Why is Yoshi P turning his back on the playerbase that loves this game the most?

[FizzleofHyperion]

Please keep this conversation civil its a healthy discussion and I think its important that this should be discussed since most people who interview Yoshi P really don't bring the important things up maybe in fear of not beeing able to interview him in the future? I don't know... I'm not speaking for everyone ofcourse but to the people who feel like I do. I'm not generalizing but I know I'm speaking for a part of the community that share the same thoughts and feelings I do.

I love this game as much as you guys do or else I wouldn't be disappointed with certain things and this is why I try to voice my opinion. People who wouldn't care would just leave talk bad about FFXIV to others and not recommended the game to anyone.
We are here for the exact opposite reasons. We care we want this game to grow and be something that we can enjoy for years to come.


I've read Yoshi Ps interview and what he had to say about character growth.
Like some of you its very mixed feelings cause some answers went a bit into exageration from his end.
I understand certain things and why they have to be the way they are it just feels that they havent really asked the community correctly.

If this game was funded mostly by FFXI players who had double subscriptions and players from 1.0 who backed up Yoshi P during this games darkest hours (refering to that live letter from many years ago when Yoshi-P told the playerbase to keep the subs for a certain amount of time or the game had to be shut down 2011 If I remember correctly)

Why are we now 3 years later still catering to a group of people that are mostly come and go players?
I'm not refering to legacy players as some V.I.P customers but didnt they want this game to go a different path than its current state?
No I'm not refering to FFXI 2.0 but I'm neither refering to its current state wich feels FFXIV A WoW Clone Reborn.
No one here goes and buy a Street Fighter came because the content of Street Fighter reminds you so much of Mortal Kombat am i right?

I fully agree with Yoshi P that everyone should have fun and be able to catch up but he has pretty much encouraged the customer (pretty much all of us) that we should take a break from the game and come back later for next patch?
Alot of players that took breaks came back maybe once or twice but then gave up on this game because of its repetative cycle of nothing really happening.
We all understand how many players gave up on FFXI because they felt they could never catch up and it shouldnt be like that here!

This game is amazing if you are a new player but eventually even the new player would have done everything and be stuck in this boredom hamsterwheel we all seem to be facing thats an actual chore. Fast levling has been psychologicly proven that it triggers your mind into beleiving that you are continuing to acheive things and keep you busy but due to how fast everything is acheived here you hit that wall pretty fast when you reach your own certain goals.
No one that plays this game should feel that they need to level alternative jobs in order for having something to do that arguement should not even be discussed because you play a main job for a reason.

No game is perfect but this game is lacking midcore content. Everything is either on a very easy difficulty or a very hard difficulty with savage / newest ex primal.

Surely there has to be a way to keep Player A and Player B happy at the same time without having to continue punishing the envoirment for Player A making all their acheivements and progress feel like a waste of time and let down just because of nerfs from left to right to continue to satisfy Player B because they can't play as much but since Player B pays for a sub he is entitled to everything Player A has without putting as much effort in but the only difference is a time frame.

Its also sad that the formula itself is so predictable and you already know that whatever that is currently released will get nerfed and stuff will get useless again so fast. That alone kills the motivation more than keeps the player going imo.

I'm fully aware that this is a business and money is important but is money really that important when it starts damaging your most loyal customer group and slightly starting to kill the heart of the game?

There are so many games out there that pretty much follow the same pattern that FFXIV why must Square Enix be followers aswell?

Final Fantasy itself is such a strong name and brand that it alone can shape players into a different envoirment that gives something different than whats already out here.
Instead FFXIV just keeps giving in to everything thats out there. If Yoshi P keeps giving into the casual community only wont these casual gamers just keep jumping to the next trending MMORPG than sticking here?

Forgive me for all the thoughts and questions I'm just slightly confused myself to why FFXIV wont start taking risks and introduce new things.
Some horizontal progression wouldn't kill this game especially when there are so many players in FFXIV who are not used to the 1.0 content and FFXI content at all that would surely love ideas that are used from 1.0 and FFXI cause at the moment we are using alot of things from almost another other MMORPGs out there but the original flagships of square enix.
We have plenty of times seen and heard things in the novice network aswell as in linkshell chats or in duty finger party groups of players who came him from WoW because this game reminds them so much of WoW.
It really shouldnt be like that atleast from my perspective.

If people love this game so much that they find time to play this alot why should they be the ones getting the short end of the stick for the sake of not loosing someone who bought this game and might stay for 1-4 months but then leave for good?

Just because the Patch arrives today that doesnt mean that the hardcore community will rush through most content the first 1-2 days aside from savage and sofia ex and the rest of community that are int he endgame state might reach there in 3-4 weeks from now and then be back at the repetative cycle with the gears from the new amazing jibba jabba currency thats useless again by january.

I want to play Final Fantasy XIV not Fashion Fantasy 14.

