Random observation

[aveyond-dreams]

Ishgard Restoration was intended to add both an alternate leveling path and an end game for crafters and gatherers.

Island Sanctuary was intended to be low demand relaxing content for players looking for a brief break from other content. It was not supposed to be this expansion's version of the Restoration. It was supposed to be something different for the game.

Yes. And it didn't work out all that well now that have people have blitzed through the content and have no reason to return to it unlike Restoration, where I could at least grind out and sell its rewards.

I know some players felt like they were getting less in terms of quantity of dungeons but as SE said, they put that effort into the boss level encounters designed for Bozja/Zadnor. There's going to be disagreement on how that effort would be better spent.

I'd argue it's not a matter of players wearing rose-tinted glasses once the expansion is gone. I think it's more players being hyper critical when content is released looking for things to complain about instead of relaxing and enjoying a game for what it is. If they truly hated the newly released content as much as they say, they wouldn't stick around and wouldn't come back for the next expansion.

Almost as if people wanted to see their feedback responded to by battle-oriented content being released earlier on in the expansion as opposed to this late on top of an already extended patch cycle that has amounted to little benefit for the players. The loss of a relic zones will also be felt during this expansion, since if Island Sanctuary is any indication I can’t expect anything too stellar coming out of Criterion Dungeons, especially when they led with a princess Minnie mouse mount as a reward.

How much clearer do I need to be that what people want is for things to get better rather than being told to leave whenever they go against the state of things?

It is a cozy place where you can raise animals and grow crops. Perhaps you should stop trying to compare very casual side content in a story-driven theme park MMO with a full fledged farming game that's only about farming.

Forgive me for holding this game to the standards it should be held to if its going to compete for people’s attention, and in Island Sanctuary’s case the success of that attempt is questionable. They already took the compelling parts of the story out of the story and filled it full of slice of life and ill-fitting humour combined with a messianic lets-save-the-void plotline whose only redemption would be a catastrophic failure of that quest in favor of a global demonic invasion of the Source. Bar Pandaemonium, which is notable for being the only current questline where I can find the characters likeable or believable, there’s scarce else to keep my interest. Trying to appeal to everybody in this manner was a mistake – they should’ve focused on what they do best instead of mounting controversy upon controversy with the lackluster state of Island Sanctuary, “the winning number is 0,” Hildibrand 2.0/3.0 relics instead of relic zones, along with pizza, hamburgers, and god forbid burritos if they ever take us to the New World.

Someone has to say these hard truths, because I would rather not see FFXIV fail. I want it to be the best it can be, and it isn’t going to get any better when people can’t see stuff like Island Sanctuary for how hollow it is. All they had to do was listen to the people who, for 10 years, have directly told them that they just want a house. Put that on an island and call it a day. But, no, have whatever this is instead I guess, while players tell each other to leave. And people wonder why FFXIV is painted by others as little more than a visual novel these days.

[Jojoya]

Yes. And it didn't work out all that well now that have people have blitzed through the content and have no reason to return to it unlike Restoration, where I could at least grind out and sell its rewards.

You mean you and a few other players blitzed through it and have no desire to return. Many of us are still enjoying ourselves.

You could return to Island Sanctuary to grind out cowries to buy materia and dyes to sell if you wanted. Granted it's not the rapid on demand style that the Restoration had but it's still possible.

Almost as if people wanted to see their feedback responded to by battle-oriented content being released earlier on in the expansion as opposed to this late on top of an already extended patch cycle that has amounted to little benefit for the players. The loss of a relic zones will also be felt during this expansion, since if Island Sanctuary is any indication I can’t expect anything too stellar coming out of Criterion Dungeons, especially when they led with a princess Minnie mouse mount as a reward.

Battle content releases have always been spread out in this game. Why are you expecting that to change?

We still don't have a good idea of what all the rewards in Criterion will be. If you don't like the mount, you don't like it. I can't say I particularly care for it myself but that's not killing my interest in the content.

A player that wants to be able to consume everything at once should be waiting until about 2 weeks before the x.5 patch to purchase an expansion and return to the game.

