SE needs to listen, to improve FFXIV

[Toystore]

"SE will never understand why their game is not appealing to more players"

This is odd because it seemed like they were thrilled with how well and widespread Shadowbringers was received. ie: it sure looks like player interest exceeded their expectations.

Are you complaining about PF being dead? We're weeks away from new content and that's what happens during this sort of timeframe. And you know what else? The producer is on record, multiple times, encouraging players to take breaks now and again. Quiet time during a patch cycle feeds into the premise of allowing people to have some time to take a break. Whatever you think is wrong, it's entirely possible that the devs don't have the same concerns.

Shadowbringers was amazing on launch. One of if not the best expansions for any MMO while burning through the actual content.

...unfortunately it's still an MMO. And by contrast, it also has one of the worst if not the worst endgame out there. Not sure if it's at or near the bottom, but one thing I am sure of is that the disparity between what was offered at launch and what level of effort went into the content beyond the final boss is the largest quality gap I've seen since my first MMO expac (EQOA Frontiers back in like 2003)

[Vidu]

I'll give one example:
SE designs this new 2-chest lockout system which is good for statics but much less so for everyone else.
2-chests is a major sorting condition for most PF parties, yet there is no option in PF settings to differ that.
This just shows SE plain did not respect the compatibility design of this content for PF. Did not respect the players who would have to engage in the design this way.
And they could have designed a counsel mechanic which gives you an extra relevant book for the clear, if you failed your roll on every piece of loot. (I know this particular part of the suggestion could be difficult to balance around but get the point behind it)
But you get the idea. Some things I say are not nice. But they make their own sense.

These are just small things. There are bigger, more overarching things. We fail to understand each other on these things despite effort.
But I hope SE will understand. That they do read things from players who give them suggestions via in-game support, or in a half-hearted forum post. That they understand they have not served all players successfully this expansion, that they have failed many more "silent and invisible" players. That I should not have to try so hard, against so much opposition, to try to make something good out of the worse experiences I've had in this game.
That their own people should have to sit through some of these things, physically, in a 1-1 timescale, to understand.

(For instance, there are city-chats in WoW but non in FFXIV. This is because the chat oppression is more present in FFXIV. And a city-wide chat or similar, would be prone to players venting frustration in-game.
SE does not want that. They want everything controlled, clean, positive.
There are many other things I can say, a lot which will not sound too nice nor are things SE wants to exist. SE would obviously much prefer the forums to be filled with players supporting and presenting everything they do in a positive light. I would too. But it is also because of people who are sensitive to risks, who think in radical perspectives, who extrapolate from these, that our world is as nice as it is today.)

I am tired. Perhaps SE does have reps who monitor forums and pass along constructive content. Or perhaps even their developers are too busy, too ... etc. to consider deviating from their own ivory tower views. I've seen both. I've seen both, both succeed and fail.
I just don't want to try anymore. Make of it all what you want.
It's only a game after all. There are much worse games and much worse forms of actual abuse, exploitation, oppression, etc.

But I'm done here. Thanks for at least entertaining your interest of me.

I mean no offense but its extremly difficult to make much sense of the things you're saying, specially considering that some of them are simply not true - not in the sense that you'd be lying but that you seem not to be aware of certain aspects of the game. So I doubt anyone would even be able to pass your "suggestions" or concerns on because they're so cryptic anyone would have to guess what they even are and why they're worth adressing. You should really try to be more clear with what you want aswell as taking your own advice and consider things from the other point of view.

With that being said... lets adress some of the things I think I'm able to grasp from your ramble:

1) It seems it has to be mentioned again that Savage is not primairly designed for PF but for statics. That it is in PF is already catering to those who cant comitt to a static and the effort of running (or even just joining) one comes with certain benefits, like having the 2 chests.
2) The 2-chest-lockout isnt new. Its basically something that existed since 2.0 - with the slight change that in 2.0 you couldnt go back and clear previous turns again. That they allow that now, in turn for the loot-penalty is again an adjustment to those who cant/dont have a static.
3) In case you're refering to coffers dropping instead of straight away the gear when you talk about the "new system": This new system is better for everyone, statics and pugs since you dont have to keep your fingers crossed anymore that the item will actually be for your job, before still having to potentially roll against other people.
4) In regards to the extra book: Here is where you need to consider it from their perspective - and actually yours, too. What would happen if people could gear up faster? They'd have less reason to run the content, so... PF would die down even more (not what you want) and people would unsub (not what the buisness department of SE wants).

Its actually becoming clear to me what your issue seems to be: You cant find a static for whatever reason but you still expect to be able to raid as if you had one - or be able to play Savage-content like any other content in the game. Those arent issues SE can fix - not without basically nerfing Savage (by not assuming a static anymore when designing the mechanics) or hurting themselves and the raiding community by making gearing up even easier than it already is.

