The title basically explains the purpose of the post. Do note I will express frustration in some points here, because I focus a lot more on those in MMO's. I'll list the good first. For the love of the twelve go in with the mind that some points are going to be subjective, and that there will be spoilers for 6.X MSQ. I cannot comment on savage raids above a surface level because I haven't completed the savage tiers, but I did watch those along with ultimate prog. I can't really comment on Island Sanctuary beyond what I know from my sibling, because the content isn't to my taste.
The good:
The MSQ: I don't remember everything, but I do know I enjoyed 6.0 fairly well. I'm not a lore nut and I don't focus on what may or may not be a plot hole (like being able to teleport to elpis freely even after everyone's memory gets wiped except for ours. This is probably just for gameplay reasons).The music: Does this really need explaining? The music, par for the course, is fantastic. Loved it!
- My main criticisms of 6.0 is that I really didn't like the final boss's execution. I liked the fight, but I didn't like how the big bad to end of the Hydaelyn-Zodiark storyline was just thrown to us.
- My other main criticism is to stop with the fake deaths. I get it appeals to people, but after a certain point, it stops to mean anything when you can just assume or guess they are going to come back so it's meaningless to get upset about it. Looking at you Y'shtola.
Variant Dungeons: Excellent side content with reasons to go back. Glamour, emotes, etc. Whether it's profitable or you just haven't got it yet, or both. Scales with the amount of people so it's good to go in solo OR with a group. I would like to see the actions perhaps expanded upon in the future, but what we have now still feels nice when they need to be used.Hildibrand Quests: This is hit or miss depending on the person, but I personally enjoy the Hildibrand quests because of the absurdly goofy humor. (yes, somehow Hildibrand being in the ground for the nth time via X method is still funny for me). And honestly, this is the most I've enjoyed Hildibrand since I believe...the ARR quest chain? I hope we get a continuation in the next expansion!
- My only criticism of this is that you can only small pull. I can guess some reasons why this is the case, but it should at least be an option to pull 2 packs.
The meh:
Patch MSQ: The story itself feels like filler, because it is. This is why I didn't expect that much from it from the getgo because we knew this beforehand so I knew what to expect. It serves what it's supposed to be pretty well. It took a while, but I feel like Zero is growing as a character as of 6.4. I can't stay I cared for her until this point, but that was probably the point.
?Island Sanctuary?: From what I can tell, it's good content when your progressing at your own pace, but there isn't much to do with it once you're actually done getting to the max rank, and as of 6.4, decorating with the outdoor furnishings. Though that alone can vary for longevity depending on how often people redecorate it.
Normal Raids: With this current tier of normal raids being the best on by far in my opinion, they didn't really captivate me that much otherwise. They were servicable, and I'll get deeper into the encounter design topic shortly.
The Bad:
As they say, it's easier to point out flaws where they are than it is to see the positives. Unfortunately, for some of these, the negatives outweigh the positives.
Encounter Design and damage intake: The same mechanics with different cast bars and names. Nothing feels that unique anymore that makes us go "Woah! I've never seen that before!". I understand there's a limitation to the amount of different mechanics people can come up with, but it doesn't feel like there's been anything fresh in story content for a while.Normal mode difficulty: This might fall on deaf ears because the want is to appeal to as much as the casual playerbase as they can, but dear Halone it does not have to be so mind-numbingly easy. A good middle ground, I feel, was way back during Ridorana Lighthouse. Current level cap content should not be a complete cakewalk on launch to the point you can just be falling asleep at your keyboard and still complete it, especially the alliance raids. Current content doesn't need to be EX or savage level, but it needs to be harder, it just doesn't feel fulfilling to complete right now. The power creep makes this problem worse.
- The damage intake in normal mode content is too low even for first go-throughs, despite healers having a LOT of healing tools at their disposal. When you start power creeping it, it gets even more apparent. There needs to be better scaling, or something, that makes up for this. Vulnerability stacks on paper should cover this, but when you need to mess up for that to even be a negative, it does nothing to actually remedy this.
