The reason FFXIV is lacking content is because of casualization.

[caffe_macchiato]

Strange how some like to keep using "casual" (or variations) as if it is a bad word when a casual gamer is someone who (usually) has their life priorities straight and can't treat a game like a full time job.

FFXIV used to be more complex and difficult. Would you have hated the game back then as much as you love it now? FFXIV obtained 27 million subscribers by having a mix of casual, mid-core and hardcore content. Many of us started playing before the downfall. If you want the game to change this drastically, then you’re going to have to accept that a lot of people should leave. All your friends, FC members, and other community members will leave. And would FFXIV really be worth playing if that happens?

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

FFXIV used to be more complex and difficult. Would you have hated the game back then as much as you love it now? FFXIV obtained 27 million subscribers by having a mix of casual, mid-core and hardcore content. Many of us started playing before the downfall. If you want the game to change this drastically, then you’re going to have to accept that a lot of people should leave. All your friends, FC members, and other community members will leave. And would FFXIV really be worth playing if that happens?

A lot of these changes are likely based on engagement numbers, not just forum complaints.



They can see exact numbers on participation.



And a lot of the "difficulties" from back then were wonky job mechanics. Midas was about the only really mechanically difficult raid series. But hw had a lot of jank in it. Everything was extreme.

[Sindele]

FFXIV used to be more complex and difficult.

When? We're literally getting the most complex material to deal with that we've ever had. I'll accept that class-wise we've tipped a little too far towards homogenization and filler routines, but the thread's about content, and the content is on average more vicious than it's ever been.

[TaleraRistain]

FFXIV used to be more complex and difficult. Would you have hated the game back then as much as you love it now? FFXIV obtained 27 million subscribers by having a mix of casual, mid-core and hardcore content. Many of us started playing before the downfall. If you want the game to change this drastically, then you’re going to have to accept that a lot of people should leave. All your friends, FC members, and other community members will leave. And would FFXIV really be worth playing if that happens?

This game has ever been difficult? I've been playing since 2014 and I guess I've been asleep or something because this game has never been difficult. Maybe Midas back in the day and that got fixed. I've been playing MMOs for over 20 years and this is one of the easiest and most accessible MMOs I've played even back when I first started. And they've just doubled down on streamlining to make things more accessible.

And why is this a bad thing? Why does this one MMO have to be like all other MMOs out there? This MMO is different and a lot of people like that about it. I don't need another EQ or another WoW. I enjoy the different experience I get here.

[MintnHoney]

This game has ever been difficult?

The skill ceiling used to be a bit higher, and, with it, came some casual difficulty (not to be confused with "being difficult for casual play(ers)").

[Shinkuno]

This game has ever been difficult? I've been playing since 2014 and I guess I've been asleep or something because this game has never been difficult. Maybe Midas back in the day and that got fixed. I've been playing MMOs for over 20 years and this is one of the easiest and most accessible MMOs I've played even back when I first started. And they've just doubled down on streamlining to make things more accessible.

And why is this a bad thing? Why does this one MMO have to be like all other MMOs out there? This MMO is different and a lot of people like that about it. I don't need another EQ or another WoW. I enjoy the different experience I get here.

they said "more complex and difficult" and yes, if you compare the questing experience now to then, ofcourse it wasnt ultrahardcore1337 hard, but it was definitely more challenging then, i remember on my rogue i would often get near death just from stuff i aggrod trying to go to the next msq npc. I bet alot of people that currently are lv90 would have never gotten that far before quitting if the "difficulty" was still the same

[TaleraRistain]

they said "more complex and difficult" and yes, if you compare the questing experience now to then, ofcourse it wasnt ultrahardcore1337 hard, but it was definitely more challenging then, i remember on my rogue i would often get near death just from stuff i aggrod trying to go to the next msq npc. I bet alot of people that currently are lv90 would have never gotten that far before quitting if the "difficulty" was still the same

Things like that were more due to the gear available and how much the game told you about it. We used to have to rely on vendor gear which wasn't always up to snuff if we couldn't craft it ourselves. I remember struggling back in the day on the GLD quest and it just because my gear was out of date. Also as a rogue doing the siren solo duty. Starting in HW we started to get HQ pieces through questing and they've built upon that idea that the MSQ prepares us gear wise for content.

Mechanics wise we see a lot more difficulty now. Mobs have more abilities to trip us up and mechanics in instances require quick reaction times.

[R041]

Mechanics wise we see a lot more difficulty now. Mobs have more abilities to trip us up and mechanics in instances require quick reaction times.

Mobs have abilities? I haven't had to even think about how to manage mobs, stun, sleep, focus down anything in particular in.. 5 years?

Scratch that, I think there was a pair of mobs I had to pull apart 2 years ago.

(Boss mechanics, different story)

[Kaurhz]

Mobs have abilities? I haven't had to even think about how to manage mobs, stun, sleep, focus down anything in particular in.. 5 years?

Scratch that, I think there was a pair of mobs I had to pull apart 2 years ago.

There were a set of mobs in Anamnesis Anyder which would spawn additional mobs if not burst down quickly enough - But this didn't matter because the curse of this game is that... To an extent, whilst it is more mechanically complex, the mechanics themselves are just not threatening enough (for a myriad of reasons).

This is the same situation Akadaemia Anyder, with the 2 Bandersnatch that casts an AoE (which you silence/stun) - Again, just not threatening enough, plus they were basically dead before they had a chance. There are probably more, but nothing lives long enough, nor does enough damage for people to bother interacting with it as intended.

[TaleraRistain]

Mobs have abilities? I haven't had to even think about how to manage mobs, stun, sleep, focus down anything in particular in.. 5 years?

Scratch that, I think there was a pair of mobs I had to pull apart 2 years ago.

(Boss mechanics, different story)

There's a mob in Amaurot that will tether to the healer that will kill the healer's ability to keep up on healing if it isn't focused down. It isn't as much of an issue now because of ilevel but it was debilitating when Amaurot first came out. But more teams used to pick up on this and would focus that down. There's a mob in Dohn Mheg that will buff another if not stunned. There's also True Bravery on Hermes in this expansion that can cause issues for the group if the tank doesn't interrupt it. And any succubus mob doing a Beguiling Mist that can be interrupted, like in Mhach. Not interrupting that can wipe the entire raid even now. And there are the mobs in Puppet's Bunker that paralyze the entire raid if tanks don't stun them, which they usually don't. Not as big of an issue now but it had an effect when things were current. Not enough to cause a wipe there all the time but everyone getting constantly interrupted from it didn't help clear that area quickly.

There are mobs in dungeons and raids that do straight line AoEs, circle AoEs, and donut AoEs all in the same big pull packs so the tank has to be cognizant of how they group these. Or just grab everything and let the melee die. That's pretty much what happens in Euphrosyne with the adds in the ice area. The donut that should be safe is usually completely covered in other AoEs.

Plus, you have done the Barby trial, right? We may not need to stun, sleep, or focus down anything in particular but we definitely have to think on our feet in that.

Sleep is really the only crowd control ability that doesn't see some use somewhere.