What’s your FFXIV Hot Take?

Per the title,

What is your FFXIV hot take that you know people hate / disagree with, but is a hill you’d die on?

More side content should be mandatory so side characters can be added to the main story in a more streamlined fashion and the events of the side story will feel like they actually matter. Aside from Alliance Raids most old content is easily unsyncable with only a few people and can be easily cleared.

I have SEVERAL:

1. Gear recolors are ridiculous in a game with a dye system and make the art team look lazy.
2. SE should aggressively go after all modders, yes even the cosmetic ones.
3. If I have to join a random discord to do content that content is bad and should be overhauled.
4. Ultimate weapons are ugly and gaudy as hell. Complete eyesores.

All content should be Zodiark Extreme difficulty.

All dungeons should be like Pilgrim's Traverse 91-100.

Field Operations should take the majority of their inspiration from Eureka Pagos.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

All content should be Zodiark Extreme difficulty.

All dungeons should be like Pilgrim's Traverse 91-100.

Field Operations should take the majority of their inspiration from Eureka Pagos.

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Assuming that's "all normal content" for Zodiark.... agree on all counts, actually.

1. Outside of "instance prog" Forked Tower was fine.
2. MSQ should be optional. Especially given the fact that it does a poor job teaching people how to play their job anyway.
3. Tomestone is amazing.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

All dungeons should be like Pilgrim's Traverse 91-100.

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One of my favorite MMOs had open world enemies that, while they weren't quite that difficult, were ALWAYS at least a minor threat no matter how well-geared and how far into the game you were, and meeting some of them for the first time was absolutely memorable in how badly they'd tear players apart if they weren't very careful in how they engaged them. It made it feel really good when I figured out how to deal with them, and when I could come back much later on and kill those enemies easily.

It also had surprisingly difficult trash mobs in dungeons, so much so that one set in particular got nicknamed Boss 1.5 because that set could easily one-shot tanks that weren't paying attention.

I really miss that game.

I love White Mage and find nothing wrong with it.

Machinist should do black mage numbers because selfish jobs should be balanced around eachother not supports like bard or red mage that share a role. Also auto crossbow should reset double check and checkmate.

Limited jobs should get more resources allocated than half the slop they've shoved out these two past expansions. Open world content for blue and beast should go beyond fate nuking. Beast master should double as a gatherer who can shear, milk or slaughter mobs for guaranteed drops.

We need more dulia chai and chai nuzz. Swimsuit dulia would be a nice bonus for those who like em big.

Carighan should be hired to do job design for dark knight.

The gear system needs to be completely trashed and replaced with new gear with unique stats, abilities and bonuses.
Also, Materia should either be removed or replaced with a more interesting system.

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Originally Posted by Reginald_Cain

Machinist should do black mage numbers because selfish jobs should be balanced around eachother not supports like bard or red mage that share a role. Also auto crossbow should reset double check and checkmate

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Absolutely not a hot take. Just factual statement tbh


People who unironically say "let them fight" and "at least we came 2nd" should be banned and Square should absolutely punish all people who queue into PVP to not PVP.

1. I love revamped BLM, and it's my 2nd fav job next to PCT so it was the right move by SE.

2. Players who come to resent FFXIV or hate logging in just for resetting the demo for houses should stop and be free from the game instead of paying $13 a month for like the last 3-6 years for a MMO they don't care about and put the money towards lunch or anything else.

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Originally Posted by CCheshire

1. I love revamped BLM, and it's my 2nd fav job next to PCT so it was the right move by SE.

2. Players who come to resent FFXIV or hate logging in just for resetting the demo for houses should stop and be free from the game instead of paying $13 a month for like the last 3-6 years for a MMO they don't care about and put the money towards lunch or anything else.

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I agree with both, I think a lot of people don't realize that they are extremely burnt out and they should just cut the cord and be free for awhile, bonus points if they show the lunch they buy.

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Originally Posted by LanceSummers

The gear system needs to be completely trashed and replaced with new gear with unique stats, abilities and bonuses.
Also, Materia should either be removed or replaced with a more interesting system.

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I don't think this is even a hot take. I've never met a single person who likes the boring as hell "number go up" gearing we currently have. It adds virtually nothing to the gameplay experience.

