Quote Originally Posted by Moth View Post
Really... how is this thread helpful AT ALL in the sharing of ideas to help FFXIV grow and change in a positive way?...
Because one could argue that SE is just pushing out everything they can and slapping the brand name of FF on it and forcing people to enjoy it. However part of me thinks that they've lost touch with their base (hence the polls) and I think it's been that way for awhile. So if they want to get this game to a point where people will pay every month, they need to reestablish that connection. If they don't, their brand will start losing value and FF/SE will become something that most people with common sense will want to avoid.

Personally I think this goes back to before the merger that SE (then square) started losing touch. Take the FF:SW movie. They blew all of their cash on a movie that looked nice but didn't really appeal to FF fans or movie goers in general. It flopped. Or there's FF:U. Again it was something that had names and themes slapped on it so it would sound like an FF, but it lacked something. Plus SE had to cut it short as they lost all that money on the movie.

Somewhere around then the merger came. So in my observations, FF14's current problems are more a result of a decade or so of losing touch. FF11 was pretty much an EQ clone. I've heard people say that a number of people who were originally responsible for FF14 hadn't even played an MMO before yet they were given the reigns of one. Let's assume that's true for the sake of the argument. How do you honestly expect to create a successful MMO if you don't even know what an MMO is like, never played one, and don't know what kind of features the player base wants/needs?

So if my opinions are correct, it'll be difficult to impossible to fix FF14 unless the current producer has the right corporate culture supporting him. Failures like the FF14 release don't happen in a vacuum. If the fans feel like SE is just a money grabbing business who don't produce quality products anymore (and there's more to quality than cool graphics or a great guy doing music) there's nothing that can be done to turn FF14 around. I don't think you can fix the game unless you fix the company that made the game and this goes a little deeper than hiring a new producer (I've got no complaints about him though). If the company gives that producer too many roadblocks, nothing can be done to fix the game... he won't have the tools he needs to use for the game.



Gameplay
Story/Plot
Character Development (not leveling, the story/plot kind)
And for MMOs content/things to do/or a genuine sandbox if you're going that route

These things are what this fan at least feels is important for a JRPG and an MMO with the FF name on it to have. FF14 doesn't exactly score high on any of those. MMOs should be more than just something you log into for 3 hours to kill things/craft for little to no purpose. I can kill things and craft in many MMOs. What makes this one special enough for me to choose it over those games?

SE thought that a pretty face was enough.

And look where it got them.