How much clearer must it be stated that what you personally want is not what everyone else wants? That what you think would be better may ruin the game for others who enjoy it for what it is?

Forgive me for holding this game to the standards it should be held to if its going to compete for people’s attention, and in Island Sanctuary’s case the success of that attempt is questionable. They already took the compelling parts of the story out of the story and filled it full of slice of life and ill-fitting humour combined with a messianic lets-save-the-void plotline whose only redemption would be a catastrophic failure of that quest in favor of a global demonic invasion of the Source. Bar Pandaemonium, which is notable for being the only current questline where I can find the characters likeable or believable, there’s scarce else to keep my interest. Trying to appeal to everybody in this manner was a mistake – they should’ve focused on what they do best instead of mounting controversy upon controversy with the lackluster state of Island Sanctuary, “the winning number is 0,” Hildibrand 2.0/3.0 relics instead of relic zones, along with pizza, hamburgers, and god forbid burritos if they ever take us to the New World.

It's competing perfectly well for the game it is - a theme park MMO. It's got the second largest active player base in the world. How can you say that's not competing?

If it's not competing with other theme park MMOs like you say, where are the players going to?

Again, if there's not really anything here to keep your interest it's time to go to a game that will. It would be interesting to hear your list of the theme park MMOs are doing it better in your opinion. Please name them for us and describe why you feel they're better.

Then tell us why you're still here playing this game and complaining in these forums instead of playing those other games and sharing your happiness with them in their forums.

Someone has to say these hard truths, because I would rather not see FFXIV fail. I want it to be the best it can be, and it isn’t going to get any better when people can’t see stuff like Island Sanctuary for how hollow it is. All they had to do was listen to the people who, for 10 years, have directly told them that they just want a house. Put that on an island and call it a day. But, no, have whatever this is instead I guess, while players tell each other to leave. And people wonder why FFXIV is painted by others as little more than a visual novel these days.

You'd be better off if you didn't confuse your personal opinions with "hard truths". Everything you post is your subjective opinion.

What you see as hollow may be the entertainment someone else is looking for. Is that why people play games - to be entertained? Yet not everyone has an interest in the same entertainment styles. Some like comedy, some like action, some like horror, some like intellectual puzzles, etc.

It's on the consumer to find the product offering what they want. Don't pay for something that isn't providing what you want. There are product brands I used to go to loyally when I was younger that I no longer buy because they changed their products and I no longer liked them. I'm playing FFXIV now because WoW changed and I no longer liked it.

Be a smart consumer, Don't waste money on things you don't like expecting them to change for your sake. They won't when they've got hundreds of thousands if not millions of other customers that are paying and satisfied..

[aveyond-dreams]

A player that wants to be able to consume everything at once should be waiting until about 2 weeks before the x.5 patch to purchase an expansion and return to the game.

Stopped reading after this - It's clear that this is just one of many bad faith posters with whom extended discussions will yield little of value. Only FFXIV players would defend having less content to do in the way that I've seen some do during Endwalker and it's exhausted my patience. When you push out my voice, I hope that whatever remains of the playerbase is happy with the above individual as their spokesperson.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Stopped reading after this - It's clear that this is just one of many bad faith posters with whom extended discussions will yield little of value. Only FFXIV players would defend having less content to do in the way that I've seen some do during Endwalker and it's exhausted my patience. When you push out my voice, I hope that whatever remains of the playerbase is happy with the above individual as their spokesperson.

The only one "pushing out people voices is you" as you clearly have no interest in discussion and just put anyone who disagrees with you on ignore, after the first few attempts to make them see your view as the correct one.

[Jojoya]

Stopped reading after this - It's clear that this is just one of many bad faith posters with whom extended discussions will yield little of value. Only FFXIV players would defend having less content to do in the way that I've seen some do during Endwalker and it's exhausted my patience. When you push out my voice, I hope that whatever remains of the playerbase is happy with the above individual as their spokesperson.

In what way is my advice bad faith?

