Final Fantasy XIV’s game director Naoki Yoshida, also known as Yoshi-P, believes that temporarily quitting the critically acclaimed MMORPG every so often is a good idea, and I believe that his line of thought is accurate.The game is one of the most popular MMORPGs on the market and is constantly getting updates that bring new content for players to go through, including Dungeons, Raids, and more.Yoshi-P believesFFXIVhas seen a declinein the quality of service offered by Square Enix after the end ofEndwalkerand the release ofDawntrail, the most recent expansion.
He is not wrong, as a large portion of the community feels the same.Endwalkerwas a praised DLC that brought the end of a 10-year journey that began withA Realm Reborn, and did so marvelously.On the other hand, theDawntrailexpansion kicked off a new adventure afterEndwalker, but carried much less weight than its predecessors, despite offering a similar amount of content. There is still a lot to do in the game, but recently,spending hundreds of hours inFFXIVlike before feels a lot more tedious and, at some points, even aimless.
The Game Director Talks About Playing Other Games When You Feel Like It
The good thing about this MMORPG is that there is never a sense of FOMO (the acronym for Fear Of Missing Out) with its contents. While many live-service games subtly force you to play new content as soon as it arrives so that you don’t get lost in the story and miss out on potential rewards, this doesn’t happen as much in Square Enix’s hit MMO. Instead,there’s a general feeling that you can leaveFFXIVaside and return to it whenever you feel like it, and you’ll still be able to calmly play through whatever you missed, without pressure.
This is even incentivized by Yoshi-P. During a conversation with a player at Gamescom 2016, which was shared and translated by user elevenmile onReddit, the game director was asked about how players can find a reason to play the MMORPG. In response, Yoshi-P says that there isn’t anything wrong with not playingFFXIVevery day.He also mentions that people should stop forcing themselves to play, as that could lead to stress. “[…] There are so many other games out there. So, do come back and play it to your heart’s content when the major patch kicks in […]”
Pauses In FFXIV Are Actually Good
Taking A Break Can Help You Eliminate Fatigue & Encourage You To Come Back Because You Want To, Not Because You’re Being Forced To
Yoshi-P is not wrong. In times when the game is missing more engaging content, you shouldn’t force yourself to grind every day just for the sake of it.Alternatively, when there’s too much content to catch up on and you’re feeling overwhelmed with the onslaught of never-ending quests, you should also take a break. As much as the game does provide you with satisfaction with nearly every piece of content it offers, meaning that you never really feel like you’re wasting time byplayingFinal Fantasy 14, it can often feel a bit daunting.
Pausing can help you reset your perception of the game and eliminate any fatigue you get from playing it for hours on end, day after day.I’ve taken several months-long pauses fromFFXIVsince I started playing it, and my love for the game has never really diminished. Instead, every time I came, I felt more encouraged to play and dive into its world. At the same time, I never really felt like I missed out on anything for not playing it on day one.
For example, as excited as I was for the release ofIsland Sanctuary inFFXIV, it took me a while to return to the game and start the cozy content. When I did, it met my expectations, and I never had the feeling that I was left behind, even though my island’s level was far behind the level of some of my friends.Still, the game is much more collaborative than it is competitive, so even if I had some catching up to do, I felt like I was being aided by other players and the general game design itself.
Most Of FFXIV’s Content Is Either Permanent Or Returns Seasonally
Even If You Miss Limited Content, You Don’t Feel Punished For It
The good thing about the MMORPG is that the majority of its content is either permanent or seasonal. As such,even if you leave the game for a while, you’ll still be able to experience most of the content as you would have on launch day. If you miss out on a seasonal event, such as the annual Hatching Tide or Valentione’s Day, they return later on, perhaps evolved or in another stage, but you don’t really feel punished for doing so.
As someone who dives into many live-service games, I know how costly it can be to miss a limited-time event inGenshin Impact, for example, where you’ll likely lose Primogems and, perhaps, even exclusive weapons.
If you miss these events in the MMORPG, you’ll likely miss out on some armor sets, though their only purpose is cosmetic – and even if you do, there are thousands of otherGlamour sets inFinal Fantasy XIV, so you’ll never feel underdressed.Once again, the FOMO that other live-service games impose via limited-time content doesn’t really apply here, as you always feel like there’s a chance to pick up where you last left off.
Surely, the game is currently going through some issues when it comes to the quality of content, but it’s still a very good MMO to play. I’m currently taking a break from it, but I know that when I do eventually come back, I’ll do so happily. It’s the game’s easygoing structure, with the lack of pressure to play, that keeps me coming back, regardless of how much time I stay away fromFinal Fantasy XIV.
