Been playing this game for ~3 months now. My thoughts so far

[AutoWhit]

This I have a issue with, the healers job is to keep everyone alive period end of story. If they decide to do some dpsing then consider it extra but do not expect it. I main healer and I do not DPS, if I wanted to DPS I would play my DPS job not healer. This is a heated debate on the forums.

I am 100% behind you with this. No other mmo I have played (and there's many) has a healer been exPECTED to dps. Their job is to keep everyone alive, not keep everyone alive AND dps. If you want more dps to down things faster then you better step up your game as a dps, not expect the healer to help.

[Sensual]

Another thing about the gear...
What's the point in upgrading your i200 gear to i210?

I did hullbreaker isle hm 3 times now and already am i210.
4 more pieces to go and I'm full i215.The only thing that seems to be worth upgrading is the weapon as there doesn't seem to be an i215 one.

Because they used to be relevant and they still keep old gears for glamours and whatnot, also the 210 can be dyed so they don't remove their upgrade paths for those purposes, glamour true endgame.

[Sensual]

This I have a issue with, the healers job is to keep everyone alive period end of story. If they decide to do some dpsing then consider it extra but do not expect it. I main healer and I do not DPS, if I wanted to DPS I would play my DPS job not healer. This is a heated debate on the forums.

What do you even do in a dungeon, just walk?

[zemogFC]

OP, as far as the story goes, you blasted through what others have taken 3 years to complete.
Taken in small bites its not so tedious and you can actually savor the cutscenes and story instead trying gorge on years of cutscenes in a few weeks. Of course you're not going to like it.

[Exidrial]

This I have a issue with, the healers job is to keep everyone alive period end of story. If they decide to do some dpsing then consider it extra but do not expect it. I main healer and I do not DPS, if I wanted to DPS I would play my DPS job not healer. This is a heated debate on the forums.

From what I can tell you are no healer. You are a DPS that can heal.
Is it so hard to use some attacks that deal damage?Don't be lazy and do something.There's a reason SE gave you those damage dealing skills.Guess what, it's so that you can deal damage.

I hate it when the healer just sits there doing nothing except for pressing a button every few seconds.Why are you even playing the game when you're doing nothing?
I always feel like carrying a lazy person who is contributing almost nothing to the party.

I'm not trying to attack you, just sharing my point of view.

OP, as far as the story goes, you blasted through what others have taken 3 years to complete.
Taken in small bites its not so tedious and you can actually savor the cutscenes and story instead trying gorge on years of cutscenes in a few weeks. Of course you're not going to like it.

That probably is a big part of why the story feels so meh.

[Annie2732]

@ Bixillarla I agree that healer's job is to keep everyone alive. In other mmos there was no time to dps since you're the only one healing 6 players plus damage was terrible for healers. But in ff14 healers have cleric stance and are usually paired with an off-healer which makes healing not so challenging. Dungeons are so easy that it doesn't call for much healing at all. I don't understand why you would prefer to stand not doing anything for so long, isn't that so boring? Some dungeons you can do without needing a healer. That's another thing I don't like about healing in this game you don't need two healers for most of the content it takes away the challenge.

[Malicewolf]

The thing about not having a real antagonist is spot on. Every one they bring up that has the true potential to be one, they just kill off IMMEDIATELY (and you do it). While satisfying to kill the person you begin to hate, they leave absolutely not room for you to seethe and truly build up a disliking of an evil character. Lahabrea is annoying, but he was never truly someone you hated. There was potential with Nabriales, but he basically shows up, kills moenbryda and you build up some dislike for him, but he's immediately gone once you begin to hate him. So nothing there. Every ascian they introduce basically dies in a short time frame after you met them and you can hardly even hate them before they fall.

All of the Garlean's I basically just see as stupid. The emperor was just obsessive and there was no true build up of hate between the WoL and him. All of the generals are now complete jokes to beat (and not like they were very hard at the time either). Nero has some decent character development, but they do the opposite and make you sort of like him rather than hate him during the crystal tower raids.

When that guy betrayed the crystal braves, i didn't "hate" him, I was just like, "why the F did we make this group in the first place?" They did a whole lot of nothing and them bam, implosion.

The Warrior of Darkness group, I basically just see them as annoyances as well. Yes, they've attacked you a few times. But they've done nothing else really. Do you know how many things attack me?! I don't really care anymore. Yes, their creepy smiles well.... creep me out, but that isn't what makes an antagonist.

Thordan was a decent potential. You do grow to hate him (mostly because he's reminiscent of a racist grandpa who still believes hitler is the best thing since slice bread), but alas, he's also dead already. And the person that killed Haurchefant had SOOOOOOOO much potential to be an amazing antagonist as nearly everyone in the game was moved by Haurchefant and I'm pretty sure everyone experienced some onion ninjas sneaking around their house whenever they encountered that scene. Like, I was LOOKING to friggin kill that guy after that scene. But alas, I don't even get the chance to just simply fight him 1 on 1. He's just part of the thordan possy. You also have Nidhogg, whom "dies" god knows how many times (seriously?! what is he, a cat?!). Hopefully he's actually dead now and in kitty heaven.