Job Design and the 2-minute meta: No, the 2-minute meta has NOT helped anything. There is no problem it actually solved. Players who do not care about it, will not conform to it. They will not press it on cooldown, they will not do it properly. They will play the job they like playing as they like, pressing abilities when they like.
- Why bother putting in dps checks that you would actively need to go out of your way to even see? Why put them in if we can just plow through it? Making it easily beaten when people are alive but grueling when people aren't doesn't make it a dps check, it makes it a body check.
Job Design itself: Who are you actually trying to cater to here? Misshapen chair put it best. https://youtu.be/1d_fMH9Lwvs
- The two minute meta actually makes it harder to conform, which may be a possible intent. However, if you die, it makes it impossible to get yourself back in unless you purposefully delay your strongest cooldowns which results in a net loss, so you are perpetually no longer able to use your abilities when everyone else uses their raidbuffs. The consequence of death should not be forever screwing you out of timed raid-buffs. This wasn't a huge problem before Endwalker, since we had raid-buffs off of the 1 and 2 minute, but now EVERYTHING lands there in that time-frame during the 2-minute burst. Which makes another problem..crit reliance and variance.
- If the good direct crits or not can be the difference between clearing or a wipe, that is an issue. Spread out, it isn't as big an issue as the reliance on them is reduced, but when the most potent of them is in one strict window every two minutes, you've basically restricted all of that dps into that one single time-frame, so it ultimately feels worse. You get stuck between feeling good because you got big hits or terrible because your most potent GCD's hit like a wet fart and you know that can be a problem later. The only solution to this if remained is to make every single big hitter ability perform a direct crit automatically, and that's inherently boring because it makes the ever growing problem of jobs beginning or already feeling far too similar, MORE similar.
I would put a timestamp but ultimately the entire video is worth watching.
The players who do not care about the rotation, will NOT care if they perform it right. No amount of simplification to any system is going to change that. The players who cry about things being too hard to optimize will not stop until that job cannot be simplified any further, leaving absolutely NOTHING for the players who enjoy some sort of complex design and choices that actually matter.
You are sacrificing job identity and removing systems the players love about jobs in the name of balance, which the 2-minute meta seemed to make harder, and will always need some form of rectification over the course of an expansion. You are making the jobs feel worse to play, and for what? You have received an insurmountable amount of feedback against the removal of Kaiten from people who enjoyed samurai with it because it added, if minor, nuance to the job. To list one thread that lists many a thread:
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...Kaiten-removal
And we in turn received nothing. What is the entire point of asking for this feedback from us if you will not respond to this feedback? Are you reading it but are just deciding to charge full ahead with your changes that some people didn't ask for to begin with?
Criterion Dungeons: Did you not see any of the feedback and suggestions provided when so many people listed that the rewards are lackluster and don't allow longevity? Not everyone is a mount farmer and Materia is a beyond lackluster reward, we already have a surplus of method to get it with hunt trains being a far superior and easier method to gain said materia. The actual dungeons in themselves seem to receive good praise, but the rewards, again, don't bring longevity or much reason to continue running it.
Relics: I like the look of a lot of the current stage's weapons. Kudos to the design team on those!
However there is the runt of the room...the acquisition method. I cannot express enough how incredibly lackluster it is that, yet again, it is still just a glorified tome weapon. I don't even dislike the fact that you can get it with tomes, I dislike the fact it is the only method of receiving the weapon. Like with some Bozja steps, you should be able to get them via another method. Otherwise, it's mostly just a side hustle while from doing your daily roulettes.
I get it, it is irritating and tiresome to see a surplus of people posting in bad faith, but those people will always jump at the opportunity too. Those people will always exist. It is an unavoidable truth that these people will post to troll. I don't know how it feels on your end, but if you can steamroll through the feedback and suggestions provided and say nothing, I'd say you can ignore those people.
