Few close friends quit FFXIV, one wants to explain why, hopes SE improves the game

[Deceptus]

. . .
In short, Square-Enix likely won't fix FFXIV (and may risk making it worse) because they're acting more like a business rather than the company renowned for its masterful works of gaming art.

A business acts like a business?

What madness.

[Hamada]

Stormblood in general has not been an overly great expansion, Heavansward i feel was better how it was presented.
The code is very outdated and we all know it would take time. Perhaps they also need test servers.
In the 5 or so years i have been playing (since launch of 2.0) it is the very first time i do not finish off Relics and i have also had long periods of not bothering to log on
Gear gets outdated within a short period of time getting it, and well not much feels rewarding anymore.

Other games reward you just for playing or logging in.... This game they let go of vet rewards, it is not a big deal i just think at times other games/developers care more.
Not to say SE does not care, more like they are tired and need a refresh as a team and maybe just maybe go out and do something not so safe all the time.

Well the thing is, the code was outdated at the start, from rushing out 2.0. the one I wrote this post for felt it could been at least partially addressed or something to improve it for HW's launch, while they kept working on it and have a real fix out for SB's launch. Since it is clear the increasing prices (more retainers to hire to deal with them not giving enough space and the app, basically keep increasing microtransactions) is not going back into the game, they are not willing to fund the game no more. It is just reskinning the same thing without truly improving the game and tired of the "better late then never" mindset when releasing QoL updates, like the "outdated on release" glam dresser, that they recently commented about having "server load" issues when suggesting they will improve it. This tells me they are not willing to put money into the game to upgrade servers and do what needs to get done to allow the game to truly grow. Because of that just seems they are trying to milk the playerbase while putting minimal effort to keep the game running.

For the "rewards for loging in" I need to ask this. (lets say the game improves and they come back) Do you think it is fair they are leaving due to the game performing on an unacceptable level, only to return and have to pay high amount of money for the missed events? Just feels they go out of their way to keep subs.

A business acts like a business?

What madness.

There is a difference of acting like a business, and acting like how EA does business. At least in the USA (where my friend is from, maybe this is a cultural thing) when there is issue with a business (outside gaming anyway) you can work things out with them and not have the business walk over you. There is a degree of customer satisfaction a business tries to strive for, that does not exist for SE, and game companies in general.

[Lunalepsy]

The game is already standardized, so there's not much to do these days.

[TwistedTea]

I really wished my crafter character was not MSQ blocked...

Really hoping that SE stops this practice of gating non-combat stuff behind the MSQ.

...with FFXIV I feel like I'm being punished by not having more retainers...

Having maxed out Botanist and working on Miner/Weaver, I find myself spending more and more time, managing my inventories.

Not a hoarder. I discard/sell whatever I can but I can foresee that if I go the omni-crafter route, 2 retainers is going to mean a lot of time spent on managing inventories.

[Edax]

A business acts like a business?

What madness.

It IS madness. When a company makes an entertainment product solely for profit, and forgets about the entertainment part, you get the situation we have today for many video games and movies. Profit cannot be the sole motivator for all forms of business because that's not how all business fields work. Imagine if cars were sold to you piecemeal and come with microtransactions like they are with video games, or restaurants that care only about profit and forgets to make the food decent or safe, or insurance companies that hardly ever pays out it's claims so it can keep more profit. It all sounds more like a corrupt society that defeats the services these business were suppose to provide in the first place.

[NanaWiloh]

You're friends certainly aren't the only ones. It's becoming a more and more popular opinion that players are getting tired of the treadmill and meaninglessness of the rewards given. game is to easy and boring. predictable etc etc.

I came to FFXIV in 1.0 initial release along with 40-50 of my friends. Pretty much my XI endgame linkshell. We are/were a very close knit group of friends. and have been since well basically the millenium. we've had massive parties and get togethers over the years where we'd all go celebrate the new year together at la macumba in france or having almost 40 of us meeting up in london / cardiff / paris for a weekend.

Since 2.0 though that circle of 50 friends in XIV has shrunk smaller and smaller and smaller and at present is down to about 10 maybe 12 that play somewhat regularly. generally speaking the other 40 have quit because they hate the treadmill and futility of everything along with the game being so damn easy its just not rewarding to play. There's no satisfaction clearing a dungeon trial or raid that you literally cannot possibly fail to complete.

As for Yoshi's comment about losing players if they changed the system the problem is they're losing players by the bucket load anyway... wasn't so long ago they were boasting 10 million plus players but literally 5-6% of them are active at best... 94% of those players don't play....

There's a changeing trend in the business world where companies are starting to focus more on former custoemers than current ones. and I think SE should really invest in listening to former players. I mean if it turned out the treadmill was the reason 5 million players stopped playing that would tell se a lot more than the relatively small active playerbase can.

The game has never at any point had 5+ million active players. Around 1.5 million active is the most its ever had so far, SE is boasting the number of accounts created. Blizzard does the same thing when they say they have 100 million subs when less then 10 million are actually playing.

[Aerlana]

A business acts like a business?

What madness.

There is two way to make a movie, a game or so much things.

1) the way that makes the most profit. getting as much money as possible, while spending the less possible

2) Making a good game. Maybe it will cost more... and you wont do 80% profit...


SE choose those last years most of time the first way... we ask them to think to change this...

or insurance companies that hardly ever pays out it's claims so it can keep more profit.

hum... already what we have no? :-°

[van_arn]

Ok bye, why play if you don't want to?

[Hamada]

There is two way to make a movie, a game or so much things.

1) the way that makes the most profit. getting as much money as possible, while spending the less possible

2) Making a good game. Maybe it will cost more... and you wont do 80% profit...

SE choose those last years most of time the first way... we ask them to think to change this...

hum... already what we have no? :-°

lol, it was a bad example, but what i think they where going for was stating "literally never" not the current situation where you need jump though some hoops. Basically the point is, SE/gaming in general/ movies get away with things most businesses could not, unless they want to risk facing lawsuits and/or bad publicity.

But your first part is spot on, they used to be "2" now they are "1"

Going to admit I did laugh reading this... arietys. eiherjar sky limbus etc... devs throw us diadem 3.0 with valkurmdunes exp grinding.. "this is what players said they wanted.." WTF????????

Yeah my friend was referring to it in the big post I made for them.

[Aerlana]

But your first part is spot on, they used to be "2" not they are "1"

used to... not anymore. And i always hope, they come back in this state.
Maybe to "black and white" but for me they clearly went on the "bad" side. . .

Things did change to a side, it can change back


i have many things to say against the game, but mainly i can say "always same thing, never any small part of innovation, fear of the smallest risk" and "cash shop in subscription MMORPG" (and here ... 1200 euros, + retainers + premium app... ...)
But i always hope for SE and Yoshida (and his team) to finally take a better path... else i would already leave