I throw back the same energy put out and call out pointless/hypocritical posts. Not sorry about it. If youre gonna say that someone's thread lacks intelligence and result to insults while at the same time doing what they're insulting someone else for (making a post that lacks intelligence and doesn't offer anything to the conversation to make a change) that's hypocritical and I'll say something about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by BRVV
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10-05-2022, 10:24 PMLianaThorne
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10-05-2022, 10:59 PMSolarra
I am feeling rather disappointed with EW, mainly with the MSQ and the pacing, although honourable mention must go to the numerous escort quests and the totally annoying stealth quests that have you following an NPC (one or two would have been fine imo).
This is new for me, in other expansions I've enjoyed the MSQ more with each playthrough (yes, even ARR), now I'm skipping cutscenes when I go through on an alt.
Even on the first playthrough the pacing was a major issue, especially towards the climax. I could have done with far less of the Loporits, and the slow questing around the final area of Labyrinthos killed any sense of urgency.
After playing through again, I took a closer look at the things that had bothered me a little the first time round. Without the excitement of wanting to know what happened next, the flaws became more apparent. The expansion felt rushed, done to a formula and full of plot holes and lazy devices.
Garlemand felt really rushed, I was so looking forward to meeting some of the main Garlean characters and seeing more of this area.
Need to get to the moon? Well there's this oh-so-convenient device that gets reconfigured (by magic) and there you go! For me, there was far too much of this type of thing, getting over what appeared to be insurmountable difficulties with absolute ease.
Too many times I found myself thinking along the lines, 'But if we could do this, then why didn't we just...?'
I found Hermes unlikeable and totally illogical and inconsistent in his motivations, which could have been the basis for a really great antagonist, except all of that was skated over and I felt we were expected to just accept his view of the world.
Similarly, Venat's motivations were never questioned and we are expected to simply approve her actions without reservation.
I felt the 'emotional' moments were rather manufactured. I have felt teary while playing through other expansions, but this is the first time I felt the game was really trying to manipulate the player's emotions in an almost cynical way, maybe it has just been overdone.
Fake deaths... again!... yawn.
After getting quite fond of the Scions and feeling like one of the team in Shb, I felt EW undid a lot of that good work and left me feeling rather fed up with them all. I was so happy they were going off to do their own things for a while and so disappointed that 10 mins later, we had to get the team back together.
I am hoping this is going to be like SB, a rather disappointing MSQ that was saved by the later patches. However, the story of 6.1 didn't shine at all. It was obvious who the Scions should have spoken to before going into that dungeon and just unbelievable that was the one person they decided not to let in on their little scheme.
G'raha turning from world leader to teenage fan-boy was disappointing too.
6.2 was better, but time will tell.
What's really lifted the expansion for me is the story behind the raids. That has been excellent so far and very enjoyable. -
10-05-2022, 11:54 PMOizen
I'm more concerned that every single patch since EW dropped has had a major issue in one way or another.
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10-05-2022, 11:59 PMAtelier-BagurKinda seems like that's the general direction people are going for at least amongst the forums. EW being a SB 2.0 of sorts for them. Even though Stormblood was an excellent expansion for me at least. Got tired of Heavensward and felt bored by all the Ishgardian fluff towards the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solarra
I think people enjoy more small concise stories that deal with 1 thing like how they did with HW and ShB rather than a myriad of goals like in ARR, SB and EW. -
10-06-2022, 12:14 AMOdinelStarrei
I wouldn't be negative if I didn't start in mid-Heavensward and see what the developers were capable of, and how they were improving the gameplay each patch/expansion instead of regressing it.
I wouldn't be negative if Square Enix hadn't deliberately ignored years of feedback for the West regarding community conflicts (BA), ping issues that makes jobs unplayable, or haphazard bandaids with overhauls to jobs or systems that no one asked for. (Housing/almost every rework since 4.1)
I wouldn't be negative if there was more upfront transparency in how the game systems work, so I wouldn't be forced too ask around in discord servers and third party websites just to determine what substat tiering is, or what damage type basic attacks are in this game.
I wouldn't be negative if my trust in Square Enix to deliver a compelling gameplay experience(I am playing a video game, after all) wasn't constantly being undermined by absolutely pathetic, braindead normal content, and excruciating savage (door bosses) and ultimate content with zero middle ground or due to the 2 minute burst windows, no room for skill expression outside of rote memorization. With an occasional unreasonable, and frankly, unhealthy grind layered in there somewhere. (Hunt mounts/Pternadon).