I don't post this massive wall of context because I hate the dev team or the game. It seems to continue to grow with every expansion, and I want nothing but to see this game thrive, but this expansion, while it has some good things in it, gives me room for concern.
Right now, as a veteran player, it just doesn't feel like the game gives me a reason to actually keep playing it, even as someone who plays mostly solo (though I enjoy Eureka and Bozja-type content). It feels more like it doesn't want me to, frankly. Not even past my daily roulettes or weekly resets. Thats just...it. I'm not going to pay for something I'm going to spend a majority of my time talking to people is Limsa on, I can do that for free on virtually most apps and in person.
And before I get told "then just unsub and play other games", I already have. Currently enjoying Dragonflight on WoW.
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07-27-2023, 01:06 AMZairavaA detailed criticism (the good, meh and bad) of Endwalker thus far
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07-27-2023, 01:12 AMAth192Youd be shocked to find out a lot of people who post in bad faith here have done similiar posts to what youve done here and they just get berated over and over until they just make cynical snippets in support of the topics they side with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zairava
Sometimes people just weren't around back when they were you at this moment.
I agree with your criticisms. -
07-27-2023, 02:09 AMJeeqbitThe developers discussed in depth and agreed that the final boss must not be someone that we previously knew. This sentiment is common but for whatever reason the developers considered it and disagreed with you. Maybe they did not want it to be predictable. It is a bit too predictable if the last boss is the one we all expected.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zairava
This is a common sentiment but the deaths in this situation specifically were necessary to make you feel despair in a land of despair. I went into the final area feeling hopeful and excited to kill the last boss, and SE succeeded at making me at least worry and feel despair, even if I had hope they'd come back again like usual. Had they not done that, I'd have been happy and excited when I'm supposed to be feeling despair.Quote:
stop with the fake deaths
I agree, but it's mainly because they have to throw out a larger-than-life boss every single patch so that we have an extreme trial, whereas previously they distributed that into sidequests. The result is that we know exactly where it's going like we do with trial sidequests ie. we knew once we had ruby weapon that we would get emerald and diamond and I think the Four Lords in Stormblood were spoiled ahead of time.Quote:
The story itself feels like filler
It's also just not an expansion so the patch stories aren't as much of an adventure.
I'm hopeful for indoor decorating in 6.5, but I don't know if SE will do it. They should really try to find a way though. They are almost there.Quote:
as of 6.4, decorating with the outdoor furnishings. Though that alone can vary for longevity depending on how often people redecorate it.
I think that is probably it. But usually the more interesting mechanics we've never seen end up in savage, because story-only players would never manage them. They wouldn't manage to play football in P9S or High Concept in P8S, but these were pretty cool mechanics.Quote:
I understand there's a limitation to the amount of different mechanics people can come up with
Often if you do normal raids at the minimal item level, they can be really hard-hitting. There have even been soft tankswaps in normal raids which a good tank can mitigate through, it's just that once you increase your gear a little, you don't even need to worry about them.Quote:
The damage intake in normal mode content is too low even for first go-throughs
I agree that most normal content should hit harder even at minimum item level, but I think part of what you are experiencing is that content is designed for a lower item level than everyone is.
My guess is it solved a single problem for the developers which is being able to predict the maximum possible damage a party is likely to be capable of, so they can scale DPS checks to exist for players who optimize and coordinate raid buffs and those who don't evenly, by taking away the need to coordinate them. But yes, it's nice for jobs to be different and their rotation to be given the time they need to flow well.Quote:
No, the 2-minute meta has NOT helped anything. There is no problem it actually solved.
I feel like if you've met some people in this game or watched them play on youtube you would see how poor some people play. SE wants to make it intuitive. I think a really good example is how Dancers used to be able to press Flourish and overwrite all their procs. Now they are separate.Quote:
Job Design itself:Who are you actually trying to cater to here?
However that is a good point.Quote:
The players who do not care about the rotation, will NOT care if they perform it right. No amount of simplification to any system is going to change that.
