Do people on these forums only complain endlessly?

[Hurlstone]

A lot of people are opposed to obvious marketing gimmicks, yes. Nor does not liking such gimmicks equal lacking in 'joy'.

Understood, sorry for any offense caused, but there does seem to be an aversion from some to anything the game may do that is not ‘serious’ such as the now infamous G'raha Burger scene. Sure Tweetingway was an obvious marketing scheme, but this is a video game. They happen, and honestly I think FFXIV has had some of the better ones compared to other franchises. I love that they spent a week live streaming from a London petting zoo for example. Hope they do it again next time Island Sanctuary gets a big update.

[Theodric]

Understood, sorry for any offense caused, but there does seem to be an aversion from some to anything the game may do that is not ‘serious’ such as the now infamous G'raha Burger scene. Sure Tweetingway was an obvious marketing scheme, but this is a video game. They happen, and honestly I think FFXIV has had some of the better ones compared to other franchises. I love that they spent a week live streaming from a London petting zoo for example. Hope they do it again next time Island Sanctuary gets a big update.

No worries, I'm not offended. I just think it's worth remembering that a lot of what the game passes off as 'humour' just doesn't vibe with a lot of us. Sometimes it's arguably poorly timed - imagine if, instead of taking the time to honour the dead slain in Ala Mhigo the game just skipped that in favour of Loporrit style stuff immediately afterwards.

There's also cultural differences to consider. A lot of marketing gimmicks are very 'in one's face' in a way that isn't common where some of us live.

I'm personally in the camp where I'd prefer the marketing to focus on remembering that Europeans exist since we're still left in the dark as to whether or not we'll ever get access to some of the promotional mounts/emotes that have been readily given to American and Japanese audiences. Which, I suppose, is another reason why the feigned attempts to be 'down with the players' rubs some of us the wrong way.

[Hurlstone]

No worries, I'm not offended. I just think it's worth remembering that a lot of what the game passes off as 'humour' just doesn't vibe with a lot of us. Sometimes it's arguably poorly timed - imagine if, instead of taking the time to honour the dead slain in Ala Mhigo the game just skipped that in favour of Loporrit style stuff immediately afterwards.

Fair. Like most things it the game humour is subjective. Personally I think the game normally handles the Balance well, but each to their own.

There's also cultural differences to consider. A lot of marketing gimmicks are very 'in one's face' in a way that isn't common where some of us live.

I'm personally in the camp where I'd prefer the marketing to focus on remembering that Europeans exist since we're still left in the dark as to whether or not we'll ever get access to some of the promotional mounts/emotes that have been readily given to American and Japanese audiences. Which, I suppose, is another reason why the feigned attempts to be 'down with the players' rubs some of us the wrong way.

Oh as a UK player I can understand that. I want/ed the Chocorpokkur mount so bad... I would bet pesky contract and license issues get in the way, which really sucks. Its the same with other franchises I love like Star Trek where European viewers and fans always get left out and forgotten about. Certainly and issues where we need to make our voices heard, though I doubt the poor Internway controlling the tweets had anything to do with it nor those doing the live stream.

[Striker44]

I don't know what a "tweetingway" is, but I think a big problem in the story itself is that they rely way too much on the lighthearted comedy, and fanservice nowadays. They are known for writing decent stories, with a serious tone, and a lot of that kind of gets in the way when there is so much of it now, in my opinion.

The FF's in general are a variety in this way, though. Take something like FF6, and it was definitely a "serious" tone throughout. On the other hand, FF9 still ultimately told a serious story, but the feel of the entire game was a lot more lighthearted and humorous. FF14 seems to be more of an FF9 approach in that way, and frankly, the fanbase for FF14 far and away loves the fanservice and the feel.

A 680+ page megathread criticizing the story and not a single patch since EW going down smoothly is doing well?

Frankly, it's meaningless. When you consider that much of that thread is either just the same small handful of people posting repeatedly or other people disagreeing with the thread and praising the game, the length of it means next to nothing. If anything, when you consider the long-time negative echo chamber on these forums, it actually speaks to how positively EW is viewed because there's a larger number of people who thoroughly enjoy it finding their way here and pushing back against the negativity.

