The Current Status of FFXIV Patch 3.1 and How to Address it Moving Forward

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Originally Posted by MilesSaintboroguh

Well I think it's a catch 22 here; either the devs spreads patches apart and risk losing people from being bored for waiting for so long (in addition to losing more people if the patches aren't up to snuff), or they try to keep people interested in shorter bursts while risking of recycling content to save time. It's clear that the team needs more resources and the higher ups seem to not want to spend a cent on them since they're not FF15 or the FF7 remake.

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Personally, I don't think that resources are that huge of an issue. This game puts out a lot of stuff. I think that time management, prioritization and game-design are the issues. They, or others, may say how they are short staffed, but really, they are putting out a lot of content. Patch cycles are frequent, and they create whole new dungeons in addition to things like Diadem, LoV etc. The issue was, that LoV and Diadem sucked - and that was a lot of development time I am sure.

If I were a lead on this project, I'd focus priorities on 2 aspects - 1. what do and will most people take part in, and 2. what will have the most far reaching effects. I include 2., because I think that even though raiding is probably not enjoyed by the majority, it's effects are widespread to the entire community. In this case, I wouldn't focus so many efforts on things like LoV, as even at best that would very likely not be engaging for the majority of the playerbase. Instead, I'd have put a lot of resources into the relic. I'd do this because it would appear that the vast majority of players - casual and hardcore alike - take part in this activity. I'd want the relic to be the absolute best content addition to the game.

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Originally Posted by Dzian

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Just to clarify. My stance on long term content was in regards to within it's two patch cycle before it goes to the next stage of gear. Methods on how to keep the content going as long as possible in those 6-8 months. I was not referring to FFXI's horizontal style of long term. Developers to focus on content that lasts as long as it can before feeling dull, which happens in all MMO's. SE only focuses on giving you what they think you want at the start and doesn't focus on how to make it appealing in the two patch cycle.

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Originally Posted by Belhi

Secondly, you seem to make the assumption they had more resources that they just didn't use. Considering every indication we have seen has been that this team works its ass off which is match by a very competitive development speed compared to other MMOs, it's likely they didn't have a great deal of additional resources to spend which means either something would have had to be cut from elsewhere or we wouldn't be getting the relic quest here at all.

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I am not questioning how hard they work. I am questioning their priorities. Lack of resources is their excuse, but what if we took the resources of content barely anyone touches past the first week and focus it on content that does matter greatly for the game's future. Its good to put side attractions or something brand new in, but if it means making what made the game good in the first place more lackluster than ever, then you clearly do not have your priorities straight. The game's current state and what is to come is a clear indication of that. So either get the resources to make everything work, or wait till you can do that. Again, they need to know their priorities. Which is why one of the many "lack of resources" excuse gets old real fast.

Again I'm only speaking for what I wish to see in this game and thats to not have certain content feel unrewarding and a waste of time. Atleast on our server the thirst for beeing "first" is ridicilous since you know that whatever person A has you will have it in a few months. Its too much focus on a item grind just because other MMORPGs do it. I play FFXIV for storyline mostly but when everything in this game is almost set to very easy and most content is solo it burns you out and it also make this treadmill progression for items something you burn out too. I have no idea why FFXIV went the simplistic route with armor stats. Thats one thing I really loved about FFXI when everything was so overwhelming even if you didnt use most of the stuff but it was there for you and an option instead of beeing limited like it is here. I miss gears that gave -10% damage taken for tanks it feels more personal to your job than making all job classes have determination for example. I doubt we will ever see this but surely not everyone that plays this game is dumb enough to not figure that out. I don't get why this game continues to Limit you instead of making you feel like you are paying for something so you can get everything. Weekly limits are a joke when you have a treadmill progression system like this. It automaticly limits you to not be able to gear up all your main jobs (I play 6 classes) and when I do get enough esoterics to have gears for all my 6 classes that I play they are useless because by the team everything is geared up new gears are out and its back to this ridicilous hamsterwheel again. Thats not fun and not enjoyable I'm paying for something thats limiting me from explore and do the content I wish to do. This has to stop for the future I know this is burning people out and limiting them its MANY people who feel like this. I don't want to hear the argument that all new mmorpgs do that. If ALL new MMORPGs decided to have a purple cow in the starting city it does not mean Square Enix has to follow. I said it before sometimes its more fun to release content to make the player adapt to the game and not always adapting to the player just because you have an MMORPG. I don't think new players are scared of adapting and learning because all other MMORPGs are following similiar paths make this something that sticks out from the rest not something that is like the rest but with a FF themed envoirment.

Velhart has it right. SE's M.O. seems to be just delivering fast food content from singular patch to patch (as opposed to every two patches). Instead of this progression-then-catch up patch formula, why not switch it up? If we take the raids for example, have the VA and Alex raids released in the same patch. Then in the patch after, they could add stuff to VA to extend its longetivity towards the next even numbered patch (e.g., ways to dye the gear, or certain Alex exclusive raid items, or something tied to the Relic quest). Reportedly CT was meant to be in 2.0 but wasnt completed in time, so ended up in 2.1. With 3.0 they had the chance to change things somewhat but resorted to the same formula.

