Casual players leaving for frustration or hardcore players leaving from boredom.

[Tiggy]

I would describe myself as that.
However the reason why I am logging in less and less each month is because I feel left behind when faced with other player's arrogance. In XI, and initally at the beginning of this game too, there were enough players who just logged in to chat and make friends meaning they were available to help. Not counting of course that we usually had to pay a reward for a raise back in XI :P. This time round, perhaps since November, I've not enjoyed my encounters with random players because they would not talk, would not explain upcoming events in dungeons, or even blatantly just do their own thing. I have tried several FCs all of whom have not said a word from log in to log out - despite my requirement before joining are a) social and b ) voice app used.
The jist of what i'm getting at here is a lack of the social element I expect from online games.

I can understand this frustration. If I didn't have my community I may have stopped playing long ago to play some other games I was interested in. My FC has a mumble server and around 60-80 active members of which many idle on mumble throughout the week and I count myself lucky to have a solid home in game. It's definitely tough to find a good community since not all are created equal, but don't give up trying. Lastly, You're more than welcome to come to Balmung and join us.

[Derceto]

This game isn't dying it's just that the MMORG genre has plateaued. Over 1.8 million subs isn't dying

1.8 million "subs"? No. 1.8 million "players" does not mean 1.8 million "subscriptions". Nothing more than positive shameless publicity by SE, since nobody else will praise the game for them. This game "is" dying. Sales have dropped like an anchor and that glorious "1.8 million" number hasn't changed in months. People need to just face it. With new MMO's on the horizon, and a new outdoor season on the horizon in Spring, I'm sure more subscriptions will be cancelled to further plummet this game. If there was ever a time for this game to capitalize, it was winter, when a good portion of people are indoors. Anyone who may think the PS4 will bring in this tidal wave of new players should remember, a portion of people already have the PS4 version, in having the PS3 version. Free upgrade and all that.

[Vladislav]

Has anyone at SE even thought about the ratio of these two comparatively? Is the player base leaving because of frustration if difficult content ( which would doubtfully have much longevity to begin with) worth the portion of players who under different circumstances would be lasting customers, leaving because of lack of endgame content/too much faceroll? Or is SE really just planning on this to be a 2 year project which they'll drop eventually?

I noticed last weeks some my friends deleted chars , also LS's i have 99% of time empty now D;
my pow in this situation is :
Casual leaving because : Coil/Ex too hard to win -->no other content to finish , cause all other is too easy and already done--> get bored
Medicore leaving because : Coil T5 hard/Ex done with hard+nerves--> content finished ( maybe even all jobs 50)--> get bored
Hardcore leaving because : All content done/too easy--> not interested in easy content at all--> get bored
----------------------------------------------
So conclusion is Bored . This happening because atm is lack of content + some content designed casual unfriendly , i think those who not deleted chars yet will back @ 2.2 for sure

[Tiggy]

1.8 million "subs"? No. 1.8 million "players" does not mean 1.8 million "subscriptions". Nothing more than positive shameless publicity by SE, since nobody else will praise the game for them. This game "is" dying. Sales have dropped like an anchor and that glorious "1.8 million" number hasn't changed in months. People need to just face it. With new MMO's on the horizon, and a new outdoor season on the horizon in Spring, I'm sure more subscriptions will be cancelled to further plummet this game. If there was ever a time for this game to capitalize, it was winter, when a good portion of people are indoors. Anyone who may think the PS4 will bring in this tidal wave of new players should remember, a portion of people already have the PS4 version, in having the PS3 version. Free upgrade and all that.

Please do try to explain all the new players due to the game being offered now on steam and how those factor into your dying game scenario.

[Derceto]

Please do try to explain all the new players due to the game being offered now on steam and how those factor into your dying game scenario.

Ya, because we all saw the articles of what a blockbuster ARR was on steam. Forgot about that. The quiet slipstream of a miniscule amount of steam sales, compared to the mass exodus over the past 5 months makes it irrelevant. You can release the game on as many systems as you like. They don't incite explosions of new sales. Steam was nothing more than a ripple in the ocean of sales. I'd think the opening of the Steam sale at 50% off may be an indication of the health of their sales. SE is desperate for "subscriptions" at the moment, not selling more copies at 50% off.

