The "Wow Refugee's" impact on the FFXIV Community?

[Gralna]

WoW has (used to have) far better, more fluid, reactive combat. WoW has tons of QoL that we can't have due to "server limitations", better glamour, better mount tab, better minion tab, the toy box (I loved the toy box), crafting from your bank, all bank space and mobile app and alts are free. WoW has add-ons too, which is a big thing. Both games have fairly bleak initial leveling, but 3 buttons at level 30 with a 2.5sec GCD takes the cake. That said, I still believe FF14 is the better game now. FF14 feels like an MMO, WoW feels like a facebook game and they've been shredding their QoL and combat the last few expansions.

Imo, most of WoW's massive QoL features are a result of the game being over 15 years old. They've had tons of time add little things here and there.

Also, WoW has nowhere near 5M players, they were just under 2M when BfA launched, and have been bouncing between 600k-1M for last few months.

http://www.warcraftrealms.com/weekly...hp?serverid=-1

[Vahlnir]

Imo, most of WoW's massive QoL features are a result of the game being over 15 years old. They've had tons of time add little things here and there.

Also, WoW has nowhere near 5M players, they were just under 2M when BfA launched, and have been bouncing between 600k-1M for last few months.

http://www.warcraftrealms.com/weekly...hp?serverid=-1

Their numbers go up pretty high with expansion launches so the interest in WoW is almost always there. Blizzard is just doing a poor job of retaining players post launch so the numbers keep going lower and lower. WoD all but ruined peoples' opinion of the game and the company too so that doesn't help and people are already starting to compare BfA to WoD. I don't think we're quite there yet but we may be if 8.2 doesn't bring something substantial.

[Windwalker]

Doesn't really help that most left after the Diablo:Immortal fiasco also key members of Blizzard left so its all run by activision now. They don't care about their playerbase, only about profits.

[Imuka]

Their numbers go up pretty high with expansion launches so the interest in WoW is almost always there. Blizzard is just doing a poor job of retaining players post launch so the numbers keep going lower and lower. WoD all but ruined peoples' opinion of the game and the company too so that doesn't help and people are already starting to compare BfA to WoD. I don't think we're quite there yet but we may be if 8.2 doesn't bring something substantial.

Just like with any MMO, the Players hope to get back their old good times.
With ShB we will see a lot of Players who left in the Life Span of SB coming back, hoping that the Game will be like in the past.
I must say, for me ShB feels already like this "make or break" Point for the Game. 14 is not bad, but the Devs are so into staying with their Formula all the time, that it starts to hurt the Game.

So many left because Stormblood felt like playing another run of "Heavensward but somehow weaker" and if Shadowsbringers again feels like playing "Heavensward but somehow weaker" for the third time, many might drop the Game completly.
Many Players can accept not getting out of the Comfort Zone once, but it gets hard, if Devs to it twice.

[Vahlnir]

So many left because Stormblood felt like playing another run of "Heavensward but somehow weaker" and if Shadowsbringers again feels like playing "Heavensward but somehow weaker" for the third time, many might drop the Game completly.
Many Players can accept not getting out of the Comfort Zone once, but it gets hard, if Devs to it twice.

Stormblood was definitely not their brightest period in the game but it wasn't all bad. If Eureka had turned out to be something truly new and actually fun the reception probably would have been better. As of probably the last 2-3 patches I have actually been enjoying the story a good bit, and normally I hate the story for the most part. There's some things that SE probably won't shy away from, like the dungeons, raids and gear treadmill. What they are sorely lacking in is side content that has longevity (and is actually, you know, fun) and an active open world.

I think back to the MMO named Rift (RIP original rift, sad to see the f2p/p2w version that exists now) which had occasional zone invasions that encompassed an entire zone. Small towns and hubs would come under attack and you had to either defend them or take them back. Once the event was over though things would return to normal no matter what condition things ended in and there was various rewards you could trade currencies for. That was some of the best times I've had in any MMO if I'm being honest. It'd be neat to see something similar with Shadowbringers since we're basically going to be at war with the Light on another world entirely.

[linay]

the Devs are so into staying with their Formula all the time, that it starts to hurt the Game.

I'd rather like that. If I want to play with different game formulas, I play with different games. I don't want to come back to FFXIV wondering if it's a different game than what I bought. The details (combat system, etc.) change and the story progresses like a good RPG, but the overall formula of the game shouldn't change with every expansion to the point of making it a different game. That's why they're called expansions, not formula-changers.

Formula changing is why WoW feels the need to bring back Classic, and I don't think FFXIV has big enough of a fandom to warrant that, nor should it have to.

[Kaedan]

Stormblood was definitely not their brightest period in the game but it wasn't all bad. If Eureka had turned out to be something truly new and actually fun the reception probably would have been better. As of probably the last 2-3 patches I have actually been enjoying the story a good bit, and normally I hate the story for the most part. There's some things that SE probably won't shy away from, like the dungeons, raids and gear treadmill. What they are sorely lacking in is side content that has longevity (and is actually, you know, fun) and an active open world.

