Final Fantasy XIV and a Culture of Enabling

[Vahlnir]

But how is it going to be irrelevant if by doing this you damage the fucking learning curve of the game?

Things like the Echo and Easy mode totally damage this curve and that affects EVERYONE because this is an MMORPG. If a person cannot pass the combat against Zenos in Stormblood, he should analyze what he is doing, how to move from aoes and see what he is doing wrong, in the same way as in FFX if he cannot pass the combat against Seymour, he analyzes I'm doing wrong and I try again until I learn.

But these modes simply make people turn off their brains, fail at everything, and can continue to progress in the game.

Those who want to learn will learn, and those who believe that ignorance is bliss will continue about their business regardless of what anyone says. I don't think these "easy mode" story scenarios are as detrimental as some may think. People have been able to level up fast for some time, even without buying boosts. This isn't anything new. With as casual of a game as this is, I would expect a fair number of players to be a bit below average but still able to get things done...which they do most of the time. It's just not always pretty. What it comes down to is personal expectations. Some have theirs set way too high. FF XIV is the wrong game for that, in my opinion. Some MMOs seem to go through a constant identity crisis, but the dev team knows exactly what FF XIV is and they design the game largely around a more relaxed and casual player base. I respect that.