How would I explain this games never changing formula?

[Kosmos992k]

Well actually his complaint falls more in line with "This burger doesn't taste very good" or "You advertised a new burger on the menu and yet gave me the same exact one as before so it's kind of bland and nothing has really changed with it" and he's voicing these complaints on the discussion area of the forums where the devs have asked us to critique their "burger".[/URL]

Not quite. If they delivered the 'same old burger', then we'd have multiple exact copies of Sastasha, Thousand Maws, Tam Tara and Copper Bell Mines to cope with. Obviously, we do not.\

This is what really annoys me about the charge that the content is exactly the same, when it patently is not. A dungeon is a dungeon, a burger is a burger. Different meat is a different flavor. Different dungeon settings are analogous to that different flavor. But the dungeons are not the exact same, nor are the raids. The complaint about sameness leans completely on the overall structure of something being similar. Tokesn vs gil, vs tomes, vs MGP vs any other thing you collect in quantity to exchange for something else. It's all the same, why can't we do something different? Um, because money works. Dungeons are places where a team overcomes an obstacle by working together; sometimes with multiple steps involved, sometimes not. Are all the dungeons in the game exactly the same thing because they are light party dungeons with a boss at the end? If so, then every MMORPG needs an overhaul. Clearly they are not exactly the same, and nor are the trials, which differ mechanically and thematically. How would you make them more different?

Seriously, it's so easy to bash on about same old content, copy pasta, etc... without really getting into the points because as soon as you do, it's obvious that a dungeon is still a dungeon, and a trial is still a trial, but they differ considerably in their content, and other than being dungeons and trials they are not the same as each other.

[QUOTE=Yurimi;3773069]Starbucks is no longer just a coffee shop it sells sandwhiches (both artisian sandwiches and regular variety on top of breakfast sandwhiches) and various other snacks;[quote]
StarBucks have always served snacks with Coffee, expanding the range of snacks doesn't alter the fact that it's a coffee shop.

Mcdonalds here used to not have McNuggets, is a chicken nugget a burger? Same with the breakfast menu is a plate of eggs and bacon a burger? It wasn't always there.

McD's has offered Breakfast since the early 70's, and the McNuggets arrived in the early 80s. They are still not the main attraction and McDs' has refined their menu with the focus on the burgers again and again.

A&W chubby chicken family started as only chicken strips before they started adding the chubby chicken burger due to popularity (anyone else old enough to remember chubby chicken as a limited time deal?)

Don't have an A&W near me, so I can't comment.

Wendy's started adding "healthy options" such as salads, yogurts as well as various other things here

Yogurt would be a form of cold, sweet dairy based desert food, like Ice-cream which Wendy's have always served. Wendy's used to have a Salad Bar...but they are still a burger place at their core.

DQ selling hot dogs is neither new, nor does it alter their core business. BK is still a burger place, much like Wendy's selling yogurt, smoothies are a slight change on the theme of milk shakes and ice cream and keeping a tiny plastic bubble full of week old lettuce does not a salad make.
Red Robin is known for what exactly? Burgers. It's a Burger place. Etc...

None of the examples you have given alter the core business.

Extending to FFXIV for a moment, We have the Gold Saucer, Diadem, PvP, Sight seeing, fishing, Housing, gardening, playing the markets, and other side content that is not part of the main content of the MMORPG we play. Like the salads, yogurts, McNuggets and other side items, these do not alter the core of the game one iota. Which goes back to the core point, a burger is a burger is a burger. if the customer stops liking burgers, no amount of additional burgers will help. Like McDonalds, or any of the other places we've mentioned, you could take a side excursion to a McMuffin, a McRib, or even McNuggets for a while, or even come to McD's less often for a while and eat soe tacos for a change. But, if you like burgers, sooner or later you come back.

In other words, SE has provided ample side content to allow players to take a break within the game, from dungeons, raids and trials. But let's face reality and truth, dungeons, raids and trials will always be core to this game since it is what it is.

So, I say again;

(the) complaint amounts to saying "this burger is still a burger, I wanted something new, and all you gave me was a different burger."

Well, yes, but you're are in a burger joint, so burgers are pretty much the Menu, if you don't like burgers any more, there is a taco stand just down the street.