I think back to the MMO named Rift (RIP original rift, sad to see the f2p/p2w version that exists now) which had occasional zone invasions that encompassed an entire zone. Small towns and hubs would come under attack and you had to either defend them or take them back. Once the event was over though things would return to normal no matter what condition things ended in and there was various rewards you could trade currencies for. That was some of the best times I've had in any MMO if I'm being honest. It'd be neat to see something similar with Shadowbringers since we're basically going to be at war with the Light on another world entirely.

Ahh, Rift. The only other MMO besides FFXI and FFXIV that was good enough to hold my attention for a significant period. SE could learn a few things from the dynamic content in Rift. FATEs are a tiny bit similar, but not "involved" enough to measure up.

[Imuka]

I'd rather like that. If I want to play with different game formulas, I play with different games. I don't want to come back to FFXIV wondering if it's a different game than what I bought. The details (combat system, etc.) change and the story progresses like a good RPG, but the overall formula of the game shouldn't change with every expansion to the point of making it a different game. That's why they're called expansions, not formula-changers.

For me, there is a difference between:
"Always completly sticking to the formula" and "Knowing what the Players like but going for a little twist.".

The reason why many Players remember Badrams is the second Mini Game Boss. It was different and not another "Punch it in the face Boss" and the Players enjoyed that.
And we got something like this just a single time in the whole Stormblood Addon.
The Players like Bosses in a Dungeon, but that does not mean, that every Boss needs to be a "Punch them in the Face" Boss.
It was still a Boss, but with a little twist.


Sticking to the formula is: Trash, Boss, Trash, Boss, Trash/Mini Boss, Endboss in every Dungeon.
Why not: Puzzle Boss, Mini Boss, Trash+Boss, Mini Boss+Trash, Endboss. Still 3 Bosses and things in between, but with some small changes.
I wish the Devs would see those as Elements they can mix in several Ways. And give us the Puzzle Rooms back.
Maybe a Dungeon that is a Tower and to enter it, we need to do a Machine Puzzle Boss.
After that we have a Mini Boss inside who is the Doorkeeper, from that we move upwards and see how they started to line up a defense against us, with Trashmobs and a Boss.
Later we get ambushed by a Mini Boss with some Trash and then we reach the Endboss at the top.
Sounds like fun for me. I would like to see the Devs see al those Elements as something they can combine in many different ways.

It would not change a lot in the first moment, but it would make the Dungeons feel a bit different.
And those are things, I would like to see from the Devs.

[Titor]

I’ve noticed a lot of the friendliness on xiv is fake and many will backstab given the opportunity.

[linay]

For me, there is a difference between:
"Always completly sticking to the formula" and "Knowing what the Players like but going for a little twist.".

The reason why many Players remember Badrams is the second Mini Game Boss. It was different and not another "Punch it in the face Boss" and the Players enjoyed that.
And we got something like this just a single time in the whole Stormblood Addon.
The Players like Bosses in a Dungeon, but that does not mean, that every Boss needs to be a "Punch them in the Face" Boss.
It was still a Boss, but with a little twist.


Sticking to the formula is: Trash, Boss, Trash, Boss, Trash/Mini Boss, Endboss in every Dungeon.
Why not: Puzzle Boss, Mini Boss, Trash+Boss, Mini Boss+Trash, Endboss. Still 3 Bosses and things in between, but with some small changes.
I wish the Devs would see those as Elements they can mix in several Ways. And give us the Puzzle Rooms back.
Maybe a Dungeon that is a Tower and to enter it, we need to do a Machine Puzzle Boss.
After that we have a Mini Boss inside who is the Doorkeeper, from that we move upwards and see how they started to line up a defense against us, with Trashmobs and a Boss.
Later we get ambushed by a Mini Boss with some Trash and then we reach the Endboss at the top.
Sounds like fun for me. I would like to see the Devs see al those Elements as something they can combine in many different ways.

It would not change a lot in the first moment, but it would make the Dungeons feel a bit different.
And those are things, I would like to see from the Devs.

Sounds like you want some novelties in dungeons. Novelties are fine until most people find a way to just run through them in the most efficient way possible, thus lowering their value. Bardam's second boss is definitely unique, but it's just another boss after having run it multiple times on multiple characters/jobs.

I don't mind such things myself, but unless there is a purpose behind it other than just to be different, I don't think it would matter much to the state of the game overall. Dungeons have a specific purpose in FFXIV and the current formula fits that purpose nicely as it is.

And to fit in with the topic of this thread, the reasons I've seen WoW players give for not liking FFXIV tend to be about the longer GCD (which I personally prefer), lots of noncombat quests and cutscenes, having to go through MSQ to play current content/unlock features, loading screen in between zones, and art style (which I also prefer to WoW's). Those and other reasons tend to be more pressing matters to consider than changing formula for something that is meant to be run primarily for leveling and gearing.