wildmario
Novice
Until 2013, I never played an MMORPG before. I heard about Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, and other games, but they just didn't grab my interest at first. Between being in school and not having a job, there was no way I could pay for an MMORPG or its subscription fees. When Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn came out, I decided to give the game a shot. From that moment on, my gaming habits changed.
I was floored by the stunning visuals at the time. The colorful landscapes, the expressive characters, the flashy spells...it was all there and then some. Every map felt like a new zone to me and I kept pressing on to see what other zones awaited me. Grinding for levels never felt like a chore because I was so engaged with the game. Each quest I took had me excited to see where it would lead. Each new development in the main story had me wondering what would happen next. Leveling up and gaining a new skill had me excited to try it out and wonder what the next skill was. I could not get enough!
I began my journey as a humble Conjurer in the forest city of Gridania. The lush trees and quiet ambiance drew me in as well as the wildlife. I'll never forget how I slung my Stone spells at my foes while quickly trying to cast Cure before I bit the dust (which I did anyway many times). As I progressed in the dungeons and story, my character grew with me. What was once a healer that basically hurled rocks grew into a White Mage that could nuke everything with Holy and save someone on the brink of death with Benediction. The gear making me look like someone with a horrible sense of fashion (straw hat, blue robe, and sandals, never forget!) evolved into the classic White Mage robe. All the gradual changes had me playing the game into the wee hours of the night and I wanted to keep going!
From August 2013, I have played Final Fantasy XIV every single day and have hardly missed a day. While I was not there for 1.0, I was there from A Realm Reborn to the now current Stormblood expansion. I have witnessed every nerf and buff each job received (I am still salty over Holy's nerf years ago), I got to experience the fights as they were before they were nerfed later on (mention Steps of Faith to anyone who experienced it on launch day and watch them curl into a ball and cry). Each moment is a memory for me to recall when I want to feel nostalgic.
While I still play other games, FF14 is my go to game now. 5 years have passed since I've played it and I am not going to slow down. I have never felt excited about a game in so long until FF14 came along. It is a feeling I rarely get to experience, but it is one I have always cherished with this game. Below you can see how much my character has changed.
I was floored by the stunning visuals at the time. The colorful landscapes, the expressive characters, the flashy spells...it was all there and then some. Every map felt like a new zone to me and I kept pressing on to see what other zones awaited me. Grinding for levels never felt like a chore because I was so engaged with the game. Each quest I took had me excited to see where it would lead. Each new development in the main story had me wondering what would happen next. Leveling up and gaining a new skill had me excited to try it out and wonder what the next skill was. I could not get enough!
I began my journey as a humble Conjurer in the forest city of Gridania. The lush trees and quiet ambiance drew me in as well as the wildlife. I'll never forget how I slung my Stone spells at my foes while quickly trying to cast Cure before I bit the dust (which I did anyway many times). As I progressed in the dungeons and story, my character grew with me. What was once a healer that basically hurled rocks grew into a White Mage that could nuke everything with Holy and save someone on the brink of death with Benediction. The gear making me look like someone with a horrible sense of fashion (straw hat, blue robe, and sandals, never forget!) evolved into the classic White Mage robe. All the gradual changes had me playing the game into the wee hours of the night and I wanted to keep going!
From August 2013, I have played Final Fantasy XIV every single day and have hardly missed a day. While I was not there for 1.0, I was there from A Realm Reborn to the now current Stormblood expansion. I have witnessed every nerf and buff each job received (I am still salty over Holy's nerf years ago), I got to experience the fights as they were before they were nerfed later on (mention Steps of Faith to anyone who experienced it on launch day and watch them curl into a ball and cry). Each moment is a memory for me to recall when I want to feel nostalgic.
While I still play other games, FF14 is my go to game now. 5 years have passed since I've played it and I am not going to slow down. I have never felt excited about a game in so long until FF14 came along. It is a feeling I rarely get to experience, but it is one I have always cherished with this game. Below you can see how much my character has changed.
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