Highlights

• Join FF14 for an immersive experience as a legendary warrior in Eorzea.
• Choose Data Center servers wisely for optimal gameplay performance and community interaction.
• Consider factors like location, social connections, language preferences, and play style for server selection.

Players of MMORPGs who love the Final Fantasy franchise have Final Fantasy 14 to play should they ever want to become their own character. Set in the world of Eorzea, players of FF14 take on the role of a legendary warrior who escaped a devastating apocalyptic event (the failure of the original 2010 FF14 release) and five years into the future (the re-release as A Real Reborn), where they help a recovering Eorzea from the threat that is the Garlean Empire.

With the game still boasting its unique set of Jobs and evolutions, fans of Final Fantasy games can feel right at home with mechanics, references, and storylines that give a Final Fantasy flair of depth in a usually unnecessarily lengthy MMO story. However, for newcomers to the game, the choice of a Data Center Server is easily one of the most difficult as these can shape a player’s overall PVE and PVP experience. In the context of technical choices, just which Data Center Servers are worthwhile in Final Fantasy 14?

Updated March 10, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Summer 2024 marking the release of the upcoming Dawntrail expansion and the arrival of new Jobs like the Viper and the Pictomancer, fans of Final Fantasy 14 may be eager to speedrun their way through the current story and see which builds work best for them while waiting for this massive content drop.

However, for newcomers who are just about to try Final Fantasy 14 to see what makes it one of modern gaming's most acclaimed RPGs, it can get overwhelming to even choose where to make a character. Thankfully, despite the number of Data Center servers out there and recommendations based on playstyle, players may also simply depend on their social connections to see which servers work best for them.

1 Local Regional Data Center: The Basic Choice

Servers Based On Location

One of the most important considerations when choosing a server in any MMO would be distance. As with other MMOs that require heavy processing power, FF14 is quite demanding when it comes to both hardware and wireless connection especially when trying to play with the game’s more advanced graphics regardless of FF14 Class and their flashy abilities.

In this situation, the first ideal Data Center of the player’s choice is the one nearest to their location, which is their Local Regional Data Center. That way, players are treated with the best possible performance FF14 can offer them. This is usually the best option for newcomers or for those who aren’t looking for anything specific in terms of a particular server’s population.

Expectations When Choosing Local Regional Data Centers

With Local Regional Data Centers being the staple servers of choice for Final Fantasy 14 players, it’s normal for gamers to encounter an assortment of players based on their server of preference. On top of network stability, choosing a Local Regional Data Center may also affect the availability of potential party members, especially when choosing a different server instead of one based on location. Choosing a Regional Data Center away from one’s timezone may result in infrequent interactions with players. As with most other servers, most Data Centers go beyond their “perceived” stereotypes and boast communities that focus on raiding, PVP engagements, roleplaying, and even trading.

2 The Social Connection Choice

Playing Where Friends Are Guarantees Co-Op Experience

Given the nature of Final Fantasy 14 as an MMO, multiplayer and co-op experiences set the game apart from a traditional Final Fantasy title. In turn, perhaps one of the most practical factors for players to consider when choosing a Data Center would simply be where their other immediate connections are located. This way, their character will immediately exist in a space where their friends are, making co-op and raiding much easier in both the mid-game and the end-game.

While there aren't any direct "benefits" to co-op in the game, aside from being in a party during quests, it's the abundance of AOE buffs that makes playing with a group more ideal. Buff stacking is a popular mechanic, especially in FF14, with its raids and its fair share of bosses having more precise movement, overbearing mobs, and exorbitant HP numbers encouraging the use of constant buffs to a player's rotation.

Expectations When Choosing Servers Where Friends Are

Depending on the level gap between the player and their immediate friend group, it may still take some time for players to be able to catch up with their friends to participate in specific raids. It's recommended that players ask for assistance in the form of power-leveling or being level-boosted by their friends to reach their levels much faster. Alternatively, a player's friends may also switch to their secondary characters so their character can experience the same growth pacing as their friends' alts.

3 Check Subreddits For Group-Specific Communities

Get Into More Local, International Circles With Similar Goals

Thanks to online forums and networks such as Reddit, players of Final Fantasy 14 may also base their Data Center of choice on where their immediate communities are. Various Facebook groups and Discord communities are dedicated to FF14, and many more could exist depending on the player's immediate location. Joining these can allow players to get in touch with hundreds or even thousands of players at the onset, and they may not have as much of a hard time finding people to play with in both leveling and raiding experiences.

The Final Fantasy 14 subreddit has a dedicated post for existing Discord servers based on locations, interests, and niches. In turn, there are Discord servers dedicated to players in certain regions, interests such as art and theocrafting, and even raiding.

Expectations When Choosing Data Centers Based On Communities

Before joining group-specific communities, players should research whether these communities have specific requirements, especially in terms of level, playstyle, and even schedule. Many Discord groups tend to focus on either roleplaying or raiding, both of which have different expectations for newcomers. If players are eyeing a specific Discord server or community, it may help to confirm if there are newcomer-friendly circles within them so players can get up to speed without being pressured into leveling up quickly.

4 Eliminating The Language Barrier

Communicate More Efficiently

Fans of MMOs like Final Fantasy 14 know that it’s tough finding servers where people speak the local language. This is especially the case for players who don’t have English as their second or main language, or for those who just prefer speaking in their local language.

Thankfully, certain Data Centers in Final Fantasy 14 do have players who primarily speak a certain language - a feature that may attract gamers who can understand the local vernacular.

