The game is more dead than it was pre-3.1

[Evangela]

They need to add something new, something interesting, like Blitzball, duel request anywhere/anytime, an open PvP map, free camera and movie directing mode, climbing, swimming (and underwater content), make linkshell looks like smartphone and let us use FF Portal App, play Record Keeper and other retro FF games on it, can purchase FF music and replace in-game OSTs freely, randomly turn players into l'Cie for a short time period, add new jobs sooner than later, etc.

[Teryaani]

Things like seeing the sights, flying, talking to friends, making new friends, and helping newbies (which apparantly is fully separate "content" from helping your Free Company) is just as much content as my "snark" is. Just like Magis and Moqi said, the core content of the game is sorely lacking, and it's really starting to show and have an affect on players.

Is the gold saucer, and all it entails, content?
Wolves Den?
Frontlines?
Sightseeing Log?
Hunts?
Crafting?
Gathering?

Is this game lacking something sandboxy? You're dang right it is. But there are things to do.

[aurace1095]

Is the gold saucer, and all it entails, content?
Wolves Den?
Frontlines?
Sightseeing Log?
Hunts?
Crafting?
Gathering?

Is this game lacking something sandboxy? You're dang right it is. But there are things to do.

Yet with the possible exception of crafting/gathering, none of that is "core content". PvP is largely ignored by SE, the Sightseeing Log is the very definition of side content (which is easily completable in a few hours, especially the HW entries), and Hunts are a boring zergfest that I've never seen anyone say they enjoy. Regardless, I was calling out Kosmos' post for fluffing up his list of content with extra things that are obviously *not* content, none of which your post has touched on at all. So, you obviously either agree with me and don't want to admit it, or you think those things are content but can't come up with a reasonable explanation for how they can be considered content.

[Evtrai]

Is the gold saucer, and all it entails, content?
Wolves Den?
Frontlines?
Sightseeing Log?
Hunts?
Crafting?
Gathering?

Is this game lacking something sandboxy? You're dang right it is. But there are things to do.

You basically listed all the broken stuff that never gets fixed and is disliked.

Wolves Den and Front lines, dead, with pointless gear and complains never addressed and they even carried over the complains from 2.0 into 3.0

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...on-Want-Change

Hunts are heavily disliked due the zerg aspect of it, Crafting and Gathering took a much unwanted change in 3.0 that has been an ongoing complain since release.

Sure there's things to do, but these things to do are in a terrible state as of now.

[Evangela]

Is the gold saucer, and all it entails, content?
Wolves Den?
Frontlines?
Sightseeing Log?
Hunts?
Crafting?
Gathering?

Is this game lacking something sandboxy? You're dang right it is. But there are things to do.

there are things to do but the problem is they're boring things.

[Teryaani]

Yet with the possible exception of crafting/gathering, none of that is "core content". PvP is largely ignored by SE, the Sightseeing Log is the very definition of side content (which is easily completable in a few hours, especially the HW entries), and Hunts are a boring zergfest that I've never seen anyone say they enjoy. Regardless, I was calling out Kosmos' post for fluffing up his list of content with extra things that are obviously *not* content, none of which your post has touched on at all. So, you obviously either agree with me and don't want to admit it, or you think those things are content but can't come up with a reasonable explanation for how they can be considered content.

I agree that they were fluff, but not with the general message ("nothing to do!") which pervades your post. Whether it's core content or a bolt on, it's still content. It's still something to do. Also, the hunts were only a boring (on Siren, Balmung is a different beast, I'll grant) when they first added the logs. Hunt parties for me now are a nice and mindless thing to do.

there are things to do but the problem is they're boring things.

And not everyone agrees with you on that.

Wolves Den and Front lines, dead, with pointless gear and complains never addressed and they even carried over the complains from 2.0 into 3.0

PVP needs a fix. People are still playing it and I'm hoping it gets the love it needs.

[Nominous]

I honestly think it's fine as is; players shouldn't feel the pressuring need from the game to gear up all of their jobs. And even then, that's what the catch up patches are for, for players whom have geared up their mains already through eso and raids.

