Eorzea feels like a world with no teeth.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tupsi

If you tried to do this in 1.2x you'd become the laughing stock of your entire server trying to think you were awesome only to get your body smeared all over the place and left for the wolves in the caves.

Those Magitek Vanguards were the bane of your existence if you didn't leash past them for the storyline mission. They didn't fall over like a tinkertoy like they do in ARR. Eorzea is a world without teeth because people would complain it's "too hard" to do anything if they...wait for it....actually had to fear for their lives.

---

And now people want the reverse. If I were a dev I'd be pulling my hair out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TeaTimeBear

And now people want the reverse. If I were a dev I'd be pulling my hair out.

---

When did doing the EXACT opposite of something ever result into perfection though :D hahaha

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TeaTimeBear

And now people want the reverse. If I were a dev I'd be pulling my hair out.

---

Actually a lot of us (sorry I shouldn't assume) I was quite happy with where the game at 1.2x bar a few major flaws in the architecture of the game system that limited what the developers could do. But mechanics and world environment difficulty were at a comfortable place. I thought I was supporting the game through it's '1.0' period for more of the same. Still FFXIV is a nice enough MMO I suppose, but this is definitely one of the chief complaints I have and would love to see changed about the game world.

Ah back when mining was difficult, fun, and worthwhile in terms of profit. I miss those days. Nothing like jumping on a node before someone else and nabbing some darksteel ore. You could actually compete with the RMT. Its pretty disappointing when you need to get to a aetherite to access the hard or ex mode primals and there is no challenge to do so, just run in on a mount and make easy work of the few mobs that actually chased you. I think one of my favorite points of XI was being low level and having to run to jeuno while not getting killed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CYoung187

Its pretty disappointing when you need to get to a aetherite to access the hard or ex mode primals and there is no challenge to do so, just run in on a mount and make easy work of the few mobs that actually chased you.

---

The quest to unlock access to Thornmarch in 1.X was so much fun compared to the little escort quest we have now.

I remember as a fresh faced taru in ffxi I wandered out into Ronfaure and saw my first cute little hare, it had no arms, a twitchy little nose and was so cute....so I hit it:rolleyes: This is what I learned apparently bunnies and hares are to be respected. So next I tried a worm, I died to stone ^^ However when I learned I didn't have to run back to my mog house to heal I did much better....never forgot that rabbit though or any of the other little bastards I died to at all levels.

This game is very beautiful but it is vapid and boring, I do not respect it or the creatures in it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tupsi

Some mobs in eorzea are slightly faster..but not by much - If i aggroed a high level raptor in XI and I wasn't a thief, that was where I died. If I aggroed a high level tiger, he'll laugh at my feeble attempt to run away. Oh and that Goblin? You know..those goblins that ALWAYS seems to be around every corner when you're low level to the point you swear they can smell your noob butt? Yeah they'd be your bane of existence.

---

Well... due to XI's complex aggro system, some mobs did smell your noob butt and tracked you down.

Funny this thought hit my mind yesterday. I remember being a fresh lvl 17 running to Mor Dhona during the open beta. Place was like a ghost town and I had to do everything I could not to get caught and not to die.

There was just something exciting about venturing into the unknown that could had your arse on a platter if you were not careful. Minus instanced dungeons I can't think of any place in the open world that gives you a challenge to go to.

To each their own though. I am not sure if I am a dying bread or not, but all throughout my FF11 history one of my main loves was to explore these harder to get places.

To me it took some skill on knowing the areas and knowing how to dodge aggro successfully. I know FFXIV is less than a year old, with only one big update under it's belt, but no place in Eorzea feel dangerous and no place gives me a little bit of game pride in knowing how to maneuver.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TeaTimeBear

And now people want the reverse. If I were a dev I'd be pulling my hair out.

---

Lies all lies, it was them thar vocal minority.....:rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LunarEmerald

Because you're level 50 with i90 gear. Nothing on the world map poses a challenge to you, currently. Back when you were level 20-30 and you'd venture into the level 49 beast camps, you'd get your ass handed to you and stood no chance.

