Suggestions for whatever may replace Ishgardian Restoration in 6.0

[dezzmont]

IMO, it's not the designers' job to teach restraint to players. People need to learn that, but it's not the job of the game designer to do it.

Ethics in design are a thing. I actually literally study structural exploitation through systems like social media and 'gamification,' as well as exploitation of psychological vulnerabilities to intense FOMO anxiety that are shockingly common in well adjusted people who have never experienced an axiety disorder in their life.

Its kinda... a big thing, and its causing a lot of harm to society in general. So, no, it is in fact the designer's ethical obligation to not knowingly create harmful systems that cause people to have such intense negative reactions. No one knows they are vulnerable until it hits them and they are failing classes or skipping work doing this kinda stuff all night, and it isn't a matter of 'willpower' or 'self control.' These systems are insidious because they attack very vulnerable parts of the human mind, and some people just experience an unreal amount of anxiety as a response that they never have felt before in their lives. Not everyone who goes nutso is already someone who needs therapy or has a compulsive personality, which is kinda terrifying because its way more powerful an attack to control behavior than most people are ever exposed too.

SE isn't 'bad' for Ishgard Restoration accidently hitting these really intense psychological pressure points already exploited by stuff like Battlepasses and Gatcha mechanics, plenty of other designers try to implement them without monetization and don't realize its the mental pressure that is predatory and not the request for payment, but they absolutely should not implement the 6.0 version of 'PVP crafting' in the manner they did this one because it unquestionably was a harmful design.