Should FF14 take a new route? Discussion

[Connor]

Now that I think about any direction would probably a good one for developers to take, feels like we’ve gone nowhere the past few years and we’re in the same place with different skins.

Aren’t new subscriptions still heavily outweighing current subscriptions? The developers aren’t likely to ever change the formula to ‘shake things up’ while this exists, because current subs don’t really matter if they can be replaced by two more subs by the time they stop paying

[Berethos]

However, if they want XIV to remain relevant, they can't be scared to overhaul things and completely rework the system.

I'm curious.

Which MMOs overhauled and completely reworked their system, AND that rework was a real success?

I can think of arguably two - Guild Wars, which took 5 years of development time and had to be released as a sequel to happen with GW2, and this game (which also took a couple years of development time to do).

Every other attempt that I happen to know about to make major reworks and overhauls has either not helped or actively hurt the game, or isn't an actual overhaul/rework but rather a fresh coat of paint on the same old thing with the occasional new feature (Blizzard does this, but is also really guilty of dropping said feature after just one expansion...whiplash development like that isn't great for a game either).

[Fredco191]

..

I found more...

But don’t get salty newcomers! You will attain.....





Nothing. You’ll lose everything you own when the servers shut down.

[Keridwyn]

This is what has always blown my mind with FFXIV. It's no secret the game makes SE money and it's probably what saved them from financial ruin years ago. But I can't understand why the higher ups at SE won't invest more into the game.

It absolutely blows my mind. I guess it's why I hate the mog shop a little less (although recent prices are really starting to try me). You have an obvious source of income with fans willing to take hate to defend it and others who offer good constructive feedback daily. Yet you're going to starve it of funds and believe it will keep being successful. It's business choices like that that put the company down so low FFXIV had to save it.

[Fhaerron]

Unfortunately, people don't have this image of Japan... but as someone who lives here, I can tell you that sadly this is not a country that enjoys progression and change. The culture here is to do things as they have always been done; it's not very well received if you try to speak up and present another more efficient way to do something. Even if it is undoubtedly superior, others will tend to scoff at you and ignore your suggestions. They suffer very much from "this is how it's always been done, so this is how we will do it".

But what about the Final Fantasy Franchise?

All FF games have been different in one way or another, FF XIII was fully different and now we have XV and that's a whole new game, everything is just different.
So how does that work with we will never change anything and keep cloning FF 1?

The issue here is just that they do not want to spend much money on it. They already cashmilk so much right now so why should they spend money/resources and change everything.

If we want change we need to make that clear with our wallets.

And yes, I'm a fault here too because I'm still subscribed and still actively play this game even though I would also like to see change.
But at least I don't spend €1K on phantasia pots every month like almost everybody in that RP community do.

[Mikki]

@Fhaerron: Final Fantasy can and will change across the series because it HAS to. They can't repackage the same game a million times and expect it to still sell and of course they are willing to try new things in some regards. But that doesn't mean that the general culture here isn't to for the most part stick to the tried and true. Keep in mind, different people work on different games so there is bound to be shifts between each game. However, when you look at one stand alone title - especially an mmo - they are going to be reluctant to change it while the same team is around. And they're also going to be reluctant to change the team unless things are not going very well. To be honest, I'm shocked that they're even redoing ff7 and changing it up. But it seems like it will be more similar to ff15.

I can assure you though, this is definitely the cultural vibe you get working in Japan. I've gotten it here as a worker. My Japanese boyfriend also complains about it. It's unfortunate but that's how it is. There is change within great reason but the basic foundations often won't change.

But yeah, I would also agree that they are just being greedy and don't want to put any money back into improving the game. But the problem is, yes...... speaking with our wallets CAN certainly be a very loud wake up call. But they could just as easily simply pull the plug and still dig their heels in on this. Who knows which direction they'll take. But I'm guessing they'll probably just let it die; it failed once .. if it starts to fail again, I have doubts that they would try to bring it back again by dumping more resources into it. But I'd love if they proved me wrong.

[Fhaerron]

Snip

It's hard to change the foundations when the problem to change it is actually about 'change'. (I hope you understand what I mean ^^)

When you start FF XV first screen you get is 'A final fantasy for old and new'. So that in mind the FF VII remake, old players will most likely buy it again and they took the 'and new' route to attract new people that don't like the traditional wait your turn battle.
That's basically the only explanation I can think off. Or maybe they are just tired of turn based. Square Enix isn't just about Japan any more, they have holding on key locations all over the globe so there's much influence from other countries too.

And since you actually seem to be able to hold a decent discussion with unlike most other people on this forum. What do you think of a new FF MMO after this? Maybe that's a better solution then trying to untangle the spaghetti code in XIV.

Bonus note: No I don't trust you since I don't know you.
Good thing I always have a Phoenix Down in my pockets.

[MistakeNot]

Admittedly, I only joined at the very tail end of HW, but from what I've heard, literally nothing as far as gameplay and content has changed at all. Everything still seems to revolve around FATEs, the same pattern of raids, and repeat. I will admit, though, if not for the story, I'm not sure I would've stayed myself. Though raiding is my primary motivation at this point in time, I'm still engaged in the story - so there's that.

Why would the basic stuff need to change? Many people apparently enjoy the current game. Changing things around have a greater chance of driving people away than to attract new players.

That being said, they do add new types of content every now and then - with mixed reception. Examples include: Diadem, Palace of the Dead, Treasure hunts, Eureka.

[dinnertime]

That being said, they do add new types of content every now and then - with mixed reception. Examples include: Diadem, Palace of the Dead, Treasure hunts, Eureka.

Out of all of those, people tolerate Treasure Hunts and to a lesser extent, PotD/Deep Dungeons.
They are new, yes, the problem is it actually isn't. It's still the same trash mob-killing you always see but in a new coat of paint. It's not innovative nor interesting and people are already tired of that.

[ko_]

Out of all of those, people tolerate Treasure Hunts and to a lesser extent, PotD/Deep Dungeons.
They are new, yes, the problem is it actually isn't. It's still the same trash mob-killing you always see but in a new coat of paint. It's not innovative nor interesting and people are already tired of that.

What do they change? Cause everything at a basic level is go here and kill a thing. I don't think you can blame Eureka for doing that when it has the biggest change in the whole game. Deleveling. You don't have to like it.. BUT it IS a change.. a change that has NEVER been in XIV. Other than flat out changing roatations or taking them away OR literally changing what you do to mobs - like NOT killing them and talking to them or whatever- no change to this game will make people feel like it's new cause at the end of the day. you're still going to be go here kill/find/click/dig a thing. It's always going to boil down to that.