Sounds like it would be tricky, right? Final Fantasy XIV is a big, complex, multiplayer game. Since you last played, they might have added an expansion with 100+ hours of new content. They might have added two or three expansions! Where do you even start.
Actually, playing FFXIV after a break is easy. There are so many options to help you to get back into the flow of things.
- Training dummies
- Low-level duties
- Continuing the story
- Asking for help
Let’s explain these in a bit more detail, with images.
Smack around a striking dummy
There is a reason these things are dotted around cities. Everyone needs to brush up on their rotations every now and again. Just be aware that the more advanced areas have higher-level training dummies, and you might end up missing attacks against those. There’s no other risk from them, but if in doubt return to La Noscea, Thanalan, or The Shroud to find an unintimidating, Lvl 1 wooden sparring partner.
Play some familiar, easier duties
You could even start with the easiest dungeons (Sastasha, The Tam-Tara Deepcroft) and trials (Ifrit in The Bowl of Embers, Titan in The Navel) and work your way up. Your level will be scaled down to something appropriate to the duty, but if you’ve played before these activities will still be a breeze, even if you don’t remember all the mechanics. After you’ve done a few, you’ll definitely be in the flow again.
Just a quick reminder, you find duties with the duty finder:
Join a group or ask a stranger
FFXIV is notoriously friendly as MMOs go. There are lots of methods of connecting with other players. Shouting for help in public is one way to go (use the command /shout in the chat box and nearby players will hear you) but don’t be too discouraged if you don’t get a response. Instead, try joining a friendly linkshell or a free company. Use the official Final Fantasy XIV community finder and find some new gaming friends to give you a confidence boost.
Continue with the story
However long you have been absent from the Eorzea, you will always be greeted by a big main quest indicator at the top left of your screen (unless you’ve changed your UI) to tell you what you need to do to continue the story. Do a few of these quests to get your hotkey fingers warmed up.
This is what you’re looking for:
Get on with it!
It’s all about building up momentum. Once you’ve done a bit of exploring, practiced with your keyboard, and crossed paths with a few other adventures, you’ll feel like you never left.
All you need is the confidence to hit Play!
Online resources
Official guides:
https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/
https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobguide/battle/
Wikis (player created):
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/FF14_Wiki
https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Main_Page
Patch notes:
https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/patchnote_log/
How to get into other Final Fantasy games
If you’re already in love with XIV, maybe the other games in the series will also delight you. But if getting into XIV, which is only one game, is hard, where do you even start when it comes to the entire series?! We’ve written a guide to help with that exact question: how to start the Final Fantasy series.
