Quote Originally Posted by Ronduwil View Post
So you know enough about statistics to understand the value of samples, but not enough to distinguish between a random sample and one that skews heavily towards hardcore game enthusiasts. The forum is a great measure of how FFXIV enthusiasts feel about the game. It's not a credible representaton of the player population as a whole, however. The vast majority of casual players never even log into the forums.
You know it was the enthusiasts that kept this game going when it sucked in 2010, so while the population as a whole matters, the small percentage of enthusiasts are to thank for the game even being alive today. You would be unwise to not pay attention to them and throw them a bone since on average they are the most profitable and reliable users of their MMO service. This is where compromises come in, but quite frankly the game is in a dire state of easiness atm.