---

In FFXIV there is zero reason for a level 30 to go into a tougher zone. No quests or gathering nodes to make the risk worthy. There is nothing dangerous about the zones. This game has great dungeons/ duties, but outside of those nothing in the open world is remotely challenging.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lolirocco

When did doing the EXACT opposite of something ever result into perfection though :D hahaha

---

There seems to be too much of this in ARR's direction vs 1.23. They changed so much that didn't need to be.


Everything in the game now feels like a theme park, and not in a good way.

• Elaborate prop-like environments with virtually no open spaces for roaming or nature.
• Blatent/overt game mechanics that have no tie to story or lore - (try to imagine why a Boss monster would fight in an arena with structures that have no purpose but to nullify it's most potent attack)
• No sense of danger in the world, all paths are safe and have virtual guard-rails.
• Queue up for your favorite ride/game and repeat until you get enough tickets for a flashy prize - rinse, repeat.
• Crafting and Gathering are side activities which are flooded with virtually useless trinkets.

Furthermore, the devs act as if player 'stress' is something to avoid at all costs - rather than a spice which when used properly, makes a very flavorful game. By doing so they have set expectations among the player base that everything should be easily obtained. This expectation causes players to get irate when met with any delays to progress, and contributes to a toxic community.

I'm really looking forward to Dark Souls II more than I ever thought I would -- if just to play a game that actually feels immersive and where the rewards are actually earned and meaningful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zantetsuken

Furthermore, the devs act as if player 'stress' is something to avoid at all costs - rather than a spice which when used properly, makes a very flavorful game. By doing so they have set expectations among the player base that everything should be easily obtained. This causes players to get irate when they are slowed down, and contributes to a toxic community.

---

THIS. Wtf is this "stress" excuse? Do all FFXIV players all of a sudden have weak hearts and high blood pressure that giving a challenge will instantly kill them? I've heard devs saying they want content to be more accessible (which is fine), but I have never heard a dev say "we want to remove the possible of failure because it makes you feel sad/stressed".

That's one of the things I miss about FFXI... that heightened feeling you get when you've entered a brand new zone for the first time. When CoP was released and I ventured alone through Tavnazia I kept wondering if something unexpected was going to pop out and kill me, making sure to use Sneak/Invisible in the really hairy areas, and always with that little twinge of danger that one wrong step and I could be in a place where I might get aggro'd by something that would chase me all the way to the edge of the zone. Hell, I remember the panic and thrill of getting lost in Yhoator Jungle as a lowbie, trying to find my party through all those twists and turns, and feeling like there was actual danger.

There's something about that constant state of uncertainty/danger that makes an area feel more "real"; when you know a mob will de-aggro you after 100 feet you lose that sense, and mobs become more like annoyances than things to be respected and feared.

I too had this thoughts of how Eorzea, and how small the whole as it's own feels like a hop and skip to places, but just remember, looking at the map, this only one side of the World map, who knows what else they'll bring to the dinner table, people really just need to wait and see, and if you can't do that, un-sub and there's the front door. :)


Not every MMO-Game can be perfect, I learned this the hard way, I myself do the same thing, I un-sub after I feel like there's nothing more a game can offer until more content is put in place, then I come back and enjoy what it has to offer. Final Fantasy will always have my eye, no matter how low or high the game gets.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vinsyn

I too had this thoughts of how Eorzea, and how small the whole as it's own feels like a hop and skip to places, but just remember, looking at the map, this only one side of the World map, who knows what else they'll bring to the dinner table, people really just need to wait and see, and if you can't do that, un-sub and there's the front door. :)


Not every MMO-Game can be perfect, I learned this the hard way, I myself do the same thing, I un-sub after I feel like there's nothing more a game can offer until more content is put in place, then I come back and enjoy what it has to offer. Final Fantasy will always have my eye, no matter how low or high the game gets.

---

This is refreshing to read.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zantetsuken

ARR's direction vs 1.23.

---

Regardless of what anyone's feelings of 1.0 are, it was a disaster. Any improvements 1.23 had over 1.0 were simply not enough to make enough money to continue. It doesn't matter if you feel it was "better", more risky, whatever. It was shut down or change to what we have now.

This happens in a lot of MMOs. Instead of creating a living, breathing world, developers instead focus on 'experiences.' You don't live in Eorzea. You experience the dungeons, bosses, and content the developers create.