It's not intended to (unless maybe you raid). It's being designed around the idea that people play a game whenever it has DLC or a patch, then stop after a few days. But at least they release some mount grinds for people who want to give themselves a reason to play more.Quote:
doesn't feel like the game gives me a reason to actually keep playing it
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07-27-2023, 02:32 AMAbsurdityJust because the devs decided that it was necessary doesn't make it good, "subverting your expectations" has become a meme for a reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeeqbit
For me it had the exact opposite effect. Because Thancred was "killed off" in such a nonchallant way right at the start of Ultima Thule I knew immediately that he wouldn't stay dead. So when Estinien "sacrificed" himself and the crew acted all shocked I just rolled my eyes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeeqbit
It didn't make me feel despair, it just made me annoyed that they thought they could get an emotional reaction from me with such cheap tricks.
Then again I also didn't go into Ultima Thule hopeful and excited to kill the last boss due to the previous point, the last boss was some nihilist bird woman that I had never even heard about until 5 hours ago. -
07-27-2023, 02:43 AMCelestiCer
https://i.ibb.co/HHMmJ70/kaiten.pnghttps://i.ibb.co/Q67vX04/X.gif https://i.ibb.co/HHMmJ70/kaiten.png
They took my " Kaiten ", s-so there D:< -
07-27-2023, 04:22 AMremiff
Personally I found the instances of endwalker 80% of the time insipid,
I didn't particularly appreciate the trials, the battle mechanics were as basic as possible and without any real charm apart from barbariccia which was different in terms of the speed of the mechanics.
The dungeons nothing changes, it's a straight line that we want to rush, and which don't involve any challenge, the difficulty is at its lowest, and that's a shame,
they can be done with your eyes closed.
Raid 8 I found the first two levels really catastrophic, especially the first,
uninspired because it is clearly a copy of the low-end castlevania universe,
and fights like that boring to do,
the last tier is the only one I like, even if it's rather easy.
Alliance raids, the story is nice and the visual atmosphere too, but besides that they are really much too easy and even if they are nice to discover for the first time,
they are very boring to reclear because mechanically are much too basic , they are the most easy/boring alliance raid series in the game.
Sanctuary Island:
Nice but much too minimalist to be interesting, the buildings are presets, the interactions with items/mobs are banal,
it's nice for the few garden items from the housing,
but in the end it takes 5 min per day to farm, quickly boring.
BLU:
Like Shadowbringer BLU, the content is much too minimalist, The Masked Carnivale has one very easy fight every expansion, and of the 20 new spells only 6 are not a copy/paste of existing spells and have a real utility.
I wonder what this content is really for apart from farming fates/memogs
it's a shame that the content of the limited jobs is as limited as the name they chose, that's why I hope they won't come out of it anymore because if they do the next limited job will be like the blue mage (visuals) but not much to do in the end.
Relic:
It's a total fraud,
Nothing more to say.
Criterion: Bad rewards, no reason to farm.
Battle system/jobs:
Homogenization/casualization, catastrophic 120s meta, no listening on the jobs changes which were perceived in a negative way by the players,
and very uninspired rework like the summoner one.
I do not hide it I did not appreciate endwalker, it is the first time in 8 years that I am drastically bored on an extension.
I found the extension extremely lean and minimalist overall,
although they have shifted the patches from 3.5 months to 4.0 months for devs rest.