I wouldn't be negative if the plot threads that I was a huge fan of in SB and ShB have essentially been written off or totally discarded in Endwalker lieu of void adventures that honestly, should involve Unukalhai, Cylva, and the role quest team on the First, and not the Scions. That is their world to save, and I think Uunukalhai and especially Cylva would do well with a true redemption arc to pull their world back from total destruction. I would've waited until like, 8.0 to see that pan out. Come in as the seasoned veteran and mentor to a new team trying to salvage a shard, in contrast to ARR - SB adventure turning into hero arc that we were used to. I always imagined of the day where I'd be storming the Emperor's throne room with Maxima and the Proletariat, forcing another confrontation with those dual bosses from Ghimlyt, but that room is just a side piece to an elevator that brings you to Anima. I will never get these moments, and it was my folly to even think like that.
I wouldn't be negative if Square Enix's job philosophy did not become "Remove to Improve" and "literally destroy all the skill ceilings" for whatever reason. I played non-meta jobs at points in this games lifetime that have had more originality, more meaningful gameplay choices, and more opportunities to demonstrate class understanding. That is mostly removed now. PLDs, DRGs, and ASTs (again), get comfortable. You're the next jobs to be butchered.
I wouldn't be negative if my preferred side-content, Exploration content, hadn't been removed come Endwalker, with some of those gameplay environments being entirely riddled with bots, something Square Enix also refuses to even try to mitigate by altering the reward structures or introducing methods into the game to stem the flow of the bot apocalypse that is underpinning the game, delegitimizing the economy and ruining Eureka in particular for newer players. The STF is worthless. Island Sanctuary is not battle content, does not allow me to experiment, and therefore I do not find it interesting or engaging even with the limited attention I give it.
I wouldn't be negative if Endwalker's failure to expand on Shadowbringers gameplay and systems like how Stormblood tried to expand on Heavensward didn't happen, and instead extended and doubled down on things a lot of people disagreed with and added more jenga blocks to an already unstable tower. This is not refinement, this is regurgitation. This has lead to my entire old FC pretty much quitting the game, much of my CWLS going dark, and losing connections with people who I have played with, argued with, laughed with, for years, citing that they are no longer happy with the direction of the jobs, or the game itself. My most recent one said " I cannot watch them butcher PLD with the rework like they did with the others. That's not the game I signed up for. This game isn't for me anymore." Smart guy.
Had Dark Knight not get absolutely lobotomized the way that it did, I probably would not find myself on this path of hating the game that has essentially been my home in a world and a life that is destroying itself day after day. Because I'd still be having fun at a fundamental level, instead of logging in and being absolutely dismayed at the state of the game currently, and of it's trajectory.
People will not agree with me, and that's a good thing. They are able to take the game at face value, not integrate themselves too deeply, and enjoy it for what it is, whatever that may be, and not what it was. I cannot see what they see, I am incapable of it now. My memories of late Heavensward through late Stormblood are too bright. Seeing people enjoy FFXIV in it's current state is physically repulsive, and it disgusts me. It is not their fault, it is because I remember when I was also enjoying things, and when I trusted Square Enix to deliver me a compelling gameplay experience. But after years of my hopes being dashed, I can no longer bring myself to trust them. I do not hate CBIII, they do good work mostly, except for the people in the job design team. I do not like them after what they have done to the combat systems.
For those who can remain blissful, I envy them, for I can very rarely harness true enjoyment from this game anymore.
For those who are able to leave, or already have, I envy them. For I cannot. Sunk cost, mental hangups, the works. I put too much investment in trying to get Blood Weapon and Living Dead working properly and clearing content.
I'm tired of seeing people tear each other apart over differing opinions. It doesn't matter. No one is going to change their mind, because people aren't wired to do that once they've been conditioned in their subjective, personal experiences. People are not that self-reflective on average. If someone tells me, "Well, I'm having fun, and so are millions of other people" I just don't get it, because I don't know millions of people. I just know me, and my friends who aren't here anymore. This is not a "wow im so much better than the sheeple" opinion. This is a "My perspective is outright irreconcilable to a sizable portion of people, and it probably works the other way around as well." opinion. "Get some perspective", real interesting hearing that from a forum that constantly refuses to engage in simple empathy for anyone but their own side and sling frequent one-liner gotchas designed to hurt others. "Screw the other side, they're my enemy, hope they are miserable." I myself am guilty of this. The lines in the sand have been drawn for a long time.
