"The vast majority of players do it for the rewards"

[Illmaeran]

The content I enjoy most don't usually give rewards. Anything other than that I do for rewards even if it's as mundane as having all beast tribes at max rep, getting another mount I'll never use just to add it to the collection, or see the story arc of a raid series. Once I've got everything out of it or reached my goal the only time I'll set foot in there is if it comes up in a roulette or friends want to run it as a group.

Extrinsic rewards help give people goals to work toward which can create an enjoyable journey toward the destination.

[ProvidenceBreaker]

Maybe i'm just a smooth brain compare to the rest of you all, but I do content to see the story. The rewards the game doles out only need facilitate that.

[Blood_Blossoms]

I Defo do both myself but mostly for progression, but first run always for fun and exploring and even some runes after it.
What can easily spoil my fun part is when someone in my party slams guide in my face then run just becomes about just rewords and get bored faster.
I really love problem solving myself but not everyone willing to spend 6 hours working things out and just be like YouTube guide.
or you get someone with lose mouth spoil everything.

Overall, its bit both and will be for lot people.

for me I love long progression gaols can take over years to do and can touch all types of content and no mater content it counts to final outcome. but this falls more into the Horizontal progression systems and overall FF14 lacks Horizontal progression.
This what's fun for me on top puzzles. other than that, just rewords.

[caffe_macchiato]

It seems that the story and lore are the major draw of Variant dungeons since the gameplay is kinda stale. It does handle lore pretty well. Perhaps Square Enix can put out a novelization/manga/anime/VN of this game’s story so that people can have the full FFXIV experience without having to pay a sub fee? That way we don’t even need to log in.

[Equitable_Remedy]

Given the choice would you go work at a job for pay or no pay? I think the question answers itself.

This is a videogame.

[Sufjann]

Given the choice would you go work at a job for pay or no pay? I think the question answers itself.

If this game feels anything like a job to any of you: please stop playing it.

You should be having fun like most of us are. If you're not, this game isn't for you. Go find something else to do that'll bring you joy.

[Absimiliard]

Well there's a fully expected response.

"I disagree with the notion of effort being rewarded, so I'm going to take this obvious analogy at face value and tell someone to quit playing."

[Sufjann]

Well there's a fully expected response.

"I disagree with the notion of effort being rewarded, so I'm going to take this obvious analogy at face value and tell someone to quit playing."

Rewards are cool and I'm all for it.

My point is that if you're only playing for the reward, like you do with a job, I don't think you're having much fun playing the game.

[Absimiliard]

Rewards are cool and I'm all for it.

My point is that if you're only playing for the reward, like you do with a job, I don't think you're having much fun playing the game.

Now there I can in a way see where you are coming from. Some people can play a game with no actual payout and enjoy it, but a lot of us do like to feel as if our efforts are being rewarded. On the other hand, you've got players that will feel a sense of accomplishment on their own just for completing tasks. Some of them don't even care about rewards at all, while others may react to cosmetic rewards the same way many of us react to getting better gear.

Games in general (but especially MMOs) have operated on a loop that exploits the desire for rewards for a long long time, hence why most of them have such similar ways of gearing up. Getting an upgrade gives you a nice dopamine hit, and seeing your numbers grow as you continue to accrue upgrades will also result in elevated (albeit not to the same degree as getting the upgrades themselves) levels. You can apply similar logic to cosmetic reward loops, such as people deriving immense satisfaction from new mounts and whatnot.

[SassyAssassin]

I do both just for fun or just reward, it always depends on the day. I’ve never done savage because I don’t think Ill be good enough and it might be unnecessary stress, so without the reward I don’t see why Id subject myself to that.

Same goes for mentor roulette. Will I go back there after I get my mount? Absofreakinglutely not.

You can have fun and I do, seeing someone enjoy and complete content has its own reward for me, but thats not all you get unfortunately. You get more headaches than anything else and the only thing you get for those headaches is a horse at the end of two thousand duties.

So to put it shortly, games SHOULD reward you in some way, otherwise its mindless unnecessary grind, especially when you have to depend on other people.