What does Heavensward actually bring to the table as an expansion?

[Tyla_Esmeraude]

Actually, FFXIII did have an open world but only once you reached Gran Pulse. XIII also broke sale records that were once held by VIII. SE didn't forget their roots with XIII. In my view, they started to forget their roots when they started to release sequels to XIII itself.

Of course SE was inspired by other modern games. Their ultimate goal is to make a profit and to get the max amount of players they can. XI didn't do that enough for them so they went into a different direction. Same with XIV 1.0. It didn't do that enough for them so they went into different, and more successful, direction.

How can you even say that XI didn't go that enough for them when it was the game that made them the most profit? Steadily for more than 10 years. Part of it went to FFXIV development. Just because it didn't have the millions of players doesn't mean it was not successful. The problem with XIV was an unfinished product, simple as that. It had nothing to do with the core of the game.

You are also comparing the total sales combined for 2 platforms for FFXIII in comparison to VIII's one platform at the time. Also the avaibility and the market back in PS1 era compared to when FFXIII was released (games had started to become more mainstream)... also being the first FF for the newest platform at the time. All these things sure had an impact on sales.
Eh, even X had more sales than FFXIII. By the way, according to the internet, FFVIII had from 6million to 8million copies sold, not just 6mil.

[T2teddy]

What begs to ask you this question, if the 60% of the player base is 41 which is a significant lower level, doesn't this mean that these are inactive players? I mean, leveling post heavensward to 50 even if you don't have an expansion is pretty much a joke.

I did not say 60% ARE level 41. I said they are under 41. Meaning level 6-40 going by the numbers in the census.
I don't know about you but I've seen those little green sprouts all over hell's half acre in game. Hundreds of them in every old zone.

[Evtrai]

"all other previous content is pointless." Uh huh.. thats an opinion. Sorry.

Also, the lockouts are completely different because it takes MORE TIME to make content for this game than it does for XI. You can easily point and see the hardware requirements and differences for that. Not to mention the rendering has to be more powerful and take more time to even design and implement zones!

Also the lockouts are designed so the hardcore crowd isn't way too ahead of the casual/midcore crowd.

Target Audience for XIV: Casual/midcore

Target Audience for XI: Hardcore.

How can you not see that?

I'm not sure what age you are from, but this isn't Metal Gear V content they are making or The Witcher 3.

Also the Target Audience for FFXIV is: Casual and Hardcore, there is no middle ground.

Which if you took a moment to see what's being initially discussed, is the problem.

[Obysuca]

"all other previous content is pointless." Uh huh.. thats an opinion. Sorry.

It's not an opinion when it's true. Like I said before. Do people do coil because the gear is still useful? Do people do CT because its still useful? How about ex primals? What about the new ex primals? Hardly anyone's touched those for the last month ish. Bismarck was pointless on release since you could get an i180 weapon easier than getting an i175. Unless you're doing high lvl roulette, most people won't ever touch any of the lvl 50 dungeons.

Even if a new player joins and goes through the 50 dungeons for MSQ, its a one and done thing, they're not going to spam it like we did when it was relevant, because guess what, it's pointless and useless. Practically everything pre 3.0 is useless now and void of people except the rare incredibly tiny amount of people who do it because they can't find anything else to do and won't admit there's no content.

He was the reason that XI wasn't overly popular as well. It NEVER reached the levels of WoW or other such popular MMOs.

Actually, XI wasn't overly popular because
1) They hardly advertised outside Japan. They did a single commercial for it in 2002 and that was it.

2) No mmo has reached WoW level. It was a one time thing that won't happen again, so don't try to act like plenty of mmos have reached 11 million subs or whatever it was. Also, let's not forget, the mmos that came out after WoW were hyped and ended up dying shortly after, for trying to be WoW. Remember Wildstar? What's Wildstar? Exactly. How about SWToR? Don't hear much about that anymore and that was basically WoW in space. Now take a look at older mmos, EQ, XI and such, those are still going after 13+ years.

3) Look at gaming now, how its more mainstream and practically everyone has a pc/ps3/ps4. Now look at gaming in 2002. A lot less people had a pc back then. You can't really compare a 2013 game to a 2002.

[Evtrai]

I did not say 60% ARE level 41. I said they are under 41. Meaning level 6-40 going by the numbers in the census.
I don't know about you but I've seen those little green sprouts all over hell's half acre in game. Hundreds of them in every old zone.

So? are they gonna redo the content once they hit 60? every game needs a stepping stone, there's no actual game that you'll instantly be cap, unless it's a pay 2 win game, and what's being discussed is the fact that Heavensward just released and the previous content that is not even 2 months old is obsolete for the active players.

[Magis]

How can you even say that XI didn't go that enough for them when it was the game that made them the most profit? Steadily for more than 10 years. Part of it went to FFXIV development. Just because it didn't have the millions of players doesn't mean it was not successful. The problem with XIV was an unfinished product, simple as that. It had nothing to do with the core of the game.