Yes, I am disappointed in Endwalker.
No, I don't think there's anything I can ever do about it.
We can never go home. -
10-06-2022, 12:25 AMcaffe_macchiato
Ultimately we’re all going to have to look after ourselves now that we’re in our “Cataclysm” moment. SE doesn’t care and they’d rather fail than to add content and make the game fun again. Sunken cost fallacy is easy to fall for but we all deserve better than to stick around in a game that’s on the wane. Many former WoW players would probably understand the pain of losing your friends and your favorite hobby over time. We’re just lucky that it’s happening at a faster pace and the signs are written on the wall. Unlike them, we can prepare. Finish up what you’ve already got in the game and connect with your friends on Discord. When the time is right, you’ll be ready to drop your sub and move on from this game. Don’t be like the stragglers in dying games that cling in desperation and suffer from loneliness. We deserve better.
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10-06-2022, 12:43 AMRaoabolicWow... someone actually tried. God speed m8, hopefully SE will realize that they have a post cata WoW situation going on and fix it or they double down and go full EA. Either way, you will be free one day. I only hope history doesn't repeat itself... again...Quote:
Originally Posted by OdinelStarrei
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10-06-2022, 06:27 AMSweetnessThanks, now i'm just sad. https://media.tenor.com/nhx87uAJ6asA...frog-hands.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by OdinelStarrei
It's true, most of us have seen people on fc or friends list not logged on in months/years. -
10-06-2022, 06:47 AMIkaraGreydancerWe have new content coming though...heck we've already gotten a huge one in Island Sanctuary. Every patch adds content so takes like "they'd rather fail than add content" are objective wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by caffe_macchiato
People need to learn that just because content isn't fun to you, doesn't means it's not fun in general. If EW is truly on the wane STOP GIVING MONEY TO THE GAME. But you won't, because many of you are indeed all talk. I've never seen folks so upset at a product yet still throwing money at it month after month. It teaches the devs nothing.
If you deserve better go where things are better. It's simple -
10-06-2022, 06:52 AMSupersnow845This is like an absolutely flawless distilling of every problem I have with modern 14Quote:
Originally Posted by OdinelStarrei
I’m pretty much holding onto this game because of sunk cost fallacy at this point but I haven’t seen a decision I agree with since they introduced DRS
I desperately want something more to draw me back into this game but it just seems the louder I shout the more square does exactly the opposite of anything I want out of a game -
10-06-2022, 08:20 AMReynTimeAbout Hermes... I'm not going to say Kefka, Sephiroth, Kuja or Yu Yevon are particularly outstanding or just good villains because that's beside the point. What made them ACCEPTABLE as antagonists is that they're built up along a long story and you have plenty of time to get to your own conclusion regarding each one as evil forces or just people (in case of the first three). Hermes and Meteion? They try to cram feels for them in one questline. Two for Meteion. Two questlines for what is supposed to be the final bad of 10 years of story. Most of which is just retcon/made on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solarra
And the best part of those aforementioned bads? They're planned from the beginning, it shows, and they don't even need that much screentime. Kuja isn't on screen longer than Hermes is, Sephiroth is on screen even less, we HEAR about him a lot but see very little of him in person (until the sequels, prequels, etc, pretty much shat all on that), and yet it works because like the other mentioned antagonists, they're still built through their actions and their consequences on the world or characters around you. The only reason you have to accept that Meteion and Hermes are why the final days happen is because 8+ years later they decided it would be so. And they try to explain all of it in less than 1/3 of a single expansion. -
10-06-2022, 08:27 AMAtelier-BagurYeah I think if I had to majorly criticize EW (even though I still very much like it) is that Meteion and Hermes werent given proper built up or even hints of their existence. And their surprise reveal to have been the true cause of the Final Days felt more out of the blue than anything. Again, I still accepted it for what it is but I wish they were able to foreshadow them more in previous expansions.Quote:
Originally Posted by ReynTime
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10-06-2022, 09:14 AMSkyborneMy feelings exactly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solarra
Yeah, not particularly concerned about "majorities" that cannot be proven either way, only myself and my friends.Quote:
Originally Posted by OdinelStarrei
- enhanced super soldier who goes insane and gains god powersQuote:
Originally Posted by ReynTime
- enhanced super soldier who goes insane and drops a meteor
- theatrical bioweapon goes insane, turns against his creator in a rage over his inevitable death
- summoner that once protected a recreation of his city, now degenerated into a mindless ravenous fiend
- Only Sad Man In The World researcher cannot accept the concept of death, goes mad from finding out his world is actually a relatively nice place and he wasn't vindicated... so sad.... doesn't he have a point? This says a lot about society.... so the narrative blatantly wants to make us think.
