Unofficial Census 2016 for FFXIV

[aesteval]

...set it up so that the server first player names are part of the story / legend as part of the story line leading up to normal mode? That could be some incentive?

Gear wise the challenge mode would be the top gear for a time period
Story mode would be lower powered
There would be a "catch up" period that acquire gear inbetween the two tiers to allow preparation for the next challenge. The previous top reward would still be best to start the next challenge in, but the catch up gear would be close enough to be relevant and good enough for a competent player while not destroying the value of the previous challenge's rewards

Ie using current ilvls as guidelines:
challenge mode ilvl 245
Story gear 220 - 230 range
Catch up 235 - 240 range

The could also spread out the rate of gear growth to be something a little slower.

[Zojha]

Of course that is not fair and I will be mad.

Oh, it's not and you can be miffed about it - But if the plane is so easy to procure that everyone can just easily get one, it shouldn't have been gated behind 20 years of work in the first place, so it's merely correcting a mistake that you were the victim of. And if you suddenly enjoy the plane less than prior, it just means that you didn't want the plane in the first place, you just wanted some ego stroking.

And always remember: Whenever you use a bicycle, car or other means of transportation, remember that your forefathers had to work hard to go from A to B by foot. Whenever you buy something in a local store, remember that your forefathers had to work hard and risk life and limb for their food. Whenever you buy medicine, remember that your forefathers had to work hard fighting the sickness with their body alone. And remember that there are places in the world that are less developed where this is still the case and that by having a higher standard of living, you are diminishing their achievements.

A dreadful thought, no?

[TaranTatsuuchi]

Would you consider EQ a sandbox or themepark?

Unfortunatly, I do now know enough about everquest to even try to make the distinction.
It was before my time of available time/funds to actually get into the MMO genre.

[Tolmos]

Would you consider EQ a sandbox or themepark?

Everquest is THE themepark MMO. It basically defined the entire sub-genre. While there were other online multiplayer games before these two, Everquest (Themepark) and Ultima (Sandbox) are basically the parentage that pretty much every MMO for the next decade followed the footsteps of.

I, personally, was an ultima/sandbox fan. I didn't really start enjoying Themeparks until Vanilla WoW and Final Fantasy XI released.

[Vantol]

But if the plane is so easy to procure that everyone can just easily get one, it shouldn't have been gated behind 20 years of work in the first place, so it's merely correcting a mistake that you were the victim of.

In this context you are supposed to get all items in game the instant you log in, because they are "easy to produce". Anyway, the point is, everything in this game gets nerfed because echo, unsync, ilvl. Why should I work hard and play every day, when I can just pay 1 month per year and accomplish same things that other person that was in game 5 hour/day every day for past year? That's the main reason ppl stop playing. Not because they don't like the game, but because they can leave game for months and lose nothing.

[Tolmos]

I never really understood the mentality of people getting upset that someone else got what I achieved but easier in a video game. The "work" I did to achieve my items was me PLAYING the game and enjoying myself; if I wasn't enjoying myself then the flaw was mine. So if, down the road, they reduce the requirement for that thing, I see no problem. I had fun and got my reward, and I do not define my personal worth by that in game achievement... So I fail to see its impact on me.

That's my personal view on it, anyhow

[Whocareswhatmynameis]

I never really understood the mentality of people getting upset that someone else got what I achieved but easier in a video game. The "work" I did to achieve my items was me PLAYING the game and enjoying myself; if I wasn't enjoying myself then the flaw was mine. So if, down the road, they reduce the requirement for that thing, I see no problem. I had fun and got my reward, and I do not define my personal worth by that in game achievement... So I fail to see its impact on me.

That's my personal view on it, anyhow

For most people it makes them not want to bother if in 2 patches the thing they spent a bunch of time on is just given away in a cash shop or w/e. If your the one that spent 1M MGP on a fenrir mount, then the devs turn around 2 months later and lower the cost to 100K, you might feel a bit differently. Chances are the next mount they put in the gold saucer for 1M, you wouldn't want to actually participate in getting it. That's the problem people are having.

Anyone that farmed red scrips in patches 3.0 - 3.3 probably know this feeling very well. When the gear they earned was given away for blue scrips. You start to ask yourself 2 questions... why did i bother doing that? and why would i want to do it again?

[MihaelB]

Anyone that farmed red scrips in patches 3.0 - 3.3 probably know this feeling very well when the gear they earned was given away for blue scrips. You start to ask yourself 2 questions... why did i bother doing that? and why would i bother doing it again?

I don't understand either, especially with that example. I invested 50mil into red scrip gear at the time when it was relevant to produce goods worth 150mil in profits in return.
I upgrade my gear now to do content relevant now. I understand it won't be relevant in maybe even a week because possibly they'll allow something in the game that completely wrecks my current gear but at least I'm enjoying it now.

If I just wanted to be 'efficient' with no satisfaction in doing content in relevance, I would quit a year and do 1 minute runs of everything but personally for me, there's no enjoyment in that.

[Sanghelios]

... the cost to 100K, you might feel a bit differently. Chances are the next mount they put in the gold saucer for 1M, you wouldn't want to actually participate in getting it. That's the problem people are having.

Anyone that farmed red scrips in patches 3.0 - 3.3 probably know this feeling very well when the gear they earned was given away for blue scrips. You start to ask yourself 2 questions... why did i bother doing that? and why would i bother doing it again?

Thats well spoken. Actually same for ponys. I did farm them when drop rates were low, just to see them raining down from heaven a while after. Now in this patch circle, i did only farm one bird and cba to farm all the others again, because i know its super pointless as square will do the same as they did with pony droprates. Same goes for literally every other content, let it be scripts or whatever. I like this game, but those things are really annoying after you did it once and i can see myself leaving this game one day just because of those points.

[Tolmos]

For most people it makes them not want to bother if in 2 patches the thing they spent a bunch of time on is just given away in a cash shop or w/e. If your the one that spent 1M MGP on a fenrir mount, then the devs turn around 2 months later and lower the cost to 100K, you might feel a bit differently. Chances are the next mount they put in the gold saucer for 1M, you wouldn't want to actually participate in getting it. That's the problem people are having.

Anyone that farmed red scrips in patches 3.0 - 3.3 probably know this feeling very well. When the gear they earned was given away for blue scrips. You start to ask yourself 2 questions... why did i bother doing that? and why would i want to do it again?

I've experienced this situation multiple times across various MMOs, I just never really experienced the emotional response that others seem to describe. I usually think "good for them" and move on, because I'm working on the next thing. I'm not getting these rewards to become a special snowflake; I'm getting them because I want the rewards, and enjoy playing the game. It's a double win for me.

Maybe it's just a personal thing, but I get some enjoyment out of other people getting to have things they want as well, rather than getting upset by it. How I attained the rewards, and how they attained it, is entirely irrelevant to me.