Couple questions, getting started

[Kalasin]

To introduce myself, I used to play FFXI for a rather long time. I left the game about a year ago and started playing Tera, but it gets boring rather quickly. Thinking about starting FFXIV now with my wife and a couple of friends, and I have a few question I am hoping people can answer.


First of all, about the purchase of the game itself. If I buy the digital version, how exactly does it work? Will I get the registration key sent to my email, and after registering it will let me download the game? New to this kind of purchase, so pardon me.

Secondly, about the accounts in general. I realize there are NA and EU versions, and they determine the payment method, however: If I make a say, NA account, and pass it on to a friend who is playing from the EU, will he be able to play it without any problems? I know he will have to convert the currency for the payment and all that, just wondering if he will be fine playing on an NA account, or if he will need a EU one.

Thirdly, if I have a NA account, can I play on EU labelled servers as well, or only on NA ones, and vice versa?

And lastly, an opinion based question. If you have played other online games before, do you enjoy FF14 more, and why? Still kind of trying to make up my mind and I like hearing peoples opinion.


Thanks!

[Yugl]

When you register the code, they should link you to the site to download the client. I believe the client is still free to download but that you need a registered SE account to use the client meaningfully (To access the game).

Cross-region use is pretty much fine until SE has issues. Some players have been banned for this practice during XI, but I have yet to hear of this issue during XIV. Your move basically.

You can use any server, including JP servers, to play the game. The labels merely display the physical location of the servers and that will affect your connection.

At the moment, I don't have my XI account active, but the next major update will definitely motivate reactivation given the significance of the upcoming update. XIV has enough lockouts to make secondary MMOs possible.

[Kalasin]

Thanks~ that pretty much clears everything up for me. If anyone has first hand experience with the cross-region part, would be appreciated. More feedback on the opinions about the game overall is always welcome as well.

[lexicum]

You can play on any server that is not full regardless of regeion, but there is the ping issue which for some people is a problem.

[blowfin]

Hey Kalasin, good to see an old name from Alex.

Now is probably a pretty good time to start really, by the time you get to the point of content getting a bit thin on the ground (see the thread about alts) the 2.1 patch should well and truly be released.

If you were going in solo at this point I'd say level a tank or healer so you're not waiting forever in DF, but if you're starting with a group it shouldn't be such an issue.

As for how good the game is, pretty much this: I'm more engaged in XIV than any MMO since XI. Well worth playing.

[popsiclestix]

Credit card payments are a bit difficult. I think it is based on the CC's billing address and the country's IP you are connecting to the payment's site from. This can be fixed through prepaid cards or using a VPN to your credit card's billing country and then going to SE's website to pay.

[Kalasin]

Hey Kalasin, good to see an old name from Alex.

Now is probably a pretty good time to start really, by the time you get to the point of content getting a bit thin on the ground (see the thread about alts) the 2.1 patch should well and truly be released.

As for how good the game is, pretty much this: I'm more engaged in XIV than any MMO since XI. Well worth playing.

Hihi~ ya just trying to see if it's worth playing, but so far it looks like it since everyone's being positive about it and stuff, and the part with the new content coming out on top of what's there now adds to it I guess.

Credit card payments are a bit difficult. I think it is based on the CC's billing address and the country's IP you are connecting to the payment's site from. This can be fixed through prepaid cards or using a VPN to your credit card's billing country and then going to SE's website to pay.

So basically, if someone who lives in the US is using an EU account he was given, and is trying to use his CC, he could get problems unless he's using a VPN. Fair enough I guess.
But aside from the payment part(be it whether someone from the EU is paying or he's using VPN), they could use the account without any problems, right?

[Eldelphia]

And lastly, an opinion based question. If you have played other online games before, do you enjoy FF14 more, and why? Still kind of trying to make up my mind and I like hearing peoples opinion.


Thanks!

FFXIV isn't FFXI. It has a lot of modern quality of life improvements which are a joy but right now content is in the early stages. I would guess that starting now would be a great time. Gives you plenty of time to try a few classes out, level sub classes, get some crafting done if that's your thing and get up to 50.

Crafting and gathering are fantastic in this game and kinda addictive so if that's your thing, you'll enjoy it. Relic weapons are more like magian trial weapons than mythics or relics etc in XI. The Duty Finder is great when levelling but a bit hit or miss at 50. Levelling your first class is easy and I really enjoyed the story, levelling other classes is slightly slower because you don't have the main storyline quests to earn xp with. However Hunting logs and FATES are really useful.

Currently there are no NMs or HNMs which don't appear in FATES or under Duty. There are some irritations in the game but SE does fix things pretty regularly so I'm not too worried. 2.1 (next patch) sounds like it's going to be huge but it needs to be.

You don't get the same cameraderie in the lower levels as you did in XI but equally you can do a lot more on your own. Community building in terms of people outside your immediate group really comes from hitting 50 and starting to shout for groups for harder content rather than relying on Duty Finder.

If you have a small group of friends to play with you'll probably enjoy it, just don't expect XI hardcore.