[Column] General: Why I Call Eorzea Home

SBFord

Which game do you consider your “home?” Victor talks about Eorzea, his second home.

Read more of Victor Barreiro Jr.'s Eorzea Reborn: Why I Call Eorzea Home.

danwest58

Why I Call Eorzea Home is because unlike many other MMOs out there SE has done the best job out there with adding content for all; and not forcing raiding on everyone.  If you don’t want to raid good, here is player housing you can work for, or Treasure Hunting, or dungeons.  If you want to raid you will have tough raids.  They also have set jobs that play a set roll not multiple specs that must be balanced.

 

 

So for all that, this is why I call Erozea home and will for a long time.  

 

Vonatar

Norrath (EQ1).

Foomerang

I call Eorzea home because from a strictly non combat perspective, it is the spiritual successor to star wars galaxies. The upcoming expansion only reinforces that statement when you look at the things they are adding to crafting, gathering, and housing.
Every thing they add to this game has an entire reward system attached to it.
Gardening in most MMOs is so basic, but in FFXIV, it is it's own meta game. That's how the devs treat every aspect.
Something that is also amazing to me in this genre is that they release massive patches that actually work on the day it releases. Most other MMOs have a small content patch that typically breaks more than it fixes.
The experience of square enix really shows in that regard.

Dreamo84

I am hoping SOTA will be, since I literally bought a home... none of the launched MMOs I play have that home feeling to me.

Yaevindusk

Definitely Eorzea at the moment.  Just based on sheer content alone and updates.  Everything -- as Foomerang says -- pretty much has its own meta and is treated with respect.

 

I'm hoping the improvements in the Expansion (faster combat with certain stats / no forced grouping for storyline stuff, wider open areas in expansion areas that allow for flight) will also make the new player experience more enjoyable for those who have a lot of pre-determined thoughts coming into the game.  It's a vastly different game from any other themepark once you get into the nitty-gritty and realize the depth of every system it offers, as well as the frequent updates to said systems and dozens of new things to do each patch (new systems as a whole, as well).

 

I was just thinking of crafting the other night.  Even crafting has it's own rotations in FFXIV.  Dozens of abilities.  Cross class abilities.  Equipment for crafting, Tiered gear for crafting.  Tiered crafts once you reach cap and are able to craft all the 1-50 normal items.  Each crafting guild having its own storyline.  It led me to think of all the detail they put into every aspect that oft goes unnoticed by those who don't make it to the end and partake in all of the myriad of things each patch grants (including new raids, 3+ dungeons per patch, new battlegrounds, systems, items for housing, emotes, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc...).  It's just fantastic, and the patched content from 2.3 onwards (and to a lesser extent 2.1 onwards as they were testing the waters of what worked) really makes you feel a part of the world.

 

 

tgun4510

I was impressed by the fact that the hard modes of the pre 50 dungeons actually changed things from normal. Not just the same bosses and NPCs with more HP. Actual different stories altogether. Not like heroic modes in wow with same mobs with more hp

Kyleran

Here I thought this was a new game I missed, but no, just FFXIV.

Foomerang

When they said they were adding chocobo races, I was excited. BUt I had no idea how much they were going to put into it. I expected a couple tracks, some form of breeding, racing food, etc.

What we got was kind of ridiculous. Three tracks, 15 circuits, weather conditions that affect your chocobo not only adversely, but your chocobo could actually prefer certain types of weather, even bad weather.

Five stats on your chocobo which can be trained up with food. Of course the food ingredients are harvested from personal gardens, botanist and miner professions and made by culinarians so that opens up new market avenues.

Chocobos learn race abilities which can be passed on to their offspring, as well as a chance to pass down stat ratings from generation to generation and all the various colors that can be bred as well.

The races themselves are 8 player mario kart style with weapons, powerups and various obstacles thrown your way.

All of this complete with a lengthy achievement and rewards system including tons of vanity items, titles, intro quests with cut scenes and back story.

And this is just one feature that was brought in on a single patch. Not an expansion, not a stand alone addition. It was part of an entire new area that included a card game as well. Six weeks before that patch, they had another patch which added a new class and job.

All of this done with complete care, fully fleshed out, and working.

Now imagine stuff like this occurring with every class, every area, every patch, every few months and you start to get an idea as to why people like myself are home for good with this title.

waynejr2

Originally posted by Kyleran
Here I thought this was a new game I missed, but no, just FFXIV.

I thought it was about eczema!

Ghavrigg

Best game and best developers out there, atm, by far. 

dreamscaper

As others have said, I call Eorzea home because for all its tiny zones and PS3 limitations, it understands that it's a world. I spend all my time gathering, crafting, and roleplaying (where the extensive emotes and housing system help wonderfully). There's much more to do than just your standard dungeon/raid progression mechanics. The Golden Saucer stuff added recently is a good example of that.

 

Also, Hildibrand is my hazubando.

Cladari

I love this game but for me the silent cut scenes are hard to get over. I convinced a friend to try the game and the silent game intro on first starting the game was it for him. 

bigcarl35

For me home will always be Vana'diel.  While I did play FFXIV for awhile, I find myself always going back to FFXI.  No matter how long I am away, as soon as I show up in one of the main cities, especially Jeuno, there's a comfort that I can't deny.

Doctorhoo

Very Solid MMORPG!  SE has done a great job with the updates and good story and changing world from those patches.  Tons to do and Don't need to make Alts - Just Switch Jobs.  Great Community.  Loving it!

Galaa

I love Sosaria, as im typing this, the music of Britannia is singing in my brain LOL.

 

Norrath (EQ1 version) is another land where I love alot.

