MyMMO editor Sophia Weiß is a big fan of Final Fantasy XIV: Since she started playing, she continually invites friends, relatives, and colleagues to join her. Now she has attempted to level up a new character herself. And she wants to apologize.
I took my first steps in Final Fantasy XIV in 2011 in version 1.0. With the reboot A Realm Reborn, and then version 3.0. In fact, a dancing, half-naked catboy convinced me to keep playing.
Since then, the game has accompanied me through my life. Of course, there are times when I log in more often. With the release of expansions since Stormblood, I always participate in early access and play through the weekend.
Of course, I do it in a way that allows me to spend enough time with my dog, not neglect my personal hygiene, and eat and drink regularly. I’m still not part of the hardcore MMORPG faction.
By the way, I’m really looking forward to the new expansion Dawntrail:
Because I have so much fun in Final Fantasy XIV, I recommend the game to everyone who wants to hear it or even those who don’t want to hear it. Just try Final Fantasy XIV – the game is free up to level 70. So you temporarily lose some storage space, and if you don’t like it, you can simply uninstall it.
My friend circle can sing a song about it.
I always thought that I was having so much fun with the game. My fantasy and story-loving acquaintances must also have fun with it. Absolutely.
Yes, but unfortunately no. And I’m incredibly sorry.
A Realm Reborn is for people who like to grind
I planned to write a special about what it’s like to start again with Final Fantasy XIV in 2024. With positive spirits, I logged in and, for a change, did not choose my familiar catgirl. Instead, I picked a new data center and created a new character.
I managed these first hurdles with flying colors: Creating a new character was quick for me. However, this time I wanted to see a different beginning than in my first run, so I chose Marauder or Warrior starting in Limsa Lominsa.
So far so good. But already after the intro cutscene, things became tougher.
First, the game (once again) taught me the controls. Then I was supposed to talk to several NPCs. I was still in my own instance, all without other players. So there was nothing to see yet.
Essential components of the game are explained in popping up, but sometimes multi-page boxes. Unfortunately, I clicked some of them away.
explanation boxesare supposed to help start the game well, but they are mostly overwhelming.
Eventually, I was finally registered in the Adventurers’ Guild. Now it can begin, right? Wealth, power, and glory as a Warrior of Light?
No. The next explanation boxes with even more knowledge needed to be read. Sigh.
Maybe it’s because I’m a long-time player and know everything already. Maybe I’m just damn impatient. But the start of the game still feels incredibly tough in 2024:
- way too much reading
- way too much to do
- way too much grinding
- way too many different things I now have to learn through these uncomfortable boxes
Honestly? I had no fun. After a few hours, I threw in the towel. Because of a mechanic that is important in the endgame. And that, even though I wrote earlier this year, that the game is still worth it for new starters in 2024.
At level 90, gear level is important – But at level 10?
The most important task in Final Fantasy XIV for all players is the main story. From level 1 to endgame content: The main story accompanies you throughout. So anyone starting fresh in Final Fantasy XIV will first focus on the main story as well as the quest belonging to the chosen class.
However, the main quest is often linked with conditions:
- Complete Dungeon 123
- Talk to NPC XYZ
- Collect 23 Bug Wings
When I aborted my attempt, the condition of my main quest was that I should reach a specific gear level aka a specific item level with my character’s equipment. The veteran in me knows exactly what that means: The better my armor and weapon, the more my character can take and deal.
In the endgame, you need specific gear levels to participate in content: If you can’t manage to get the right gear, you may not be ready for Anabaseios – Ninth Circle (Epic)
. This is the first of the current, hard 8-man raids.
New gear is often obtained as quest rewards or can be purchased.
But the thing is, I obviously don’t know right off the bat which (side) quests give me the needed gear parts. And a glance at my meager in-game wallet told me immediately that I could save myself the buying.
Long story short: I was stuck in the main story in the middle of the night and would have needed to sequentially farm quests.
Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for that. I logged out and have since not felt the need to continue playing. If I were a newbie and this was my first visit to the game, I would be done by now – without having seen the remaining content.
The hard part is yet to come
Call me weak, but I really don’t know if I could manage to go from level 1 to 90 again. I only started to really enjoy Final Fantasy XIV from the content shortly after the end of the first expansion Heavensward.
Although the development team has adjusted, simplified, and streamlined the entry point over the years, the base game and the patch quests up to the start of the first expansion are still the toughest part a beginner has to get through.
I can’t currently imagine playing through all that again. That’s easily around 200 hours of gameplay. And then I’m only at Heavensward and haven’t even started any of the side quests like raids.
My colleague Karsten wrote a few weeks ago that he is not happy about the forthcoming expansion Dawntrail not providing a new entry point for new players. World of Warcraft does this with every expansion.
So why not, when Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, the next expansion, is supposed to start a completely new story? Now it would be easy to catapult people directly into the new expansion with perhaps a 2-hour long intro.
My apology
Maybe I’m too lazy to start from scratch with Final Fantasy XIV again. Perhaps I’m too spoiled by the quality of the later content.
No matter why: I absolutely do not want to start the game from the beginning again.
And that’s why I would like to officially and sincerely apologize to all the people who started and then quit the game because of me.
Yes, it’s a really great game. But the beginning is indeed hard, and my promotional attempts do not reflect what someone really experiences in A Realm Reborn. Furthermore, it’s not fair of me to expect others to invest the required high amount of time and energy into the game.
So in the future, I’ll come up with slightly adjusted recruitment slogans. The game is a great experience after all. I will probably just communicate more openly how exhausting the start can be for someone who comes for the story rather than for the MMORPG content.
So. Now that this is done, I can finally prepare for Dawntrail.
Actually, I’m currently a bit behind and need to catch up on a few patches of the main story. I might also level my last crafter to 90. And I still need to unlock a new fancy outfit for my character. If you’re unsure what you should accomplish yourself before the launch, we have a checklist for you: 10 things you should do in Final Fantasy XIV before Dawntrail arrives.
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