Face it, this game is in maintenance mode now, i.e. managed decline

[Absimiliard]

Every MMO hits a plateau and eventually starts to decline. WoW's peak was Wrath, and it's been trending downward (with occasionally temporary upsurges when new expansions drop) ever since. FFXIV is no exception here. It too will reach its peak, if it hasn't already, and go into decline afterward.

[Stormpeaks]

Every MMO hits a plateau and eventually starts to decline. WoW's peak was Wrath, and it's been trending downward (with occasionally temporary upsurges when new expansions drop) ever since. FFXIV is no exception here. It too will reach its peak, if it hasn't already, and go into decline afterward.

It already reached its peak with the giant increase in popularity and population with all the WoW players leaving to join XIV, and it's been pretty much downhill since to more normal levels of popularity, and is I think stable or slightly going down especially since it's confirmed there wont be any expansion in 2023, some more will probably leave, some will stay thanks to their houses and the auto demo system.

[CStrife912]

It already reached its peak with the giant increase in popularity and population with all the WoW players leaving to join XIV, and it's been pretty much downhill since to more normal levels of popularity, and is I think stable or slightly going down especially since it's confirmed there wont be any expansion in 2023, some more will probably leave, some will stay thanks to their houses and the auto demo system.

Have you got proof of this decline...because even looking at population sites its going up...steam isn't a good metric because people use 3rd party launchers or official site launchers and not even console playerbase which is likely much bigger than the PC side. its not about coping I would just like to be proven wrong here, they have given a roadmap of what to expect and it is easy to do the math when the next expansion will be due (Probably end of Feb to end of March likely) it isn't that much further back honestly. Its hard to say it has even hit peak because Endwalker destroyed its last peak being shadowbringers.... we don't know how 7.0 will be yet..if it launches and numbers are lower sure...but now we can't really grasp that yet.

[Stormpeaks]

I do not "pretend that the game is on an extreme upward trend". I never said that, it's just you twisting my words. I do believe that the game is stable though and will be for a very long time. They wouldn't be investing in new servers and a graphics overhaul if it were on a decline. Business facts.

The new servers were announced way back when the spike from WoW was in effect to try and help with the huge queues, Materia is a new DC that is in life support, Dynamis is very meh, only Seraph is alive, the rest is pretty much deserted except for housing purposes, most people go to Aether or Crystal to do content as the wait times are hours long.

As for the new EU DC, if you think it will be a success, you are in for a rude awakening, Sagittarius which is my world is already very much dead, with multiple mediums not even taken in PERSONAL wards, just like Raiden on Light, only Phantom and Alpha are nicely populated, if you think an entire new DC of 8 worlds will work, I dont know what to tell you

[CStrife912]

I do not "pretend that the game is on an extreme upward trend". I never said that, it's just you twisting my words. I do believe that the game is stable though and will be for a very long time. They wouldn't be investing in new servers and a graphics overhaul if it were on a decline. Business facts.

While not something reliable....mmo population sites literally show it on an upward trend.... I mean man if it wasn't the case why do we need new data centers and more servers to accommodate... why do we keep getting more and more people registering to play which even these active player numbers on these sites don't include free trial players. The game is very healthy at the moment, I think we have to wait to 7.0/7.1 to really see where we are heading.

The new servers were announced way back when the spike from WoW was in effect to try and help with the huge queues, Materia is a new DC that is in life support, Dynamis is very meh, only Seraph is alive, the rest is pretty much deserted except for housing purposes, most people go to Aether or Crystal to do content as the wait times are hours long.

As for the new EU DC, if you think it will be a success, you are in for a rude awakening, Sagittarius which is my world is already very much dead, with multiple mediums not even taken in PERSONAL wards, just like Raiden on Light, only Phantom and Alpha are nicely populated, if you think an entire new DC of 8 worlds will work, I dont know what to tell you

I am on Odin and I have never had a simple log in without a small wait...even if its 100 people in the queue it still means the world is at capacity, using new worlds/DCs like materia doesn't bode well with your argument because a lot of those players were fighting between higher ping or leaving friends behind so that is a more complicated matter.

[Stormpeaks]

While not something reliable....mmo population sites literally show it on an upward trend.... I mean man if it wasn't the case why do we need new data centers and more servers to accommodate... why do we keep getting more and more people registering to play which even these active player numbers on these sites don't include free trial players. The game is very healthy at the moment, I think we have to wait to 7.0/7.1 to really see where we are heading.

Dynamis is literally dead except for Seraph which is the only sort of alive world, the others are used either for housing purpose or for very tiny communities, and people have to go cross DC to Aether or Crystal to do anything

[aveyond-dreams]

Hop over to fresh new 10/10 games like Forspoken

I would certainly choose Forspoken's story over Endwalker's, at any rate. While its gameplay is said to suffer it cannot possibly be worse than certain FFXIV jobs at the moment.

[Stormpeaks]

While not something reliable....mmo population sites literally show it on an upward trend.... I mean man if it wasn't the case why do we need new data centers and more servers to accommodate... why do we keep getting more and more people registering to play which even these active player numbers on these sites don't include free trial players. The game is very healthy at the moment, I think we have to wait to 7.0/7.1 to really see where we are heading.



I am on Odin and I have never had a simple log in without a small wait...even if its 100 people in the queue it still means the world is at capacity, using new worlds/DCs like materia doesn't bode well with your argument because a lot of those players were fighting between higher ping or leaving friends behind so that is a more complicated matter.

I hope you know most of these queues are from bots that you can literally see spawn outside Uldah or New Gridania, they come out of the floor in literal droves and just tp all over the place, else there wouldnt be a 30 people queue at 4 AM on a saturday on EU.

[CStrife912]

Dynamis is literally dead except for Seraph which is the only sort of alive world, the others are used either for housing purpose or for very tiny communities, and people have to go cross DC to Aether or Crystal to do anything

I responded above the issue there extends to the other issue with a lot of the Aussie playerbase not wanting to leave their mates etc on the Jap DCs so that's why they kept putting a ton of incentives for people to move over but I feel for now its proven more people would take the ping hit etc then move to a new world. Also just cause all houses aren't taken doesn't represent a dead world....my server is busy and yet there are gaps in housing in ishgard in my ward...some people don't want a small house or a medium its all or nothing with some people. I am not saying you're wrong its just a wider issue

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Hop over to fresh new 10/10 games like Forspoken

Dammit man...jut when I had hope we'd get some good classic Trolling.
Its already boring and old.

You aimed for the Sun right out the gate, and already burned out.