The Current Status of FFXIV Patch 3.1 and How to Address it Moving Forward

[Velhart]

As for getting high end weapons without bothering with high end content I'd say it's just that the appeal of RPGs for a lot of people is seeing their characters get stronger which in XIV means an ilevel increase. Not everyone plays videogames to challenge themselves.

That is irrelevant. You can't make decisions on content based off people not wanting challenging and interesting content in the game. Ohh wait never mind, SE does this currently. It is statements like this is why the content given to us is just getting worse over time. People don't want to take on trials in relics because it requires effort beyond hitting the one button in FATE's while watching something on Netflix? Okay.

Some people like to have powerful gear for its own sake and don't necessarily need the gear to open up the door to new content for them. You could, realistically, ask a similar question of hardcore raiders. After all, what's the point of clearing AS4 in the first month of release if you don't have any challenging content beyond that? Sometimes I raid and sometimes I don't, but completing a Relic/Zodiac/Anima weapon (or indeed, a set of 210 gear) is still inherently satisfying even if I don't intend to tackle difficult content with those items.

Its a reward for taking time to better yourself and work with your team to reach a very difficult hurdle. The ilvl210 weapon is a representation of that achievement and can be used to gain an advantage in the next raid. The relic's current structure only doing old, grindy content for an extended period of time and that is it. It isn't hard and there is no satisfaction beyond knowing you don't have to do this awful, tedious task anymore.

Other people find enjoyment in ways that you don't, and the game wisely tries to appeal to a number of different playstyles. The Zodiac/Anima questlines have always been a third option separate from challenging difficult content or amassing time-locked currencies (the 2.0 Relic is essentially irrelevant to the overall trend, as the developers have stated multiple times that they changed their goals for Relics starting with the Zodiac questline).

They changed their goals because the few people on the forums complained they had to put effort in beating Chimera/Hydra and the Primals. Is doing fun trial fights mixed with grinding elements seriously considered worse than things like only grinding FATE's/dungeons with god awful RNG? The most powerful weapons in the game should be gated by difficult content.

I honestly find it baffling that such a significant sample of the forum-going population is so myopic that they can't seem to understand that not everyone is the same as them and therefore, not everyone shares their priorities, hobbies, and entertainment values.

It is not about being the same, it is about proper structuring to your game. The best stuff should be gated behind difficult content. Content needs to be paced to work and influence you to take on greater challenges afterwards. If you are not willing to put the effort or take time to better yourself, then you don't deserve those items. If you want to play on a level where you don't want to pursue raiding or hard end game content, that is fine, just don't expect to be showered in gear that people struggled to get in raids.