MMOs cannot produce an unending string of new content to constantly give players a new experience with new rewards. Development takes time and so new content gets drip fed to the players outside of an expansion launch when there's also a leveling experience to be completed that inflates the amount of new content the player is getting.

If someone wants what is as close to a "complete" experience as you can get from a MMO, the logical thing to do is wait until the relevant content has been released before buying. Among other things, it can save the consumer from wasting money on a bad game or a game that promises content updates but doesn't end up delivering. How often do we see our friends go "gee, that game ended up terrible, I wish I had waited to make sure it would be good before I bought it"?

My advice to any consumer who's looking to buy a product or service - don't buy if it doesn't have what you want and stop buying that product or service if you don't like what you're getting. You're not getting anything for being loyal to something that had no loyalty to you in the first place. You're wasting money that could be used for other things that you do like or at least serve some essential purpose for you.

Someone really needs to knock that flimsy pedestal out from under you. Neither you nor I are spokespersons for the player base. We speak for ourselves and only ourselves. We can offer suggestions that perhaps the developer will listen to and implement. We can offer advice to other players based on our own experience and what we know of them but it's up to those other players on whether they want to take that advice. I don't expect everyone to agree with me because not everyone wants the same things I want.

If you don't agree with me, then you don't agree with me. That's fine. I must admit I can't think of any occasion where I've agreed with you. But at least I'm happy overall with the product I'm paying for. It has its flaws in my opinion (the housing system being the one that most concerns me) but I'm still getting an experience I enjoy. I don't feel my money going to waste.

Can you say the same?

What blitzing? Unless you hadn't unlocked it yet, you would have to be going out of your way to avoid engaging with the stupid island to not be level 10 and just collecting cowries by now.

Aveyond was the one who called it blitzing. I was just using their word in my reply.

[Saraide]

Stopped reading after this - It's clear that this is just one of many bad faith posters with whom extended discussions will yield little of value. Only FFXIV players would defend having less content to do in the way that I've seen some do during Endwalker and it's exhausted my patience. When you push out my voice, I hope that whatever remains of the playerbase is happy with the above individual as their spokesperson.

Neither you nor jojoya are anyone's spokesperson. Please get a grip.

[Deveryn]

Neither you nor jojoya are anyone's spokesperson. Please get a grip.

There's a big difference between these two people. Jojoya's not trying to speak for all, but noting that people share their opinion. I happen to agree with them. There are a lot of people that are generally happy with things like Island Sanctuary and the game overall. There might be some gripes (I have my own), but it's nothing worth doing all this nonsense for.

[VelKallor]

There are a lot of people that are generally happy with things like Island Sanctuary and the game overall.

I happen to be one of them.

I have enjoyed it all IMMENSELY, loved Endwalker to bits, great storyline, some VERY hard moments for me as they resonate with my own life. It has been a fantastic effort, and despite what some may claim, has, I firmly believe, succeeded beyond expectations.

[Darthgummibear]

There's a big difference between these two people. Jojoya's not trying to speak for all, but noting that people share their opinion. I happen to agree with them. There are a lot of people that are generally happy with things like Island Sanctuary and the game overall. There might be some gripes (I have my own), but it's nothing worth doing all this nonsense for.

You just dislike Aveyond because you can't stand anyone who sees through your crap and that interferes with your trolling the community.

So apparently disagreeing with somebody's opinion is now considered trolling and or white knighting with how some people like to throw that term around

This particular individual is a constant contrarian for the sake of sparking arguments with some of the worst takes.

[Darthgummibear]

I can’t expect anything too stellar coming out of Criterion Dungeons, especially when they led with a princess Minnie mouse mount as a reward.

Wait, what?

The only one "pushing out people voices is you" as you clearly have no interest in discussion and just put anyone who disagrees with you on ignore, after the first few attempts to make them see your view as the correct one.

That's hilarious coming from you.

You mean you and a few other players blitzed through it and have no desire to return. Many of us are still enjoying ourselves.

What blitzing? Unless you hadn't unlocked it yet, you would have to be going out of your way to avoid engaging with the stupid island to not be level 10 and just collecting cowries by now.