The zones serve as lore and backdrop pieces, nothing more. You play half of the game in Duty Finder and the other half in the open world, scooted along on rails. It's not really a bad thing, depending on tastes, but it won't give you the same feeling as, say, GTA or Dark Souls.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabbitzero

Regardless of what anyone's feelings of 1.0 are, it was a disaster. Any improvements 1.23 had over 1.0 were simply not enough to make enough money to continue. It doesn't matter if you feel it was "better", more risky, whatever. It was shut down or change to what we have now.

---

Irony, it was making money and gained more subs during it's P2P phase lol - If it was such a disaster, you'd think people wouldn't have subbed at all. 1.23's direction was amazing and ARR was supposed to be a better version of that - Hell ARR only came around because they couldn't fix certain issues on the engine 1.x was on. So it's not as irrelevant as you think. Hell, you probably utilize stuff from 1.x all the time :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LunarEmerald

Because you're level 50 with i90 gear. Nothing on the world map poses a challenge to you, currently. Back when you were level 20-30 and you'd venture into the level 49 beast camps, you'd get your ass handed to you and stood no chance.

---

I remember in XI, you didnt need a mob 30 lvls higher to get a challenge; at lvl 20-30 you'd get your ass handed to you if you tried soloing more than one mob at a time your lvl, even more so at 50.

Another thing, in 1.0, other than tanks, at 50 you would get your ass handed to you in beastmen camps.

What we need is something like Castrum Novum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPPILIvrYo

I never understand why the enemies in ARR have the same level cap as the players.

I will say than the world itself is not a treat for +55 ilvl players, try to enter with you AF gear and agro the same quantity of enemy’s and see if you can survive enemy strong holds alone.

The problems is than you get almost immune to any treat once you hit ivl60 or above (maybe sooner if you are a tank), Yoshi said in their letters than the game itself is going to be Initially casual then hardcore so be patient as the time pass you will have more challenges, bigger zones and places when you will fear to agro the wrong mob. The game itself tell us they are 3 grand continents and we are just recently begin in the smallest

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Auron_Wolf

I will say than the world itself is not a treat for +55 ilvl players, try to enter with you AF gear and agro the same quantity of enemy’s and see if you can survive enemy strong holds alone.

---

I've done so naked. If you mean FFXIV 1.23 Stronghold era, yeah, you run in by yourself or undergeared your hide will now be on the floor of one of their huts.

I remember reading somewhere that Yoshi-P made this game with casuals and people new to mmorpgs in mind. So maybe that's why the game is so easy? So maybe this game isn't for vet mmoers or people that want a bit more of a challenge? I mean I personally can't see this game actually being even remotely difficult. I'm hoping that they will make future content a bit harder, but I doubt it. :<

I get the romantic notions of danger and all that but be realistic, if a game is kicking your ass while you are trying to relax and level up then people will just not play it.

The next expansion comes out will likely add new areas with level 90 mobs and the cap will be 75 or so.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eldryan

These two statements exemplifies the mentality of game designers today to appeal to the lowest common denominator, a statement I keep using because it's true. It is no wonder some of the great game developers of the past no longer work for the company they helped build, SE developers included. I remember one of Yoshi's old producer letter where he talked about the game he wants to play as a gamer, and the game he need to make as a producer, and the contrast between the two. Given his taste and preference in video games, I'd wager that Yoshi himself probably wouldn't play this game for long if he was just a gamer looking for a new mmo to try.

---

Saw this in another post:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BlackHaloJT

Im not going to compare "other" games I want to compare what we left off with in 1.23. All of the same complaints that were brought up in version 1 beginning to end still exist in version 2. You would think that all these things we wanted in version 1 after 2 years plus wait for the remake of ARR they would of fixed. Not the case in fact if you look at the forums people are still ranting about the same things. RMTs, rushing to 50, spamming the same dungeons, primal drop rates, and my favorite speed runs. Only difference now is the markets are flooded with junk with no real price medians. Crafting? what for unless its to level. 50 lvl dungeons are spammed for tomes versus AV and CC for .01% Darklight drops, and as the main topic stated if you don't have such and such gear for such and such instance then your not good enough.

