With all the changes, do you think SE is trying to end us/this

[Sparthos]

So in this thread people are saying that SE is spending money making fresh content that isn't just mind numbing (ZNM I see you) and communicating with the community for the first time in 10 years because they are trying to end the game.

Uh huh.

Serious question:

What is new about what we're getting post-Abyssea?

I think we can all agree that Abyssea was a complete success barring some random QQ that relics went down the drain and HNMs can't be botted but what's new?

Voidwatch? It's ANNMs all over again. Random drops coming off forced spawned mobs that everyone gets an item to participate in. Worse than ZNM in the sense that drops aren't fixed but better than VNM in that there are no "fake" pops.

Walk of Echoes? Quasi-failure of an event that requires lots of individuals in order to reasonably farm. Looking at a revamp coming, the event should gain popularity however with how simple Empyrean weapons are, people might very well gloss over it again.

TLS/Dungeon Crawling? This has yet to be revealed and very well looks like new content however we haven't seen it. Im personally hoping for Nyzul II: Electric Boogaloo.

In terms of storyline/lore content, that front has been dead since the end of WOTG. I'll give SE their props that the storytelling and animations were top notch but it took nearly 3 years to reach the end of Wings... yeah, nuff said.

ACP/MKE/ASA were all fanfic tier stories that only avoided complete failure because of the neat gear attached to completing. There are quests that did a better job of telling a story that came with normal version updates.

Beyond that, we're looking at fixes to old events and retooling of zones to handle lvl99 players. 75 endgame is a smouldering pile of ash that might or might not be revived for lvl99 endgame.

As much as Abyssea was a success, I wouldn't call the stuff we're getting fresh.

[Olor]

Almost everyone likes Abyssea, the point was not that Abyssea is fun and easy for everyone. The point was that the way they did Abyssea has killed any long-term life FFXI would of had, the lack of content after Abyssea just cemented the fact.

How did it kill long-term life? It still takes time to get equips for jobs, level all the jobs etc. Not to mention that now people like me who never had a job at cap before want to try older content like campaign, dynamis, and besieged out.

AND they are adding new stuff in. Just cause people haven't caught on to voidwatch yet doesn't mean it doesn't exist or isn't content. It is there and doable. The fact is many players haven't done even a fraction of what they would like to do in the game yet.

The 10 per cent most hardcore players and the 10 per cent who have been playing non stop for 10 years, yeah, I could see them getting bored. But when I look at people in my LS (some who don't even have their first EVER job to cap yet) I don't see a lot of people who are "running out of content." Heck I know for myself I won't even have scratched the surface in terms of things I'd like to try by this time next year.

As for long term life - it isn't like Abyssea is stopping them from adding new expansions etc. Clearly some other consideration is stopping them - whether it be a lack of financial sense in doing so, or PS2 limitations or something else.

The game has already had a "long term life" and honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if it goes offline one day. I also wouldn't be shocked if they keep it running on at least one server for years into the future - as long as the cost of upkeep is lower than $$$ they can bring in with it. And I bet people will still play it.

/shrugs

Abyssea, if anything, lengthened the amount of time the game will be online, because, lets be honest here, the vast majority of MMO players don't want to spend hours seeking for a party and hours grinding to make minimal progress - especially in a game where 90 per cent or more of the population is at max level. It just isn't sellable.

Abyssea, and the promise that you can get to 90 in a reasonable amount of time (thus being able to do events with friends) is a good way to keep a trickle of players coming into the game as people who have been playing it for 5-10 years leave.

I mean, crikes, it doesn't matter what a dev does, people are going to change and leave their game. It is just a fact. What needs to happen in order for the game to stay solvent is you need to be keeping the attrition rate low by bringing in new blood or making it easy for players who quit to return and catch up.

[Michae]

I do read them. Sometimes I #&*^$ up and misread them. EXCUUuuuuuSE ME. I don't make fun of you when you mess up.

yeah u do lol

[Michae]

Abyssea, if anything, lengthened the amount of time the game will be online, because, lets be honest here, the vast majority of MMO players don't want to spend hours seeking for a party and hours grinding to make minimal progress - especially in a game where 90 per cent or more of the population is at max level. It just isn't sellable.

Abyssea, and the promise that you can get to 90 in a reasonable amount of time (thus being able to do events with friends) is a good way to keep a trickle of players coming into the game as people who have been playing it for 5-10 years leave.

The problem is that more than 90% of the player base will be max lvl on all jobs and there isnt enough content outside of spamming NM for ToM trials to keep up. And it was not that hard to grind a job up pre-aby, I had 4 merited 75s and I was a part time player. It just took some dedication and knowledge about your job. If it was known u sucked at ur job then no there were no pt invites, if u had a rep for being good then ppl would jump at getting u. Same with endgame content, if ur ls or random players knew u could go in and tear it up properly then u were able into some good statics that didnt insist u be there for 7 hrs a day 6 days a week like alot of aby statics know are. Its just all on perspective really.

Like I said Im sad to see this game go, but its headed out the door. They really arent putting much money into it, they are just changing a few colors and calling maps new or adding a new name and a new drop to a nm and calling it new and ppl rush for it and get it in no time and then are done and stuck with what to do now

[Michae]

I looked forward to the supposed release date on ps3 and when it didnt happen.................... I sure would like to be assured that it will. Do you by chance have any site to read on that progress?

You can always keep up with whats going on on the lodestone which is the ffxiv official site. No idea about when ps3 release will be yet, they are trying to fix it as much as they can before they have another huge launch attempt. But they are listening to those of us who play, as the xiv forum is alot more constructive than the ffxi one is, and really communicating with players. Basically us PCers are gamma testers for the relaunch. But from starting the game before open beta and still playing I can see a bright future for xiv if they stay on the course they are on. The next 2 updates are going to be massive and it already sounds as if there is an expansion in the works. Although my guess is it wont be a true expansion, it will just be considered a continuation of the orig game. SE has some good devs on the xiv side.

[Leonlionheart]

It's still new, and it still costs money is the point. They wouldn't be making new graphics for gear/enemies, which is probably the most expensive part of new content other than new zones, if they were trying to destroy the game.

[Atomic_Skull]

I'm pretty sure if they wanted the game to end they'd just turn the servers off.

They wouldn't because they want us all to switch to FFXIV.

[Atomic_Skull]

Actually the Only MMO to survive and actually grow out of a bad launch was EVE online, but it had the advantage of being one of the only few options of it's specific genre. (Only competition at the time was Jumpgate)

It also has a company that committed to keeping the game technologically current. They do periodic engine and graphics updates so it doesn't fall behind the curve.

[Atomic_Skull]

If ppl dont wanna give xiv a second chance, fine with me, dont really want/need that kind of player anyway in an mmo, hence why i dont play WoW and barely play xi anymore.

It's not just that FFXIV is terribad (which is very much is). It's also that it's a blander and less interesting copy of Vana'diel populated by blander and less interesting copies of Vana'diel's races.

[Olor]

The problem is that more than 90% of the player base will be max lvl on all jobs

When? I don't see it happening any time soon. Most people I know try to actually gear jobs.

Sure you can level them all up, so what? Are you one of those players who thinks EXP is the game?