I had a different blog post in mind for today, and I still plan on typing that one out tomorrow, but I would be remiss if I didn’t write this one out instead, short as it may be. After all, I did say earlier that I reserve the right to put out quickie blogs! You see, I always like it when one of my favorite MMOs gets an influx of all-new players, and today marks the start of the game’s arrival to the Nintendo Switch 2 system, and just like when the game arrived to the Xbox before it, I’m looking forward to seeing all of the fresh faces. Even if that time is temporary. Read more: A Warm Welcome to the Switch Sprouts There’s something that just makes me smile whenever this game has a rush of new arrivals. I don’t expect every single person to adore the game, of course, but it has been my general assumption that a lot of folks have, and if I can provide a little bit of kindness and warm welcome as a means to encourage that, then I want to do it. So, if you happen to be making your first strides into Eorzea on the Switch 2, hello there. Welcome. I hope that the sign-up process wasn’t too much of a pain; I know that account management stuff isn’t exactly Square Enix’s strong suit, but I do assure you that it was a lot better than it was during the PlayOnline days. I hope you won’t be afraid to say hello and chat and admit that you’re new when you start moving through group content. We’ve all been there, and you will very often see that you’re queued up with old salts, but just point out that you’re a fresh face and I’m sure you’ll be treated well. Or at the very least treated with some soft indifference. And hey, if you’d rather do these dungeons by yourself through the Duty Support system, then that’s fine too. Don’t feel like you have to power through the game. You’d be doing yourself a disservice anyway; sure there is a bunch of stuff at the current max level, but the journey through the storyline really is the major sauce of this MMORPG. If you love JRPG narratives, then you’re in very good company and in for a fantastic ride. If you’re the sort who craves challenges, then you can be pretty well served here too, just know that you’ll have to move through that same selection of story beats beforehand. This game can be really damned linear, and so if you’re trying to get to the hard stuff ASAP, you might be a bit disappointed. I urge you to find some patience if you can, or skip the cutscenes if you must; just realize you will be wholesale ignoring lots of interesting context if you do. But that’s fine if that’s your choice. No judgment, genuinely. Most of all, though, take advantage of what still remains, by and large, one of the more helpful communities that the MMO genre has going. Might I suggest to you, if you happen to be a bit timid, the Introverted Eorzea video series from Aywren Sojourner? They’re a good, well-paced, and excellent selection of videos. That’s about it. Welcome. Enjoy. And maybe wave hello if you happen to see a lovely red-haired Roegadyn lady strutting by.