Now, I'm perfectly fine with the antagonist dying. Heck, that's awesome. But when they only exist as an antagonist for a very short amount of time (or you constantly think they're dead!!) it's hard to continue hating them. Especially when they've really barely done anything to piss you off.

And as the OP pointed out, SE seems to like to rush the idea of anger or friendship in general. I don't actually feel any fear, hate or w/e when encountering boss enemies. I just feel annoyed that I'm on yet another errand run for the Eorzean people and not a single F'in one of them is there helping me (lazy bums). Though, I do like the 3 generals, but that's because they've actually shown them to be bada$$es at some point. Raubahn chopping lalafels in half (that in itself is enough to get me to love him), the maelstorm admiral shooting the ever living crap out of that sahagin (however you spell it) and the seedseer... well, she hasn't done anything particularly cool to say. I just like how she's the only leader who's like, "i want to bring peace and prosperity to the land" and all the other generals are like, "yea, let's conquer that shiz. No ragrets!"

But I don't feel "close" to any of them. Not really. More so, I feel like their slave, not their savior. Who sends their savior to go halfway across the world to go "talk" to someone "for" them and then upon getting there, they fricking message you via a headset (couldn't of friggin used that before huh minfillia?!) and then decide they should all meet up together where we started... yea. F you guys. I didn't just save you from a giant rock demon so I could run back and forth for 20 minutes to talk about how incompetent you all are for letting it happen 3 times each.

Alphinaud and Estinien's little bromance came out of no-where. Like, the new patch came out and he was all like, "nuuu I can't live without him! Screw saving Eorzea, I'll just risk my and everyone else's life for him even though we barely talked and he for the most part was an absolute ass throughout the entirety of us trying to make "peace" with the dragons. Seriously... it was basically like:
WoL: We're here to make peace with you dragons
Dragon: We're still angry that you killed one of us
Estinien: I'll jam this spear in your eye!
Alphinaud: omg, you're so funny Estinien! Please have my babies.

I find a majority of the protagonists annoying rather than compelling. They're just sooo..... helpless for the most part. Haurchefant was a fantastic breath of fresh air. He was likable in just about every sense. If only SE could make 20 more of him, then maybe the Eorzea could actually achieve something on their own every once in a blue moon.

[Exidrial]

@ Bixillarla I agree that healer's job is to keep everyone alive. In other mmos there was no time to dps since you're the only one healing 6 players plus damage was terrible for healers. But in ff14 healers have cleric stance and are usually paired with an off-healer which makes healing not so challenging. Dungeons are so easy that it doesn't call for much healing at all. I don't understand why you would prefer to stand not doing anything for so long, isn't that so boring? Some dungeons you can do without needing a healer. That's another thing I don't like about healing in this game you don't need two healers for most of the content it takes away the challenge.

That's why one of my guild mates focuses on DPS instead of Healing when the 2nd healer is capable of healing the tank on his own (which he most of the time is).

Demon wall of text

THIS

[Chukkaque]

Agree to disagree in relation to the story. Up until you start doing primals, the city state story line is rather dull. But once you get to Ifrit than it becomes the main plot and it starts picking up. IMO the general enemy for all of 2.xx was the Garlean's, and the ascians. The Ascians are the whole reason you end up needing to fight these primals in the first place. Don't forget the issues with the beastmen, which is more city state than anything and ss you continue through you sort of get dragged back into Uldah's city drama, but it's pretty interesting.

I would say the only thing that made 3.xx not so fun, was all the moogle quests. But the main plot was great. My only issue with Estinien was that, as a DRG, I wish my character would've had more input or say with him. For anyone who plays DRG - SPOILERS BELOW:

In the DRG quest line we have to fight Estinien, and take back the "eye" in the first place. Heck even in the end of 2.55 Estinien makes a comment that he is not there as your enemy today. As the "other" Azure Dragoon I wish I would've had more say on the eyes, and what Estinien was given, because my character all ready knew he had succumb to the call of Nidhogg once all ready.

So that's my only grip with 3.xx so far.

[seraf]

I am 100% behind you with this. No other mmo I have played (and there's many) has a healer been exPECTED to dps. Their job is to keep everyone alive, not keep everyone alive AND dps. If you want more dps to down things faster then you better step up your game as a dps, not expect the healer to help.

It's fine if this is your play style more power to you and I'm not going to tell you to stop doing your thing. But for 99% of the content in this game most of your party are at full health during combat or at high enough health that they aren't at a risk of dying. I'd rather be DPS'ing and making content go by faster than sit there doing nothing and twiddling my fingers together waiting to cast a cure spell.