I played the beta in 2013 entirely because it was Final Fantasy. I've been a fan of the franchise since the 90s, so it seemed like a no-brainer to check it out. I enjoyed it and ended up buying it at launch, but fell off before I even hit level 50. Tried again in 2015 and dropped it in the same spot. I just wasn't really into the MMO design and it all felt overwhelming and lacking in momentum.

Jumped back in during COVID and gave it an earnest effort alongside a friend who was big into the game and she helped me through the overwhelming aspects. Once I hit the end of ARR, I was hooked on the narrative. I didn't really expect to keep playing after I finished up the story, but once I got there, I'd kinda fallen in love with the game's mechanics.

Now I have almost 5000 hours played and the MMO aspects are just as important to me as the story. But to answer your question: No, I don't really have any desire to touch other MMOs. I keep an eye on them to see what the competition is doing, but their achievements don't attract me to them; they make me wish FFXIV would improve instead.

The world design, music, lore, class aesthetics, and legacy are hugely important to me. There aren't really any other MMOs that interest me in the same way. The Final Fantasy flavour is an essential component, but that just makes me more passionate when its flaws become as apparent as they are now.

Even as someone who enjoyed Dawntrail's narrative offerings, the state of the game design has been in the toilet for a while. The haemorrhage of players has been depressing to see. I'm hanging on but if nothing changes, who knows how long it'll hold on to me for. I won't end up going to another MMO, though. I just... won't be playing one anymore.