FFXIV is too simplistic and bland

[dinnertime]

They have changed the fundamentals quite a few times. It wouldn't surprise me if it changes again before 6.0.

Eh... Content and the game itself still plays essentially the same as it did back in ARR. Of course there were changes (good and bad) and improvements over the years but I wouldn't say the game feels different to the point of feeling unfamiliar.

[Edax]

Beware what happened to Runescape, the devs change the game so radically, it alienated all the old players, resulting in them demanding the old game be restored. Thus Old Runescape was born from an old server backup which ended up becoming the more popular version of the game in terms of player population.

People who have already gotten into FFXIV, aren't necessarily interested in seeing FFXIV turned into a different game.

[Nayout]

All this thread reminds me of what was discussed here
People who do not know how to criticize the game without turning it into another game and this thread is the perfect example of what I comment there.

"Many times on reddit I read people who want to make FFXIV a clone of FFXI or another MMO, if I want to play the systems of those MMOs I'm going to join those MMOs."
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...about-the-game

[KadaRemnant]

Ffxiv can have improvements and add even more awesome stuff like they did every patches. I welcome new things and experience but i won't call ffxiv simplistic and bland. It's always enjoyable to me.

[MonteCristo]

All this thread reminds me of what was discussed here
People who do not know how to criticize the game without turning it into another game and this thread is the perfect example of what I comment there.

"Many times on reddit I read people who want to make FFXIV a clone of FFXI or another MMO, if I want to play the systems of those MMOs I'm going to join those MMOs."
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...about-the-game

Imho.....i think its more about ffxiv having done some great things but if it were able to incorporate some other elements it could transcend ffxi's and other mmos longevity/overall re-playability. Lets be brutally honest...if innovation does not occur at some point its a matter of if not when for this game to fizzle out. We rooting for ffxiv ultimately but its long over due for some real innovation

[Razard]

Imho.....i think its more about ffxiv having done some great things but if it were able to incorporate some other elements it could transcend ffxi's and other mmos longevity/overall re-playability. Lets be brutally honest...if innovation does not occur at some point its a matter of if not when for this game to fizzle out. We rooting for ffxiv ultimately but its long over due for some real innovation

And. No. Matter. How. Much. This. Is. Said. The. Game. Keeps. Going. From. Strength. To. Strength.

Seriously, this crap was being said as early as 2.0.

Seriously, this “we need more x or the game will wither and die /couchfaint” meme needs to go die in a fire.

[Xatsh]

And. No. Matter. How. Much. This. Is. Said. The. Game. Keeps. Going. From. Strength. To. Strength.

Seriously, this crap was being said as early as 2.0.

Seriously, this “we need more x or the game will wither and die /couchfaint” meme needs to go die in a fire.

Look at those 22+million people who bought the game (SE's Numbers). This game has a retention of 4-5% at most and massive active population dips between patches. What happens when the new players stop coming in. What would of happened if WoW did not release garbage tier expansion after garbage tier exansion in a row for the last 4yrs. FFXIV does really good getting new ppl into it, it is horrible at keeping the majority here. XI was the opposite it was horrible at getting new players but kept its current player-base very stable for nearly a decade. Game capped at 600ishk subs and maintained over 450k for the next 8yrs with a very slow decline, daily log in averages never dipped between patched, people never took long breaks to others games, people never made post on any websites that they were bored and had nothing to do. Imagine this game if you combined the two. Getting millions of new players and keeping 50-75% of them long term. What WoW did when it launched, how they got absurd sub counts.

I got a few friend from Archeage to come over to ffxiv about 5 months ago. They were having a blast playing ffxiv. Logging in Daily, posting comments like omg this game is <expletive> awesome on discord. A few weeks ago I got sent a message. "What do I do now, we just capped points and we went through savage and bunker" it was Thursday. My only comment was welcome to the club, level something else or log out until Tuesday. Next week he told me him and the few ppl all preorded WoW's next expansion and will be taking a break because there is nothing to do here. Maby they will come back, maby not.