I honestly don't have answers to how things should be fixed but I feel that I belong to a part of a community that has mixed feelings of the current state. I'm a legacy player yes I beleive that I should earn my levels and gears and content should feel rewarding and satisfying. I don't want the mega huge time sink of FFXI but I don't want this World of Warcraft envoirment either and neither do i want this very easy content on everything.
I havent beaten savage contents but I also don't feel I deserve a handout like the current state of the games formula. If I want to beat something or acheive a relic or a specific item it should be on the same conditions as everyone else. I don't feel I need to cry over something thats there for me as an option but I just have to do it under the same conditions and circumstances as I mentioned.


Thoughts?

English isnt my first language so I apologise for all type-o.

[Reynhart]

Why are we now 3 years later still catering to a group of people that are mostly come and go players?

Probably because those people are more numerous.

FFXIV accounts created are around 6 millions. Even considering FFXI and FFXIV 1.x players, we're really really far from that number. And of those 6 millions, we're not really sure of what people actually stayed to make the (I think) 700k players the game still has.

They should post a recent census of the number of Legacy accounts, and the number of SE account with an active FFXI and XIV subscription. They might be a minority.

[SwdVengeance]

While I appreciate you stating that you want a civil, healthy discussion, you might not want to have that following a subjective, bias title.

While people like to throw around the accusation that the development team caters to a specific demographic, I would counter that this is just the growth of game design in a broader spectrum. More and more, the higher age range of gamers increases, while the spectrum may stay the same, the density of gamers on the older side has increased. Those of us that grew up in the 80-90s, even 00s, have a lessening abundance of time. To a certain extent they are catering to those of us that played XI.

While it's anecdotal evidence, take me for example. I was an extremely avid XI player. Started when servers first went live, played through the Art expansion if I recall correct. I played at 1.0's launch, albeit, only for a month because of the quality issues, did not pick the game back up til 2.1. Personally, I don't really feel as if they're somehow betraying me, as a past player of these games, because XIV moved in a different direction. Even more so, a more streamlined and packaged game is far more attractive to myself. I don't have hours to sit in Jeuno looking for a group, only to then spend another few hours leveling, and even if I had the time I'm positive I wouldn't desire doing this again. Being able to to digest the game in smaller pieces is both more approachable for me as well as fun.

All issues you may have with XIV aside, you can't expect a different team to just remake or at the very least conceptually remake mechanically, previous titles for no other reason than fan loyalty. From a creative standpoint, that doesn't foster growth of the medium nor content. From a marketing standpoint, that doesn't attract new players.

While I won't debate that XIV has areas it could improve, I will contest the idea that Yoshi P and development team have somehow betrayed the community because the game as a whole moved in a direction that wasn't the same as FFXI or 1.0.

[Jim_Berry]

Probably because those people are more numerous.

FFXIV accounts created are around 6 millions. Even considering FFXI and FFXIV 1.x players, we're really really far from that number. And of those 6 millions, we're not really sure of what people actually stayed to make the (I think) 700k players the game still has.
They should post a recent census of the number of Legacy accounts, and the number of SE account with an active FFXI and XIV subscription. They might be a minority.

I pre-ordered 1.0 on PS3 from Gamestop a LONG time ago, only for it to never be released. I've been here since the beta phase 1 on PS3, and since then, I've only took a two month break due to how poor I played the game, then another 4 weeks due to being out of town for work. During those times, however, I was still subbed (822 days last I checked).

I don't think I can truly ever let this game go, especially considering:

1) I played FFXI from 2005 up until I retired when SE took the game down from consoles.
2) With my current gaming life, I only want to play MMOs. With my loyalty to FFXI, and only wanting to play MMOs, FFXIV is all I need.

Unless I'm going out of town, or there's maintenance, or a power outage in my area, there's never really a day that I DON'T log in.

[Vaeria]

I pre-ordered 1.0 on PS3 from Gamestop a LONG time ago, only for it to never be released. I've been here since the beta phase 1 on PS3, and since then, I've only took a two month break due to how poor I played the game, then another 4 weeks due to being out of town for work. During those times, however, I was still subbed (822 days last I checked).

I don't think I can truly ever let this game go, especially considering:

1) I played FFXI from 2005 up until I retired when SE took the game down from consoles.
2) With my current gaming life, I only want to play MMOs. With my loyalty to FFXI, and only wanting to play MMOs, FFXIV is all I need.

Unless I'm going out of town, or there's maintenance, or a power outage in my area, there's never really a day that I DON'T log in.

Much as I complain..I actually fall into your #1, 2 and 3 statement category too. Save for jumping back to some soul calibur every now and then on ps 3 for reasons I wont bother mentioning, FFXiVs all Ive really been interested in playing, with FF11 before that, w/o missing a day pretty much.

I'll be honest..I love FFxiv. I look forward to getting off work , grabbing some dinner, and jumping back in til all godawful hours of the night/ day. Hell...its 2 hours til the fix patch is done and where am I? Watching porn? No..on an ffxiv board. So ya, in spite of all my grumbling, I really like the game. And yes, I'll admit in a heartbeat that Yoshi and team have put some SERIOUS effort (even if money is the #1 motivating factor) into making FFxiv an enjoyable experience. That being said...