If the point of the Armory system is to provide players the freedom, which is what it seems to set out to do, then I think what they said is pretty accurate. The gearing systems in game (all mostly revolving around a weekly cap) act counter to that idea of freedom. You're locked down for about 2-3 months (Tomes/Raid Team locking your gear) before any of that freedom is really tapped in to. At that point you might as well make a new character, because you'd honestly have more freedom that way. If you have the time, it's far more beneficial to just make an alt.


Also, the other things they said ring pretty true as well. A lot of the problems with the game right now are things that only exist because of poor structure. I don't need to reiterate too much, but like half of the content they make cannibalizes itself. People know there's catch-up patches, so the motivation to do things is shot when they know they can wait, do something far easier, and get similar upgrades. Boring gear amplifies this problem. With only higher stat points on the line, a lot of the content people do is far too much of a hassle. It's too little reward for big hurdles. How much more would you want to beat A3S if it gave a chest piece that gave you cooldown reduction? Or if it gave bottoms that increased the available time on a buff, or extra stacks for a skill? Change those structural blemishes, and you have a game that people are far more motivated to play.

The other biggest problem is homogenization, even though I might not agree with where they're coming from on it. I think having balance is great, and FFXIV was one of the first MMO's to show me that you can have a fun game that IS balanced. However, too much of anything is bad, and that's where they've landed. They've designed themselves into a hole of, "Every tank needs an invincibility skill, every tank needs these damage soaks, every healer needs these effective heal potencies," etc etc. There's never going to be a unique or creative take on either of those roles, because whenever one emerges (AST) it can't exceed (kill other jobs) or fall below (kills itself) the standards the others provide. DRK is only as good as it is because they specifically created content to make it the best choice (DPS checks and magical damage). DPS are the only place creativity can thrive, and even then, I've got my own issues pertaining to how they all play the same (burn all cooldowns all the time, as soon as they're available, no exceptions).

[aurace1095]

I agree that they were fluff, but not with the general message ("nothing to do!") which pervades your post. Whether it's core content or a bolt on, it's still content. It's still something to do. Also, the hunts were only a boring (on Siren, Balmung is a different beast, I'll grant) when they first added the logs. Hunt parties for me now are a nice and mindless thing to do.

Is that really what you want from your content, though? Something mindless? Why even bother doing it at that point? If something is "mindless", I don't see how it can be considered good, fun content. I had a friend tell me that she enjoys Diadem because she can not pay attention and watch Youtube at the same time. Is she *really* enjoying Diadem at that point? Shouldn't content be fun and engaging? I don't see how something can both be not boring and mindless at the same time.

[AstralKaos]

Edit: You know what? For all the sniffing up his own ass and grindfests Tanaka did, he did one thing right: innovation. All those interesting mechanics both FFXI and FFXIV 1.0 had were under him. A lot of stuff that was attributed to Yoshi in 1.0 were planned things not released yet due to the game being unfinished. Heck, putting in Crystal Tower might have been Tanaka's invention as well... why? HE PRODUCED FINAL FANTASY III. Course that is just my guessing and could be a coincidence.

A friend of mine recently said something to me which I am somewhat believing might be the case. It was a comparison to the coach from The Waterboy, Beaulieu who takes the sole credit from Klein, if you're familiar then the playbook was taken, or handed to Yoshi (Beaulieu) which had a lot of Tanaka's (Klein) future ideas, plans and so on, though this playbook (unlike Kleins) was incomplete and full of holes it had enough to turn it around and the holes were filled in as a team. My friend believed that Tanaka never got to carry out HIS play, and it was taken and handed to another before he could.

While it's not completely likely... I do have some belief in parts of it being the case.

Now the playbook has been done, the coach has to do 100% new plays... and, well, we have HW. I cannot be, and am not, the only person that noticed a drop in quality and direction, originality and output or what have you from ARR to HW.

[Yukiko]

While it's not completely likely... I do have some belief in parts of it being the case.

Ishgard was meant to be the 4th starting town - so yes, it was an already nearly finished storybook...