The game needs more interesting side content that is less grindy.

[Wintersandman]

But, let's not pretend that FFXI was any less grinding than we see in FFXIV. In fact, it was in almost every case more so.

This. The grind is what differentiates players from each other. You can't hope to be a 4 star crafter, 3 star gatherer, and final coil raider as a casual. You want high end gear? Then get ironworks, its why it is there. It is pretty insane how easy it is to get to 50. FFXI was a grind just to get classes up. You needed a group to level and almost do anything. Team work was the only way to succeed but alas people complain about a lack of teamwork and also want something less grindy. I don't see how the two can coincide.

[Avalios]

This is a rather new MMO so not having endless content is to be expected.

As for side content, Golden saucer anyone? Chocobo racing and triple triad just for starters.

[Sakuraluna]

This is a rather new MMO so not having endless content is to be expected.

As for side content, Golden saucer anyone? Chocobo racing and triple triad just for starters.

This is my exact thought too. I mean, differentiating ARR from 1.0, the game has only been out for about a year and a half-ish, and it looks to me like they are working on adding interesting side content. We've even known Gold Saucer was coming for a long while now. People just expect things to happen overnight.

[Snugglebutt]

Gold Saucer will still be grindy so not sure why people are referencing that as non-grindy content though maybe just referencing as something new to grind. Whether grinding for prizes, gil, cards or raising/racing a chocobo. Personally I don't mind grindy content as long as it's fun content to grind.

The least grindy aspect of this game is the main story and hildibrand etc quest lines because can only do it once per character but then stuck grinding fates/dungeons/leves on every single alt class for that character which is the most annoying grindy aspect of game for me and would be nice if could repeat story lines on alt classes but with no quest reward (item or gil) but still give experience reward to help level that alt class.

Relic/zodiac novus etc weapon grind coming in second place to that being annoying, Third place in most annoying to me is the beast tribe rep grind is also kind of annoying because of the limitations placed on how much reputation can gain per day. Fourth place in most annoying goes to tokens like soldiery and poetics when they are limited in how many can farm because such limitations annoy me.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Gold Saucer will still be grindy so not sure why people are referencing that as non-grindy content though maybe just referencing as something new to grind. Whether grinding for prizes, gil, cards or raising/racing a chocobo. Personally I don't mind grindy content as long as it's fun content to grind.

Um, just wondering, but how is a casino grindy? The Mandervile Gold Saucer will be a temple to The Evil God RNGesus, of that there's now doubt, but how is it grindy exactly? It's a friggen casino, you buy chips/coins/what ever the F- they're called and blow it all on minigames. The only thing I MIGHT see as grindy would be tripel triad but I think having "Booster Packs" would add to the experience more than buying indivedual cards. And Chocobo raising should be an experence not just "The next grind fest" since they're suppose to be our loyal steed companions that will follow us through the seven hells and back.

[Snugglebutt]

Um, just wondering, but how is a casino grindy?

Repeating the same process over and over is grinding, putting more and more coins in slots and spamming lever hoping to get different prize for example or hunting/battling for cards, buying items and raising stats on chocobo and racing it over and over...more enjoyable or less enjoyable to a person is subjective but all the things I mentioned are still grinds just like farming gil or grinding exp, saving up/farming tokens for gear or farming reputation for beast tribes, running dungeons/trials/fates/leves or raids over and over etc.

[Squintina]

Repeating the same process over and over is grinding, putting more and more coins in slots and spamming lever hoping to get different prize for example or hunting/battling for cards, buying items and raising stats on chocobo and racing it over and over...more enjoyable or less enjoyable to a person is subjective but all the things I mentioned are still grinds just like farming gil or grinding exp, saving up/farming tokens for gear or farming reputation for beast tribes, running dungeons/trials/fates/leves or raids over and over etc.

In that case, what kind of content would consider to be less grindy?

Because, honestly, every game or video game is a grind of something.

[Kaiser-Ace]

In that case, what kind of content would consider to be less grindy?

Because, honestly, every game or video game is a grind of something.

That was more my point on the matter. Yea you earn to spend, spend to buy, and buy to do crap. But if that's the definition of grinding then I have no idea what isn't grinding. Even a job IRL is still just grinding. Thus the phrase "Back to the grind". Getting to 50 for story quests? Grind. Earning tomes/seals/gil for items? Grind. Walking from point A to point B to get any where, guess what, even that is a grind when you think about it >_< "why can't I just teleport to any X-Y cordinate I type in?" "Why, because you just have to walk some places, be glade we can port at all" (A legit conversation I had with anouther member of an old FC on Balmung)

[Snugglebutt]

In that case, what kind of content would consider to be less grindy?

Because, honestly, every game or video game is a grind of something.

I gave examples in an earlier post. Something that is done once is less grindy than something that is done multiple times, something done once per character is less grindy than something that is done multiple times per character. As I also said I have no problems with things being grindy, some grindy things I enjoy more than other grindy things and the same applies to each persons preferences.

My initial point wasn't that I dislike grinds, it was that the assumption GS will not be grindy is not true. It will probably be the kind of grindy I enjoy but a grind nevertheless in trying to get more coins, points, gear or rewards, win more races or get more cards. It won't offer you a respite from grinding, just opens up new ways to grind of which may find more enjoyable than some other examples.

[Hohoz]

You pay a monthly charge grind is going to happen most patches are expected to last @ least 3-6 months so you keep that sub active.Been gaming a long time and it's the same in every MMO up to this point rather it be dailies or gathering gear/items it will be repetitive.