Is no one happy?

[ForteNightshade]

Okay, let's go with this then. The numbers are true and those most vocal are correct. Cool. But the most vocal players around the game are generally happy with it. It's only here on the forums where there's a mass amount of negativity largely propagated by a handful of regulars. Why do those on reddit, twitter, youtube, twitch, etc. not count? Let's be honest, they don't count because they don't agree with you. If the vast majority of players were complaining about the game you would be saying: "See! See! Look at all of the players who aren't happy! They all agree with me!" The only reason you don't count them is because they don't.

You... don't frequent those other platforms very often do you? Reddit alone is what prompted this very forum to implement an appeal system after the overwhelming backlash on the poor moderation and just how many people have been banned for dubious reasons at best. Granted, that system is a joke but I digress. The mainsub has complained about numerous things from job design to content itself. Eureka and Blue Mage were particular punching bags. The difference between there and here is when topics start to get out of hand or lose focus, they actually get closed down or removed. With that said, the sheer amount of fanart that tends to dominate led people to make separate subreddits. The Discussion sub is where more well, discussion and debates happen nowadays.

YouTube is filled with complaint or critique videos and Twitch is hardly any different. It simply depends when you tune in. It isn't good content for say, Xeno or MrHappy to constantly bring up criticisms they have towards the game. After all, their primary goal is entertaining an audience. Twitter is probably the only platform you mentioned that does tend to lean very positively, albeit even then there have been moments. It's also Twitter where you're ostracised for "wrongthink". I wouldn't exactly put much stock in what Twitter thinks.

The truth is even people complaining about the game don't hate it. And those generally happy with the game likely still have issues. They simply aren't going to voice them every waking second. I could list off popular YouTubers or Streamers who dislike the job design direction, for example. Reddit has several threads criticizing healer design. There's just not much to really talk about on those subjects. What more can be said about healers that hasn't already?

[Liam_Harper]

I'd also note that it won't really change if you move over to a different MMO but don't take a stand - because much like how WoW gradually collapsed upon itself by appeasing those who didn't actually like a lot of what had been established, if FFXIV ever falls out of fashion the same people who demand everything changes for their benefit will just move to whatever the new, flashy thing happens to be.

I've been making a stand for a few years and I'm fairly certain at this point I'm just seen as that one guy who's always grumbling about something. I'm sort of getting tired of it.

I feel like FF14 used to be designed for players like me, but slowly rejected that type of player and now caters to a different audience. I like investing in an MMO. I like when a game treats me like I have a functioning brain, gives me things to earn and work for and really rewards playing well. I just can't get into the fast-food game model where most content is made to be cleared first run, most rewards are almost handed to you, you don't need to play well and it's considered fine that crafting and gathering is worthless because everyone can buy cheap items on the market. Nor am I really excited for the next decade of the same jobs, same 3 corridor-3 boss dungeons and same FATE's/Eureka/PotD reskins with different names.

But countless hundreds of thousands of people love that. So I think the best thing is that another game picks up the audience FF14 dropped, starts over from scratch and let the current playerbase keep this game. It's far too late to do a full U-turn without an uproar.

[Lauront]

I've been making a stand for a few years and I'm fairly certain at this point I'm just seen as that one guy who's always grumbling about something. I'm sort of getting tired of it.

I feel like FF14 used to be designed for players like me, but slowly rejected that type of player and now caters to a different audience. I like investing in an MMO. I like when a game treats me like I have a functioning brain, gives me things to earn and work for and really rewards playing well. I just can't get into the fast-food game model where most content is made to be cleared first run, most rewards are almost handed to you, you don't need to play well and it's considered fine that crafting and gathering is worthless because everyone can buy cheap items on the market. Nor am I really excited for the next decade of the same jobs, same 3 corridor-3 boss dungeons and same FATE's/Eureka/PotD reskins with different names.

But countless hundreds of thousands of people love that. So I think the best thing is that another game picks up the audience FF14 dropped, starts over from scratch and let the current playerbase keep this game. It's far too late to do a full U-turn without an uproar.

See you in Pantheon, then. At least, if it makes it to release successfully.

[IkaraGreydancer]

I just can't get into the fast-food game model where most content is made to be cleared first run, most rewards are almost handed to you, you don't need to play well and it's considered fine that crafting and gathering is worthless because everyone can buy cheap items on the market. Nor am I really excited for the next decade of the same jobs, same 3 corridor-3 boss dungeons and same FATE's/Eureka/PotD reskins with different names.

But countless hundreds of thousands of people love that. So I think the best thing is that another game picks up the audience FF14 dropped, starts over from scratch and let the current playerbase keep this game. It's far too late to do a full U-turn without an uproar.

I found this part to be a tad odd. I'd say being able to catch up in this game is fast. I don't think I'd say the game basically just hands you everything with little work required.
You also speak of 3 corridor/3 boss dungeons but...aren't we getting Criterion dungeons soon as an answer to folks who want harder dungeons content? I don't exactly see the point in the Fate reskin bit as those will continue to function the same as always. Then there's Eureka...probably the definition of content you have to bust your ass in to get rewards. Most complained about it as they did with Diadem for example and so they mad Bozja far more light handed in that regard. I'll even say content being to hard on release like Shinryu for example had t be nerfed cause clear rates were so low.

