My MMO life as gone like this (Over the past 12 years now..wow, it really has been that long..): FFXI > WoW > Star Wars > WoW > RIFT > WoW > FFXI (again) > FFXIV > WoW > WildStar > WoW > FFXIV (currently).
Also a few F2Ps that I played for a few weeks here and there.
As you can see there is a lot of WoW played. I've not logged into WoW for a month or so (2nd part of Blackrock came out in LFR, did it once, gear was not an upgrade to normal HM..laughed..guild was breaking up and therefore I was not able to raid Normal BR...not logged back in).
So I totally understand the want and need to move or play a different game.
I picked FFXIV to come back to. I played at re-launch of 14 few years back. Went back to WoW because the small group I was playing 14 with all up and quit. Playing MMOs alone is...dumb lol. Small group that played 11 took forever to start 14...I have many RL friends who play WoW, they are the reason I keep going back -.-
However,I'm not sure if I'm going to keep playing. Last few nights have just, I dunno, bummed me out. I just might really need to take a very long break from MMOs.
But anyways, Info I looked into for coming back:
-Want I wanted to play as.
When I 1st played I was a DRG, but could never get a party invite, so I became a Healer (WHM). Made it to 46 before I threw in the towel.
When I came back I knew I wanted to play as a Ninja. I leveled "sub jobs" 1st. IE: Monk to 15, then I became a Rogue, and took it 30, unlocked Ninja. I had already had other jobs leveled up to 20+ (came back to old character).
-Server.
I came back to the EU server Odin. Back when FFXIV came out, servers were stupid packed on NA realms. Easy fix was to play on the other realms. Jump to now, and I was logging in to say goodnight to people who were logging out. 7pm my time was like 3am server lol. I did transfer, but I did not come to a NA realm. I tired them, and having a queue just rubs me wrong lol. I've worked and waited all the day play..to have to wait more....nope. I play on Tonberry. I researched it out. It was the largest English speaking community on a JP realm. My connection is always great and I hardly, if ever, have lag. Just have to spark a convo, to find out if people around you do speak English, or are they late night Japanese players.
I've never had an issue with the lingo barrier. I played FFXI for such a long time, I'm pretty masterful with the auto-translation lol.
I just googled FFXIV server population, and found a few sites that have stuff charted out.
What I can tell you, someone who has never played FFXIV, but is coming from WoW:
Do not expect WoW,
at all. The 2.5 GCD is a slower game play. Every class/job has a combination of abilities that you will always use in a certain order, with a few that have their own rules (If you Dodge an attack, THEN you can use [Insert Ability]).
Quote:
The 2.5s GCD seems long to me on paper, but I have a feeling that once I get a full rotation of abilities to use I won't notice it as much. It will likely just bother me a bit starting out.
I hope you are different, because it has always bothered me.
11 to WoW was "omg, so many buttons to push ALL THE TIME!!!!". WoW to FFXIV is "So many buttons! BUT I CAN'T PUSH THEM YET!!!"
There is a correct and a wrong way to level via quest and game story. I think part of my stupor is FATE and Levequest grind to level. The story quest I stopped on is lv46.
Don't jump around to all the towns, just because you can. Save them quests for when you need to level another/other jobs. If you don't you will be grinding levequest over and over while doing FATEs over and over.
Harvesting jobs seem to still be the money makers. I always waited to work on crafts.
If you have never played an Asian MMO, they are all about grinding and putting in time to get anywhere.
Don't worry about the new expansion coming out next month. You will need to advance in the main story as Callinon has said above.