Going to the same route as WoW. The game is TOO easy

[Shurrikhan]

Genuine question: who benefits from making the casual-focused content more difficult? I'm like 99% sure that Square primarily intends this as a game to be enjoyed by all final fantasy fans, with plenty of challenging content for those who want to go beyond. Why turn MSQ and normal dungeons into that? Once again, who benefits?

Depending on the difficulty curve, casual, mid-core, or even just the Chaddiest among us. There's no one answer.

If the difficulty curve has reasonable steps that pull only small and easily surprises at a time, each well and intuitively indicated, with little space given to forget previously learned mechanics and little to memorize at any one point in time... casual players probably benefit the most.
Add on some intensive stuff that takes a step past mere accumulative learning and puts your awareness to the test... well, now midcore players will probably get the largest kick out of it.
Crank everything up to the memorization standards of Savage... actually, I'm not sure anyone especially 'benefits' at that point, as it'd just be "more of the same", but probably of lesser quality, for Savage runners.
Create new systems of progression (for classic example, Mythic+) whereby anyone can progress from any level, to their maximum given their gear and... everyone benefits. There's no exclusive minimum difficulty, and there's virtually no ceiling on the difficulty either.

[NefarioCall]

I worked for years to get my Kirin's Osode in FFXI, and I wore it for years after that as Best In Slot... because FFXI was a horizontal MMO.
I like that.

I've never been able to really invest myself in FFXIV because what's the point of Best in Slot when it'll be trash every 7 months?

But as an otherwise GAME... like an offline, Mainline Final Fantasy GAME,
You can make the argument it is right up at the top of the franchise in quality.

Sure, I'd love it if I could fall in love with a game the way I did FFXI ever again, and FFXIV isn't ever going to be that,
But I love it just the same for what it does offer, and embrace it for those aspects.
...Which frankly isn't often the online component, but just the me being a loner lol
Eh...

[Reinha]

Genuine question: who benefits from making the casual-focused content more difficult? I'm like 99% sure that Square primarily intends this as a game to be enjoyed by all final fantasy fans, with plenty of challenging content for those who want to go beyond. Why turn MSQ and normal dungeons into that? Once again, who benefits?

Everyone who got past Shinryu would benefit from the dungeons after it being at least equally hard because a downwards difficulty curve induces boredom and devolves player skill. Who benefits from leveling dungeons being harder than "expert" dungeons? I'm expecting some wipes in the new dungeons and the last trial because most people have been cruising on autopilot and forgotten the previous challenge in the MSQ from two years ago.

[Tharia]

Well maybe we should play first the exoansion before we complain about the changes?

[Reap00]

IDK if this will be popular here, but just a quick glance at the front page of general discussion shows how far away from the original idea XIV has gone.

There is virtually no challenge outside of savage raids. There is little community aspect since everything is instanced, and people are far more concerned with minions and mounts that discussing battle startegies, since none is required.

I'm pretty old now I guess. I came up on EQ, played XI for 5 years and started XIV on 1.0. I played XIV now on and off. I resubbed this month with the expansion hype, but leveling my AST I found myself asking why. I mean, healing is no challenge what so ever. I'm mostly spamming my DD spells.

This is just venting, i suppose, but after seeing a lot of WoW refugee threads and videos I couldn't help but thinking XIV is heading in the same direction.

I, myself, will probably buckle and get the expansion, but I will 100% be playing Classic in Aug. and Pantheon whenever that comes out.

TLDR: The challenge is gone and with it the community.

Yet the game has the most active subs it has ever had. NEXT!

[Fynlar]

Everyone who got past Shinryu would benefit from the dungeons after it being at least equally hard because a downwards difficulty curve induces boredom and devolves player skill.

If everything after Shinryu was as tedious as most Shinryu parties were when 4.0 was current, I'd probably have just quit playing because it would have quickly eroded my fun.

[Gula]

I'd like more small group content that's hard. Being in a discord with 5+ people is always a pain in the rear to try and do, and honestly my days of raid leading are long gone. I'd like some savage mode dungeons that I can get a weapon from and me and my 3 other friends is all thats needed as participants.

I like this. Puts more responsibility on the team and spectacle can be flashier when enemy AI isn't going between 8 people.

[Teraluna]

Yet the game has the most active subs it has ever had. NEXT!

Also the SHB pre-orders are double that of SB.
So OP, who’s got it right? SE or your minority view?
That’s not to say there shouldn’t be hard content available, there should be challenges to as broad a base as possible.
But your inflammatory post title just attracts the same degree of response.

[Reinha]

If everything after Shinryu was as tedious as most Shinryu parties were when 4.0 was current, I'd probably have just quit playing because it would have quickly eroded my fun.

If you agree that being challenged and improving have a causal relationship, then perhaps it would follow that random parties would not remain such a burden forever. Or did you mean that having to put in effort is tedious? I can't say I'll ever understand that point of view.

[Eriane_Elis]

If we could get Savage/ultimate content for 4-players that would be great! Even with an established FC with 80+ players online, it's not the easiest thing in the world to convince 8 of them to run a hardcore raid. 4? Absolutely doable though.