Gaming Communities Aren’t Playing Around

Most people have made friends over the internet or social media, whether it was due to similar interests, conversations, or just wanting to talk to somoene entirely new, it’s become easy to become social in online communities.

The idea of online communities and forming relationships with people we meet online isn’t a new concept, but online interaction has only become more mainstream, accessible and available through video games, online platforms and social media. Online video games are usually considered to be at the forefront of this movement, especially those of the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) genre. MMOs have been a popular genre in gaming for decades, even prior to the age of the internet we are currently living in, with games from the 1990s such as “Neverwinter Nights” in 1991, and “Ultima Online” in 1997.

“Final Fantasy XIV” is currently one of the world’s largest and most popular online MMOs that’s currently being played by upwards of 40 million people worldwide with millions of players logging in daily. Initially released in 2010 and rebooted in 2013, it was developed by Square Enix and is in its 14th installment of the long-running role-playing series.

This is the company’s second venture into the MMO genre for the series, with their first being “Final Fantasy XI” originally released in 2003. Players are allowed to create their characters, adventure in the game’s fictional world, experience a story, fight monsters and more, all while playing with other players doing the same thing.

However, one of the major differences that make “Final Fantasy XIV” stand out from the competition, such as “World of Warcraft,” “Lost Ark,” or “Guild Wars 2,” is the sense of community and the possibilities they are given to have fun and interact with each other. While they can go on quests together, they can also just hang out and chat in the many areas of the world. Players are also able to purchase homes in the world, customize them to their liking, invite other players and show off their design skills. These homes are usually designed to be like their dream home or venues, like cafes, bars, libraries, clubs or other venues that attract people.

One of these people goes by the name of Endo Sai. Her character is designed as a ‘Miqo’te,’ one of the multiple races in ‘Final Fantasy XIV,’ which is a race of people with cat ears and tails. Sai spends most of her time interacting with her online friends, as well as real-life friends, in her home in ‘Final Fantasy XIV.’ Her home, which she named ‘Lounge Sai,’ was designed as a venue, mixing a bar and dance club.

Sai grew up using the internet ever since she was a child but has been particularly attracted to playing ‘Final Fantasy XIV.’ “It has so much to it that never grows old,” Sai said. “You can build so many communities and different social aspects.”

Known as Free Companies within the game, there are large communities of around 300 people who regularly get together to play. But how much real estate they can buy is limited to a set amount per world, which makes it very competitive and requires spending a lot of in-game money. Once players are lucky enough to purchase these venues in the game, though, they cherish them.

“I decided to create Lounge Sai because the first thing my real-life friend who got me into the game was to bring me to a venue,” Sai said. “I fell in love with the idea and had never seen anything like it before.”

But Sai realized early on that getting her own venue, making friends in the game and building a community would take a lot of time and hard work.

“I made connections in-game, played so many hours of its story and so much more to get a place to open one myself,” Sai said. “It took two years and endless effort.”

However, she believes the effort she put into the game is a major achievement. “I cherish it so much and wouldn’t trade it for anything, it’s by a love for the community that it came to be,” Sai said.

While the game offers a variety of play styles for different audiences, the game centers primarily on the main storyline, fighting difficult enemies together and developing the multiple playstyles called ‘jobs’. However, the amount of players that commit to focusing on difficult tasks, dubbed ‘Savage’ and ‘Ultimate’ content, is a small percentage of the player base. “I do a very small bit of savage and ultimate content,” Said admits. “It’s nice to spice things up and try to actually be good at the game.” But, she says, “I usually just hang out and casually mingle.”

Sai believes it’s common for people who don’t regularly play video games or interact with others online to not have a clear sense of what this kind of socializing can be or what it can mean to people.

“They don’t understand it, and they never will until they are a part of it,” she said. “I am doing something and it’s bring me the joy I want. This is where I can express myself to my fullest. Besides my closest friends in real life, I do find those who I interact [with] here in Final Fantasy are way more understanding to my real-life struggles and problems,” Sai explained.

‘Final Fantasy XIV’ has earned several awards and high critical ratings from publications and the fanbase. Such awards include ‘Best Ongoing Game’ and ‘Best Community Support’ from the ‘The

Game Awards’, the gaming equivalent to award shows like the ‘The Oscars’.

To continue playing the game they enjoy, whether casually or at a more hardcore level, players must pay an ongoing subscriptions. Currently, with its fourth expansion called “Endwalker,” the game is continuing to receive new updates frequently that keep players coming back for more and entices new players to join.

“The absolute in-depth possibilities, it’s never-ending and the creators have much more in store for us moving forward and truly do make something for us that we love,” Sai explains about what keeps her playing Final Fantasy XIV over other MMOs.

However, Sai believes that until people try out the game themselves, they simply wouldn’t understand how much enjoyment players can get out of the experience or how valuable the friendships are that she has made in the game.

“You never know what you’ll love, or even what you’re missing out on, unless you try it,” Sai concludes. “You never know who you will meet, what journeys you’ll have, memories you’ll treasure, and friends you’ll make.”