Edit: Want to add that I dislike even having to say these things about a franchise I grew up with. I have been with FF since FF VI (FF III in NA). I'm simply calling it as I see. I am not biased and blindly defend things that are flawed.
SquareEnix is "not" Squaresoft. Sadly, on top of that, it's nothing more than a name now either, as the majority of people who "made" FF are long since gone. I still hope SE may find their stride and save this game, but this is strike 2 with alot of people. Not many games get a strike 3, especially these days.

[Kaaylryn]

Can someone really explain Hardcore or Casual to me? I guess I am at a loss since the descriptions vary so much.

Hardcore equals what? Playing 4 or more hours per day every day? Able to beat hardest content in one or two weeks due to extraordinary eye/hand coordination or ability to memorize quickly? Ability to get best gear effortlessly? Ability to grind endlessly for multiple hours without committing seppuku? Staying with a game? Hopping to a new game when they have beaten the game? Wanting content so hard that no one can beat it but it is one heck of a challenge? Being an elitist jerk or player extraordinaire?

Casual equals what? Playing 3 or less days a week? Unable to beat hardest content after multiple weeks of trying? Able to get best gear by grinding tomes but can't beat EX Primals or Twin or even T1-T4? Inability to grind for multiple hours because it would make them commit seppuku? Staying with a game or not? Hopping to new game because they cannot beat current game? Wanting content so easy that anyone can beat it and provides no challenge? Not being an elitist jerk or simply just a "bad"?

Please enlighten me so I too can understand the animosity between the two camps.

[Tiggy]

Ya, because we all saw the articles of what a blockbuster ARR was on steam. Forgot about that. The quiet slipstream of a miniscule amount of steam sales, compared to the mass exodus over the past 5 months makes it irrelevant. You can release the game on as many systems as you like. They don't incite explosions of new sales. Steam was nothing more than a ripple in the ocean of sales. I'd think the opening of the Steam sale at 50% off may be an indication of the health of their sales. SE is desperate for "subscriptions" at the moment, not selling more copies at 50% off.

Talking with facts you don't have there sir. You don't have any idea how many were sold from steam, how many players are leaving, or honestly any numbers at all. None what-so-ever. Sure I don't either, but at least I have seen posts from new players asking for help on various FFXIV forums online in the past weeks. There were new players despite the fact you seem to wish to play that obvious fact down. Saying the game is desperate for subscriptions is also a silly assertion. Any p2p mmo lives off subs, and that much is obvious to everyone here. The actual sale price of the game is negligible. The real money comes from players who stick around for months after the purchase, and that is the primary business strategy in all cases regardless if the game is succeeding or failing. Pointing out that the game was on sale doesn't prove or disprove anything but that simple obvious truth about the p2p business model.

[Acala]

Please do try to explain all the new players due to the game being offered now on steam and how those factor into your dying game scenario.

Also, what Derceto forgot to mention was the public outcry for a refund for FFXIV on steam because it was not listed as a subscription game.

[Tiggy]

Also, what Derceto forgot to mention was the public outcry for a refund for FFXIV on steam because it was not listed as a subscription game.

Honestly, that was just a dumb mistake on whomever part it was to list the game on steam, and naturally that will cause issues and outcry. However, that has nothing to do with the actual quality or experience within the game which is what this thread is actually about.

[Acala]

Honestly, that was just a dumb mistake on whomever part it was to list the game on steam, and naturally that will cause issues and outcry. However, that has nothing to do with the actual quality or experience within the game which is what this thread is actually about.

Tiggy... a massively incorrect sub amount into this thread and ppl were correcting it. And the point of this thread has been beat to death many times over. Simply one fight does not make this game a hard game so its easy and casual player feel like since they are paying they should be able to down all content. They can not, so quit they quit. To make that statement even more relevant, casual players generally want a much larger social experience, where as your more hardcore have there general group of peers. If ppl quit faster then they join its going to make that socializing that much more stale and accelerate the process.

Oh, and to the ppl that dont enjoy duty finder things where other dont talk.

In FFXIV ARR we have the Duty Finder so you’ll be able to form a party quickly. When going through contents it doesn’t require much communication so you don’t need to plan ahead, you can play as if other players were NPC’s.

Thats a quote from Yoshi-p from 2014-02-20 Famitsu Interview

Edit: Sorry tiggy it wasnt you lol.