When the author temporarily removes 100 IQ points from a character for a super cheap laugh, it's not comic relief - it's just embarassing.

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Originally Posted by Selsix

I don't think this is even a hot take. I've never met a single person who likes the boring as hell "number go up" gearing we currently have. It adds virtually nothing to the gameplay experience.

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Hi, my name is Hammy and I like seeing my number go up. Nice to meet you. However, you aren't wrong in some respects and this isn't a hot take, gearing does need a change and gearing alt jobs with better gear quicker needs to happen. With a game that pushes the "play every job on the same character" narrative we need to be able to gear everything faster if we want. I think they did a decent job with that with the CODCAR gear, but that content faced it's own backlash because of body checks and other factors, so a nice balance needs to be struck between difficulty, time spent, and rewards.

Casual players shouldn't be treated like an afterthought and then blamed for all the game's problems.

1. Blu and Bst should have been single player mode for this game. Blu could have been caster version, bst should have been a range version (having the beast tank for them), and they could have introduce a Noctis style class for physical (channeling weapons like whm cane for healing). They can be adjusted to be more challenging but can be a great alternative for people who wish to play solo or who don't play during peak hours (overnight workers, etc).

2. Instead of changing dungeons to fit trusts, they should have just created an alternative route for them, reusing assets. This could be shorter, more story driven but have less rewards/gear to compensate (ex: you can only get the starbird mount if you run it with a party to incentivize running it in multiplayer)

There should be more exclusive content and dialogue options based on character creator choices, starting city, and Grand Company.
Places that other races (besides lalafell) can only access. Shrines to each of the Twelve that can only be accessed by those who chose them as their Guardian. Optional sidequests only given to you in your starter city. Acknowledgement that you are FROM that city. Expanding the shop for Grand Company items and gear. Maybe choice-locked NPCs that can be added to Trusts, or Grand Company Squadrons. (And also bringing Squadrons back and expanding on that).

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Originally Posted by HammAndCheese

Hi, my name is Hammy and I like seeing my number go up. Nice to meet you.

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Nice to meet you as well. Don't get me wrong though I'm not saying NOBODY likes the "number go up" style of gearing (sweeping statements are silly), just that if anything liking it is the hot take here since popular opinion in my experience is that it's not an interesting or fun method of gearing.

I've played this game for many many years and the amount of players I've spoken to who lament we don't have fun gear effects like proc chances, usable abilities, set bonuses, armor penetration, life steal, etc etc... is quite high. Most players from my POV crave complexity in builds the game is sorely missing. That being said, I'm just one dude and while I've been playing since open beta my sample size is logically still quite small compared to the overall population so who knows maybe I'm off base.

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Originally Posted by ChrysOCE

Absolutely not a hot take. Just factual statement tbh


People who unironically say "let them fight" and "at least we came 2nd" should be banned and Square should absolutely punish all people who queue into PVP to not PVP.

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Sir they're asking for hot takes, not the truth.

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Originally Posted by Selsix

Nice to meet you as well. Don't get me wrong though I'm not saying NOBODY likes the "number go up" style of gearing (sweeping statements are silly), just that if anything liking it is the hot take here since popular opinion in my experience is that it's not an interesting or fun method of gearing.

I've played this game for many many years and the amount of players I've spoken to who lament we don't have fun gear effects like proc chances, usable abilities, set bonuses, armor penetration, life steal, etc etc... is quite high. Most players from my POV crave complexity in builds the game is sorely missing. That being said, I'm just one dude and while I've been playing since open beta my sample size is logically still quite small compared to the overall population so who knows maybe I'm off base.

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I do agree with you though, I would like to see "more" implemented in some shape or form, I like variety, when everything feels the same its less fun.

Tome system should be unlimited, savage and ultimate should not have lockouts, SSS should be way more difficult to clear and actually do mechanics

The content-first approach where they'd much rather adjust jobs before adjusting fights for balance is an inherently flawed one since current content only lasts for a patch or two, while changes to jobs will persist and will be felt in every content from top to bottom.

SE needs to implement their own version of a DPS Meter.
When casual players realize how low their numbers are compared to other players, they will realize that they are actually not good at the game and hopefully spent more time learning their job.

