Can we finally get real content / gameplay?

[RokkuEkkusu]

So what exactly are you trying to get out of this game? It's obvious that the FFXIV devs aren't going to change much in a very small amount of time after the FFXIV 1.0 disaster.

I really like this game, it has a lot stuff in its world, great graphics and a good storyline. But gameplay and content - wise it´s getting worse and worse. It feels like the devs just want to give us fast content over quality ones.

The world

While the world in ARR is well thought and more filled with life, it´s going downhill with the expansions. We´ve 6 big terrains to explore, but there isn´t much to explore.
All we do is a questline and running from one wind-ether to another. Yes some maps still look beautiful, but that´s it. They´re pretty empty and loveless designed. We just move through them and might come back for tons of stupid FATE-grind or Hunts.


Dungeons

The probably biggest thing i´m dissapointed about are dungeons. While even here the early ARR dungeons still has multiple pathes, some little ideas or secret rooms, all of them are "no efford - content".
You just pull your 2 packs of adds 2 times, then you beat a boss and repeat this 2 times. The only way to wipe is with a newcomer heal who don´t know what his buttons do.

Shadowbringers at this time put a nail on them for me once again. All the Loot has become totally worthless unless you want to farm that specific BIS gear for ultimates. But it´s no fun or challenging.
Bosses has become even more simplified and thanks to a bunch of reworks (especially tanks) you can run them down halfblind lefthanded.

Dungeons are a core-aspect of any MMORPG, but i can´t see any enjoyment here. The quality in their design doesn´t exist and some hardcore endgame dungeons to get our gear for the first raids aren´t a thing.

Other games do it a way better. There are some normal dungeons with better gear than your current level is. They´ve hardcore dungeons with pets or mounts for those who beat the challenge. Even random chests are still useful.
I do even know some where crafter jobs can open secret pathes or activate NPC´s who help you. Or you´ve a sidequests in the dungeon with a bonusboss in the end, maybe even different bosses per run, based on the players decisions.
Such stuff brings way more enjoyment than the named "pull as much adds as you can, beat the boss, repeat" - cycle.


Raids

Raids should be a challenge, but they´re no challenge anymore. It´s all about stack/spread mechanics or to avoid an aoe. CC and silence, which are sadly the last existend tools, have become super rare.

The only real challenge we´ve is, that ALL of the 8 players have to play mechanics clear or it´s a wipe. It isn´t a great design when 7 players always rely on that 8. player to move to a marker or something.
Yes we´re a group, but the game should challenge the players in a good way to find solutions or strategies against all the issues the current party has. But this is not really possible when the whole challenge is to remind where you´ve to move at mechanic X. As we all know it goes even so far, that Raidbots are well presented in FF14 especially in ultimate.

The game could need a better design here and more possibilities on all the classes. Give us something to do, bosses we can grow at. 2 or even more bosses at once, tanks / dps who need to kite and no instawipe because someone failed when the rest of the party is able to handle it with timed cooldowns or smart decisions.

Let's remember that quite a bit of players do not care for going for side/optional paths back in ARR dungeons. Sastasha and Toto-Rak being the biggest examples here. That is why the devs and some players are content with the straight-path dungeon design for most of Heavensward and on.

I am pretty sure you raid Coils, Savages, and/or Ultimates. If you remember turn 7 (Melusine), people tend to use BRD/SMN for kiting the Cyclops mobs. While people enjoyed turn 7 pre-nerf, the following link shows that the devs thought a few aspects of it is something that they probably will not do in the future:

https://gamerescape.com/2016/12/29/f...panel-summary/

As a result, most fights end up being focusing on DPS rotations and resolving mechanics as usual in various ways in high-end content, especially after Gordias (Savage) happened.

Judging by the typical development schedule, FFXIV devs believe in the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" most of the time. [points to various criticisms against Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy, Final Fantasy XIV 1.0, and arguably Final Fantasy XV].