Man, putting him in the same category makes him seem even more out of place. (bear with me, I haven't played some of these in a while...) -
10-06-2022, 04:32 PMkaynideThis is the crux of what I consider a bigger misstep of Endwalker.Quote:
Originally Posted by ReynTime
It was a weird choice (to me) to have Zodiak’s “heart” attack us as the “original warrior of light”, in ShB… and then for Zodiark to be a mindless… puppet..thing.
There is something to be said about having twists and turns, but sometimes you can just let the big bad BE the big bad a la Sauron or Voldemort.
There was no need for the entire 2nd half of Endwalker when it could/should have just been about us vs Zodiark.
No need to do a “oh and the Ascians weren’t branded and forced to serve, teehee.”
And “oh we already have a means to go to the moon”
And “sorry I’m such a bad father but it was in your best interest lolz!”
If anything, the post Garlean arch should have been “how do we get to the moon” and “we need help from everyone to make this work”, not “yeah we gotcha fam, just need you to throw some garudas in the engine”.
Sometimes, for better or for worse, it’s just better to make a solid conclusion, even if it is extremely easy to predict..and not go full Game of Thrones. -
10-06-2022, 05:16 PMRufalus
I should add that the reason we're so disappointed is because the high points of this journey were so awesome. We know that this game's potential is so much greater than what we usually get handed. Personally I really liked the unique raids such as Baldesion Arsenal and Castrum Lacus Litore where you have to talk and organize a large group, decide who is going where. Weird to see things like that being a one-shot with no incentive to return after the expansion in which they debuted.
I feel like this is the ultimate waste of resources game. The only reason old normal dungeons are still run is because roulette randomly picks them, otherwise you'd almost never go back to specific ones on purpose. They are high quantity, low quality. I'd like meaningful content with high replayability, unique rewards that you need more than just once. Example: oh this new patch has a cool body armor but one of the items I need to create it is a unique crystal that only drops in baldesion arsenal, let's go back there, let's have new gearing options outside of the endless tomestone / savage combo.
Old crafting mats should probably be reused in new recipes more often to maintain some value, no need to add so many new mats each expansion. They could also come up with new ways to acquire recipes, not just pay for another master book every year, the old arbitrary scrip grinds for that and folklore nodes. The game design is on auto-pilot, they seldom challenge themselves to do things different and better than how they did it the past several years. Their dev resources are maxed out by almost exclusively repeating things they've done a hundred times already. It's supposed to be entertainment, why would you spend so much time rebuilding stuff that's functionally identical to your past works.
Variant dungeons might be a highlight of this year. It's new, but it's probably going to be it's own little side content bubble so that it doesn't influence the rest of the game. They have a habit of placing any ideas into this quarantine zone of side content, a fleeting relevance with one-shot rewards and no roulette, then leave it to die next expansion so we can get back to the business of monotone tome grinds and such bores. -
10-06-2022, 05:29 PMIscahYou mean Livingway's line about properly-done primals not tempering people, and you'd only get a tiny nudge from Zodiark? Apparently that's a mistranslation, or perhaps her tendency to understate issues, and other translations are more clear that something on the scale of Zodiark will still temper people.Quote:
Originally Posted by kaynide
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10-06-2022, 05:54 PMkaynideMostly this, yes. That the Ascians were explicitly not tempered (or if they were, it’s not strong enough to be meaningful). Were Emet compelled to fight us to the death, despite wanting to find another way, it would have made him more interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iscah
I get them doing what they do, but it makes for a better tragedy if they have/had no choice. An “even if the ascians found another way to bring back their old friends, they could’t because they were forced to keep feeding Zodiark”
This could have been made all the more tragic if Elidabus was a first attempt at bringing back their friends, only for him to be a primal himself. (In a similar vein as Tiamat making bahamut).
Them realizing that even if they wish their friends back..they actually won’t really be those people…yet they are still forced/enslaved to serve Zodiark.
I don’t know if that would be a better story.. but I would have preferred a story meant to end the Ascian story to focus entirely on things established and not make up new lore entirely.
The constant changes in established lore disguised as fleshing it out was not something I enjoyed. Like the introduction of “janky primals” or Dynamis.
Though, full disclosure, I did/am enjoying the game..especially in chunks.. just the entire package feels off.