I really wish Yoshi-P would Poll the Player Base Again... please SE?

Here a couple of the former Polls:

1) http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...696.1416013130

2) http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...696.1416013130

Poll 2, the final Q's results are fascinating...

Also Q3 & Q4 under Synthesis in Poll 2 (I'd like to be able to Meld from any DoL once I've unlocked their capability to... just like with the wonderful change to Repairing, which thank you by the way SE!)

To my point, Heavensward is coming out & I feel like we've barely been able to inform its development. Sure, SE is taking our Forum Responses in kind but the Forum seems ineffective in comparison.


There's a lot I feel deserves Polling (or deserved):

Armoury System (Class Removal/Rework)
Au Ra (Musculature/Scaly-Face Option?)
Cash Shop (Metallic Dyes)
Card Game (TT Changes/New Rules)
Companion System (Path Companions?)
Dueling
Difficulty Levels (Ex Dungeons/Savage 24-Man's?)
Eternal Bond (Tier System)
Glamours (Job Restriction)
Hunts
PVP (GC Restriction)
Raid Lockout
Raid Loot Distribution (Tokens?)
Summoner (Egi's/Redesign?)
True RNG (Atma/Melding)

The parenthetical, beyond general examples, do represent a few of my personal wants... just to be clear. That's the point though, FFXIV 2.0 has had it's ups & downs (e.g. +WoD, -Pre-Nerf Atma), SE could've been informed better of many potential "ups" & "downs" in order to be more preventative or give us a generally better experience overall.


I just feel... the Forums don't cut it a lot of the time or things like Atma would've been changed sooner or Hunts would've been redesigned/removed by now.

Heavensward, right now, is sort of a shot in the dark. I would've liked SE to get more important about Au Ra customization "wants" or changes to Triple Triad from us but I'm trusting them for the time being (Combo/Elemental Rules conspicuously absent...).

They even stated that Heavensward will introduce Normal & Hard Difficulty Raiding Tiers which' great (a welcome change IMHO) but there's been zero response regarding End Game Dungeon Difficulty-Tiers (Ex Dungeons please!) or Midcore Content requests in general. For which there have been numerous threads across 2.x (well beyond my own).

Ranting now, but I just wonder if there are instances where the team doesn't have an fair guage on what the player base, as a whole, wants (I mean that generally wondering, not that SE isn't doing their part or trying to know; they're wonderful)! To illustrate, they could have been more preemptive about Atma/Hunts had we been Polled or there exist a Test Realm only for certain contents. You know? For that, I think Polling could go a long way.

Also, much of the 'meat' of what we're known to be getting for 3.0 are things the 1.0 crowd asked for (Job/Race Polls). Not that the 2.x aren't also getting what they have asked for, that's not my point.

That's amazing SE is giving the 1.0 players the game they deserved & giving them justice... I think they've earned it. At the same time, however, that's what 2.x should have been about in a lot ways (imo). 3.0~ comprises many dedicated 1.x AND 2.x players. Again, not to imply 2.x players aren't also getting what they want; it just seems that the 1.x generation is the only group that's been asked.

Not a complaint or me trying to act like a "special snowflake", simply an observation which I think has merit & should hold weight. A lot of 2.0~ was dedicated to rebuilding Eorzea so it makes since that now the time has come around for 1.0 players to get what they'd asked for so many years ago (ISHGARD/MACHINIST BABY).

I just worry the life of the expansion is going to flash before our eyes & then new features will come in which we, "the Modern Era" (1.x & 2.x generations combined) weren't afforded the opportunity to voice our desires & be heard. Sure, the Forums count, but I think there's many instances where the players feel unheard with regards to Forum Feedback/Representation.


So, ultimately, all I'm asking is that you please Poll us again SE. Whaddaya say?!

I think it's the right course of action for future development, I think everybody would feel included, & I think the Forums by themselves just aren't doing it (just my opinion & no offense meant whatsoever to your current medium of player feedback).

Polls would do us all great justice IMHO!

DISCLAIMER:

Some of my readers may not think a number of my examples *count*, but please keep in mind they're merely my opinionated examples for illustrative purposes *only*.

It's Completely Okay if you disagree with them but just please don't get distracted by my personal examples; the general message is what I'm aiming at & what's legitimately important!

The trouble with polls is that, unlike those earlier ones, they're reaching a MUCH different segment of the audience nowadays. Prior to the rollout of 2.0, those who were playing FFXIV tended to be those who were invested in the community and the progress of the game. Nowadays, since the audience has expanded so much, forum posters make up a vocal minority and are not a good source poll data to base game design decisions on, both for business and PR reasons.

Polls would be easy, yeah, but they could actually be a hindrance to the design process. The most problematic thing about them would be that, if a particular opinion came out ahead, it would become expected to be implemented. Say it weren't, because later on some concerns were factored in that brought to light too many negatives in the long run. It'd create a feeling of ill will amongst players who feel as if their feedback was being flagrantly ignored and disrespected, regardless of reasons given not to act upon it.

As things stand, the forums are already a good source of this kind of feedback just by the direction that discussions take. There's a lot of white noise to sift through, but that's something that community reps and design team members can be safely tasked with dealing with. Opinions can be noted and may even factor in to game changes down the road, without the awkward obligation to explain why or why not something that seemed overwhelmingly in favor, as a poll would show, has determined the direction of things.

Frankly, the people that frequent the forums probably ARE the people that are most interested in the developing progression of the game and future content. The forums only see a very small number of players actually posting prolifically and probably only a slightly larger number of people who just lurk, read and hit like who would also participate in a poll. SE also didn't follow the last poll perfectly either, all polls are just used as guidelines, some things will not be changed and they can say that, a poll would be for things that they would actually consider doing, because frankly if they actually added more in race customization options for ALL races, it would be pretty cool, and if they were willing to do that, they can poll what people would like to see (Maybe the option furrier Miqo'te as well as scalier Au Ra?)