Now, for your point about "no city-chat": Yeah, we do have that. Its called /shout-chat and allows you to send a message to every person in a certain region, for example a city (or at least half of the city in regards to Ul'dah, Limsa, Gridania and Ishgard). I dont know where you got the weird idea that SE wants to repress players from venting in game and therefor not providing you with the means to communicate with a lot of people at the same time... because thats simply not the case - /say, /shout and whatever that last one (/scream, maybe? The one that has an even wider reach than /shout) is exist. People are just not that intrested in using them - my guess would be because they prefer to talk in a more "personal" enviroment, like an FC or LS. I can only speak for myself but I can assure you that I wouldnt use a "city-chat" just to talk to strangers and prefer to stick to my friends.

And as long as suggestions and criticism are presented in a constructive, polite and easly to understand manner they dont seem to mind it here on the forums - as soon as someone is getting offensive, vulgar or insulting they might remove threads, but thats reasonable.
But not every feedback or everything we'd like to see is actually worth putting into the game and they need to consider a whole lot more than just what some people want - or at least think they want. Just look at your own suggestion of making gearing up easier: Sure, that would be great for everyone who can clear Savage within in the first couple of weeks... and pretty bad for those who want to try their hands on it 2 months later.

I'm still not 100% what your issues are, but I'm pretty certain you're making way to big a deal out of them in your posts, throwing around words like "disrespect" and "ivory tower". So yes... please be done until you actually figure out how to give constructive criticism or at least an accurate description of what it is thats bothering you.

[Renato]

And you know what else? The producer is on record, multiple times, encouraging players to take breaks now and again. Quiet time during a patch cycle feeds into the premise of allowing people to have some time to take a break. Whatever you think is wrong, it's entirely possible that the devs don't have the same concerns.

This...quote...Has always irked me about this game from the moment I heard it. It's almost like they know the content given isn't enough and uses it as an excuse for the down time. For people like me who have been playing the game the last 4+ years who have done much of what's to offer, the little bits of content that can be finished in a few hours is embarassing. What's been released so far in SB after the initial release?

• 4 boss battles (I don't care what anyone says, these aren't raids) that can be finished in a few hours.
• 4 harder boss battles that may take a week at the most.
• A "thank You" event to the fans that could be done in an hour
• An obstacle course that could be finished in a few hours if you're good at jumping puzzles
• RNG treasure dungeons

And I get that everyone has different skill sets. For some it could take longer. But my point is SB was released in July. A lot of this content could be finished in a short period time. It's now October and a lot of use are still waiting for some meaningful content...It's been damn near 3 months. Most people only do the raids/trials for the gear which is worthless because the next batch of gear sets will make them obsolete anyway. And this has always been my main gripe with this game as much as I hate it, nothing has any value. You grind hours for a relic or spend hours learning an EX/Sav fight for gear that you'll have no content to use on. lol. And then it'll be weak come next patch cycle. That Vertical Progression for you...

And they say take a break...but hey, you gotta keep paying that sub if you want to keep your house though!

And don't get me wrong, I LOVED SB. As a single-player RPG, it's one of the best FF games that I have played in a long time. But as an MMO, the flaws from the previous years still shine through. Nothing's changed and I don't ever see it getting better.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

This...quote...Has always irked me about this game from the moment I heard it. It's almost like they know the content given isn't enough and uses it as an excuse for the down time. For people like me who have been playing the game the last 4+ years who have done much of what's to offer, the little bits of content that can be finished in a few hours is embarassing. What's been released so far in SB after the initial release?

• 4 boss battles (I don't care what anyone says, these aren't raids) that can be finished in a few hours.
• 4 harder boss battles that may take a week at the most.
• A "thank You" event to the fans that could be done in an hour
• An obstacle course that could be finished in a few hours if you're good at jumping puzzles
• RNG treasure dungeons

And I get that everyone has different skill sets. For some it could take longer. But my point is SB was released in July. A lot of this content could be finished in a short period time. It's now October and a lot of use are still waiting for some meaningful content...It's been damn near 3 months. Most people only do the raids/trials for the gear which is worthless because the next batch of gear sets will make them obsolete anyway. And this has always been my main gripe with this game as much as I hate it, nothing has any value. You grind hours for a relic or spend hours learning an EX/Sav fight for gear that you'll have no content to use on. lol. And then it'll be weak come next patch cycle. That Vertical Progression for you...

And they say take a break...but hey, you gotta keep paying that sub if you want to keep your house though!

So... you are complaining about content they added.. which is difficult, but "not enough" when you haven't done any of it because "its not worth it"?


What does them adding more content do for you if you dont do the content they've added?

If the reason you are doing content is because gear, then you are doing it wrong. The point of doing the content, and playing the game is for fun and enjoyment. If you need to have special gear that lasts forever to get your enjoyment, this game is not for you.

Currently progging e4s with a casual ass static.

[Renato]

So... you are complaining about content they added.. which is difficult, but "not enough" when you haven't done any of it because "its not worth it"?


What does them adding more content do for you if you dont do the content they've added?