We had to wait 4.4 months on average from 6.2 to 6.4 for patches with a lifespan and a quality much lower than what was already done at shadowbringer, while this extension was affected by the covid,
where did the resources go in ff16 maybe?. -
07-27-2023, 04:38 AMSieyaMThis would have worked if there was any believability to it. Once Estinien did his thing I immediately knew that this was all theatre and nothing of consequence was going to happen this entire run up to the end. There is simply no way they would allow all of these very marketable characters with plot armor that has kept them from real danger for 10 years now to eat it here. Whatever despair or tension they were attempting fell flat for me and bordered on ridiculous as I sat there watching each of them monologue themselves to death.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeeqbit
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07-27-2023, 04:44 AMTheodricIt also assumes that the player, specifically, cares for the Scions. They've long since worn thing for me and I'm not even convinced that they're that marketable - it's been the Ancients who have consistently dominated character popularity polls ever since Shadowbringers. With a few Scions managing to score rather highly, certainly, though there's very much a sense of the development team holding back instead of leaning into merchandise for 'antagonists'. Despite how popular they've proven to be across other Final Fantasy games. Even Roche got a statue made of him and the likes of Sephiroth, Rufus, Gabranth and so on have a lot of fans/merchandise.Quote:
Originally Posted by SieyaM
Then again, this is FFXIV. I've never encountered a fandom with so many players being so keen to police the likes and dislikes of players and that goes right up to the development team itself at times. -
07-27-2023, 05:04 AMJeeqbitThis was marketed as Endwalker. The end of the story arc that we'd had for the last 10 years. It actually made a lot of sense for them all to eat it here. And that is why it was half-believable. Only half. I didn't think it was very likely once a lot of them started dying, but I couldn't be certain when this was Endwalker, until Y'shtola dropped the thing about being able to summon them back half-way through.Quote:
Originally Posted by SieyaM
But at that point we had progressed through the area a lot and were supposed to be starting to feel hope, and that was to help you feel hope that they survive. -
07-27-2023, 05:57 AMAwesomeJr44
Other than the 6.0 story being absolute braindead filth, yeah this is about right.
Kaiten wasn't a good button. There, I said it. Shinten spam is dumb too, but so was Kaiten.Quote:
Originally Posted by CelestiCer
The RWBY fandom is very similar in a lot of ways when it comes to policing opinions. Both fandoms have portions of them that cancers on the rest of their fandoms.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodric
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07-27-2023, 06:10 AMangienessyo
Agreed with your points! I've also gone over to WoW along with several friends that were just tired of being bored in 14. Though I haven't cancelled my 14 sub, I'm enjoying progging TEA and playing with a blue static, but I don't do much beyond raid log. I cleared the last few raid tiers pretty early but I didn't really even clear P9S until this week because I just didn't feel motivated to do it anymore. (I only went back into savage because some friends desperately needed a caster) It's been a bummer of an expac. I think the only content I actually truly enjoyed that came out this expac was like, Barb EX and P8S.
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07-27-2023, 06:26 AMRaikai
The MSQ, like you mentioned, it was intended to be filler and idk why some people had such high expectations for it. I'd even say that is a pretty cool story for a filler and Zero is an interesting character.
Raid storyline, feels weaker than ShB, and at the same level of HW and SB, but that's probably because Eden really felt like part of the MSQ due to its importance.
Honestly, the point that I put as outright bad for EW (and ShB partially) is Job design, which of course involves the infamous 2min meta burst for all the points stated in the OP, and honestly? I can't see the team managing to deliver an exciting job design as long as this cursed thing lives. So and so that my big expectation (unrealistic for some) for 7.0 is just one job but the resources that a second job would take being used to overhaul the 2min meta. -
07-27-2023, 06:59 AMremiffUnfortunately, given how the devs ignored the negative but constructive comments about the bad changes to the battle system/balance to the endwalker jobs,Quote:
Originally Posted by Raikai
I don't think they will make any changes to the 120s meta, which is clearly not a good thing.
Even if I still hope like many players a throwback to the design of the battle system. -
07-27-2023, 07:06 AMThemarvin
You should always put the good things about about the current stuff as well instead of just showing off the bad things... it make little sense... and being able to see good in everything or at least the intend would be a big step ahead for the community, if they could reach that stage, or that stage at all.
Would be easier to get to the devs and the likes if it is more like we really like this and that part of it, BUT... why not add something else to it, at better touch... and addition to the monument that this game is, and maybe a better finish to things.