Probably have a bunch that I've forgotten, but for now this is probably the most relevant.

Losing in Frontlines should only award 1 Irregular Tomestone, not 3.

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Originally Posted by 0blivion

Assuming that's "all normal content" for Zodiark.... agree on all counts, actually.

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All content.

Story content, such as dungeons, are too ridiculously easy.

Things like Savage, while I can do them, are unnecessarily more difficult in an attempt to appease the "it's easy" crowd that existed even in Heavensward and are never satisfied. There are players that will say Ultimates are too easy as well, which is how it got to a point where they made them tough enough to break up statics and cause rampant cheating.

All I want is one simple thing:

• Tank busters to... bust you ie. require mit.
• Raid-wides to... wipe you if you don't mit.
• Auto-attacks to... hurt, otherwise what's the point?
• Healers to... need to heal.
• Enemy AoEs to kill you if you get hit by them like in Pilgrim's Traverse.
• Mechanics to not hold back to an extent that would even insult a boomer gamer ie. left-right cleaves being nerfed to just "right cleaves", despite them making random exceptions in some story trials.
• Not fearing giving players the reponsibility of placing objects, as used to be done in Heavensward and allowed for the fun of things like Weeping City.

They pretty much allow most of this in Extremes. For the most part. I don't need it to be anymore difficult than this. I'm not looking for it to be ultra difficult. I just don't want it to be sleepwalk content that is guaranteed victory.

It's like SE has the worst of all worlds. Their dungeons are guaranteed victory because even if you go through it as a tank spamming 1 AoE button in stance (unmitigated), you will clear the dungeon. You may rack up vulns and it won't matter of course.

Meanwhile, you have Savage resulting in threads where people are struggling to get the right team for weeks or months.

What if the normal versions were just... satisfying. In the first place? The intrigue of ever doing the normal version of a trial after your first time doing it for MSQ is nothing. Zilch. You have to do the Extreme version just to feel something and to need to use your job properly.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

All content.

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doesn't clear savage and/or ults

wants the ceiling to be zodiark

checks out lol

The Scions should really go, like, for good.

Zenos deserved a better arc than whatever tf he got in EW, they should bring him back if only to correct that.

Weekly reward restrictions / Tomestone Caps hinder progression and kill off the player's drive to play.
If I've the time and energy to run a content, let me run it without restricting me on the rewards.

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Originally Posted by Bryson

doesn't clear savage and/or ults

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I do clear Savage and I will do Ultimates when I get round to them, just haven't. My point is that I don't need that sort of difficulty and there is no point to it. I just want to feel something, and Extremes achieve this just fine.

I have SEVERAL hot takes, but I think I will do them one post at a time... Tanking was not made easier in Shadowbringers with the massive tank changes that nerfed off tanking enmity generation to 2.0 Warrior levels of enmity generation, add all they they did was make better idiots in the tank role... and I say that as someone is too casual for Extreme and beyond content, but too hardcore casual content...

1. None of the Scions is remotely interesting to interact with or have around. I'm just finishing Stormblood but I'm already sick of them. They all talk way too much and feel like they have the same personality.

2. ARR has some sort of important NPCs for certain quests, but the gear they wear are the ugliest pieces or rags the game has in store. For real 0 respect to their closet. They could use an update.

3. Dark skin looks absolutely terrible at night, especially in cutscenes. In a lot of them I've only seen my eyes. Speaking of this, it is clear a lot of cutscenes weren't made with night-time in mind.

4. What's with all the nodding? I should get at least more dialogue options to feel like I'm at least saying something, not agree to every single "do this 3-times chore" like I love to do it.

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Originally Posted by SyferU

SE needs to implement their own version of a DPS Meter.
When casual players realize how low their numbers are compared to other players, they will realize that they are actually not good at the game and hopefully spent more time learning their job.

