Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Stormblood expansion up to level 70 for free with no restrictions on playtime! Yes, it's a meme at this point, but Final Fantasy XIV is still the first recommendation that comes out of my mouth whenever a friend asks what they should play. Does it matter if they're deep in World of Warcraft? No. Does it matter if they don't even know what an MMORPG is? Also No. Why? 

It's simple: Final Fantasy XIV is the most newcomer-friendly MMORPG—and I say this as someone who has tried to jump into her fair share of games that have been around even longer. The ease with which people can jump into FF14 isn’t by accident. It’s by design. 

Sure, being kind to everyone in a multiplayer video game is what people should do. However, players have proven time and time again, regardless of the platform, that being helpful to newcomers, let alone being civil, is beyond them. It’s a sad reality, one I’ve lived since playing Call of Duty in open lobbies. That said, FF14 has taken a route that helps build the environment that we all want. They’ve gamified mentorship.

It isn’t just that mentorship has its rewards. It is that FF14 has also baked it into its multiplayer gameplay, whether you’re actively trying to sherpa newcomers (called Sprouts, thanks to the cute sprout in front of their name) or just playing. Central to creating a welcoming experience for new players, having the safety to make mistakes is necessary to facilitate long-term play and progression. If you have a bad experience in your first dungeon, you have every reason to stop playing with other humans. 

The Mentorship system requires a player to have reached max level, completed 1,000 Duties, and received 1,500 Accommodations (given out to players at the end of Duties). After choosing to become a mentor, there are two clear ways that you can impact play. The first is by opting into running Mentorship roulettes. This allows you to specifically queue as a Mentor with the purpose of teaching others when you party-up for a Duty. Here, you’re given the standard roulette rewards, but more importantly, you’re granted exclusive rewards based on the number of clears you reach. This begins with the Mentor title at 50 clears and goes all the way to the Astrope mount at 2,000 clears—with some fashion items inbetween. 

Outside of that dedicated roulette queueing, however, those who opt into Mentor status have their own mark before their name. A crown to denote just how much they’ve played to reach that status; I can tell you a sigh of relief I let out when I see multiple crowns in Savage content I’m doing for the first time. But it’s not just higher-level content, sometimes it’s just the latest patch Alliance Raid, Trial, or dungeon. Looking for the crown means these players will often throw on a Danger Dorito (a triangle marker that newcomers to mechanics are meant to follow) and carry the party through the Duty. If no one else has you, a Mentor usually will. 

Additionally, the roulette system itself is vital to keeping players running older content that new players are queuing. Here, new can mean brand new to the game or just new to their class. But either way, you are playing content that at this point has been out for a decade, depending on which section of the game you’re in. To help keep the queues alive, there are Main Story Duty roulettes that keep the Main Story Quest moments incentivized to run for older players because it yields the most Tomestones (in-game currency used for gear and rare items). 

Additionally, there are Leveling Dungeon roulettes that drop a party into a low-level dungeon but yield the most experience for players. While this can be extremely beneficial to leveling up new classes, called Jobs in FF14, it also allows those doing the content for the first time people to queue with Sprouts. Even the various Trial and Raid roulettes fulfill the same option, meaning that older content can stay active.  

As I’ve mentioned throughout, the importance of creating a newcomer-friendly environment doesn’t just impact that one group of players exclusively. Instead, it creates a system where players are always engaging as if you have to explain mechanics in any roulette. With markers for new players and mentors, what about those who are returning Warriors of Light with Dawntrail ramping up? FF14 has an icon for you, too. While opting into the Novice Network can be annoying from a chat perspective, getting the icon next to your name helps set expectations for your party. 

That said, you do not have to rely on icons to get the help and kindness you need in a duty. Sometimes, all it takes is typing “First time” into chat. A good party or alliance chat will take that note and help you with mechanics. Whether that’s adding a Danger Dorito or just explaining the boss encounters before they pull the boss. 

If all of that hasn’t convinced you that FF14 is the perfect MMORPG for newcomers, there is one more thing. With a robust Duty Support system, players can use Trusts (NPC characters from the story) to complete any dungeon they need. This allows them to play through story content without needing to queue. Additionally, the Trusts also offer lore and story points that you don’t get outside of running that content with them. The option is there, and it is rewarding as well. 

All of this creates an understanding within the community that offers help instead of raging at the first sign of mistakes. Final Fantasy XIV’s community isn’t perfect, but it is one that, in my experience, has always stepped in to stop others from being mean to new players. Once a player types “First time,” the ground is clear for them to learn and receive help. 

I can’t promise that you won’t ever deal with a few bad eggs. I can promise that you will find people to help you on your journey through Eorzea and now Tural. You’ll find people who teach you, offer kindness when you make mistakes, and will hopefully become friends the longer you play. Playing with other people can be intimidating, but Final Fantasy XIV has done everything it can to reduce that barrier.