If these things is not done or looked into or even considered with critisizing everything, then you may be stuck in the same on going loop forever, of not getting additional touches added to it or worse... an entire new kind of content, where as the old content just remain hidden old and burried after a few years and worse forgotten. -
07-27-2023, 08:10 AMHeroman3003For the first point, while I do agree that Endsinger does come out a bit out of left field, I do believe that the 'true final boss' being something brand new was kinda predetermined as early as Shadowbringers main MSQ. Fighting and defeating Zodiark was inevitable, however then came reveal that Final Days are a thing, and Zodiark is what's holding it at bay. And with Endsinger being less necessarily a 'person' big bad and more 'anthropomorphized cataclysm' big bad, that's the only way I feel they could have dealt with Final Days without a rugpull on level of "Someone specific is right here on the star and was the cause of Final Days all along and Ascians never found it/dealt with it", which I imagine would have way more plot holes. So they kinda were in a corner there from the moment existence of Zodiark and Hydaelyn was made into a grey morality area, and Final Days were written as 'the true threat'. They could have potentially done longer buildup over patches/more expansions, sure, but I doubt that would have resolved the fact that Final Days (personified) would be the final boss in the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zairava
For the second point... Yeah, but also I don't feel like that's applicable to Endwalker nearly as much as it is to Stormblood/Shadowbringers, which both have had way more death baits on multiple characters. Endwalker's only significant ones were in UT, but, again, I don't know if it was anyone's experience, but I kinda knew it obviously wasn't death, and not even for meta "they wouldn't kill everyone" reasons and more for "there is a way to bring them back that was handed to me 15 minutes ago and I'm explicilty told they're still there around me, just incorporealized and dispersed" reason. So I never saw it as death and more... "putting a life on the line". Imo, it amps the stakes in even more ways because then it's up to you succeeding on whether they live or die, but that's more subjective view of the narrative. Ultimately, I do agree that several characters had great moments to die in the past (Y'shtola in SB, Y'shtola in ShB, Thancred in ShB, G'raha in ShB....), but didn't, but at the same time, for all of them as of current moment, I feel like they have done enough with characters for me to not feel like they kept them alive for no reason whatsoever, even if it took Y'shtola all the way until EW patch MSQ to actually gain personality and motivations. -
07-27-2023, 08:29 AMRaikaiI just wonder if they are really that shortsighted to think that not just about a preference thing, but that the 2min meta is extremely unhealthy for future development.Quote:
Originally Posted by remiff
I mean, any mmorpg with this kind of vertical progression system is due to face brickwalls at some point, but the 2min meta just makes that even more egregious. -
07-27-2023, 01:01 PMRufalus
A little too much just didn't land. I think Island Sanctuary has to be singled out as the biggest misfire. It could have been the defining feature of the expansion and something to keep us occupied between patches. It failed to offer any enjoyment at all and will be abandoned the moment they stop adding rewards to it.
The area that we can customize is too segmented into small chunks which are then dominated by workshops we didn't want there. So the beauty is spoiled, the customization is limited, the only activity is grinding a new type of currency that means nothing to the rest of the game and the main way to earn that currency is waiting weeks of real time for mammets to do stuff.
Main scenario failed to live up to the last decade of expectations. Garlemald, Zodiark and Hydaelyn were mishandled, disposed of hastily. It felt like more priority was given to surprising swerves than internal logic. It was followed by a patch series of FF IV cameos because they aren't finished shoehorning in FF I - VI bosses and themes yet.
Pandæmonium is fine I guess. This setting for raids just doesn't appeal to me, which is exacerbated by the patch formula spreading a single raid story across 2 years in 3 segments. The alliance raids are quite pretty at least and have one fight that isn't in a circle or square arena (rhalgr's palm).
