Originally Posted by
Dajinn
The real problem with this game is the actual lack of progression you get from anything besides from the current content patch and with the Savage implementation.
Literally every patch is a reset with uncapped tomestones, a new primal, and 4 new normal/savage bosses. And useless 4 mans.
So the first thing is all of the content before the current patch is basically useless to the point where no one runs it for progression or for gear, only for vain mount drops(which is fine if you care about that stuff, just calling it what it is). So it leaves out any sense of progression you -could- be getting from "mid-core" content by actually having to do it by gearing up and going through content that would be relevant if it weren't for "content resets" every major patch.
We actually kind of saw this "fail" with Bismarck Ex being pretty much nothing but a block for Ravana Ex, since 180 gear was already in the game, why bother running it?
The next problem is the implementation of the "Savage" difficult for the special try-hard snowflakes this game seems to attract. Some will get mad at that statement but that's pretty much why we got Savage at all for SCoB.
The 3 binding coils of bahamut were already challenging enough in normal mode for most players that it actually required coordination, statics, and practice. Unlike the faceroll 24 mans and 8 man "normal"(pfft, aka, "Story")mode Alexander "raids"(aka super casual version of LFR).
The "Savage" mode should go back from being the only sensible means of progression this game offers(at this point in Heavensward) to being the mode that the special try-hard snowflakes do once they've already cleared everything and want a ridiculous challenge(if they have nothing else to do and want special titles and world firsts) for only the absolute top-tier teams.
After that, the normal versions of Alexander Gordias and Midas should be buffed up to 1st and 2nd coil difficulty standards, with the last wing of Alexander being on par with final coil standards. The whole thing of them being faceroll-tier for "story" and "casual" purposes just needs to be dropped, if players want to see the Alexander story, which isn't even the actual main-scenario and is technically a side quest, they should be willing to put in the time to clear the raids.
Next, there should be a major revision to vendor gear and the tomestone system(not a revision to the gear itself just the means of attainment) that actually forces players to progress through 'older' but still relevant content to be able to meet gear checks for newer raids. This is similar to the raid progression in the original WoW, where, aside from garbage itemization in the game's early state, you raided up from tiers 1 to 3, progressing through MC and becoming adequately geared for BWL, then becoming adequately geared for new 20 mans and AQ40, and so on. Say what you will about how extremely casual the raid process has become these days for both FFXIV and WoW but there's no doubt it kept content relevant.
So for example, to even think about stepping into Alexander Midas you would need a raid team adequately geared from doing Gordias which isn't out of the question at ALL considering how long Gordias was available before Midas launched. And to do Sephirot Ex comfortably to get the 220 weapon to progress easier through Midas you should have had to have done Gordias multiple times with a consistent static to gear up and gotten the 210 weapon from A4S.
Unfortunately the "natural" progression of PvE content is butchered with gear vendors and the tomestone system. I'm not saying they should be removed but they're a huge part of why each launch of an expansion and patch this game has huge chunks of content that literally just become "glamour runs". At this time I don't have any suggestions on how to revamp gear vendors and tomestones but again I feel like they contribute to the problem and maybe crafted gear to some extent.
Lastly, dungeons also need a gear revamp to make them relevant for purposes besides daily roulettes. And if Savage stopped dropping loot obviously some gear shuffling would need to take place.
Anyway, that's just my two cents.