I can only compare it to this. You work one unusually hot and long summer, each day...and finally get the money needed for a new bike. Upon getting said bike, you ride it to death...really enjoy it. Through crashes and spills, it holds up better than well, and you have no doubts or regrets that youve gotten your moneys worth. 10 summers later..its time for a new bike. But not even a week after you set yourself to start working for it, mentally prepared to go the distance and all...your uncle gives you a brand new one, free of charge. After a month or so..it breaks. No worries...for soon..he gives you yet another one. This cycle continues for some time, with the generous uncle always being willing to keep you supplied with bikes.

I understand the OPs viewpoints as well as many of the counter arguements. In short, time changes things, for better and worse..and many people feel like 14 is progress, considering the number of players and such. Its just that, if you came from 11, you knew what it ment to suffer, knew what it ment to figuratively be 'poor', knew what it ment to suffer, want, and wait. Weathering all those things, if you were still able to reach your goals, the reward was that much more enjoyable. As well (as anybody who knows what the words Maat and Testimony mean) you were allowed to see just what you were capable of enduring.

Why the HELL would I wanna play an mmo where Im forced to suffer?

I know, I know....and by providing casual friendly, easily accessible content, yoshi's doing his best to shield people from this. But when you become aware of what your limitations are, ESPECIALY when in regards to something that you genuinely enjoy doing (MMOs) then to some extent..you WANT to be tested, you WANT to stretch your muscles, you WANT to take that punch right to the chin, grin, shrug it off and say "that the best you got?" By releasing content that makes you sweat, cuss, and throw your controller at my cat Spanky in frustration, and then you win, its just more satisfying. Nyzule Isle...lamps. Palace of the Dead...no lamps. Which did you look heavenward and give thanks after completing floors? Aleport..you step outside to do some leveling....get gobbie aggro. You run some distance and look behind...and hes still following you. You hit sprint and make a dash for it...look behind again...hes still following you...and getting closer. Youre now almost to the zone...and now hes stabbing you. You make it out the zone with 13% hp..and sweat on your brow cuz you didn't set homepoint.

just asking to make it a little more interesting is all. Not at all saying its bad. Whats there is good. Just put some Jalapeno peppers on it plz.

[FizzleofHyperion]

The players who backed this game from day 1 are a minority now due to the path thats currently taken.
If you want to expand to the current customer group of mainstream players ofcourse its more likely they are a majority overshadowing the rest of us. Its also people from that market that have been cycled through a few times by now with players that comes and goes.
So ofcourse you will be far from that number but you can't neglected the wishes of players that kept your game alive either am I right? Its like releasing a kickstarter saying fund me I'm gonna make this then you go do the exact opposite of what the core people wanted to get a different group of people. Wouldn't that make you feel used in a way? Getting a silly tatoo and 1 dollar less per month for the rest of your gaming career feels like crumbs on the table.

[Reynhart]

So of course you will be far from that number but you can't neglected the wishes of players that kept your game alive either am I right?

A game can't take several directions at the same time. What you can't neglect is the wishes of the majority. And nothing that can come out of the forum can be considered a majority. As long as enough accounts are active, then the game is doing well.

Saddly, the only way for you to really voice your opinion is to let the money talk and hope that enough people will do the same. But even then, the game will never please everyone. Personally, if the game keeps the same fomula with the next expansion, I'll probably subscribe one month for each path, then suspend my account until the next patch.

[FizzleofHyperion]

Saddly, the only way for you to really voice your opinion is to let the money talk and hope that enough people will do the same. But even then, the game will never please everyone. Personally, if the game keeps the same fomula with the next expansion, I'll probably subscribe one month for each path, then suspend my account until the next patch.

Sadly that seems to be the fate of this game. Its too predictible too unrewarding. I also beleive if this game was not called Final Fantasy but was something from another company and not the Final Fantasy lore and characters it would have been dead a long time ago. I don't think you are alone with that opinion either. Buying an expansion just to clear it then unsubbing then coming back almost 1 year later that sure is not the way to go.

At one time we where the majority and we got neglected for the sake of a casual market who are most likely here because they are temporary fed up of WoW or their first main mmorpg wichever that is.
That part is already written all over the history of FFXIV 1.0 and its current state. Business is Business it can never be personal but the history of this is the legacy majority who voted for a specific type of gameplay and got something way different.

[Reynhart]

Buying an expansion just to clear it then unsubbing then coming back almost 1 year later that sure is not the way to go.

Well, put that on perspective as buying a single player J-RPG. Over the course of 2 years, a new expansion will provide far more hours of content, and we still have new content every three months.

[Kohta]

Well, put that on perspective as buying a single player J-RPG. Over the course of 2 years, a new expansion will provide far more hours of content, and we still have new content every three months.

If you take away tomestones, what content is there?