Yoshi Interview taken from Gamebeat-
http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/th...ogo-interview/

Yoshida: Because I wasn’t on the team when that decision was made, I’m going to guess why, from what I’ve heard. What I believe is that, back then, they probably thought that a lot of the Final Fantasy XI users would move to Final Fantasy XIV when it was released. But because what they were making was a new game in Final Fantasy XIV, they didn’t want to make them exactly the same. Then it would just be Final Fantasy XI-2, and they didn’t want to make a Final Fantasy XI-2. But they wanted to make it easier for those people who had been playing Final Fantasy XI for such a long time to take a step into this new world by creating things that were similar, but different and unique to the Final Fantasy XIV world. Again, that’s just my guess.
But then again, that lets us see one of the biggest things that was wrong with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV. If they wanted to make it—they should have taken it and made it into Final Fantasy XI-2. Take Final Fantasy XI and make a sequel with new types of systems and new graphics, but build it off of that foundation. Instead of doing that, they decided they wanted to do something new, but still use some of the things from XI. Again, instead of taking one thing and taking it to the next level, they just kept everything kind of in the middle. Nothing was exceptional. That’s why you get this quagmire that was the original release of Final Fantasy XIV. There were a lot of great things that came out of XI, a lot of revolutionary things, like the level sync system. But the fact is, when they made the original Final Fantasy XIV, they made it with a server system that wouldn’t allow level sync. You have this great system you developed. Why not have your new game also use that?

If I wanted to destroy everything that was in the original XIV, I wouldn’t have taken on the position of rebuilding XIV. I would have gone on to Final Fantasy XVI and made that instead. The fact that I took up XIV is because I realized that, again, even though it had the rocky launch, there were still a lot of people out there who loved the game. You had this new generation of players who didn’t play XI and started their MMO experience with Final Fantasy XIV. For them, they don’t know about Tarutaru. They don’t know about Mithra. For them, they know about the Lalafell and the Mi’qote. To take that and destroy that would be destroying those people’s image of what they got into the game for. There’s tens of thousands of people that, for them, that was the first thing. As a hardcore MMO player myself, I know how important characters are to player. They’re your alter egos. Going in and destroying that and starting over with something absolutely new would crush those people. So keeping that was one of the things I decided we were going to do when we set out to rebuild XIV. Keeping those basic things that people had become used to with Final Fantasy XIV.

So in summary he contradicted everything just said in this interview and totally destroyed this game by pretty much copy and pasting "other" games (we know who those are) He talks about being a hardcore player himself but it sure doesn't show it in V2 everything is dumbed down. No one said we wanted a FFIX-2. Was FFXI it a good game sure, I truly believe most of the player base that played Version 1.0 also played FFXI at some point in time. So yes they tried something different and yes it sucked in the beginning but gradually through a painful process formed into something called 1.23 which was a foundation to build on. Instead they destroyed everything about it and created this crap called V2- A Reck Reborn.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ricky

I get the romantic notions of danger and all that but be realistic, if a game is kicking your ass while you are trying to relax and level up then people will just not play it.

---

It should not every zone be dangerous. But at least 1 or 2 for the players who love a bit more action.
For now ARR is a theme park with no ghost trains and haunted houses.

Well OP, Eoerza is not a world, it's a theme park.

The areas are simply too small, where would you place level 90 mobs in Mor Dhona? I mean, West Ronfature from XI felt more than adventure than all XIV areas combined.

I don't think that they need to increase the Lv of mobs in the open world as a whole but it would be nice to have a 2 or 3 lv 50 zones with those hard mobs in there maybe make the mobs lv 60 or something.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Taruranto

Well OP, Eoerza is not a world, it's a theme park.

The areas are simply too small, where would you place level 90 mobs in Mor Dhona? I mean, West Ronfature from XI felt more than adventure than all XIV areas combined.

---

I love how you guys compare a game with 8+ expansions to a game thats been out 5 months without any lmfao gotta love the forums...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Taruranto

Well OP, Eoerza is not a world, it's a theme park.

The areas are simply too small, where would you place level 90 mobs in Mor Dhona? I mean, West Ronfature from XI felt more than adventure than all XIV areas combined.

---

Mmmm what about something like King Ranperre's Tomb in Ronfaure. I mean right within one of the city's low level starting zones there was this high level creepy tome sitting just below the surface that you could access if you dropped down. There's plenty of chasms within Coerthas that could be like a network of underground tunnels full of high level wyverns or other such demonkin. There's the Ogre's Belly? (I think, can't recall) but the cave that is home to a lot of ogres, these creatures were terrifying in 1.0, now they hardly pack a punch unless they are a boss in a dungeon.

