I'm not sure I can do this again.

[zuzu-bq]

If you don't like how the game is produced why you keep playing?

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Unfortunately, FFXIV has scarcely little in the ways of repeatable content. Beast Tribes attempt to fill that avoid but the quests take little more than five minutes and only offer maybe four unique ones per level. The lack of a relic grind has definitely had a profound impact on any sense of progression if you aren't raiding, though contributing factors include the surprise focus on very niche content. Perform, Replay, PvP and Ultimate all cater to much smaller demographics yet have been the focal point of Stormblood for the most part.

On the one hand, I'd like them to stretch out gear and content longer, but I worry if they could even handle 4-5 month cycles with enough to occupy people for that length of time.

A part of me feels Stormblood's priority has been attracting new players more than trying to keep the old ones happy.

[Kyuuen]

WoW's expansions are vastly different from one another with whole new ways of playing each time.

As someone who still occasionally plays WoW; no it has not.

The only things WoW can attest to doing differently are special random BG's; one per week, (Snow Blind (Arathi Basin), Gravity loss/Lapse (Storm's Eye?)) and battlegrounds like them and Mythic keystones which changes certain stat variables for a given dungeon run, in which both of those were added in Legion. The last thing they added to the game which changed things up were open world Battleground PvP zones (Winter Grasp and the failed monstrosity from WoD). And I suppose pet battles, if you find that interesting. And I forgot the artifact/relic weapon system for Legion, but that's gone come next x-pac.

The leveling formula is largely unchanged.
The dungeon formula is largely unchanged.
The raiding formula is largely unchanged.
The PvP formula is largely unchanged.
Crafting/gathering is largely unchanged.

The only thing that really changes are the themes of the expansion.

[KaldeaSahaline]

As someone who still occasionally plays WoW; no it has not.

The leveling formula is largely unchanged.
The dungeon formula is largely unchanged.
The raiding formula is largely unchanged.
The PvP formula is largely unchanged.
Crafting/gathering is largely unchanged.

The only thing that really changes are the themes of the expansion.

First let me preface that I love both games and actively play both pending the patch. However, you're not being very fair:

The leveling formula is largely unchanged.

Except they added zone scaling this expac, and they've just recently (in a patch mind you) expanded that to the entire world, one that is fairly large. Not to mention prior to this, they've previously shaken up leveling design with heirlooms etc.

The dungeon formula is largely unchanged.

You're marginalizing the depth and success to the Mythic+ system here. It's the gold standard for dungeon design frankly. FF14 desperately needs SOMETHING to compete with it, as dungeon content in FF14 is beyond stagnant.

The raiding formula is largely unchanged.

Very true currently, but you're also not taking into consideration how much it has evolved/changed over the years. Flex is an absolute godsend for the casual community.
To say that the formula hasn't changed when it's gone from massive sizes with little to no mechanics, to actual mechanics with multiple difficulties and then the ability to flex so no one is left out?

The PvP formula is largely unchanged.

I'm not as well versed in PVP so my insight here is considerably less so. I don't care for PVP in either of these games (BNS was king for that IMO). They added templates and completely separated pve from pvp. That's a pretty big change. The brawls and stuff are pretty minor though IMO.

Crafting/gathering is largely unchanged.

Agreed. They changed professions over the years, but the system is still one of the weaker systems out there. The gathering bit isn't bad, but it's not nearly the standard their other systems are.

[ManuelBravo]

Over all I played wow until Frozen throne, biggest mistake I ever made good old GF forced me into it -.-; now if people are still complaining they can always try some real extensive RPG like Morrowind online and see how that works out. Not too much repetition unless you choose to yet that will be a grind.

[SicariusSeven]

You are suffering from MMO burn out. It happens to everyone. You grind to get your main to get the latest gear and then suddenly you feel as if you're on a treadmill. Always take a break. Always do something in between, like crafting or something just fun in or out of game. You'll always feel better later on. I've been on the Wow treadmill forever so I know the feeling. Hang in their OP, remember you make the fun in this game, don't make it like a job!

