Free Trial is available up to lvl 70 with unlimited play time and includes the first two expansions. https://freetrial.finalfantasyxiv.com/na/ (with normal restrictions)

1. To buy after you are done with the trial: https://na.store.square-enix-games.com/final-fantasy-xiv-online-complete-edition---digital

2. Please let me know before you activate your paid copy so I can give you my RAF code so we both get rewards. :)

FF14 is an RPGMMO, where as WoW is an MMORPG. Tank/Healer/DPS Trinity.

The story is the largest part of FF14. If you’ve ever played a FF game, expect like that but in MMO form. The journey is meant to be enjoyed, not rushed. The MSQ (Main Story Quest) will make you go through the entire story of each expansion, in order.

Side quests are totally optional, most people don’t even do them.

If you have an issue creating a character, click on Diabolos on the link and get notified when the congestion ends. https://xivstatus.com

You only need one character, you switch jobs (classes) by changing your weapon. So you can fully experience everything in the game with your ‘main’. 

The game has glamour (transmog) and dyes. 

Free company's are the guilds of the game.

The mobile companion app lets you use the Market Board (AH) on the go. 

Housing is a very big feature of the game, even guilds can have their own shared one.

FF14 does not support addons. There are very few secondary programs but the game does not have native support for them. The native UI customization is very well done.

The game is cross platform with the PS4/PS5/PC/Mac/Xbox. 

You can play the entire game with a controller. It works pretty well.

The music is some of the best in any game, period. Boss fight phases have special music transitions.

Every bit of content in the game can scale you to it, so it always stays "current".

The spell effects in parties can be toned down in the settings so you only see your own.

The ground enemy abilities can be moved into right after the initial graphic goes away, the animation after is not the part that does the damage. 

The FF14 community is known as the very most welcoming in any MMO.

Characters can get married with a full fledged wedding.

Duties are the instanced areas for dungeons and other activities like it. 

PVP is not a focus in this game. Most ignore it but there are PVP seasons. 

Materia (gems) are not important until max level. You can still play with them.

Every major town has a giant aetheryte crystal that you can attune to, you then can teleport to it from anywhere in the world for a fee. 

Each major city have smaller aetheryte crystals that you can transport between only if you are inside the city.

The Golden Saucer is unlocked at around lvl 15 and is basically the chuck-e-cheese of FF14. This is a great hangout spot for mini games and more.

Those on the same data center (we play on Crystal/Diabolos) can play together via the cross realm like system. Playing across data centers is also possible.

Flying is available in old areas at lvl 50 and in expansions you collect aether currents in each zone to unlock flying in that zone. (no crazy meta achievements) All mounts fly.

Professions each have their own job with abilities, gear and even an end game.

When the development team remade the game with 2.0, they were required to play other MMO's like WoW, so coming to the game will feel very familiar but also foreign.

The game has a very robust RP community if you are into it.  

The calamity that the story talks about is technically the terrible 1.0 game that Square Enix scrapped and rebuilt to create 2.0 (A Realm Reborn) within 2 years. 

Every feature in the game is locked behind a quest. Either Main Story or Blue Quest Icon.

The early game feels slow due to limited abilities but jobs (classes) get very robust later. Go watch the jobs video below for more of an idea of how they will look. August 2020 FF14 removed a lot of quests to remove some of the grind.

The starter jobs turn into their full form at lvl 30. (graduate) There are other jobs available but they unlock later in the game at different levels.

1. Jobs available at character creation:

   1. Gladiator > Paladin (Tank)

   2. Marauder > Warrior (Tank)

   3. Conjurer > White Mage (Healer)

   4. Arcanist > Scholar (Healer) and Summoner (Caster DPS)

   5. Thaumaturge > Black Mage (Caster DPS)

   6. Archer > Bard (Ranged DPS)

   7. Lancer > Dragoon (Melee DPS)

   8. Pugilist > Monk (Melee DPS)

   9. Rogue > Ninja (Melee DPS)

2. The other jobs that are unlocked later: 

   1. Dark Knight (Tank) - Starts at Lvl 30, unlockable at lvl 50

   2. Gunbreaker (Tank)  - Starts at lvl 60, unlockable at lvl 60

   3. Astrologian (Healer) - Starts at lvl 30, unlockable at lvl 50

   4. Samurai (Melee DPS) - Starts at lvl 50, unlockable at lvl 50

   5. Machinist (Ranged DPS) - Starts at lvl 30, unlockable at lvl 50

   6. Dancer (Ranged DPS) - Starts at lvl 60, unlockable at lvl 60

   7. Red Mage (Caster DPS) - Starts at lvl 50, unlockable at lvl 50

   8. Reaper (Melee DPS) - Starts at lvl 70, unlockable at lvl 70

   9. Sage (Healer) - Starts at lvl 70, unlockable at lvl 70

   10. Viper (Melee DPS) - Starts at lvl 80, unlockable at lvl 80

   11. Pictomancer (Caster DPS) - Starts at lvl 80, unlockable at lvl 80

Blue Mage (Limited job, like a mini game type job you don’t take to end game content, starts at lvl 1 and goes to lvl 80), unlockable at lvl 50. Have a boss fight carnival you progress in and you have to learn spells from mobs to beat the carnival. Think if WoW took brawlers guild and went nuts with it.

Beastmaster (Limited job coming in later part of Dawntrail expansion.)