Eventually the new players will stop coming. Once that happens the game will start dying very fast. The higher retention the game has the slower it will be.

There is alot of stuff ffxiv does right, content duration is not one of them.

Now with FFXIV honestly alot could be fixed I feel easily, if they continue the Eureka like content, releasing that at the same time as the FIRST SAVAGE RAID, not 2/3rds of the way through an expansion. Make it an alternate path for BIS GEAR. You have tokens, savage, and relic all equal in power. 3 paths instead of 2. Now people can level 3 job arcs such as Healer, Melee, and Range instead of just 2 that we have now. People could finish the weeklies and have content with longevity at the start of each expansions to participate in that would occupy alot of peoples time.

[BlitzAceRush]

That's true for most MMO's though so by that logic they're all dying, they're all a fraction of their players active Vs created.
ESO: 14,638,045 total players VS 695,307 active players
WoW Clasic: 23,378,742 total VS 1,332,588 active
FFXIV: 19,337,062 total VS 1,653,319 active
I see none of these "death flags" that 14 is going to suddenly or even slowly die, it's only grown and is holding fine numbers.

[linayar]

On a personal note, if increasing player retention means releasing more grindy contents, then I'd rather they reconsider. I like the pacing of the content as is. I like being done on Tuesday and then for the rest of the week, I play, not because I have to, but because I actually enjoy the content.

Yes, I also subscribe to WoW, but not because lack of content in FFXIV, but because I can never be satisfied playing only one game. I don't do all the contents there is to do in either FFXIV or WoW (or SWTOR, and yes, I play that too, but only when there is new story). But I enjoy the contents in FFXIV more because I get that feeling of being finished more often in FFXIV than in WoW (though I still enjoy WoW's contents as well, obviously).

As far as retention is concerned, I'm not worried either way. If there ever comes a time when FFXIV stops having enough player to maintain further development, then it just means that it's time for a new game. I look forward to the next FF MMO.

[MonteCristo]

Look at those 22+million people who bought the game (SE's Numbers). This game has a retention of 4-5% at most and massive active population dips between patches. What happens when the new players stop coming in. What would of happened if WoW did not release garbage tier expansion after garbage tier exansion in a row for the last 4yrs. FFXIV does really good getting new ppl into it, it is horrible at keeping the majority here. XI was the opposite it was horrible at getting new players but kept its current player-base very stable for nearly a decade. Game capped at 600ishk subs and maintained over 450k for the next 8yrs with a very slow decline, daily log in averages never dipped between patched, people never took long breaks to others games, people never made post on any websites that they were bored and had nothing to do. Imagine this game if you combined the two. Getting millions of new players and keeping 50-75% of them long term. What WoW did when it launched, how they got absurd sub counts.

I got a few friend from Archeage to come over to ffxiv about 5 months ago. They were having a blast playing ffxiv. Logging in Daily, posting comments like omg this game is <expletive> awesome on discord. A few weeks ago I got sent a message. "What do I do now, we just capped points and we went through savage and bunker" it was Thursday. My only comment was welcome to the club, level something else or log out until Tuesday. Next week he told me him and the few ppl all preorded WoW's next expansion and will be taking a break because there is nothing to do here. Maby they will come back, maby not.

Eventually the new players will stop coming. Once that happens the game will start dying very fast. The higher retention the game has the slower it will be.

There is alot of stuff ffxiv does right, content duration is not one of them.

Now with FFXIV honestly alot could be fixed I feel easily, if they continue the Eureka like content, releasing that at the same time as the FIRST SAVAGE RAID, not 2/3rds of the way through an expansion. Make it an alternate path for BIS GEAR. You have tokens, savage, and relic all equal in power. 3 paths instead of 2. Now people can level 3 job arcs such as Healer, Melee, and Range instead of just 2 that we have now. People could finish the weeklies and have content with longevity at the start of each expansions to participate in that would occupy alot of peoples time.

This is EXACTLY what ive been trying to say overall but with way more detail. Thank you