The current state of the "MMORPG" FFXIV is unsustainable. Here's why

[Jojoya]

You can argue about job design all you want but it comes down to the developers reacting to 2 different things: player demand for job balance so their favorite job is less likely to be excluded because elitists pay too much attention to theorycrafting and metas, and most players having reached a skill cap where they just can't handle more complexity in a job. The developers are rarely going to cater to the elitist niche no matter how vocal they get because every MMO in the past that has done that has inevitably failed.

Is the content overall truly less difficult than in the past, or does it just seem that way because you're now more knowledgeable as a player and are more likely to have gear up to date? A lot of the excitement we get from games is because we start out knowing almost nothing about what we're doing and have to figure it out, whether alone or with the help of other players. Once you have a decent grasp of the game's general design and mechanics, it becomes easier to progress because you have a basic idea of what to expect. As you get better, a game naturally gets easier. Same as with job design, when the majority of players start reaching their skill cap the developers can't afford to increase difficulty farther outside of the very niche content like the Ultimates. The game costs money to make; the developers need to make sure that the game appeals to enough players to keep paying the expenses.

The game has plenty of long term grinds. Hand of Creation. Divine Provider. The Indefatigable. Necromancer. The Accursed. Ultimate Thrillseeker. Of the Longest Hunt. Honest Gillionaire. Gambler. The Alpha Wolf. The Fortunate. The Luckiest of...
Are you trying to convince us you completed them all?

Try to blame things on casuals all you want but it sounds like the real problem is on your end.

Perhaps you've played the game too long. Any game will get boring after a while if you don't give yourself a break from it.

Perhaps you're expecting this game to be something it's not intended to be. MMOs need to have their vision of what they want to be, and that's not always what a specific player wants.

I can promise you that the game is not at risk of dying in the next 2 years. There are lots of players still experiencing the content for the first time and overwhelmed with all the things they have to be doing. Even if SE were to move the development team to other projects and just keep a maintenance mode staff, the game will keep going for many more years to come because it's an enjoyable experience that many players want to continue sharing with family, friends and others.

It doesn't need your approval to survive anymore than it needs mine or that of any other single player.

This is a shit take. "Just leave" Game not changing the way you like it? "Just leave". The devs are being lazy with the .x patches? "Just leave". How many times are we gonna use this argument until you're the only one left?

To your credit though that it was I do when a product I've used for a long time starts to drop in their quality, I don't pay for mediocre shit. But then again mediocre shit seems to be the norm for SE these days.

It's not a bad take. It's an honest one.

When a game no longer suits what you're looking for, it's up to you to find a game that does. It's not up to a specific game to change to meet your personal standards.

Players have been using your argument for years and yet the game is still here despite all the naysayers. You're not going to end up anymore correct than any of them were.