Forgive me if this sounds like repeat material to most of you. I'm an old FFXI player (Stubs @asura) and never got into FFXIV until I downloaded the free trial from Steam yesterday. I've read many guides on the fundamentals of the game (basic controls, FATEs, initial job classes, etc). I've also read quite a few suggestions that the game is more solo-oriented than XI was. I expected this going in.
However, last night in a matter of ~2 hours I leveled my GLA to 10 or so without a single interaction between myself and other players. I saw plenty running around with the bean sprout looking icon (presumably the new player icon?) and plenty others as well, but there seemed to be no /say or /yell or /shout communication going on in the base town and very few people elsewhere. I know the game's been out for a while now so I shouldn't expect a preponderance of newbs like myself running around helping each other and what not, but I'm getting the distinct feeling early on that this is less of an MMO and more of a plain ol' RPG with MMO-like chat features.
I can figure out game mechanics as I go, but I guess my real question is.. where is the community in-game? How do I get involved in working with others, and to what extent is that part of the game's progression?
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Welcome aboard.
The free trial is heavily restricted to prevent RMT actions. Due to constant spamming from RMT, the only way you can communicate on the free trial is via /say or if someone else initiates a /tell conversation and invites you to their friend's list or linkshell. Even /shout and /yell have been turned off for free trials because we have so many stupid spam bots and they can't be banned fast enough.
The social core of the game is the Free Company, and the free trial accounts are also locked to that. Once you have a paid account, you'll get invited to a free company in about five minutes on most servers. (FCs are like how we treated linkshells in XI, whereas linkshells in XIV are smaller breakout chat channels without much organization.)
Your first party interactions are unlocked with the level 10 guildhest (basic battle training), but those players will be from other servers, so don't expect much interaction there aside from "hi everyone."
I've had some great conversations in parties and even made friends on Tumblr from them (Tumblr has a huge XIV community, as does Reddit) but again, the odds are high that your party members are on another server, so in-game friends become tough just from parties alone.
What server did you roll on?
The free trial is heavily restricted to prevent RMT actions. Due to constant spamming from RMT, the only way you can communicate on the free trial is via /say or if someone else initiates a /tell conversation and invites you to their friend's list or linkshell. Even /shout and /yell have been turned off for free trials because we have so many stupid spam bots and they can't be banned fast enough.
The social core of the game is the Free Company, and the free trial accounts are also locked to that. Once you have a paid account, you'll get invited to a free company in about five minutes on most servers. (FCs are like how we treated linkshells in XI, whereas linkshells in XIV are smaller breakout chat channels without much organization.)
Your first party interactions are unlocked with the level 10 guildhest (basic battle training), but those players will be from other servers, so don't expect much interaction there aside from "hi everyone."
I've had some great conversations in parties and even made friends on Tumblr from them (Tumblr has a huge XIV community, as does Reddit) but again, the odds are high that your party members are on another server, so in-game friends become tough just from parties alone.
What server did you roll on?
Well first off, it's not FFXI. Please expect a different game.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
svlyons wrote:
If random outcomes aren't acceptable to you, then don't play with random people.
Archmage Callinon wrote:
Well first off, it's not FFXI. Please expect a different game.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
I agree with everything but the last statement. Prior to 10 I needed the most help and a ways later in FFXI, I had no idea how to even sit to heal, how to initiate a fight, how to get equipment or get signet. The game just drops you in the middle of town. I had helped allot of newbies out at that level too pretty many times.
FFXI: Nashred
Server: Phoenix
FFXIV : Sir Nashred
server: Ultros
Server: Phoenix
FFXIV : Sir Nashred
server: Ultros
Quote:
I agree with everything but the last statement. Prior to 10 I needed the most help and a ways later in FFXI, I had no idea how to even sit to heal, how to initiate a fight, how to get equipment or get signet. The game just drops you in the middle of town. I had helped allot of newbies out at that level too pretty many times.
Yeah I didn't have an issue figuring the game out until after that point. Somehow "run across three zones with mobs that will vaporize you if they so much as glance in your direction, stand in the desert and put your flag up" just wasn't a super intuitive thing to do. Weird, I know.
svlyons wrote:
If random outcomes aren't acceptable to you, then don't play with random people.
Catwho wrote:
Welcome aboard.
The free trial is heavily restricted to prevent RMT actions.
The free trial is heavily restricted to prevent RMT actions.
Yeah, I figured that much. I just wasn't sure to what degree game mechanics would be based on solo vs team play.
Quote:
The social core of the game is the Free Company, and the free trial accounts are also locked to that. Once you have a paid account, you'll get invited to a free company in about five minutes on most servers. (FCs are like how we treated linkshells in XI, whereas linkshells in XIV are smaller breakout chat channels without much organization.)
What exactly is it that FCs do together? I mean... FFXI had certain well defined stages/goals (level caps, sky missions, promyvions, gods, delve, etc.). Sure, the bulk of the first 70 levels or so was pure EXP, but there was a goal that involved player cooperation. I'm just trying to figure out where FFXIV fits in regards to that mold, or if it does at all.
Quote:
What server did you roll on?
Ultros
Nashred wrote:
Archmage Callinon wrote:
Well first off, it's not FFXI. Please expect a different game.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
That being said, you can start to work in parties to do guildhests, which are basically tutorials on dungeon and party mechanics, starting at level 10. The first dungeon is level 15 and will be presented to you by the main story.
Don't expect to be grouping up with people just for ordinary questing and main story progression outside of dungeons and trials. The main story is largely a solo experience outside of those instances.
Also as a note... I played FFXI for 7 years. I don't remember ever needing to talk to people prior to level 10 in all of that time either.
I agree with everything but the last statement. Prior to 10 I needed the most help and a ways later in FFXI, I had no idea how to even sit to heal, how to initiate a fight, how to get equipment or get signet. The game just drops you in the middle of town. I had helped allot of newbies out at that level too pretty many times.
Was FFXI the first video game you ever played?
http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/1053318/
Quote:
What exactly is it that FCs do together? I mean... FFXI had certain well defined stages/goals (level caps, sky missions, promyvions, gods, delve, etc.). Sure, the bulk of the first 70 levels or so was pure EXP, but there was a goal that involved player cooperation. I'm just trying to figure out where FFXIV fits in regards to that mold, or if it does at all.
Aside from giving you someone to chat with, a lot of content is built for FCs - housing was initially limited to FCs and certain parts like instanced member rooms and airships are still restricted to FC houses, I believe.
In our FC, when our ranks are a bit fuller because people aren't out playing Fallotu 4 (grrr), we'll usually do a call out before queuing for anything solo in case anyone else needs it. "Anyone else want some Void Ark?" "Anyone need their expert dungeons today?" Etc. A good FC will definitely run a dungeon with their new players for the first time, coaching you through any mechanics and giving you tips about your job, if only to spare you from getting too many randos out in the field whose player quality is unknown. Also, during certain missions (namely Castrum and Praetorium), going with a group of FC members gives you the ability to sit back and watch the mid-mission cutscenes, whereas if you go with a group of strangers they're going to expect you to skip them and it's just not the same.
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