The main issue would be, if SE polls for it, they would also be saying they are willing to make changes to it and whether that is something they want to allocate manpower to or not.

Frankly I don't see a poll making much of an impact if done right before an expansion hits. However after that? Sure.

They could make a quest to do an in-game poll with a reward (Like a pet or a unique helmet or jacket for glamor, or maybe even an achievement) for completing it. Give something to people and I'll betcha people will do it. :P

I support this 100%

From FFXIV 1.0 to FFXIV 1.23+ the game was ABSOLUTELY changed amazingly and did extreme wonders.

While 2.0-2.25 is fun also it certainly isnt any 1.23.

We are in need of a desperate change akin to what happened with 1.23.

I have like 10 1.0 players on my friendslist that still log in out of nearly 100 people.

The player retention rate for 2.25+/- so far is horrendous.

Please Yoshida fix Final Fantasy XIV again. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Daniolaut

I support this 100%

From FFXIV 1.0 to FFXIV 1.23+ the game was ABSOLUTELY changed amazingly and did extreme wonders.

While 2.0-2.25 is fun also it certainly isnt any 1.23.

We are in need of a desperate change akin to what happened with 1.23.

I have like 10 1.0 players on my friendslist that still log in out of nearly 100 people.

The player retention rate for 2.25+/- so far is horrendous.

Please Yoshida fix Final Fantasy XIV again. Thanks.

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Hm. It doesn't need FIXING. There's nothing really WRONG with it. It does need to get tweaked a bit.

I was just having this conversation with my roommate earlier today, actually. As far as MMO's go, WoW is obviously the biggest and it's the game that Yoshi said he wants to emulate. That's all well and good, but there have been a lot of unsuccessful MMO's out there over the years, and most of them have tried to follow in WoW's footsteps in order to be "The WoW Killer". The problem with this is that none of them have been different/unique enough to pull it off. Ultimately every MMO is plagued with the same few problems.

FFXIV has been different enough from WoW to keep it fun and interesting, but it's not unique enough to make it really something special. That's where the dev team will want to focus. Keeping the same level of enjoyable gameplay while moving tried and tired systems from WoW-like to something unique.

But what do I know, I'm just a schlub who sits at my computer and plays video games all day. :P

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Originally Posted by Silversnow

Frankly I don't see a poll making much of an impact if done right before an expansion hits. However after that? Sure.

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If a poll MUST happen, this is probably the best way to go about it. Seeking reactive opinions on already-released content rather than seeking suggestions for upcoming content is probably more long-term useful when setting up design goals. It also creates a super easy way to connect when unveiling plans: "We asked you guys about what we did here and you said this, so we're doing this thing now and here's how we're factoring in your feedback."

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Originally Posted by Daniolaut

The player retention rate for 2.25+/- so far is horrendous.

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It's still much much better than the retention of 1.0-1.whatever. Still getting "reserving instance" on prime time for dungeons, with a full party.

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Originally Posted by Daniolaut

While 2.0-2.25 is fun also it certainly isnt any 1.23.

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1.23 was soooo good and popular they kept it going, oh wait, no they didn't ^_^

Problem with vast majority of players is they don't know what they want. Even if something gets implemented that they wanted, many times the same players complain because it was added. Players see whats good for them, balance be damned, other players opinions also. Game designers have to look at the complete picture, not just the biased opinion of a couple of players throwing a tantrum on the forums because whatever.

2.0 is profitable, 1.x wasn't, hence the new game and relaunch. 2.0 will never be 1.whatever for that exact same reason. Who would be stupid enough to turn a profitable game back into a train wreck that was 1.xx? Numbers speak louder than words, and numbers screamed that 1.x needed to be put out of it's misery.

Also, as an earlier poster said, adding a poll for stuff in Heavensward is waaay to late in the development cycle, 12 monthsish ago, probably.

Yes, I miss the old Yoshida, the one who'd care about what the playerbase thinks and how we feel about their plans. I've felt a detachment growing more and more constant as time after launch passed, with so many things that the community had a voice on but where basically ignored (housing comes to mind). I'd really like to feel like my opinin is being taken into account again, just like back in the 1.0 days.

No, please no.

Forum communities are the WORST place to go for creative influence. Especially gaming communities.

Remember the life threatening debacle that was the cash shop threads?

No thank you, don't need none of that again.

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

Yes, I miss the old Yoshida, the one who'd care about what the playerbase thinks and how we feel about their plans. I've felt a detachment growing more and more constant as time after launch passed, with so many things that the community had a voice on but where basically ignored (housing comes to mind). I'd really like to feel like my opinin is being taken into account again, just like back in the 1.0 days.

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I think they were loco to even ask us in the first place, while some players have good input a great deal of them throw out wacky idea with no consideration to the overall balance and flow of the game and rarely take into account ensuring that new players are not left out in the cold as far as progressing towards endgame content.

Would be interesting if they could combine it with the other collected data to group players of like minds together and how they feel about the game, then work the data from that stand point.

Using the launcher would probably be the easiest means to encourage and notify people of a poll, after logging in before it goes to the client - to keep work to a minimum, a cute reward would probably be good and unfortunately you might need to consider a reward structure if polling frequently or on small questions like some big companies have started ("how did you like this quest, rate x,y,z additional comments?"). Data is interesting though, even if you dont respond exactly to it for whatever reasons.

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Originally Posted by Stihllodeing

No, please no.

Forum communities are the WORST place to go for creative influence. Especially gaming communities.

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The polls weren't on the forums. They were prompted on the client upon launching the game. The forum community is just a minority of the playerbase, so they put the polls in the client to reach for every player.