What is going on with Square Enix and the 14 team?

[SturmChurro]

Yeah, I'd definitely consider there to be some genuine competition right now. I've been spending more of my gaming time on ESO and Lost Ark. There's also some upcoming MMO's that have piqued my curiosity.

Truth be told, I'd rather just pick one MMO to play and stick with that but FFXIV has been making all sorts of odd decisions lately. The biggest red flags for me are that the 'new story' looks to be more of the same thing and that all of the new expansion features have yet to be implemented.

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

[IdowhatIwant]

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

I think this is sadly becomes more obvious after SHB being very lacking due to covid. Now we get EW and it feels familiar in a bad way.

[Nethereal]

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

Been playing a lot of spearmaster. It feels good to be rewarded for mastering a class.

[Raskbuck]

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

Whenever someone mentions the lack of rewarding activities in FFXIV, people are quick to come out of the woods to cite Yoshi-P saying almost a decade ago how we're meant to take breaks and play other games. While conveniently ignoring the fact that you need to keep an active sub to keep your house or your FC leadership, of course.

Even when SE makes an attempt at innovating, it usually narrows down to the same old FATEs. The first iteration of the Diadem? FATEs. Eureka? NMs are just boss FATEs. Bozja? More FATEs. The same kind we've seen since ARR for the most part. Most of the open world is plagued by the same activities with a different skin, but if you strip that to the bone, we've been doing essentially the same thing for almost a decade now.

But that's okay for some people, because we have G'raha Tia acting cute, and Y'shtola pulling out a scene straight out of Sailor Moon. Something something Emet-Selch, something something critically acclaimed.