No worries, I'm not offended. I just think it's worth remembering that a lot of what the game passes off as 'humour' just doesn't vibe with a lot of us

It's also important to remember that this mythical "a lot of us" doesn't really hold any sway. When you have a game with hundreds of thousands of players, there will be "a lot" of people taking practically any opinion on anything. It doesn't mean they represent any substantial portion of the playerbase, though. Like with this. The clear majority of players show in polling that they enjoy the humor, they like the Scions, they like EW...all takes that show up anywhere you go except these forums.

I find it part-amusing, part-disappointing that some people will say they come here to complain because it's the only place such sentiments are tolerated, yet at the same time act as if their views are widely shared. Evidently, there are a plethora of subreddits and other sites that are overwhelmingly positive and shut down "criticism," and this forum is the "only" place such negative comments exist, yet somehow these naysayers insist they must represent the majority of players. Common sense would point out that the enormous number of positive-sites compared to one negative site demonstrates that the negative opinions are far and away the minority.

[Deveryn]

I don't know what a "tweetingway" is, but I think a big problem in the story itself is that they rely way too much on the lighthearted comedy, and fanservice nowadays. They are known for writing decent stories, with a serious tone, and a lot of that kind of gets in the way when there is so much of it now, in my opinion.

A while back, the FFXIV twitter (EN at least) was "taken over" by Tweetingway for a day. It was a fun / cute interaction with the followers. (It reminded me of when GMs would appear in older MMOs like Everquest 1 and 2.) The game trends pretty much daily, so I don't see it as any sort of marketing gimmick.

[Raoabolic]

A while back, the FFXIV twitter (EN at least) was "taken over" by Tweetingway for a day. It was a fun / cute interaction with the followers. (It reminded me of when GMs would appear in older MMOs like Everquest 1 and 2.) The game trends pretty much daily, so I don't see it as any sort of marketing gimmick.

Funny twitter posts now pass for GM events like the freeport ant raid or when Vox decided to visit the Eyeball camp in the elephant graveyard? NGL, that's really lame in comparison. >< lol

[Deveryn]

Funny twitter posts now pass for GM events like the freeport ant raid or when Vox decided to visit the Eyeball camp in the elephant graveyard? NGL, that's really lame in comparison. >< lol

I said I was reminded. Of course, there's Duty Commenced, which is actually more of an equivalent. (of course, still not the same, I know )

[SturmChurro]

The FF's in general are a variety in this way, though. Take something like FF6, and it was definitely a "serious" tone throughout. On the other hand, FF9 still ultimately told a serious story, but the feel of the entire game was a lot more lighthearted and humorous. FF14 seems to be more of an FF9 approach in that way, and frankly, the fanbase for FF14 far and away loves the fanservice and the feel.

I just think they have taken to relying on it too much nowadays, like I was saying in my post. It's not really that the game has lighthearted comedic moments, or fanservice. It's the amount of it, and when/where it's appropriate to be used.

A while back, the FFXIV twitter (EN at least) was "taken over" by Tweetingway for a day. It was a fun / cute interaction with the followers. (It reminded me of when GMs would appear in older MMOs like Everquest 1 and 2.) The game trends pretty much daily, so I don't see it as any sort of marketing gimmick.

I wish they'd interact with the forum community too.

[Deveryn]

I wish they'd interact with the forum community too.

I wouldn't wish that on them.

[aveyond-dreams]

FFIX did not glorify suffering or use humor in such a heavy handed and inappropriate way and I am shocked that there people who would compare it to FFXIV. In any case, I suppose that the more time passes and the game loses us more serious fantasy fans the more the reddit, twitter, and other sites will come to be populated by these new players who don't seem to want or care for a story that actually balances levity and seriousness.

I cannot recommend Endwalker to those of us who liked stories like FFIX, FFX, Dragon Age Origins, Elden Ring, so on. This expansion did not respect the game world nor its characters and upended 10 years worth of lore and storytelling to tell a story which fell apart in too many peoples eyes compared to even the likes of Stormblood, which at least didn't push its message in a way that was as badly received as Endwalker's.