A new typing minigame in Final Fantasy 14 has revealed a surprising disparity in the keyboard proficiency of its players. The minigame, available in the Gold Saucer, pits parties of four against each other in a wave-based challenge where players use typed words to defeat enemies. While intended as a lighthearted diversion, it has prompted discussion about the varying typing speeds within the MMO community.
The author, who types for a living, found their own speed to be around 130-140 words per minute (WPM) on average typing tests that do not require capitalization or complex words. Even with the added complexity of proper punctuation and spelling in other tests, their speed remained around 110-120 WPM, with a high accuracy rate of 95-98%. This personal benchmark highlighted the wide range of abilities when compared to other players in the minigame, some of whom matched the author's speed, while others significantly outpaced them.
The average keyboard typist typically falls between 40-60 WPM, according to most online typing test sites. The author attributes their own speed partly to growing up playing PC games, particularly MMOs, which provided extensive practice. This experience has led to curiosity about how other players' typing skills compare and whether their long hours spent in MMOs have contributed to improved typing speed or grammar. Players are encouraged to test their own WPM and share their experiences in the comments.