FFXIV is becoming a grind fest with little enjoyment.

[Eidolon]

I'm debating what's making the game seem stale.

Is it that we went from being used to having a constant stream of content, to the sparce content of patches 2.5-3.1? The average amount of time between patches being increased might make the grind seem even worst - since there's limited options of grind available compared to original.



Or are some of the systems implemented in Heavensward just terrible?
The fact that your Crafters and Gatherers have this... aweful Red Scrip system, arbitrary limits on what you can craft via Specializations, layers upon layers of Lockouts for combat classes compared to normal (Seriously, whoever came up with the Alexander Normal loot system... I disagree strongly with you, good sir), overtuned content that makes it even more of a grind to complete than usual (There's a sort of curve to be met where people need to feel like they're 'able to progress' and if their tolerance for bashing their head against the content), the leveling being just... more of the same 50-60.


I do agree. FFXIV has always been a grind. But I dunno. I feel like the grind was better executed. IT could also just be burnout. Who knows?

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Or are some of the systems implemented in Heavensward just terrible?
The fact that your Crafters and Gatherers have this... aweful Red Scrip system, arbitrary limits on what you can craft via Specializations, layers upon layers of Lockouts for combat classes compared to normal (Seriously, whoever came up with the Alexander Normal loot system... I disagree strongly with you, good sir), overtuned content that makes it even more of a grind to complete than usual (There's a sort of curve to be met where people need to feel like they're 'able to progress' and if their tolerance for bashing their head against the content), the leveling being just... more of the same 50-60.

As a developing omnicrafter, this in particular irritated me. Instead of an interesting series of mechanics and/or events to further influx crafting, we were given arbitrary limitations and old content rendered a dead market-- all in the name of discouraging people from omnicrafting. What this actually accomplished is to drive those players to new market haunt grounds, while effectively destroying an easier path for newer crafters.

And I believe this failed experiment iron marks a great deal of Heavensward.

While I certainly appreciate the devs attempting to provide new content, they seem shortsighted at times with its actual implementation. Lord of Verminion isn't necessarily a bad addition-- and the content itself is surprisingly well developed. But it isn't something that should be released following a five month delay, especially when the prior patch lacks content to begin with.

3.2 looks promising, and a direct deviation from last year. Granted, we'll have to wait and see if the new craft recipes get gated between specialists.

[RiceisNice]

As a developing omnicrafter, this in particular irritated me. Instead of an interesting series of mechanics and/or events to further influx crafting, we were given arbitrary limitations and old content rendered a dead market-- all in the name of discouraging people from omnicrafting. What this actually accomplished is to drive those players to new market haunt grounds, while effectively destroying an easier path for newer crafters..

Omnicrafting in it's own discourages players from being communal outside of the market board. There's nothing inherently wrong with having collaborative projects in making crafts, something that FC crafting should have been and failed to do so in a very spectacular way. At the same time, it's essential to have all your crafts to at least level 50 for cross skills to have a reasonable chance of succeeding an HQ on your craft.

Red scrips on the other hand, feel like an utter mess. I don't particularly have a problem with limiting how much goods we can get (tomestones have done that previously), but getting said red scrips, or even spending it, irritates me. Even getting ready to craft a single material has become a chore because of favor materials, yet at the same time the crafters can't necessarily make anything for other gatherers or combat classes (excluding glamour, but they failed spectacularly at even that), only other crafters.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Omnicrafting in it's own discourages players from being communal outside of the market board. There's nothing inherently wrong with having collaborative projects in making crafts, something that FC crafting should have been and failed to do so in a very spectacular way. At the same time, it's essential to have all your crafts to at least level 50 for cross skills to have a reasonable chance of succeeding an HQ on your craft.


Red scrips on the other hand, feel like an utter mess. I don't particularly have a problem with limiting how much goods we can get (tomestones have done that previously), but getting said red scrips, or even spending it, irritates me. Even getting ready to craft a single material has become a chore because of favor materials, yet at the same time the crafters can't necessarily make anything for other gatherers or combat classes (excluding glamour, but they failed spectacularly at even that), only other crafters.

The problem is this game prides itself on allowing you to accomplish everything from a leveling perspective on a single character. Arbitrarily forcing crafters to rely on multiple people contradicts the aforementioned system. It only incentivizes hardcore players to seek loopholes. To use myself as an example, I could level an alt to 60 and have it specialist in three different classes within a month by exploiting leves. That impacts casual or newly almost exclusively, since few will have the availability or desire to grind to that extent.

A more efficient system would be to make it easier to craft and/or level.

I do, if only because artificial caps aren't interesting. Even if we believe the devs weren't purposely trying to force monthly subscriptions (and I don't necessarily believe they were), cap limits removes rewarding a player for sheer dedication or skill. Getting all the craft gear is devalues into "I've been subbed longer than you." Which further separates new crafters from old ones.

But on the subject of red scripts specifically. Oh, do we ever agree. They already irk me about I'm only just getting to lvl60 crafting.