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Originally Posted by MilesSaintboroguh

Well I think it's a catch 22 here; either the devs spreads patches apart and risk losing people from being bored for waiting for so long (in addition to losing more people if the patches aren't up to snuff), or they try to keep people interested in shorter bursts while risking of recycling content to save time. It's clear that the team needs more resources and the higher ups seem to not want to spend a cent on them since they're not FF15 or the FF7 remake.

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It's not really a big catch 22 as you make it to be, esp with almost anything in regards to entertainment or even servicing.It might be hard for some people to believe, but people are willing to wait for good content. I mean it becomes a catch 22 if you let it get that far where people are starving for content and you're already rushing subpar content (which is happening right now to an extent) I'm personally miffed as hell that Anima was delayed from an intended 3.0 release, and in the end all we got was content that was using content that goes as far as 2.x, content that's been reused since 2.x, and every other aspect of it being "meh" at best. We had a delay for 3.1 due to development vacation, and what we got to show for it was a relatively weaker MSQ, Diadem that comes with it's own problems, and LoV, and behind that was a rather underwhelming release of 3.0 once you get past the novelty of leveling (and it doesn't quite help that my main is MCH/BRD either).

I'm personally going from "I'll just unsub for a month until 3.2 arrives" to "If 3.2 doesn't catch my interest, I'm not going to resub". Between getting serviced terrible food at a restaurant, and being getting serviced late (which may be due to understaffing or lack of preparation) but still getting quality food, which is more likely to get people coming back, which is more likely to make them stop coming back? And help you if you delay it and still come out with terrible food because you rushed it anyway. I can get that there may be times where they simply cannot make the cut and it has to be scrapped entirely or put off, but honestly I'd much rather prefer that so they can allocate their resources to something else or put it off as a future thing, rather than releasing it as is or half baked.

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Originally Posted by FeliAiko

Reportedly CT was meant to be in 2.0 but wasnt completed in time, so ended up in 2.1. With 3.0 they had the chance to change things somewhat but resorted to the same formula.

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CT being delayed is an example of people willing to delay content if it means it'll be good, polished and presentable.

A launch of an expansion (or game even, in the case of 2.0) is the one place you can't afford to undersell and fail on delivery. It's what sets the foundation for future updates. How can you add onto FC crafting to make it exciting if it's not even crafting (relative to the game's definition and term of it) and the only "FC" about it is that it's done in an FC house? How can you make players feel they have evolved from their 2.0 counterparts if their characters receive very few, if any changes? How can you make players feel empowered with each gear drop and stat increase if you don't change how they work to the point they have a tangible effect? All of these changes are big things that would be hard pressed to meet in a 3.x patch... but ironically enough they had released ninja during 2.4 and it still came out better than how MCH turned out to be and is in general considered a success.

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Originally Posted by RiceisNice

Between getting serviced terrible food at a restaurant, and being getting serviced late (which may be due to understaffing or lack of preparation) but still getting quality food, which is more likely to get people coming back, which is more likely to make them stop coming back? And help you if you delay it and still come out with terrible food because you rushed it anyway. I can get that there may be times where they simply cannot make the cut and it has to be scrapped entirely or put off, but honestly I'd much rather prefer that so they can allocate their resources to something else or put it off as a future thing, rather than releasing it as is or half baked.
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I feel that they are also just messing up our order.

Enter restaurant.
Waiter: Oh sorry we are not open yet.
Me: Sign says you're open.
Waiter: Yeah it will be another hour, I'm sorry.
1 hour later.
Enter restaurant
Waiter brings me to my table, hands me a menu
Me: I'd like the New York Steak please, and a garden salad to start.
Waiter sure thing, that will be ready in approximately 6 hours.
Me: WHAT?
Waiter I assure you, the time will be worth it.
Me: 6 hours later of eating the free bread, he brings my dinner.
Waiter hands over a loaf of bread with a leaf on the side.
Me: I ordered a salad and steak?
Waiter: oh yes, this leaf here is your salad.
Me: Umm.. ok and the steak?
Water: we understand that you want steak, but there are actually many restaurants that serve steak and we think you will like this bread more.
Me, grudgingly eats the bread - and it's stale.

I feel like the game has been designed for fast paced releases for so long that any more delays will have people just give up out of frustration because they're used to getting things now and this is doubly true in today's age where people want things NOW NOW NOW.

CT wasn't exactly delayed for "polish" but due to the devs realizing that the raid was too hard as DF content and had to scale it down.

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Originally Posted by MilesSaintboroguh

I feel like the game has been designed for fast paced releases for so long that any more delays will have people just give up out of frustration because they're used to getting things now and this is doubly true in today's age where people want things NOW NOW NOW.

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This would be the only mmo I'm playing that would be catering to that mindset. It's the fastest updating MMO, but to me it's also the one that's taking the fastest nose dive since a new expansion.

So the Anima weapon isn't quite as good as raid-gained weapons?

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Why the hell am I even putting the time in for it, then? I'm sinking that much time into a weapon that takes second place?

Or is it just glamour?

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Originally Posted by Kikoten

So the Anima weapon isn't quite as good as raid-gained weapons?

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Why the hell am I even putting the time in for it, then? I'm sinking that much time into a weapon that takes second place?

Or is it just glamour?

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2.X did the same exact thing. Relics were never going to be good as raid weapons since raid weapons takes tight skill and dedication in end game content while relics are made for people who simply have a lot of time and can't/won't do raids.