Can we finally get real content / gameplay?

[muzickmage]

I think part of the issue might be SE's struggle to have FFXIV remain a MMORPG type of game. Now right away that might seem like a crazy thing to suggest. FFXIV struggling to be a MMORPG... what a stupid thing to say right?

But, if you take a minute to think about it, the only variable in the FFXIV game that really makes it MMORPG is..... the dungeons. The dungeons are the only activites in FFXIV that require group play. Everything else you can petty much do solo.

Sure, there's the chat boards, and the sharing of mounts amongst friends, and, lets not forget the market board idea the brings people together. Those are MMORPG variables as well. But when we think of MMORPG type of gaming the one idea that's usually at the top of the list is the dungeon/group fights.

This is where SE seems to be losing control when it comes to FFXIV. Or at the very least, there's a massive inbalance that's very noticable.

To maintain the MMORPG type of gameplay SE forces us to use the dungeons (as groups). They insert the dungeons into the MSQ so we have no choice use them, and even put ideas such as the tomes in them so we have to practically spam dungeons to get the gear from vendors. While at the same time, SE tries to keep the game easy enough to play for those who are labeled as "casual" players. And this is where the problem begins.

SE is stuck between (a) forcing the dungeons on us (as groups) to maintain a MMORPG style of genre and (b) having the game so dumbed down that we can, to some degree, solo them with a good leveled tank. SE then had to toss in a fail safe to fix the problem they created for themselves, and strip solo players of earning XP, Gil, and Tomes when soloing dungeons.

What we end up with is......

.... New players, overwhelmed by this new world of dungeon play, want to eplore, take their time, and learn about these new places.

..... Veterans are bored with these dungeons and just want to rush through them becaue SE has made them play them so many times that they are almost ready to scream.

..... Gamers are hungry for content that stimulates them in a way that makes them feel like they are actually playing a game, and earning their way from point A to point B.

And then there's people who wonder why things need to change at all.