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

[Sapphic]

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.

It's only a "grind" if it isn't fun. But fun is subjective, eg I didn't mind the ATMA farm, but hated the animus books, some are in reverse.

Players asked for timesinks, complained how quick it was to be able to get the Zenith, so SE complied and now they compain it takes too long...

No matter what and how something gets implemented, even if the players asked for it, there will be complaints. Even from the exact same people who asked for it in the first place.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Snip.

That's a good example considering there's nothing I hate more than Fate Grinding. On the other hand I love dungeons and raids and frequently do lower level ones for vanity/retainer gear, lvling alts, or just plain Shits and Giggles. So the Atma Books and tomes needed for Animus are actually quite fun to me. The Alexandrite farm on the other hand takes you for a second tour of atma grind hell so I have a feeling it's probably going to be a pain to me as well. But the Nexus and Zodiac upgrade quests I imagine I'll enjoy since it's more trial, raid, and dungeon farming.

[FaileExperiment]

Everything's going to be a grind, but it'd be nice if there were more variety to it. For example, it would have been great if there were enough quests in the game to get one character to 50 without having had to repeat a fate/dungeon/ etc more than once. Even better, if those quests (aside from the main story ones) would reset with your class. Even better than that, is multiple zones to quest to 50, such that at any given level tier, you have multiple locations that you can choose to quest. Right now, that's impossible. The game has so little actual content for leveling. Grinding the same dungeons/fates/leves isn't fun because you are doing the same things multiple times in such close succession. I think that's why people get tired of it so quickly. You need to have more variety.

[Kaiser-Ace]

This game is also barley a year and a half old as well. I remember back when WoW first became more than a "Basement Nerd" hobby it was sorely lacking on content as well. Now around 8-10 expantions later and WoW is a insanely massive game with so much to do that they've had to start raising people to high levels right out of the gate just so they can play catch up and still make it to end game before the next three expansions happen.

We'll be looking at our FIRST expansion around the time of the 2nd anniversary of ARR and just adding Dravania,Xel'phatol, and the rest of Courthas will almost double the size of the game. They're also said at some point it's planed for us to go to Oethard which is the continent where Garlemauld and Dohma are so when that comes out "Vanilla" ARR will look even tinier by comparison.

To Quote Director Yoshida, "We ask you, Please be Patient."

[XarcVal]

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.

Give me the exp parties back than the madness of doing the same 4 Leves over and over to level up.

[Wintersandman]

Give me the exp parties back than the madness of doing the same 4 Leves over and over to level up.

I loved the exp parties, magic bursts, and skill chains. I was honestly dismayed when skill chains and magic bursts weren't in FFXIV.

[KisaiTenshi]

For example, it would have been great if there were enough quests in the game to get one character to 50 without having had to repeat a fate/dungeon/ etc more than once.

That would make it too much like other games.

I actually like how the class/job = main weapon componet of FFXIV works, it makes picking the wrong class out the gate or picking the wrong race/side less of an issue, since you don't lose the work you've already put into the storyline.

Where FFXIV tends to not be as fun is how little cooperative content there is. Sure the PUG'ing along dungeons works out just fine, albeit some pathetic trolls that want a perfect team every time. What would improve this is if you gave a commendation to someone, that person would be at the top of your list to party with again during DF's.

What I really get disappointed with in other games is how super-linear they are. Take SW:TOR for example... as you progress you move to different parts of the map, and once you leave the map, you never ever have a reason to come back. Many Freemium games are like that as well. Once you hit the level cap, all that's left to do is craft stuff to get the BiS gear or roll another character. FFXIV doesn't need you to roll another character, ever.

[Iagainsti]

You should also recognize that a lot of the FFXIV content is just revised forms of what we had in FFXI. Assaults are dungeons, trials are BCNMs, hunts are NMs, FATEs are Campaign/Besieged, etc.

I agree with the idea of new and interesting content. That's always a good thing in an MMO. 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.

Exactly^ FFXIV is FFXI 2.0, and anyone who thinks ffxiv is grindy, trying camping crabs in Valkurm for xp, or madragora buds in yuhtunga, or colibris in.. you get the point. Oh you died? sorry, xp loss, enjoy grinding some more! No friends with tenshodo invites? go farm yagudo necklaces. only need about 300, hope you like the scenery of Giddeus, did I mention it only stacks to 12? btw, no mounts to be had, enjoy the 20 min walk to and fro from Windurst.

[LYagami]

Content takes too long to get to end game - its considered 'grindy'
Content takes too short to get to end game - its considered 'too easy'

Theyll never be able to win like every other company thats released a game because there will always be 2 kinds of people - those that want content to last longer or get instant rewards for minimal effort.

I for one enjoy more grindy stuff if i had to choose because the feeling of satisfaction at the end is far more rewarding than being practically given stuff and complaining theres nothing left to do or the game is too easy or 'faceroll'