1.0 Thanalan had many labyrinth like caves underneath it that was jam packed full of deadly enemies and was a terrifying challenge to explore even at high levels. There are plenty of areas in the game that could be made home to a more challenging array of denizens.

Right now when completing my dailies, I don't feel as though I'm achieving anything. I'm never in any real danger, and mostly I feel like the grade 12 school yard bully rocking up to the first graders class room and smacking a few people about and claiming I did a good job.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whiz

I love how you guys compare a game with 8+ expansions to a game thats been out 5 months without any lmfao gotta love the forums...

---

You can pick almost any MMO that exists so far today, and find that from release the world is deadly no matter what level you are. This really isn't something that's introduced only during later expansions. Heck even 1.0 was deadly to high levels from it's launch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ToraFomalhaut

Check out reply #7 in the thread for my explanation as to why fates are not the same as persistent dangerous areas of the world map. I'm not looking for a solo fight / challenge, I'm looking for a world that is exciting to explore, with wild untameable areas that are a gamble to venture into and where an adventure can be had.

---

You mean, like in a Final Fantasy game?

I do miss the danger. It was fun trying to sneak your way past mobs, waiting for the precise moment when the monster would turn it's back, hoping that it wouldn't come closer.

When I was a level eighteen subjobless WHM I saw a path and I wondered where it went. I had solo trained to that level in sarutabaruta and the towers there because I was brand new and hadn't even heard of valkurm dunes. I decided to follow it setting my HP at NPC's as I went. I had very few maps, but I ran blind. Hours later I arrived in Sandoria two levels lower, but it was some of the best fun I have ever had and I have never forgotten how it felt.

I'm not saying this should be FFXI-2, but just a little more adventure would be nice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ToraFomalhaut

Mmmm what about something like King Ranperre's Tomb in Ronfaure. I mean right within one of the city's low level starting zones there was this high level creepy tome sitting just below the surface that you could access if you dropped down. There's plenty of chasms within Coerthas that could be like a network of underground tunnels full of high level wyverns or other such demonkin. There's the Ogre's Belly? (I think, can't recall) but the cave that is home to a lot of ogres, these creatures were terrifying in 1.0, now they hardly pack a punch unless they are a boss in a dungeon.

1.0 Thanalan had many labyrinth like caves underneath it that was jam packed full of deadly enemies and was a terrifying challenge to explore even at high levels. There are plenty of areas in the game that could be made home to a more challenging array of denizens.

Right now when completing my dailies, I don't feel as though I'm achieving anything. I'm never in any real danger, and mostly I feel like the grade 12 school yard bully rocking up to the first graders class room and smacking a few people about and claiming I did a good job.



You can pick almost any MMO that exists so far today, and find that from release the world is deadly no matter what level you are. This really isn't something that's introduced only during later expansions. Heck even 1.0 was deadly to high levels from it's launch.

---

Ranperre's Tomb (and place like Crawler Nest, the Citadel, etc), are basically "dungeons", only that they weren't instanced. In FFXIV they got replaced with linear, instanced dungeon.

Looking at FFXIV Beastmen Strongolds, it's obvious the team either 1) doesn't care 2) it's not capable to develop high, dangerous, multi-levels areas. I mean, look at the Sylph stronghold, even Fort Ghelsba felt more dangerous and omnious. (Let's not bring places like Castle Oztroja)

I'm not disagreeing with you, mind you, I just think Yoshida simply doesn't care about creating a living world when he cast just instance everything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whiz

I love how you guys compare a game with 8+ expansions to a game thats been out 5 months without any lmfao gotta love the forums...

---

Expansions are hardly to do with that people want or word size. (West Ronfaure, King Ranperre and Fort Ghelsba are all starting areas near to one of the starting city)

1.0. had dangerous mobs roaming around, so the argument is kinda moot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ricky

I get the romantic notions of danger and all that but be realistic, if a game is kicking your ass while you are trying to relax and level up then people will just not play it.

---

You mean like back in XI when people never started playing because it was too hard? Oh wait... they did play... and they had fun playing.

