Boring Endgame

[Zabuza]

Almost every MMO which have been released since wow release have been dumbed down wow clones (FFXIV ARR included). Therefore I don't really see which games you re referring to when talking about games which tried to innovate.

Also players do not necessarily want innovation, but good RPG and decent raiding content.

There are countless way to implement such content, such as :

- Non instanced or instanced dungeons, which involve exploration and puzzle solving.
- Nonlinear raids, which involve exploration, with more than one boss per floor.

The problem with FFXIV is that every piece of content released in the game is too mundane on a game design standpoint (not talking about graphics), as if there were no passion from the people designing the content. It is hard to believe FFXIV has been designed by the same company which released FFX, FFXI and FFXII (3 amazing games on a game design standpoint).

The result of this mundane game design is that it has no replay value or is plain unfun (like PVP, FATES of Hunts), so SE has to come up with ways to compel people to run the same content over and over again (like zodiac weapons grind).

Finally, the number of viewers watching FFXIV heavensward streams on twitch during the release of the expansion has been incredibly low for a new game, which proves that the game can, currently, be considered as being boring (not just the endgame).

So in otherwords, you don't have an idea for innovation. The bolded sounds like you want the PvE content to be exactly like WoW's. WoW has the same exact issue of people complaining when they feel they've gone through the content btw. They just went through a year long content drought and are about to go through another. People are complaining there much worse than here.

As for your stream comment, I watched Towelliee play FFXIV on stream and people were enjoying it. He even had 3000+ players watching it when he was being paid to play it. The story is enjoyable to watch. I was bored watching him play WoW doing the same PvE content and GARRISONS/SHIPYARDS over and over. This is the nature of PvE content, you learn how it works and then when you figure it out, it's now boring. Our age of social media is another reason PvE content is blown through and we have this issue. In an age where people are EXPECTED to watch videos, people know how the fight works before they even do it for the first time, thus clearing it faster. There is no process of wiping to figure out the mechanics, unless you're among the world firsts going through the content. Some games aren't as fun to watch as others as well. WoW's 1.5 second GCD would by default make the combat more fun to watch than Heavensward's 2.5 second GCD. Doesn't mean it's not as fun to play.

Pretty much my sentiment. Xpac are suppose to have new, innovated idea to help reinvigorate the player base and maybe attract new players. Instead we have the same things we did in 2.0. Let's be honest now, what did 3.0 bring that 2.0 didn't have? Larger zones and flying mounts to traverse them. Did this change or enhance the way we play from day to day? Not really in my opinion. People still huddle up in Reverents Toll, oh sorry I mean Idyllshire, hanging around waiting for DF... Hunts are well, hunts which isn't a compliment. FATEs are worse than 2.0 due to risk vs reward.

FFXIV has it's player base now. It's safe to cater to them and try new ideas. You don't have to keep dumbing down content for new players because they have levels 1-50 to teach them.

I'm still waiting to hear your amazing innovative ideas.

People like to think that the older MMOs were more "hardcore" than todays, but the reality is that they just had really bad pacing. If anything they were more casual than what we got now. Heck, it's like the standard frantic American work day got somehow ported into our games when you really look at the kinds of changes that have taken place.

Try beating CoP in FFXI pre-nerf and then tell me that. That was STORY content btw. Can you imagine the outrage on these forums if the story was that difficult in THIS game? Imagine if The Chrysalis Trial was as difficult as the Proto-Ultima fight in CoP pre nerf. Imagine if Steps of Faith was as difficult as pre-nerf Snoll. The difficulty of CoP's fights made pre-nerf Steps of Faith look like a joke in comparison. Fight Absolute Virtue or Pandemonium Warden with a raid group and tell me that.