Eureka Orthos has some interesting bosses but the main floors are too similar in both looks and content to Palace of the Dead. Variant dungeons are a nice try, still too linear and scripted though. A real lasting dungeon design would have good RNG loot like that found in treasure map portals, but in a setting we can explore. -
07-27-2023, 04:51 PMReap00
And before I get told "then just unsub and play other games", I already have. Currently enjoying Dragonflight on WoW.[/QUOTE]
All credibility lost if you support that absolutely repulsive company. -
07-27-2023, 08:21 PMZairavaExcept I did, the OP and literally in the title "(the good, meh, and bad)" is right there. Maybe read it before, y'know, announcing to everyone that you obviously didn't read it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Themarvin
Though you did remind me, I forgot to add in hildibrand in the good section, I'll add that in while I'm editing in some grammar.
Thanks for providing nothing of value.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reap00
All credibility lost if you support that absolutely repulsive company.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zairava
Ever hear of separating art from artist? WoW is the only thing Blizzard has that even remotely has my interest anyway. The product of something can be good while the artist is awful. See also: That MyPillow guy, I can't be arsed to look his name up right now since I'm just getting off work.
And y'know what? Going through the Dragon Isles that the very likely underpaid and overworked staff has been thrilling for me thus far. Leveling, questing, and Dragonriding has been a blast. I don't care that much a deep story in MMO's, the fact that XIV has a good one compared to the rest is one of its strong suits.
So I will continue to appreciate the hard work those people put in to making this expansion miles better for me than *gags* Shadowlands thus far. They deserve to see their work appreciated in a company where they otherwise may feel nothing but dread.
If I'm not playing that it's either Elden Ring or one of those souls games, or bloodborne, Resident Evil (seriously, if you haven't played them I HIGHLY recommend the RE2 and 4 remakes.), Devil May Cry, or other Final Fantasy games. Occasionally I hop on my Nintendo Switch because I get the drive to do some Mariokart.
If that's all you had to say, despite providing a well constructed and thought out critique of the expansion so far for you to begin a discussion with, then you probably just shouldn't have said anything at all, because honestly it was barely worth entertaining you to begin with. I'm discussing game(s) and [their] design here, not issues within the company.
I could be wrong here, but didn't we find out Zodiark was holding it at bay AFTER we already defeated him? I can't say I have any better methods of executing the story and I'm not about to write a "what if" or an entire rewrite of an entire expansion's story, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Heroman3003
I was speaking more generally with the whole death bait bit, because the first couple times it felt fine (late-post ARR into Heavensward, Y'shtola in Stormblood), but it started to feel kinda obnoxious after Thancred somehow survived in Amh Araeng and Y'shtola in the Rak'tika Greatwood. I just feel like it has far overstayed it's welcome, but as always people are free to feel however they do towards these events. Though, again, I didn't feel the "despair" we were supposed to feel during Ultima Thule, because I knew they would come back, they weren't just going to off all of the scions at once. It just wasn't there for me.
I actually forgot to mention this, it also heavily restricts how you can build the job as well. We could do more with varied cooldown timers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raikai
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07-27-2023, 09:41 PMAldath
I'll drop my impressions so far as a sprout, it might not hold the same weight as a Veteran but here I go anyways.
I know most of your concerns are coming from someone who has already "burnt out" from all the game seems to have to offer, but I can see where you're coming from, and one of the things that worry me the most is the balancing in the overall difficulty of this game.
I come from one of the most mind numbingly casual MMOs there is: Guild Wars 2. Endgame in GW2 is mostly cash-shop/social based, with a few instanced content in between; most of the activities that reward something are pretty much scheduled open world Alliance Raids where mechanics mean even less than in Crystal Tower because of the sheer number of players allowed per open world area.
Why is this important? Because somehow, GW2, being as ultra casual as it is, still has instanced content that requires more brain activity. I was very excited to begin playing FFXIV because of the trials and raids, it was one of the things that drew me in, the fact that I could raid less hard versions of Savage content and do Extreme trials. I'm currently on HW and my God, dungeons honestly feel harder than Trials and Raids and I was even more dissapointed to know Extreme content out of current expansion is all but forgotten and doesn't even features in daily roulette. By the time I make it to Endwalker, the Extremes will be pretty dead as well.
