FFXIV Needs Player Polls

[Lastelli]

The people in forums consist of a very small minority of the playerbase. Should such a minority dictate the course of the game's development to the large majority? I say no.

That's...a really weird way to look at it. They simply need to make sure that as many people as possible know that they can give their feedback through player polls. Write it on the special notices of the launcher or something.

Also you assume that the "very small minority" here is not representative of the general population. What if it is? The biggest problem here is that the dev team mostly listens to the jp community on the forums, which is a small minority within a small minority.

[Kinkoz]

Also you assume that the "very small minority" here is not representative of the general population. What if it is?

So what makes you think the word of a very vocal minority is representative of the general population, then?
If you're intent on using the JP playerbase and their participation on the official forums as an example, what makes you think JP players don't use other means by which to express their stances on the game instead?

Your own approach to this matter is just as strange, if not more so, by making some unsubstantiated extrapolations.

Quite frankly, I find this person's suggestion to be a productive option:

Well, they can take a page out of Runescape's book and allow players to vote on what the next update should include and/or focus on.

It's a successful system, but it also requires that the NA/EU side of things has a more proactive community management team and clear communication facilitated with the dev team overseas.
It only works so well with Runescape because the devs and community managers tend to work hand in hand.

[Lastelli]

So what makes you think the word of a very vocal minority is representative of the general population, then?

Where did I write that?

But at the very least, they would give some players the opportunity to give direct feedback. Also, this "very vocal minority" thing really doesn't have anything to do with the matter at hand as long as they let anyone provide feedback via polls.