I spend too much time playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, as you may have already guessed. I average about 9 hours a day in-game, with three or four of those hours dedicated to endgame progression and the rest simply going to gathering and crafting.
As much as I love the game, there are two things I must admit:
- I have an addiction.
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is by no means perfect, though it is delightful.
There’s no shame in loving a game that isn’t perfect. I would never rate FFXIV a 10/10 or a 5/5 or whatever scoring scheme you most prefer (50 butts out of 50 butts), but at the same time I am more than content and happy with staying with this game.
True to Japanese MMO style (Dragon Quest X being a recent example), Final Fantasy XIV has several components that are there because they ‘fit’, but are more dumbed down or half-baked than most players would like to admit.
An example of this? The retainer system.
I really like the retainer system and I realize setting your retainers to whatever city is getting a tax break is beneficial, but why is that the limit to the effects of setting their location? Why don’t players have to visit their retainers in their set city, instead of being able to summon them from anywhere? It feels like a concept that Square Enix went halfway with, then decided to stop because casual players wouldn’t be able to deal with the limitation.
This is just one thing that I feel was really good in the concept phase and works ‘just okay’ in actual usage, but could be better implemented overall. I know why so many design choices don’t seem to make much sense, it’s just a bit sad to see the final result when systems like the retainers are neat but nonsensical.
Anyway.
Despite the game’s many confusing design choices (auto-sort is awful, no social list in duties, no party kick), there’s just something about Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn that keeps me all up in there for 8+ hours a day. And it’s definitely not the c@s.
What keeps me going is, despite leveling feeling too fast for my tastes, I always feel like I’m bettering my character.
Spamming /ouch in Ul’dah counts. (Me on the right)
Whether grinding for tomes, gathering, crafting, or making connections within the community I always feel like I’m doing something that will benefit me later.
I gather and cook to save up for a house, I’m speed-leve grinding weaving to get my Vanya set, I grind tomes to help my Free Company (Balthier’s Buddies – Official TLC fanclub of Coeurl) reach and go through the trials of The Binding Coil of Bahamut, and I make connections to not only make friends, but to make clients.
Despite all of the game’s shortcomings, these things delight and entertain me the most. I know that no matter what I’m doing I am progressing myself in some way.
For a long time I was upset that it didn’t take long to reach level 50 on my ACN/SCH, but having gotten there and leveled other classes to 50 I don’t really disagree with that design decision as much as I used to. While I certainly would have enjoyed a leveling experience akin to Final Fantasy XI a little more, I’m glad I still have plenty to do.
One day I’ll have hundreds of clusters and I’ll cook hundreds of you individually.
Some people may complain that there is nothing to do at endgame, and I can only disagree with that up to a point. But with so much else to do and 2.1 only looking better (I can’t wait to PvP), I truly and honestly can’t complain. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is not for everybody, but for a slower and more long-term focused player like me, it’s like a little mini-utopia.