As I said, I wasn't really looking for Savage stuff at the moment because I'm still learning the game and the jump in complexity from Extreme to Savage seems like hopping from the Earth to the Moon, but there just seems that there's no "in between". Yes, you still need to know the mechanics of some trials and dungeons to avoid whipes, and no, I'm not saying you NEED to whipe for stuff to be interesting, but I feel the knowledge I gather for the encounters means nothing when there's only two sprouts in the group and everything dies in 5 minutes anyways.
And then I also learnt that some of the bosses, like Neo Exdeath and God Kefka, are Savage Exclusives. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't because either you look for a Discord to try and get people to do them, or sigh in party finder because it seems the only way people is willing to join is unsynced runs.
I remember how hyped I was for the Titan fight because of the amazing soundtrack, and then this thing just changes phases in the blink of an eye and drops dead when Under the Weight is halfway through, and mind you, I did the first encounter with NPCs, playing as a Scholar...
Not to mention, besides the roulette rewards, there seems to be no incentive for casuals to try and do normal Raids and Trials. I'm not asking for normal content to become a whipe fest not to make it closer to hardcore stuff, but there's currently no bridge.
I'm gonna continue having fun with the game for the time being, but I can see how it might disencourage me to keep going. -
07-27-2023, 09:50 PMAword3213
finally a post which meets the criteria of constructive criticism
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07-27-2023, 10:06 PMDPZ2And yet ... people who enjoy the Scions appear to be denigrated by those who do not. Almost as though those players who dislike something want to police those with the opposite view ... including the storyline development team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodric
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07-27-2023, 10:10 PMTheodricFrom what I've seen, that largely happens in response to years of anyone liking the antagonists being treated with utter disdain, including receiving death threats. Particularly where the Garleans and Ascians are concerned.Quote:
Originally Posted by DPZ2
I'm not really sure who you're referring to, exactly, since I rarely see anyone 'attacking' the Scions and if they have tired of them, it's often due to desiring more variety in terms of the characters on offer to suit a broader variety of tastes. -
07-27-2023, 10:31 PMDPZ2I'm not sure who you're referring to, since I've never seen death threats while reading these forums. Then again, I haven't read the forums at length in years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodric
Those poor Garleans and Ascians, molded into adversaries who the authors imply we should consider as "bad" ... how dare someone telling a story utilize those tropes! Story bad! Must write Fanfiction to correct story! Developers bad because they wrote that story in the manner they chose!
Those kind of things I have read in these forums. Don't agree with them, but players can certainly think that way, and speak about it. It's when they assert that we agree with them that it becomes problematic. -
07-27-2023, 10:38 PMIvtrixAll credibility lost if you support that absolutely repulsive company.[/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by Reap00
It’s the direct competitor to this game and if you arnt paying damn close attention you’re foolish -
07-27-2023, 10:45 PMTheodricThen I must confess, I'm not certain why you even quoted me in regards to the Scions being 'denigrated'. I can't quite parse whatever the rest of your post is referring to, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by DPZ2
I'm not sure what the 'fanfiction' you're referring to is, either. Could you elaborate? -
07-27-2023, 10:48 PMDPZ2Don't you dare tell me you entirely missed the "Garlean" rewrite for Endwalker.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodric
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07-27-2023, 10:57 PMTheodricOh, that.Quote:
Originally Posted by DPZ2
It always felt like a rather forced controversy to me. As a roleplayer, I can't say I'm overly concerned by the idea of individuals imagining how aspects of the story could have been handled differently. Personally I was rather looking forward to a potential Garlemald focused expansion. Alas, it was not to be - though at least FFXVI sated that desire somewhat by giving us one of the most compelling characters tied to a fictional empire to date in the form of Dion.
I thought you were referring to the video in this thread given the 'what if' premise:
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...New-Vid-Out%21