[Jpec07]

If you're feeling burnt out, take a break. There's no sense in paying for and forcing yourself to play a game that isn't entertaining you, and there's no shame in admitting that you're not enjoying it.

I know that right now, I'm kind of burned out on action-based gameplay, and I've been letting myself dive more deeply into Overwatch and Monster Hunter World, which offer gameplay at a much faster pace. I still log in during the day to check on my auctions and/or sit around in various scenic locales (so that I can snap a screenshot if I feel so inclined), but I haven't done the 4.2 story yet (hell, I haven't even done Rabanastre).

For me, games like FFXIV are most fun when I can play with friends, when we can run content and hang out in vent/disc and make jokes to each other, and otherwise just mess around. In those instances, I find myself more playing it for the social aspect than the gameplay aspect. The approachability of the encounters--which I absolutely love--is also what makes them relatively boring, especially to try and grind out repeatedly. Couple that with the repetitive nature of tank gameplay, and it makes for a situation where I will lose interest quickly if I'm not going with people I know.

And that's okay. Yoshi-P himself is on the record as encouraging people to take breaks from the game if they're feeling burnt out. He genuinely wants us to enjoy ourselves, and that's ultimately what keeps me coming back.

[Kallera]

Thanks for all the responses, I'll talk to them and be honest about it.

[Kyuuen]

First let me preface that I love both games and actively play both pending the patch. However, you're not being very fair:

Same.. kind of. I've grown kind of neutral towards WoW, but it's still that one addiction I can't kick.

Except they added zone scaling this expac, and they've just recently (in a patch mind you) expanded that to the entire world, one that is fairly large. Not to mention prior to this, they've previously shaken up leveling design with heirlooms etc.

The formula wasn't really changed here though, the feel of it most definitely has been improved no argument, but I wouldn't necessarily say the formula has changed. It's still the MMO standard tried and true receive quest, fulfill quest, turn in quest, receive rewards.

You're marginalizing the depth and success to the Mythic+ system here. It's the gold standard for dungeon design frankly. FF14 desperately needs SOMETHING to compete with it, as dungeon content in FF14 is beyond stagnant.

I'll give you that one. It's largely a feature I don't use due to having to use Party Finder instead of LFD. I simply don't like putting up with peoples ridiculous requirements such as needing certain addons or unreasonable ilvl expectations. So I avoided this system as a whole.

Very true currently, but you're also not taking into consideration how much it has evolved/changed over the years. Flex is an absolute godsend for the casual community.
To say that the formula hasn't changed when it's gone from massive sizes with little to no mechanics, to actual mechanics with multiple difficulties and then the ability to flex so no one is left out?

I dunno, I'll give you the flex raid part, but at the same time it feels like they don't try to break the mold enough. Sure there's a few fights throughout WoW that you can claim to have done this such as Malygos, healing the green drake in ICC, Arthas kill mechanic which has been used twice now considering Argus, Flame Leviathan, etc. Perhaps it's more of a time thing in looking back at all the raids and what's been done. But personally WoW's raids have felt kind of stale to me as of late. XIV's dev team seems to strike a balance in trying something new here and there to break up the monotony of mechanics such as Cruise Chasers timed event and Byakko's falling mechanic.

I'm not as well versed in PVP so my insight here is considerably less so. I don't care for PVP in either of these games (BNS was king for that IMO). They added templates and completely separated pve from pvp. That's a pretty big change. The brawls and stuff are pretty minor though IMO.

Them having given us separate tree's I can't give you though. That's something people have been clamoring for since WotLK, and should have been done sooner simply for balancing reasons. I remember there being specs purely for PvE, specs for PvP, specs that were crap in both, and specs that were amazing in both, simply due to balancing reasons. Now there's a certain balance within reason.

[Kazgrel]

Burnout is real. Take a break and play something else. I played ESO for most of the the time between Christmas holidays and 4.2. I plan to go back to that game again in the future whenever I grow bored here, which is something that tends to occur at the end of any odd numbered patch here.