I say all this to say that it seems to me the shift toward the game being "easier" has been due to the masses asking for it. I'll 100% say this isn't a hardcore game (nor was it ever) but I will also say the game isn't just easy hand out central

[Rokke]

I found this part to be a tad odd. I'd say being able to catch up in this game is fast. I don't think I'd say the game basically just hands you everything with little work required.
You also speak of 3 corridor/3 boss dungeons but...aren't we getting Criterion dungeons soon as an answer to folks who want harder dungeons content? I don't exactly see the point in the Fate reskin bit as those will continue to function the same as always. Then there's Eureka...probably the definition of content you have to bust your ass in to get rewards. Most complained about it as they did with Diadem for example and so they mad Bozja far more light handed in that regard. I'll even say content being to hard on release like Shinryu for example had t be nerfed cause clear rates were so low.

I say all this to say that it seems to me the shift toward the game being "easier" has been due to the masses asking for it. I'll 100% say this isn't a hardcore game (nor was it ever) but I will also say the game isn't just easy hand out central

Eureka does not involve any busting past maybe your . Punch damage sponge until you get enough points to spawn bigger damage sponge. Punch enough of these to unlock next zone. Go to next zone. Punch damage sponge until you get enough points to spawn bigger damage sponge. Punch enough of these to unlock next zone. Go to next zone. Punch damage spon- until you clear all 4 zones. BA is fun but its a light at the end of a very drab, very long tunnel. The bulk of it feels like a reskinned og Diadem dino island.

iirc Shinryu was never nerfed directly. The final msq bosses always "become" easier as the ratio of experienced players to new players that get sorted into it grows.

[Gothicshark]

So we started an FC, and we are genuinly happy and excited to play the game.

On forums it's all doom and gloom. We are having fun. Why doesn't the ffxiv forum community reflect that.

Overall, this is a great expansion. Came back did ARR, so much better, do the rest.

It's a game, have fun. I love you all!
FF6 Sabin

the forums have been dominated by 1 person, one Troll, for years, His now banned from the Forum Name is Titanmen (named for the porn site, and the term on the forums for a post done in his style), he has more accounts and alts than I can possibly count. I wouldn't be shocked if he's a Pro Gold Seller, and posts on the forums because he's bored and grinding all day everyday. He purposely baits the community, and has even argued against himself to start off the flame war.

[BaconBits]

the forums have been dominated by 1 person, one Troll, for years, His now banned from the Forum Name is Titanmen (named for the porn site, and the term on the forums for a post done in his style), he has more accounts and alts than I can possibly count. I wouldn't be shocked if he's a Pro Gold Seller, and posts on the forums because he's bored and grinding all day everyday. He purposely baits the community, and has even argued against himself to start off the flame war.

You dare profane the name of Titanmen, the true High King of the General Discussion board?

[Gothicshark]

You dare profane the name of Titanmen, the true High King of the General Discussion board?

Who profanes his name? He is a legend, but he is the single loudest dissenting voice in the Forums, his trolling techniques are masterful and clearly honed on 4chan.

[Restonance]

I mean, there isn't a whole lot to be happy about right now imo. For every two steps forward it takes another five back. What has SE actually done for the game lately that's been considered good? I unironically can't remember.
The increase in time between patches? The dumbing down of classes? The evident lack of QA for patches? The hypocrisy in using livestreams to catch people with their asinine addons ban? Making 17 wards exclusive to FCs?
Raiding in this game is a ton of fun still. The static I got makes me want to log in. Everything else though? Eh...

[Breakbeat]

Yes, most people are happy.

Forums that have some thousands of people participating don't even convey a reasonable assumption on how 'everyone' feels.

Keep in mind that most humans don't offer feedback when they're satisfied. They come to vent, especially the younger folks who tend to have less control over minute disappointment and are more prone to knee-jerk, unfiltered reaction.

So, what you see here, or on any forum in 2022 really, are just the unsatisfied people who are complaining (for the most part).

See for yourself. Go out to general and note how many threads (just titles and the OP's initial statement; you don't even need to dip into the actual discussions) are complaints or negative, versus the ones giving thanks and talking about what a great time they're having.

An intelligent mind says this is not an accurate cross-section of the player base. A naive mind thinks that what they read here is what "everyone" wants or how "everyone" feels.

Logically, I also believe that reasonable humans simply stop playing if they don't care for some aspect of the game that's a 'deal-breaker' for them. Reasonable humans generally have no need to head to a public discussion forum and vent their dissatisfaction - when the dissatisfaction stems from a video game.

I mean yeah, I get it, customers complain - I managed an absolutely huge, independent video game store here in Los Angeles for about 12 years; I had my share of them - but complaints (both here and there) that are seething with anger, full of ire and hate, those come from outliers that have other mental issues at play. Then the other 10 or 20 people with the same mental issues upvote the post that's full of ire and anger, that's all.

These kinds of things don't even remotely suggest that "everyone" is unsatisfied. Logically, most people are satisfied, or the game wouldn't have the player base and status it does. That's common sense, yeah?