Final Fantasy XIV Online is a beautiful MMORPG, in art design, characters, as well as mechanics and world-building. It is also quite well-balanced in terms of classes, and casual players can easily enjoy their time. Another important aspect is that the developers care a hell of a lot about their players, and the game, in contrast to WoW's unfortunate situation. One of the least toxic multiplayer experiences I have ever played (Results may vary, for example I am in the Cactuar NA Server). Apart from the first storyline (And Stormblood) dragging on and on, after that, this game is definitely a masterpiece.

As mentioned before, the worldbuilding of FFXIV is very believable, resulting in a world the player will end up learning to legitimately care for, with meaningful characters displaying realistic behaviours and a detailed storyline that reels you in.

The variety of classes to choose from generally feels well-balanced (No class is really a 'bad' class), and aside from MSQ there is a metric tonne of side content ranging from 8-man raids (With equally good storylines), alliance raids, battlefield areas, animal crossing-esque island caretaking, housing, social/player events, marketboard trading, gathering, and crafting. Gathering and crafting I have spent a lot of time on myself, and these classes to me, really helped me feel in tune with Eorzea and its world. The questlines presented for these classes ties into the lore, feels meaningful, and you must learn about the nature of each culture, environment, and more to become a master of your craft. It's very touching.

That is not to say this game is without its issues. As with any MMO, it does feel as if there is a large social divide between more casual players and those who are hardcore. It appears to be a bit difficult to pierce the gil market to earn a 'living' in FFXIV, at least as a more casual player, and the in-game housing crisis causes for the smallest plots to be three million gil minimum, and good luck winning a plot (Since all is done through a lottery system, though the previous system was worse). Since the game is an MMO, by nature, it is definitely a timesink, however if you portion your hours well you can balance work, life, and leisure so that the game does not become an obsession.

Final Fantasy XIV Online is a beautiful MMORPG, in art design, characters, as well as mechanics and world-building. It is also quite well-balanced in terms of classes, and casual players can easily enjoy their time. Another important aspect is that the developers care a hell of a lot about their players, and the game, in contrast to WoW's unfortunate situation. One of the least toxic multiplayer experiences I have ever played (Results may vary, for example I am in the Cactuar NA Server). Apart from the first storyline (And Stormblood) dragging on and on, after that, this game is definitely a masterpiece. As mentioned before, the worldbuilding of FFXIV is very believable, resulting in a world the player will end up learning to legitimately care for, with meaningful characters displaying realistic behaviours and a detailed storyline that reels you in. The variety of classes to choose from generally feels well-balanced (No class is really a 'bad' class), and aside from MSQ there is a metric tonne of side content ranging from 8-man raids (With equally good storylines), alliance raids, battlefield areas, animal crossing-esque island caretaking, housing, social/player events, marketboard trading, gathering, and crafting. Gathering and crafting I have spent a lot of time on myself, and these classes to me, really helped me feel in tune with Eorzea and its world. The questlines presented for these classes ties into the lore, feels meaningful, and you must learn about the nature of each culture, environment, and more to become a master of your craft. It's very touching. That is not to say this game is without its issues. As with any MMO, it does feel as if there is a large social divide between more casual players and those who are hardcore. It appears to be a bit difficult to pierce the gil market to earn a 'living' in FFXIV, at least as a more casual player, and the in-game housing crisis causes for the smallest plots to be three million gil minimum, and good luck winning a plot (Since all is done through a lottery system, though the previous system was worse). Since the game is an MMO, by nature, it is definitely a timesink, however if you portion your hours well you can balance work, life, and leisure so that the game does not become an obsession.