Ozmodan

I have some very good friends that were very excited about this game, they were long time FFXI players.  We tried the original release and struggled.  We have gone back at times, to check out the patches, but still think FFXIV is a stepchild to the original.

rwyan

I have a love-hate relationship with FF14.  It looks great, it plays great, dev team is awesome.... but there are just some conceptual issues I have with it - mostly rooted in the awkward and often times one-note armory/cross-class/job system. 

 

I am most in love with the game when I treat it more like a sandbox - working on aspects and goals defined by me.  I hate it most when I get wrapped up into the end-game gear/token grind, which only highlight my issues with the armory/cross-class/job system.

 

There are moments when the dev team completely knock it out the park.  And then there are times where I wonder if they truly understand MMOs all, but even then, you always get the feeling the devs truly want the best for their game and the players (it probably helps that the game has done exceptionally well since its re-release, so Yoshida and crew probably have all the support from their execs in contrast to what I imagine the Wildstar dev team is probably experiencing).

 

 

 

 

 

Soki123

Solid game that bores me after a couple weeks everytime I sub. It just doesn t have that lasting appeal for me. Almost every game nowadays feels that way. Sub for a month or 2 and leave. Come back 6-7 months down the road and rinse and repeat. I guess that's why I sub XI and DAOC again, they just seem like worlds to me.

Razeekster

I love and hate FFXIV. I love that there is so much to do, I hate that RNG is somehow involved with everything. I love that there is housing. I hate how ridiculously expensive housing is. I love that they made crafting unique. I hate that I'll have to level up crafting to be able to afford anything (I hate crafting in pretty much all games). I love the group content. I hate how I have been trying to do Levi EX for a month now but keep getting horrible groups and so am locked out of other content until I manage to complete it.

azzamasin

Originally posted by Soki123
Solid game that bores me after a couple weeks everytime I sub. It just doesn t have that lasting appeal for me. Almost every game nowadays feels that way. Sub for a month or 2 and leave. Come back 6-7 months down the road and rinse and repeat. I guess that's why I sub XI and DAOC again, they just seem like worlds to me.

Wonder how you and others would feel if there was no Sub?  I suspect more people might play it if it was Free.

ZoeMcCloskey

Eorzea was almost my home, I mean like ALMOST.  But just couldn't get many friends to give it a chance.  So after a few months, I faded from it.

For now my home is SWToR once or twice a week as a friends group of four doing every single quest in the entire game. :P

Apart from that still playing World of Tanks, though I wouldn't exactly call that a "home" haha.

Bitrip

FFXIV was fun for a while. I played the original and ARR is 1000x better. I eventually gave it up though because trying to get a house was insane. Also, the market prices were garbage on my legacy server. I didn't like that everyone could do everything either, it heavily devalued the usefulness of a solo player because anyone else could fill in for a specific need. Those issues aside, I did really enjoy the game for about a year.

Soki123

Originally posted by azzamasin

Originally posted by Soki123
Solid game that bores me after a couple weeks everytime I sub. It just doesn t have that lasting appeal for me. Almost every game nowadays feels that way. Sub for a month or 2 and leave. Come back 6-7 months down the road and rinse and repeat. I guess that's why I sub XI and DAOC again, they just seem like worlds to me.

Wonder how you and others would feel if there was no Sub?  I suspect more people might play it if it was Free.

I would definitely dabble if it was free, but theres a big difference in dabbling and actually sinking my teeth into a game and feeling immersed into it. I just can t get that from this game, unfortunately, as I was so hoping it would one day replace XI.

Yaevindusk

Originally posted by Bitrip
FFXIV was fun for a while. I played the original and ARR is 1000x better. I eventually gave it up though because trying to get a house was insane. Also, the market prices were garbage on my legacy server. I didn't like that everyone could do everything either, it heavily devalued the usefulness of a solo player because anyone else could fill in for a specific need. Those issues aside, I did really enjoy the game for about a year.

 

You'll be happy to know they're making it so you can only specialize in one craft in the expansion.  Well, one at a time.  You take on a mentor and are able to craft special items from it.  Also, the market prices will likely be better by now, especially with the anticipation of three new classes.  Might be prudent to give the expansion a try when it comes out, as it hosts a lot of changes that people were complaining about with A Realm Reborn.

 

Originally posted by Soki123

Originally posted by azzamasin

Originally posted by Soki123
Solid game that bores me after a couple weeks everytime I sub. It just doesn t have that lasting appeal for me. Almost every game nowadays feels that way. Sub for a month or 2 and leave. Come back 6-7 months down the road and rinse and repeat. I guess that's why I sub XI and DAOC again, they just seem like worlds to me.

Wonder how you and others would feel if there was no Sub?  I suspect more people might play it if it was Free.

I would definitely dabble if it was free, but theres a big difference in dabbling and actually sinking my teeth into a game and feeling immersed into it. I just can t get that from this game, unfortunately, as I was so hoping it would one day replace XI.

 

Hope you think to give the expansion a try.  The game really did well to immerse you in the later patched content, and the ending of 2.55 actually made me cry a little due to such.  Here's hoping they continue the trend with the 50-60 content and beyond.  In addition, those new areas will fix a lot of the issues some people had; they are supposed to be really large and allow for flying mounts and Free Company airships.  Which likely means very little blocked off areas.

 

Granted, I'm a role player, so immersion is something I enthrall myself into or find to get into character.

 

gasperk

Eorzea is my home. Simply because Development team respects players and their game.

And nothing in this game is forced on you like in some other MMO's. You are a free man to do what ever you wish here

It is pure joy to just log in everyday and just stand in a city full of people and listen. Its a game rich with people / lore / things to do. Relaxing and fun