If the reason you are doing content is because gear, then you are doing it wrong. The point of doing the content, and playing the game is for fun and enjoyment. If you need to have special gear that lasts forever to get your enjoyment, this game is not for you.

I never said I don't do any of the content. I will admit that I do avoid savage/ex stuff though because of the reasons above.

I mean, I've been playing since 2015. I do get some enjoyment out of the game. I enjoy the story, gameplay, sidequests, etc. The point I was trying to make above was the fact that the content isn't "enough" for the amount of time that they put out more. It's not about the gear at all for me but what is given (so far with the "raids") makes that a priority. The ONLY incentive is new gear from the items traded in. I could care less about it.

I enjoyed seeing Eden and getting all nostalgic from FFVIII stuff or hearing from the Devs with the rising event but it was very short-lived.

[linay]

And they say take a break...but hey, you gotta keep paying that sub if you want to keep your house though!

Housing is one exception (and FC leadership is probably another), but it's obvious why. The rest of the game (including Feast ranking, I believe) doesn't really force you to keep subscribing if you really have done all that you want, but there are also people who haven't done all that they want to do in the game.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

I never said I don't do any of the content. I will admit that I do avoid savage/ex stuff though because of the reasons above.

I mean, I've been playing since 2015. I do get some enjoyment out of the game. I enjoy the story, gameplay, sidequests, etc. The point I was trying to make above was the fact that the content isn't "enough" for the amount of time that they put out more. It's not about the gear at all for me but what is given (so far with the "raids") makes that a priority. The ONLY incentive is new gear from the items traded in. I could care less about it.

I enjoyed seeing Eden and getting all nostalgic from FFVIII stuff or hearing from the Devs with the rising event but it was very short-lived.

The content will never last as long as players want, unless they made it incredibly difficult or incredibly rng. which the players seem to hate. Thats how content was made to last in old mmos. It wasn't that it was hard, it was that it took you years to get equipment.

I've been playing since 1.0. I've raided, I've done casual stuff, I've done random Gold saucer things. I have yet to suspend my sub, and I've only taken a break for a month due to rl stuff. I still find things to do. Its not hard to find something to do in this game, there is a massive amount of content. If you are only looking at the latest thing, then thats on you really.

[Renato]

Housing is one exception (and FC leadership is probably another), but it's obvious why. The rest of the game (including Feast ranking, I believe) doesn't really force you to keep subscribing if you really have done all that you want, but there are also people who haven't done all that they want to do in the game.

Exactly. I get that. New players will have an abundance of stuff to do to the point where it feels overwhelming and SE tends to cater to that demographic moreso than the long-time players.

[Shinklet]

They need to listen less, some of the stuff that get's recommended on these forums is crazy..

[Mistyregions]

I agree that there are a lot of things that could be worked on such as:

1. Housing (How limited it is on high pop servers is stifling.)
2. Glamour System. (The entire system is overly and needlessly complicated. Implement a World of Warcraft style Glamour System.)
3. Grand Company Updates (There just aren't any. It's a major feature of the game so either get rid of it or update it already.)
4. The needless: Turn in this token, to get this token, to buy this material, to finally be able to get this item. (IE: Gather this collectible. Now turn it into scrips. Now turn those scrips into tokens. Now turn those tokens into a book. Now learn the book to finally unlock the node/recipe.)
5. THE REPORT SYSTEM: We need to be able to report for botting by right clicking their name. You know, those Thaumaturge bots flooding in front of MSQ NPC's and then just hacking away. Those bots don't say anything, the gathering bots don't say anything either. We NEED an option to report them by clicking on them. To further compound on this, we need more ticket options in game besides just 'report harassment'. Maybe change that to: 'open a ticket' and make players feel like they have more options than to just report someone for harassment.
6. Make Party Finder cross-data center. Servers that are notoriously RP servers will have a lot less raiding opportunity than those data-centers who have raiding servers and other normal servers. Leaving the RP'ers with very few options to do content.
7. Make a 'ON ALL' button in dungeons for loot. So I can: Greed on everything, NEED on everything, or PASS on everything without having to click each individual piece of loot throughout the dungeon or make people wait for upgrades because I'm too busy tanking to pour through the loot window piece by piece.
8. Game/Expansion/Pre-Order registration: Trying to register expansions is a bloody NIGHTMARE with XIV. Not only is having to enter a code to get a code, to enter the code, to start the pre-order insane enough but then I have to get a code, from the product I already registered, to get another code, to input ANOTHER CODE once it ACTUALLY goes LIVE??? Lots of people messed that up and it's infuriatingly complicated. Stop it. Just give us one dumb code to register for the Pre-order and one code to register the expansion itself and call it a day.

This dude wants a I win button and I hate you and want to ban you button.

Look at point 7. He is so lazy the concept of clicking multiple buttons is to much for him to handle and feels the developers need to spend money to fix this problem. That is literally insane clicking buttons is a legitimate complaint? FFS.