Enough is enough

[Zeroe]

You guys want to make the game too easy.
Plus, most Americans just sit on these forums and rant and complain and blame the admins for everything while the JP forums are the exact opposite.
They strive on ideas and make them better, and only after a debate and conversation with both player base and admin do they come up with good ideas; only because the Japanese forums are respectful.

This is a prime example.

Bullcrap.
If your proactive in reading the forums, you'll see just as many complaint threads as helpful ones in there as well.
Don't sit there and pretend in your rainbow and sunshine land that the Devs are continually listening to us. There not. We hardly ever get a response once a week, unless there announcing some event. Sometimes you need to be blunt with the truth if you ever want people to listen.

[Yinnyth]

Bullcrap.
If your proactive in reading the forums, you'll see just as many complaint threads as helpful ones in there as well.
Don't sit there and pretend in your rainbow and sunshine land that the Devs are continually listening to us. There not. We hardly ever get a response once a week, unless there announcing some event. Sometimes you need to be blunt with the truth if you ever want people to listen.

You make it sound like they're willfully attempting to ignore us. They don't have the resources to respond to the dozens of ideas raised by players every week, nor do they have the resources to implement them, even assuming they were a good idea. I prefer their current system of limited responses to saying: "Thank you for your feedback, but we don't currently have the resources to pursue these changes" everytime a person asks for super mentorship ingame.

[Anapingofness]

What this game really needs is to catch up to the present date in terms of how people play. That is to say, more casual friendly stuff and less time sink.
They need rewards that are not mere side-grades of per-existing gear and weapons.
They need to get rid of old and unused content and implement fresh, actually fun content.
In addition to that, and something that is just as important as the change in play style is new blood. This game needs new blood, badly. Sadly, they already said that they won't attract new players and that's just disappointing.

How do they do these things?
Well, firstly by looking at how far FFXI has come. They have a what, ten years? to look back on and see what worked and didn't work. Then, after looking at FFXI's accomplishments and blunders, then look at the things that worked for other MMO's and pick what can be adapted to fit FFXI, not turn FFXI into a clone whatever.

Anyway, I didn't want to rant but I did wanna give my opinion.
Take care all. ^^

[Dazusu]

How do they do these things?
Well, firstly by looking at how far FFXI has come. They have a what, ten years? to look back on and see what worked and didn't work.

Incidentally the game was most active during the 'hardcore' grindy era. Since Abyssea and beyond - content has become easy and short lived due to the massive cries of things like: "VW drop rate is so bad, let us sell the gear/give it to people" - We get the token system, everyone gets the gear a lot faster - now, no one bothers with VW.

The people who enjoyed 'grind' have in large, quit. What we're left with are people who demand fresh content continually. Those of you with any development knowledge or experience will know why that's virtually impossible to deliver.

More people have quit since the introduction of easy mode casual than ever before, and you don't need to be a statistical data expert to see how barren most servers are now.

The simple fact is: MMO's are based on grind. Grind can exist and still be casual - the problem begins when people start demanding instant gratification. Instead of working towards something or repeating content with a low drop rate, they'll cry its too hard/takes too long - rather than enjoying the content over and over again. Eventually it gets changed, they get their item pronto and the next line that comes is: "Give us more content."

It's a decade old game. You can't have it all.

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

1. Final Fantasy XI doesn't exist in a vacuum. Players don't (just) leave because FFXI has become less interesting, but also because the competition has become more interesting.
2. Players also don't exist in a vacuum; complaints about lack of new content are not without cause. Seekers of Adoulin will be the first new expansion since George W. Bush was in the White House, where previously we received a new expansion on a roughly annual basis.

[Yinnyth]

You have presented two options which are both unappetizing and unrealistic. Is there no third option?

Edit: Vacuum. I exist within it. Yet vacuum is not all there is. And this is how I exist. Within vacuum. Yet within not-vacuum. In case I'm not being clear(which I'm not until now), complaints about lack of new content are not without [third negative I can't think of] enough money.

[Tanama]

At least Ziyyigo-Tipyigo made sense in his post. Would you care to explain what is so unappetizing and unrealistic about Ziyyigo's post? Otherwise, you're just trolling.

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

Edit: Vacuum. I exist within it. Yet vacuum is not all there is. And this is how I exist. Within vacuum. Yet within not-vacuum. In case I'm not being clear(which I'm not until now), complaints about lack of new content are not without [third negative I can't think of] enough money.

I am Tarutaru. I am one with many [fingers].
My [fingers] reach through into [heavy space] and you [see] [Tarutaru bubbles]
but it is really [fingers].
Maybe you do not even [smell]? That is sad.
[Smelling] [pretty colors] is the best [game].

[Vitus]

Incidentally the game was most active during the 'hardcore' grindy era. Since Abyssea and beyond - content has become easy and short lived due to the massive cries of things like: "VW drop rate is so bad, let us sell the gear/give it to people" - We get the token system, everyone gets the gear a lot faster - now, no one bothers with VW.

The people who enjoyed 'grind' have in large, quit. What we're left with are people who demand fresh content continually. Those of you with any development knowledge or experience will know why that's virtually impossible to deliver.

More people have quit since the introduction of easy mode casual than ever before, and you don't need to be a statistical data expert to see how barren most servers are now.

The simple fact is: MMO's are based on grind. Grind can exist and still be casual - the problem begins when people start demanding instant gratification. Instead of working towards something or repeating content with a low drop rate, they'll cry its too hard/takes too long - rather than enjoying the content over and over again. Eventually it gets changed, they get their item pronto and the next line that comes is: "Give us more content."

It's a decade old game. You can't have it all.

Sorry to bust your bubbles, but you've got things all messed up. Abyssea saved FFXI. Probably a handful of idiots in your niche or backward thinkers quit FFXI because of its loosen up on extreme grind. If your vehicle gets old and out of date, I would advice you to replace it. If you wish to get stuck in an old 20mile/gal car with a cassette player and no AC or GPS, it is your choice. You can grind 20k/hr xp or better yet 5k/hr, all you want, the options are still open to you and your friends. You can rant all you want about how spoiled people are in their shiny new cars or how easy it is now to get shiny stuff that you spent years to obtain, but the fact is time has changed and people have moved on for the better.

The simple truth is FFXI has to evolve or it will gradually fade away. This game is 10yr old, and the population is precipitated down to mostly SE loyal fans. They are getting older, having family and social obligations. No fan in their right mind would spend their valuable time, for hours, on mindless grind. The key for FFXI to survive in this age is to provide content for those fans as well. There is nothing impossible about spitting out content once in every few months. SE is much more capable than that.

I'm at the fence right now, I'll wait to see if the new expansion opens up to more casual friendly content. If their focus is still 3+ people content, I will have to say final goodbye to FFXI.

[SpankWustler]

Incidentally the game was most active during the 'hardcore' grindy era.

This was also when FFXI was much newer than it is right now and the MMORPG market was much smaller than it is right now. Correlation does not always imply causation.

Not that I think people saying the opposite have a point, either; I just can't find a succinct quote from anybody taking that position. I think the scale and context of the whole debate is silly.

Anybody saying "This is definitely, most certainly bad for FFXI as a whole and it will make a lot of people quit," or "That made lots of people quit; it wasn't anything else, it was that!" sounds equally ridiculous to me. People are complex and weird and they live complex and weird lives. Presuming to know what makes anybody stop doing anything is overreaching of the highest order, much less presuming to know what makes a small army of people stop doing something.