Some people enjoy challenges and not facerolls. I preferred XI back when you had your level cap lowered and were forced to do content at level 20 or whatnot. (not like these silly-easy fates we have now that if you blow your breathe, they fall over.)

If the game was kicking my butt, I *gasp* learned how to play. I learned timing, emnity control, sneaking and stealthiness and how to actually play my characters to their potential. I fought and struggled and earned my way though. It gave me an actual sense of accomplishment (unlike many things with ARR)

People *would* play the game if it was hard like 1.0 and the original XI. I think, in fact, more people than you even suspect would play it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whiz

I love how you guys compare a game with 8+ expansions to a game thats been out 5 months without any lmfao gotta love the forums...

---

Sorry, but the fun I had in XI (US release) was much more interesting (and difficult) than ARR is here presently and honestly if XI had not been dumbed down so much I would probably still be playing it. Unfortunately, ARR will most likely will never be anything more than a dumbed down version though I will still play it since it started out dumbed down and hopefully will not get any dumber. (if it did, then I probably would give up on it) It is an ok game, not the best, but ok and I'm willing to give it some time to improve since I really do love the FF world setting.

Let SE do what is right for the game and stop complaining on whats weak or strong. Last time I seen complaining was in FFXI and when they switched it, you have more complaining after that because guess what nobody is happy.

Its about having fun, so when someone cant get to another area because they don't have any help or people don't show up in the middle of the night to help they are stuck and because they work those days they cant get through the game because you want it to kill people, sounds like FFXI cant do this quest without 5 people and when nobody does it anymore you are stuck.

Just let them do their job you play the game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HeroSamson

Let SE do what is right for the game and stop complaining on whats weak or strong. Last time I seen complaining was in FFXI and when they switched it, you have more complaining after that because guess what nobody is happy.

Its about having fun, so when someone cant get to another area because they don't have any help or people don't show up in the middle of the night to help they are stuck and because they work those days they cant get through the game because you want it to kill people, sounds like FFXI cant do this quest without 5 people and when nobody does it anymore you are stuck.

Just let them do their job you play the game.

---

You can have a world that is dangerous and exciting to explore but still be accessible to people, that is what would be considered good design. Currently for the main story quests you can complete these mostly solo, or use the DF to complete the group content because it's all instanced there is no reason to change the way that part of the game works. What this thread is about and what people are whimsically wishing for is a world that presents an exciting challenge to adventure through. Not just some pretty wall paper to hang about in while waiting for your next instanced battle to pop.

The world needs to feel like more than a lobby for the duty finder.

It needs to have life, have danger, have treacherous lands to traverse so that while you might be waiting for your DF to pop you can still embark on an adventure on your realm. Zones like this, in all other MMO's I played, fostered far more community spirit and interaction than any fate has done to date.

"What's that you're here to get to Moonlight Well to complete your map? Me to! Let's travel together, we stand a better chance of making it there as a group this place can get pretty messed up."

And from scenarios like that many long term friendships were made, as people wiped and struggled together to achieve their goal. The connections were lasting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HeroSamson

Let SE do what is right for the game and stop complaining on whats weak or strong. Last time I seen complaining was in FFXI and when they switched it, you have more complaining after that because guess what nobody is happy.

Its about having fun, so when someone cant get to another area because they don't have any help or people don't show up in the middle of the night to help they are stuck and because they work those days they cant get through the game because you want it to kill people, sounds like FFXI cant do this quest without 5 people and when nobody does it anymore you are stuck.

Just let them do their job you play the game.

---

even worse when you can solo everything and beat the game faster then they can pump out content.

Even the treasure hunting content added in 2.1 is woefully easy, I had hopes for it adding some world map flare and spice, along the lines of HNM fights or similar. However what we got was the 8 man party maps can be completed by 3-4 people without breaking a sweat. While an 8 man party is just reducing it to the level of "Be gone peasants lest you muddy my boots with your entrails".

I guess as someone mentioned earlier, their hands maybe tied because to make the content any more challenging we'd expect a reward that matches the difficulty. But the way they talk about the content in the live letters, from the way they described 8 man treasure maps I anticipated the content would be a fearsome battle requiring a party to overcome for the promise of rare treasure. In the end we get something a group of 3 to 4 people can easily trounce with very little risk at all.