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Most wouldn't though. They'd just quit.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

• Tank busters to... bust you ie. require mit.
• Raid-wides to... wipe you if you don't mit.
• Auto-attacks to... hurt, otherwise what's the point?
• Healers to... need to heal.
• Enemy AoEs to kill you if you get hit by them like in Pilgrim's Traverse.
• Mechanics to not hold back to an extent that would even insult a boomer gamer ie. left-right cleaves being nerfed to just "right cleaves", despite them making random exceptions in some story trials.
• Not fearing giving players the reponsibility of placing objects, as used to be done in Heavensward and allowed for the fun of things like Weeping City.

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Much to my surprise, I wholeheartedly agree with this list. As long as they add one other point:

• Make mechanics understandable. When I fail, make it clear, why I failed, and how I can improve to not fail in the future. When the only thing that explains a mechanic is an outside resource, that mechanic is bad and should not be in the game. If people want bizarre and absurd mechanics, add them to the harder content - but make MSQ content understandable at least.

Which is the most important part of all. As of today, Trials and Raids totally fail to deliver on that front. When I do them, I die a lot - and I basically never know to what I died. Do I learn? No. Do I improve? No. Do I care any longer? No.

Though this might sound like I'm derailing the thread, I'm pretty sure that asking for understandable mechanics in this place IS a pretty hot take indeed :)

FFXIV needs open world PvP. I should be able to fight you for no reason the moment I see you, and a respawn window should pop up that directly tells you that I did it.

Submarines need to be unlinked from houses.

DC travel should be removed.

You should be able to marry someone + have guests at your wedding from a different server. Not DC though, stay in your own DCs.

My expansion rank:
1. Endwalker. 10/10. Possibly the best video game story of all time
2. Heavensward. 9/10. Great story and characters. Adorable theme song.
3. Stormblood. 8/10. Story is simple and more grounded but other than the Ruby Sea section, it's actually not boring. Fordola and Yotsuyu starred in this expansion, showing how circumstances can turn people evil.
4. Shadowbringers. 8/10, but I put it below Stormblood. Story didn't pick up until after the second trial. Everything after that to 5.3 was great but 70-79 was kinda dull. I absolutely do not sympathize with Emet-Selch. You can't commit your own genocide to undo a genocide.
5. Dawntrail. 7/10. Obviously they had to take it down a bit after Endwalker but it's not bad at all. The overarching theme is interesting (how different cultures view death and memory). Wuk Lamat is not a bad character. If people like Zenos for being "bad for no reason other than being bad", why are they against Wuk Lamat being "good for no reason other than being good"?

A Realm Reborn itself is 7/10. It's only boring because the gameplay at lower level is extremely dull but the ARR story itself is not bad.

Flying was a mistake. Flying makes maps too easy to traverse, lowering immersion. With flying, you're far less likely to run into other players while traveling. This makes the open world feel even more dead.

But flying is convenient, so it's never going away again.

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Originally Posted by TheGrimace

Flying was a mistake. Flying makes maps too easy to traverse, lowering immersion. With flying, you're far less likely to run into other players while traveling. This makes the open world feel even more dead.

But flying is convenient, so it's never going away again.

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That's mostly because flying is implemented in the most lazy way imaginable in this game. Having flying should mean there are flying enemies, enemies with enough range to take you down even if you are flying, hazards specific to airborne players, and areas (in particular those meant for defense like every single Garlean castrum) specifically guarded against fliers via various means. All we got is … the sightseeing log.

G'raha Tia is overrated. Sorry, but he just isn't that interesting a character in my opinion. I feel he's shoehorned into MSQ content because of his popularity/how many players fawn over him... but I don't feel he really adds anything at this point (beyond being eye-candy for those who fawn over him) and you could replace him with pretty much any other Scion and get the same story point across.
Preferred him as the Crystal Exarch, personally.

Fist-clench in cutscenes has become grossly overused. Whilst seen throughout the entire MSQ I felt that it was particularly noticeable in Dawntrail, where it felt like we got a zoomed in closeup of someone (usually Wuk Lamat) dramatically clenching their fist every other cutscene. I release it's one of the writers primary tools for 'expressing emotion' in said cutscenes but they could do with scaling back on it.

And not really much of a "hot take" - but I'm absolutely sick of hearing the awful excuse of a music track 'Machinations' in cutscenes. I turn my PC's sound off when this overused ear-bleed rubbish starts playing. That relic from ARR that the devs insist on using to this day needs to burn in a fire.