FFXIV's story and missions don't work that way, everyone needs to be on the same part of the quest/mission line.

Surprisingly, some of the legacy servers are pretty bad in terms of end game. I'm on Balmung myself, and we have a horrible end game community. Does it being a major RP server have something to do with it, not sure, but statics who were at the top of the pack for Coil were few and far between.

The big perk of the highly populated Legacy servers is the constant activity and frequent chatter going on. The PF, though not full of T13 runs, is active with just about everything else.

Some of that I think is over at the Reddit commuinity. Also, The Order of the Blue Gartr.

There are no PVP ranks for free companies as far as I know. PVE ranks are done on the official SE website, The Lodestone. My FC, The Swarm is #71 on the server as of last week, which is pretty darn good for a FC that is 10% of the size of the bigger guys.

I don't know when the last time you maybe played WoW, but no to this.
I never did more then look up the fight via the in-game Dungeon/raid menu to learn about a fight. If it was someone's 1st time, they were told to read the same thing. Then in practice you learned the fight, and could start downing bosses on the 1st try.
If you had to replace someone, and you were 6 bosses in, that new person could start right with you. They didn't have to clear or have ever killed the 5 bosses before to advance.
Replacing is as easy and opening the raid tool and putting your group into a queue/"looking for".

The same can't be said in FFXIV. I can't skip over the missions I'm on and the fight(s) I have yet to do to get this "base" game beat by the time the expansion comes out (I'm trying, but I doubt it will happen).