Expectations Based On Region-Specific Servers

Should prospective players of Final Fantasy 14 be used to playing MMOs in servers away from their region of choice, choosing a region-specific server in the Final Fantasy MMO will likely bring them to communities that have speaking patterns and mannerisms based on cultures and traditions in these areas. English is still likely a second or third language among players, but it's a reasonable expectation to encounter guilds and raiding parties speaking in any of their native languages. When joining guilds, it may help to ask what language preferences they have to ease communication and avoid misunderstandings.

5 Casual Community Preference

Play With A More Chill Atmosphere

Players who prefer an extremely casual Final Fantasy 14 experience would likely lean towards Data Centers with a player base that doesn’t demand as much in terms of PVP and Raiding from other new arrivals. This means choosing Data Centers with players that prefer a more all-rounder experience, giving a decent balance of Raiding, PVP, and PVE for everyone’s enjoyment.

Of course, given the more neutral-leaning nature of these Data Centers, players are expected to find a mixed bag of player priorities in these areas. Players who eventually develop a preference towards either Raiding, PVP, PVE, or even Roleplay are advised to look for more specific Data Centers.

Expectations When Choosing Casual Communities

Unlike other Final Fantasy 14 servers, selecting a perceived casual community server means players may encounter more “chill” gamers and less hardcore groups. Compared to raid-heavy servers, players in these regions may be less invested in the game’s endgame offerings and instead enjoy roaming around, diving deep into the world’s lore, or even playing with friends.

This description doesn’t necessarily mean these servers’ players just lounge around, but these servers may not have as many guilds interested in grinding as raid-loving players would like. With this in mind, players who don’t want to compete with a lot of players in terms of PVP and scoring grinding spots may appreciate farming in these quieter, less stressful regions.

6 Raiding Party Preference

Players May Want To Participate In Raids Often

As with most other MMOs, Final Fantasy 14 raiding has been an active component of its player base since its launch. Given how each of the game’s iterations has provided a fair share of complex stories and equally intense FF14 dungeons, it’s no surprise how some players have become dedicated to the endgame component of the series.

Players hoping to become a part of the more hardcore raiding scene and those gunning for frequent group sessions in the endgame might want to look into servers that accommodate such a population. These servers also fit players who focus more on reaching the endgame to have the most fun, instead of focusing on the story and side quests.

Expectations When Choosing Raiding Focused Realms

Selecting a server popular for its raid focus can easily get Final Fantasy 14 players into the MMO’s dungeoneering scene much faster than other realms. While the entire population of these servers doesn’t think the same way, the servers’ reputation for focusing on raids means players should anticipate repeated playthroughs of dungeons more often than in other realms.

Players should also anticipate other guilds and groups in these servers to be more invested in gamers who are quick on their feet in adjusting to dungeon roles. However, this more action-focused part of the MMO scene means there’s also the possibility of players overcrowding these servers, which can make creating characters inside of them much faster compared to other locations. Players who want to enjoy FF14’s endgame dungeons may find a scarcity of teammates in servers further from their original timezone.

7 Roleplaying For Full Immersion

Preference For Roleplaying Their Characters

Fans of MMOs know that the idea of roleplaying is usually reserved for games with vast open worlds and a wide variety of “professions” that copy real-life occurrences, such as in RuneScape and Albion Online. However, if lore-intensive MMOs such as World of Warcraft have proven, a game with a complex enough story could be home to roleplayers as well. This is especially the case of Final Fantasy 14, whose story across its expansions has done nothing but escalate matters that put Eorzea at the cusp of yet another extinction-level event.

However, just because adventurers in FF14 are tasked to save the world doesn’t mean they have to do so on short notice. This is perhaps the point of roleplaying servers, as they’re built to accommodate the section of Final Fantasy fans who want to fully immerse themselves in the possibility of their characters becoming actual “cast members” of a Final Fantasy story through stylish gear.

Expectations When Choosing Roleplaying Servers

Players eager to fulfill their dreams of roleplaying as their character can finally “live” in Eorzea in these perceived roleplay-heavy servers. While roleplaying principles in modern MMOs remain the same in terms of mutual respect and playing along the same story, fans may want to find roleplaying guilds in any of these servers in advance before creating a character.

Familiarizing with various roleplaying styles of different guilds can give players a heads-up on the kind of stories they may encounter once they create their character. Knowing favored roleplaying styles beforehand can also make transitioning from scenes much easier. As with any other MMO, the occasional encounter with a non-RP-invested gamer means RP-heavy players should still periodically ask permission when engaging random characters in roleplay-speak.

8 Streamer Central

Likelihood Of Encountering Content Creators

Considering how much of a hit game Final Fantasy 14 has become, it’s unsurprising how the game has had a lot of streamers play the game in their sessions. Such a prominent player has been Asmongold, notable for his witty commentary and casual playing style that has attracted both newcomers and vets of the game to his streams.

With that in mind, players may want to consider going to servers where their favorite streamers are staying to get a glimpse of the action or even get a shot of joining their characters in raids.

Expectations When Choosing Streamer Servers

Just because a player joins a server known to populate streamers doesn’t necessarily mean they can encounter their idols inside the game. Moreover, players who do encounter streamers such as Preachlfw, XenosysVex, and ZeplaHQ don’t necessarily mean they can immediately interrupt these content creators during their streaming sessions. Players who end up creating characters in these implied streamer-populated regions should anticipate being dragged into random interactions with both popular and up-and-coming streamers. However, these regions should still feel like regular Data Centers, courtesy of having active guilds, roleplaying groups, and PVP communities.