Yeah, SE's businessmen forced the game to be released in a totally unfinished state to beat WoW: Cataclysm's launch. Coupled with bone headed moves like making Tanaka use the Crystal Engine (which he didn't want to use, rather use it's own like how FFXI was) it turned into a broken buggy mess.

[T2teddy]

So? are they gonna redo the content once they hit 60? every game needs a stepping stone, there's no actual game that you'll instantly be cap, unless it's a pay 2 win game, and what's being discussed is the fact that Heavensward just released and the previous content that is not even 2 months old is obsolete for the active players.

Yes obsolete for the level 60 players. Not for anyone else. And the under 60s vastly outnumber us. So for them none of it is irrelevant yet. Stop thinking ONLY in terms of the max level players.

[Evtrai]

Yes obsolete for the level 60 players. Not for anyone else. And the under 60s vastly outnumber us. So for them none of it is irrelevant yet. Stop thinking ONLY in terms of the max level players.

Because what's being discussed here is about endgame? are you even reading what's being talked about?

Hell, if the starting areas were absolutely barren I'd be worried because it means the game is trully dying.

And you continue to deny that the content is obsolete, let's see this thread here on the frontpage AND the official forums, because it seems that it's crawling with people wanting to do this content because apparently it isn't irrelevant and it's obviously hoaring with active people attempting it:

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ead-please-fix

[Obysuca]

And the under 60s vastly outnumber us. So for them none of it is irrelevant yet. Stop thinking ONLY in terms of the max level players.

Everyone else, and according to that census over that means 60% of the player base, is less than level 41, and either is or will need to do the old raids and dungeons.

Ok so let me stop you there. You're going on about the census showing more of a job under lvl 41? That doesn't imply theres new players. All that says is there are people who have either yet to unlock it, are leveling it when the census took place or have no plans to level that job. You can have all jobs 60 except 1 and that single one counts towards the under lvl 41 %. That chart was just showing the jobs people play, not the population of the game.

[savarna]

"all other previous content is pointless." Uh huh.. thats an opinion. Sorry.

Also, the lockouts are completely different because it takes MORE TIME to make content for this game than it does for XI. You can easily point and see the hardware requirements and differences for that. Not to mention the rendering has to be more powerful and take more time to even design and implement zones!

Also the lockouts are designed so the hardcore crowd isn't way too ahead of the casual/midcore crowd.

Target Audience for XIV: Casual/midcore

Target Audience for XI: Hardcore.

How can you not see that?

You seriously need to go back and play FFXI then. In all, FFXI was balanced in both casual and hardcore players. The things I considered ''Hardcore'' back in the days, that no one could easily do was HNM camping and Savage. Those linkshells required high level of experienced players knowing their job and a lot of dedication outlined by your daily playtime, to the sole task of being present to camp Nidhoog/Fafnir, Tiamat, etc. AFTER, their respective Time of Death. This meant that player base, had their loot systems remarked on participation (by showing up to camping), performance, class skills and dedication. Was the gear rewarding? Absolutely! it made you feel like a Champ and a God among insects! as some claimed to be.

While back then, I was younger and had less responsibilities to worry in my life, I was able to comply with the requirements of these linkshells. Ask me today, not in a billion years...

I do sympathize with the OP, FFXIV has a lot of potential but, the way the content is going now is like an endless ride with no variants at all, just going up and down. We don't ask for a drastic change like day and night yet, simply add more things to make your time worthwhile.

My FFXIV playtime is this on a weekly basis:

Log in > do EX roulette daily > chat here and there > Log Out.

When it's time for raid:

Log in > ASavage for 2 hours (if you get a dedicated group that is, more on this below) > Ex roulette right after > Log out. Oh wow! Exciting! Seriously...

Tell me something, what is the point of adding more content if it turns into the same routine every day? Oh yeah let's put in the ''Casual endgame level'' as you remark which is:

Log in > Run Alexander NM > Daily Roulette EX and ?? > ?? (?? = nothing else to do, unless you craft and you need to gather).

I still insist that Alexander NM made players more lazy and average than ever. They are clueless about their class and making really difficult for others to get things accomplished. Reason is, players can easily settle with normal mode and get tired of it quickly. As a consequence, if you consider yourself ''worthy'' and strive for something better, welcome to the world of having a PF always searching for players to fill in their static groups for AS, cancelling runs because people can't make it or simply there is a shortage of players aiming to this kind of content.

How about more of this, in those beautifully crafted areas that you can run with your FC and roam free

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/areas.html?farea=82.

And less of this garbage:



That formula really gets tiresome dungeons > dungeons > more dungeons! It's content gets obsolete quick, regardless if you are a casual or hardcore player. You can't deny it and if so, please prove it by making a valid statement. If not, people really needs to stop ''Parrot'' blargon.