The MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 has a usually very friendly community that has been awarded multiple times for it. In a reddit thread, gaming couples have come together to share their experiences while playing together.
In the story of Final Fantasy 14, there are actually not that many romantic elements as one might think at first glance. At least the confirmed NPC couples are mainly limited to side quests. However, this does not stop the game’s community from bringing their favorite characters together in fan art and fan fiction.
In the game’s subreddit, User SpaceCaseTrace asked how it feels to play Final Fantasy 14 with a real-life partner. So far, the thread has received over 150 comments, in which players share their experiences.
“Don’t look at my screen” – the contrasting couples
What experiences do the couples share? Many players write that although they play with their partners, they are very different:
reddit user lovelettersto shares that his partner plays the main story very slowly while he almost sprints through it. They reached a compromise: they play the MSQ together and occasionally dive into other content like PvP and Eureka.
HorrorPotato happily shares about the completely different characters they play: while HorrorPotato plays an Elezen at maximum height, her husband has a Lalafell at the shortest possible height. He has also been a long-time raider in World of Warcraft, which is why he can help HorrorPotato well in raids. However, during the main story, they mainly shouted at each other regularly in the early access of Endwalker: Don’t look at my screen!
The husband of Dapperscanvenger is quite funny for his partner: in Final Fantasy 14, he always collects the latest glamours (the transmog system of Final Fantasy 14) and equips them on his character. But then he also does real photo sessions. In real life, however, he would absolutely hate shopping and allegedly owns exactly 5 T-shirts and 3 pairs of jeans.
“We discuss which dialogue options to choose” – when the MSQ connects
In addition to those who have completely different play styles, there are also many who bond over the long main story.
reddit user Shadow0assassin0 writes, for example, about experiences with his wife: We watch the cutscenes together, and because the double sound makes it difficult to listen, we mute the laptop and only hear the sound from the TV. Usually, we stop [when we can choose a response] the playback and discuss which dialogue options we want to choose for our characters. And then we synchronize the playback again by making the selection at the same time.
SendRamenNoodz shares that they have matching names in the game and often role-play together – in the game. They send each other items – SendRamenNoodz sends his partner, for example, gear that was specially crafted and upgraded, and receives stylish glamours and fish in return. They also enjoy the MSQ together – although the partner skips cutscenes while he does not.
Final Fantasy 14 helped user Suruga_Monkey and his girlfriend feel close when they had to maintain a long-distance relationship. Their joint start in the game was during the Heavensward expansion. To this day, they play the main story together.
“We met in the game” – of those who found love in the game
However, the odd couple who now plays together did not start together, but even met in the game. reddit user Iximaz shares that they met in the same static:
Iximaz filled the recently vacated spot as a White Mage with her character Adalyn Keene. It actually sparked through their shared love for the character Haurchefant.
Ixima raves about her boyfriend, who responds to the comment with a slight wink: “Wow, your boyfriend sounds really cool.”
Iximaz’s probably not completely serious response: “As if you know anything about it, idiot.”
Final Fantasy 14 was most recently awarded the Golden Joystick Award for Best Game Community in 2022. Of course, this community can also sometimes get a bit rough. However, it is usually known for its somewhat absurd ideas. For example: Final Fantasy XIV: Cat-boy players meet for an alliance raid – and only in swim trunks
