Concern on the current state of FFXIV, and future content

[Hestzhyen]

I'm not sure what you expected. I didn't keep my expectations low so I wouldn't be disappointed. But it seems many people expected something mindblowing like an entirely different game mode or something to that effect. I expected something similar to what we have seen elsewhere, which is what we got. Eureka is basically POTD fused with Diadem.

For the record I'm not a fan of either POTD (unless it's a high level floor) or Diadem. But I enjoy Eureka well enough.

You're allowed to like it, no one can take that from you. But we were promised something different... and we got a poor man's XI instance. The best I can say about it is that it's pretty and probably took a long time to get it looking as good as it does. However, for a land of exploration and mystery, I spend an awful long time grinding in the same ten square feet... I just want to go out and see the dang place and feel like I can make some progress in a decent amount of time. If zerging trash mobs between random "boss" spawns is the only thing we're expected to do, then I expect to skip relic this time. The grind/reward ratio is way out of whack for the amount of enjoyment inherent in Eureka. There are only two things to track: upgrade drops, and your elemental level. Both are on a super slow drip and the first one isn't even guaranteed to be earned, regardless of the effort you put in. Progress for both of these is glacially slow so it's disheartening to watch numbers tick up by the hour and feel like you got tricked. I want to get PAID to do this content. That's bad.

I don't mind grind- I've done relic weapons before. I do mind when games try to waste my few hours of free time. The relic gear isn't even worth the colossal investment since it's WORSE than weekly capped gear- it should at least be on par with the basic Mendacity sets!

In the end I feel like XIV is taking random stabs in the dark when finding a new direction. Either that or their creative/gameplay leads just don't understand modern game design. There needs to be something to break the monotony, some short-term goals to work towards while you keep the long-term rewards in mind. I hope future updates address the lack of engagement somehow. And I hope SE finally understands that more of the same will not cut it any more.