Is the game worth buying into if I'm not constantly playing it?

[Cool Naoto]

Been playing the free trial for like 50 hours now and finished ARR, game is so far pretty enjoyable and I'm thinking of buying it once I finish up the free trial content but I'm still very hung up over the subscription system. I'm not the kind of person that can consistently play one game daily let alone weekly. This concerns me because due to the subscription I'm gonna feel pressured to play more which I fear will cause burnout and effectively ruin the fun, and even worse if I do decide to stop the subscription and come back and try the game later I won't be able to unless I fork over more money. For those who do play this game paid, is there any way to buy the game and play it without feeling pressured to get your moneys worth constantly?

[cinless]

Yeah it's worth it.
Updates are put together so that if you take a break for a couple months you'll catch up quickly when you come back. They've explicitly said they don't want people playing the game until burnout, so they try to be accommodating in that regard.

Personally I burn out on games really, really fast, but the fact that XIV lets you engage with it at your own pace means I've been able to sink in more than a thousand hours.
The fact that it's the best Final Fantasy story so far (you'll start to feel it once you hit Heavensward and it just ramps up from there) helps.

[Artos]

It depends on a person... I paid for mine, got into a game a lot during Heavensward Expansion (part of free trial), so story kept me playing and paying up to the end of Shadowbringers. Once I finished it. I stopped, took a break and hype for Endwalker and its release brought me back to it. Then after a while took a break again. Now Im back again, grinding old relic content, but not because I feel pressured, but because I want to do it.

Even now I sometimes feel burnout to keep grinding, same old content for relics. However I take a break from grind every few days, focus on other stuff in game ( there is a lot of fun side quests to do) and go back to the grind again when I feel ready. There is a lot of content you can just jump between. Tho I do feel your concern, but you will never find out without experiencing it personally. Me rambling about won't help you. Personally I would advise you to finish Free Trial and then decide.

[Havok]

With as much content there is, you need to ask yourself basically a simple question. Is $13 a month worth it (plus buying the game). Can you play 15 hours a month and "pay off" your sub? if so, then yes.

Either way..
Step 1: Choose your platform. Windows or Steam. Make this decision now, as its easier to simply do the upgrade process when you have decided.

Step 2: Milk the free trial for everything its worth
https://freetrial.finalfantasyxiv.com/na/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/312060/FINAL_FANTASY_XIV_Online_Free_Trial/

Step 2a: Get every ARR/HW Job to 60, do all the relics, build your character, etc etc

Step 3: Based on your platform, choose your upgrade path.
Windows Free Trial -> Windows Full Game
Windows Free Trial -> Steam Full Game
Steam Free Trial -> Steam Full Game
The two are not cross compatible from here on out

Step 4: Use the 30 days free trial and see what post 60 content is like

Step 5: Bail or continue if you can afford $13 US per month.

I have taken multiple breaks and restarts. Completed ARR in the free 30 days, took a break, came back and blitzed to EW. Took a break. Now, i just play when I feel, though I do sub. Its an easy game to chill and vibe to.

The main consideration for me, is would I rather spend $13 a month on a game I have 3000 hours in, loads completed, and have constant content, or risk the $60, $70 on a new game that, given recent trends in development, have become worse games over time. Content, Optimization, Story, Cash Shops, etc. My answer is almost always buy a FF14 sub, and grab the game "I think I want to play" on a sale.

In regards to burnout. A 600-1000 story mode and themepark MMO will cause burnout. There is no shame in taking a week, month, year break from the game. It happens. I have taken breaks of around 6 months. Play, feel burned out, and then come back later. People are always doing older content, there are always learning parties. FOMO in FF14 isnt really existent. Once the content is in the game, its there.

Either way, free trial exists for this reason. Free to play with restrictions

Free Trial Players are not required to purchase licensed software to use the Free Trial.
One (1) Free Trial account may be registered to a Square Enix account so long as that Square Enix account has not been previously registered with any version of the game.
Free Trial Players can purchase select in-game items from the FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online Store during the Free Trial. Not all in-game items are available for purchase by Free Trial Players (e.g., in-game item gift codes).
Free Trial Players can create up to eight (8) playable characters, restricted to one (1) playable character per World.
Free Trial account characters have all their levels capped at level sixty (60).
Free Trial account characters can possess a maximum of 300,000 gil (in-game currency).
Free Trial Players cannot use the "shout," "yell," or "tell" in-game chat options during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot access the in-game market board during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot trade with other players during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot send in-game letters using the moogle delivery service during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot hire retainers during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players can join a Linkshell or Cross-World Linkshell if invited but cannot create a new Linkshell or Cross-World Linkshell during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot create or join a Free Company during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players can join a party if invited or by using the Duty Finder but cannot assemble a party during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot create or join a PvP team or participate in The Feast (Ranked Match) or The Feast (Team Ranked Match) during the Free Trial.
Free Trial Players cannot log into the Lodestone, the official forum, or Companion application during the Free Trial.

[hagare]

depends on what you're playing this for.
I would suggest trying out free trial first and see if you like it

[Zordiark Darkeater]

Yes.
This is one of those MMOs that are not full of FOMO Stuff.
In this game you DON'T have to be playing constantly to keep up or left behind.
Its specifically designed in a way to play it casualy then stop for a month or 2 and just come back and keep going without being left out of stuff.

This is one of the least Grindiest MMO out there.
It never gonna make you feel like you need to play constantly.

[Giganx]

Depends on your financial situation. I've let the sub ride when I've had no real intention of playing the game, just because. $16 a month is basically the same as free for me at this point in my life, so I'll leave it up just in case.

This game is worth the money in general; but if you plan on playing super casually then it's all about how much you feel you need to be playing to justify the expense.

[Sunny]

Catchup mechanics are REALLY good, makes taking a break easy.

[Halvos]

Originally posted by Sunny:

Catchup mechanics are REALLY good, makes taking a break easy.

Ah yes the catch up mechanics of, pay up.

[Zordiark Darkeater]

Originally posted by Halvos:

Originally posted by Sunny:

Catchup mechanics are REALLY good, makes taking a break easy.

Ah yes the catch up mechanics of, pay up.

??????
Its super easy to gear up in this game.
Its one of its strongest Point and why many people like it is that the devs not turned this game into a 2nd job for players like what most of the gamestudios do now a days.

[hagare]

Originally posted by Halvos:

Originally posted by Sunny:

Catchup mechanics are REALLY good, makes taking a break easy.

Ah yes the catch up mechanics of, pay up.

boy, whoever told you to pay for catch up. Was way smarter than you

[Sunny]

Originally posted by Halvos:

Originally posted by Sunny:

Catchup mechanics are REALLY good, makes taking a break easy.

Ah yes the catch up mechanics of, pay up.

No? I'm talking about tokens. So, at the "endgame" levels, doing roulettes (and a few other activities) will provide you with tokens that will let you buy gear with an iLvL that allows for entry into content. It makes it a lot easier to "catch up" to get into whatever current content everyone else is doing.