Player Housing: WoW vs. FFXIV

World of Warcraft has recently made waves in the gaming sphere by finally adding housing! Arguably one of the most requested features since the game first released in 2004, it’s crazy to see it finally come to light 22 years later. And even more exciting, it is (by all accounts) quite good! I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews from those who got to sample the closed beta or PTR version, though I myself have kept my sub suspended for my own productivity. But Blizzard, perhaps anticipating the recalcitrance of fair-weather gamers such as myself, has cleverly offered a free weekend… [Continue Reading]

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My Cat’s Gaming Killcount

Five years ago, Sydney and I adopted a ragdoll named Bean who has quickly eclipsed both of us as the owner of the house. What few cats my family had in my childhood were aloof outdoor loners, so Bean was my first real experience with just how affectionate and loving a cat can be. It’s incredible how many different emotions and personality quirks she has, and she’s become far and away one of the best parts of my life since she entered it. Even when she sits on my keyboard in the middle of a high-stakes gaming moment, I can’t… [Continue Reading]

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Trying EverQuest in 2020

Despite not considering myself an MMO kind of guy, I’ve somehow put in hundreds of hours in both World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14, mostly because they’re great games to play while plowing through my TV backlog on the second monitor. Both of them were highly influential games for their generation of MMOs, cornering the market by setting the standards many of their competitors would try and (for the most part, fail to) surpass. But they’re only two parts of the triumvirate. There’s a third game, one that first put 3D MMOs on the map. Most of the earlier… [Continue Reading]

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Final Fantasy XIV: First Impressions in 2020

Breaking News: Yesterday the devs revealed that FF14 is raising the free trial’s level cap from 35 to 60, as well as adding the whole base game, the Heavensward DLC, and all related races, classes, and content permanently free to play. This is the best opportunity to try this game out if you’re on the fence! Two months ago my boyfriend asked if I’d be interested in trying Final Fantasy 14. The coronavirus had completely zapped all semblances of a social life outside the confines of our apartment, and the rest of our local friend circle had already subscribed just… [Continue Reading]

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Returning to Eorzea

The recent buzz about Fortnite becoming Fortnite – Chapter 2 through the efforts of a black hole sucking up the original game reminded me of a different game. That game was Final Fantasy XIV. When FFXIV originally came out (1.0), it was met with… unfavourable reviews. While I myself had never played through 1.0, it was clear there was a lot of things wrong with it. Areas were too large and maze-like, things were poorly optimized (some barrel props had more polygons than player models), the UI was hideous and difficult to navigate at times, etc.  It was plagued with… [Continue Reading]

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They Finally Got Me…

MMORPGs are definitely a genre I’ve steered clear of time and time again. The first time I experienced one was with Runescape, back when I was a kid and the concept was still mind-blowing. But I soon got tired of it and dropped them, for what I presumed to be for good. But while watching a stream of Final Fantasy II by a YouTuber I’m subscribed to, a fan messaged him in the chat asking what he thought of Final Fantasy XIV Online and if he thought it was worth buying. Not only did he say he thought it was… [Continue Reading]

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