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

[Seraphix2407]

I wonder if it might help for the dev team to focus less on extremes (i.e. grinders vs. elite raiders) and more on the average player.

The average committed player does not want to fall more than a little behind on weapon item level, but doesn't want to grind each level of Alex NM 200 times for relic items and can't clear the A3S DPS check. If you force them to choose between these two options, then they might choose neither and stop playing until the next level of tome gear comes out.

Yes! Or make relic upgradeable in each patch and ofc everyone will get somewhat increase of Ilvl, but raiders will still have some advantage of it. But yes, the last line, I agree 100% That's a good statement .

[UBERHAXED]

I wonder if it might help for the dev team to focus less on extremes (i.e. grinders vs. elite raiders) and more on the average player.
The average committed player does not want to fall more than a little behind on weapon item level, but doesn't want to grind each level of Alex NM 200 times for relic items and can't clear the A3S DPS check. If you force them to choose between these two options, then they might choose neither and stop playing until the next level of tome gear comes out.

The average raider does not need a raid group to clear Alex NM and can't clear Alex Savage, but still wants the opportunity to raid. Again if you force them to choose between these two options, then they might choose to wait for future content.

The average social player is looking for more diversity of content to play with their friends and FC members, but they don't want to mindlessly grind Diadem and not all of their friends may be capable of clearing Thordan Extreme. New dungeons, or a way for old dungeons and trials to be relevant again (i.e. more tome rewards for lower level content) could help with this. Hildebrandt trails are also usually around the right level that everyone can enjoy.

As others have mentioned in this thread, it feels like a lot of content is being recycled (Atma RNG? again?), probably due to the push to release each new extensive patch by a comparatively small number of dev team members. However, sometimes it's important to take a step back and ask yourself, "Will the average gamer actually enjoy this?" It seems like maybe the dev team can't see the forest for the trees, as the saying goes.

If they something like Thordan is too difficult then doesn't that make Void Ark and Alex normal right up their alley? What do you even want? Stuff that can be cleared in the first run or not? If it's on the DF on release, then it would have to be the former. Even the 24 mans can take the whole 2 hours for people doing it the first time. That said, the development team is not small by industry standards so I wish people would stop using this as a statement. So you say you want content that you want a raid group for (i.e. content that you cannot pug). That already is the first couple floors of AS. Did you try them? But then you go around and say they can't clear Thordan (which is a pretty easy fight compared to raid content). A lot of people say "Thordan got the difficulty right" so isn't this the goal for your group to work towards. I mean do you just want a version of void ark that is not on the DF (and thus no one can do, because who can make 24 man statics)?

[Velhart]

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We can argue on how challenging the relic quest should be. However, I have a hard time believing that people don't want something fun in the quest line. Even if it something as simple as story fights that can be solo'ed something similar to main scenario quests. Or something like Hildibrand quests with Gilgamesh and Ultros that are more fun than challenging. Or something puzzling you need to figure out. Something needs to give you breathing room between grinds. Something needs to be in between besides small cut scenes. No matter how you look at it. You can't and shouldn't make excuses for SE's absolutely lazy approach to the relic quests, especially since they have shown they can do so much out of it. Don't let them believe this approach is okay or convince you that it is.

[Alahra]

We can argue on how challenging the relic quest should be. However, I have a hard time believing that people don't want something fun in the quest line.

I'm sure people do. However, the more unique elements we get in the Relic quest, the less unique elements we'll get elsewhere. Their resources are unfortunately not finite, and personally, I can't think of much I'd like to give up for them to develop new stuff for the questline. About the only thing I'd personally like to see shuttered is the new Normal/Story mode of raid content, and I'm not sure exactly how much that would actually let them do since they'd still need to develop the standard raid difficulty in the first place.

[Velhart]

I'm sure people do. However, the more unique elements we get in the Relic quest, the less unique elements we'll get elsewhere. Their resources are unfortunately not finite, and personally, I can't think of much I'd like to give up for them to develop new stuff for the questline. About the only thing I'd personally like to see shuttered is the new Normal/Story mode of raid content, and I'm not sure exactly how much that would actually let them do since they'd still need to develop the standard raid difficulty in the first place.

Maybe its wrong of me to believe SE, one of the biggest AAA developers out there to have a standard of quality whenever they release new content. Not release one piece of content, then downgrade the other to make it fit in. There shouldn't be sacrificing other content to make something else. They need to stick to making sure what they currently have keeps it's quality and comfort zone, then when resources allow it, make something new. Quality is better than quantity. Diadem has potential, but it definitely feels like something SE threw together later in development and did not take time to flesh it out. Thus what we have currently.

Relic quest in particular. Yoshi-P has complained various times that lack of resources is what has raids in it's current state, but not relic. For relic he straight out says it needs to be only grinding content so a particular audience has something to work on. If resources is in fact a thing, then SE needs to get their priorities straight before the content they release starts dipping in quality over time. Like it is already showing.

[Alahra]

-snip-

That the team is already greatly strapped for development resources and time is well known. Trying to ask them to do more than what they are currently doing and maintain the current release schedule without sacrificing something (or getting a bigger team, which, at this point, seems unlikely) is naive. While we all want more, we still have to recognize the limitations of the reality that is the game's development.

Any new type of content they design is going to by necessity mean they don't create or work on some other type of content, unless they move to a longer development cycle (but given that players already disengage toward the end of each 3 month patch cycle, that would go even worse for them). If the team had access to resources beyond what they already have, they could do more, but the fact of the matter is that they don't right now, and they're spread thin trying to meet their relatively aggressive patch cycle as it is.

[Velhart]

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It isn't always about doing more, it is about doing it well. More should only be a factor when you can bring more content in without sacrificing the quality of content that is already well established. The quality of end game content (my opinion) definitely feels lower than it did than in 2.xx, and we have had more content come in since then. Of course people want more variety of content from SE, we all do. The actual reality of the situation is you shouldn't be adding in more if it is going to take a dip in quality elsewhere. Its a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, but I would take the former over the latter (again, opinion).

[Aaliyahrose]

After finishing my animus 2 days ago and even a little before that, I began to realize something...this could have easily been easily achieved through helping newer players through 2.0 Trial based Duty Finder content.

A bonus of 60-75 poetics in no less than 8 minutes makes it speed up faster.
SE will not just tell you the fastest ways to get your tomes for Anima, It's simply being creative with party finder and the duty finder.

(Will run a newbie through Keeper of the Lake for progression) = 280 poetics if im not mistaken.

[Kaurie]

After finishing my animus 2 days ago and even a little before that, I began to realize something...this could have easily been easily achieved through helping newer players through 2.0 Trial based Duty Finder content.

A bonus of 60-75 poetics in no less than 8 minutes makes it speed up faster.
SE will not just tell you the fastest ways to get your tomes for Anima, It's simply being creative with party finder and the duty finder.

(Will run a newbie through Keeper of the Lake for progression) = 280 poetics if im not mistaken.

It was and is a pretty common strategy. Although, I've heard more about carrying people through Coil unsynced clears.