I’ve discussed how Square-Enix made the transition from Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 to 2.0. But as someone who played the original game, I also had a first hand experience on how the version changes effected players and their characters.
What was initially most shocking was how much the combat had changed. With the exception of a few minor elements, the battle system was entirely reworked. Gone was the slow reactionary gameplay in favor of a fast paced system that relied heavily on character movement and constant skill rotation.
Job levels were kept intact, but the play styles and abilities for them were drastically altered. As a new character, A Realm Reborn slowly builds your arsenal of skills by teaching you each one by one. Already with a with level 50 job, I had to learn these all at once. It was hard not to stumble a bit while learning the new timings and effects of each skill.
Both of the previous changes are simply overcome by practice. Player equipment saw large changes in functionality with alterations to their purpose. Some of the original game’s most desirable gear, like the White Ravens earring, became near useless in the move to A Realm Reborn. It was inevitable that this gear would be phased out overtime, but it’s surprising to see such a drastic change in their useability. That being said, most end game gear from the original game is still passable for the earliest endgame content in 2.0.
The changes were jarring to me, but it honestly didn’t take long to adapt. Even the two separate player bases merged quickly as the character development and gear acquisition process is incredibly efficient in A Realm Reborn.
Oh, and they gave us 1.0 players these silly back tattoos for some reason.
