Your thoughts on the direction of this game?

[ApolloGenX]

The issue I have is that there hasn't been any progress - the entire game seems to be on a hamster wheel. Content is deprecated, new content replaces it. This happens very frequently, and keeps the relevant content at any given time very small.

It's akin to walking down a hallway between two walls that are moving forward -one in front of you and one behind.... sure, you might be making progress overall (inflated Ilevels)... but all you ever experience is what is between those two walls at any given time.

[Souljacker]

Content is deprecated, new content replaces it. This happens very frequently, and keeps the relevant content at any given time very small.

SE went from one extreme to the other. We went from stagnation in several-year blocks to progression at lightning speed. New content is always interesting but they are going about this the wrong way.

[ApolloGenX]

SE went from one extreme to the other. We went from stagnation in several-year blocks to progression at lightning speed. New content is always interesting but they are going about this the wrong way.

Yes... we are coming up on 1 year and it doesn't feel like the world has "grown".... there are just different instances that are relevant at end game. (Many of them copies of the ones from release - but "hard mode") That is unfortunate.

[Tupsi]

Yes... we are coming up on 1 year and it doesn't feel like the world has "grown".... there are just different instances that are relevant at end game. (Many of them copies of the ones from release - but "hard mode") That is unfortunate.

Fun Fact - XI grew twice its size by the 1 year mark.

I have no idea what any part of 1.x was like, as I came in just recently, but I feel this game is pretty awesome on all fronts. There is always something to do to advance your character. You aren't forced into doing any 1 thing to find a way to make your character better.

Yeah, it's no secret people who enjoy this style of MMO will love ARR, playing 1.2x though shows the creativity SE has without following 100% the 'WoW model.' XIV was just unfortunate to be on an engine not suited for MMOs and rushed out at the same time, 1.23 was the direction most people figured the game would take on relaunch, just without the foundation issue.

I mean, remember this picture?



This is 1.23..only better. It still seemingly retained the same battle system that felt way more like it was designed for a FF game.

[Barimu]

Fun Fact - XI grew twice its size by the 1 year mark.

Fun Fact, 11 came to NA with an expansion, then another expansion a year after. Want another fun fact? 11 was fun and had content that was relevant for years and still fun to do.

[Fendred]

Fun Fact, 11 came to NA with an expansion, then another expansion a year after. Want another fun fact? 11 was fun and had content that was relevant for years and still fun to do.

... and kept those subscriptions active to boot. It was a different time and place though, in more ways than one.

[Barimu]

... and kept those subscriptions active to boot. It was a different time and place though, in more ways than one.

Definitely true, however, does not mean it can't work now. This game will not last if all it does is push content every 3 months and render everything else useless. If I wanted that type of content i'd go play guild wars 2 which is free to play. I want to see this mmo be successful AND good.

[Souljacker]

Fun Fact, 11 came to NA with an expansion, then another expansion a year after. Want another fun fact? 11 was fun and had content that was relevant for years and still fun to do.

And that's the extreme I was talking about. Broken pieces of equipment that were relevant for far too long (I'm lookin at you, okotes) isn't the greatest direction either. Sidegrade after sidegrade after sidegrade, and then when SE decided they could, in fact, raise the level cap despite the "ps2 limitations" - they did it at lightning speed, slamming through to 99 in less than what, a year? Maybe two... but still way too much, too fast. They *could* have raised the cap to 80, balanced a good chunk of content around it for two years, and then continued upward but nope. I blame inexperience in the modern mmo world more than anything but at some point it's time to say enough is enough - you should know better by now.

[Staris]

Fun Fact, 11 came to NA with an expansion, then another expansion a year after. Want another fun fact? 11 was fun and had content that was relevant for years and still fun to do.

Fun fact it was competing with ultima online and everquest.
.....
If it released now it would dead on arrival.

[Barimu]

Fun fact it was competing with ultima online and everquest.
.....
If it released now it would dead on arrival.

but its not dead? it also competed with WoW