A Beginner's Guide to Critically Acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV

Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime!

If you're a fan of MMORPG's, fantasy, or JRPG's you've probably heard the above at least once, and if you're lucky, you've already gotten a start in Square Enix's massively successful MMORPG FFXIV. In fact, the game has become so popular that Square Enix had to suspend all sales of the game to deal with server congestion. Now that sales have resumed, a new flux of new players are joining to see what all the buzz is about. If you're one of the hopeful new adventurers looking to seek your destiny in Eorzea, here's a quick start guide to help you navigate this decade long world and the story waiting for you.

One of the first choices you'll be presented with in FFXIV is creating your character! Many players spend hundreds of hours in this game, and FFXIV has become a place for people to express themselves in a variety of different ways. You'll begin by choosing your Race, Clan, and Gender. Race will determine the look of your character, with Clan offering slight variations to the base look. Gender will affect certain types of gear you can obtain as well as the way NPC's will address you throughout the game. If you're overwhelmed with the amount of customization options and want to just dive into the game, don't worry! You can change your appearance at any time by using a Phial of Fantasia, a consumable item you'll receive by completing the core storyline of a Realm Reborn, or by purchasing for $9.99 from the online store.

Once you have your character created, you'll be prompted to choose a birthday and patron deity, which ultimately boil down to flavor text for your character. The next choice is a little more important, as you'll need to decide on a Data Center. If you want to play with friends on different servers, you'll need to choose the corresponding center, but if performance is your goal, choose one closest to your physical location. Many servers like Tonberry (Japan), Gilgamesh (US), and Cerberus (Europe) are still experiencing high server congestion, but with the new Oceanic data centers players still have a variety of options to choose a home world.

Choosing a Class is one of the most important decisions you'll make before starting the game proper, as this determines not only the Class you'll be playing for a large part of your journey, but also determines your starting area. Choose a Gladiator, you'll be visiting the desert oasis of Ul'dah in Thanalan, Rogues begin their adventure in the sea-faring destination of Limsa Lominsa in La Noscea, and Archers call the forests of Gridania in the Black Shroud home. Eventually, you will be allowed to visit all locations via airship, at which point you can try out some new classes as well. There's no limit to how many classes you can have, so play around and find what fits you best!

Now that your adventurer has arrived in one of the three starting areas in the land of Eorzea, you may be wondering where to start. The amount of map and in game icons can be overwhelming, but the game does a great job of pointing you in the right direction. Focus on the Main Story Quests (MSQ) to begin with, as they're the easiest to follow along. The main story will always be pinned in the top left of your HUD, and in-game destinations will be marked with a gold meteor with an exclamation mark. Gold and Blue icons with an exclamation mark indicate a new feature or job quest, and should always be grabbed if you see them. These quests will unlock various aspects of the game, like new actions for your class, obtaining a Mount, and unlocking dungeons/raids. A gold icon with a green sprout mark the Hall of Novice, usually found in Inns throughout the main cities. These missions will give you a brief tutorial on how to best utilize your current class. All other quests, side quests, will have small, gold icons with an exclamation mark. These missions may reward gil, items, weapons, armor, and more, but most importantly, they show you that the world of Eorzea is alive and thriving.

And that's it! You're ready to pave your path in Eorzea and see all this critically acclaimed MMORPG has to offer. Meet other adventurers, join a company, and shape your destiny!