how did we at a place where diablo4 is more of an mmo that FF14?

[Striker44]

And look where that mentality gets us in XIV in 2023. Nowhere. We're dull and spiraling into nothingness with bloated buttons that all feel the same. Congratulations.

WoW has managed to make it work to some degree, and there are MMO-esque ARPGs that are attempting to do it as well. It can be done. Fun should be priority over strict balance.

XIV devs need to realize that you can't balance everything perfectly and you need to focus on fun combat engagement over everything else.

And yet, FFXIV currently has the highest playerbase it's ever had. Perhaps because the devs actually do really know what they're doing and recognize the importance of adapting to the times. People in-game are plentiful and having an absolute blast. Casual gamers generally find being able to pick up a game and feel like they're making progress and contributing sufficiently while being able to make their own choices and play their way to be fun and inviting (aka the idea of balancing/generally homogenizing classes while giving each a bit of distinct flavor is the perfect move in today's gaming society). Balance leads to fun for the casual gamer, rather than a system where the community effectively locks them out of large chunks of content just for not playing the current meta build.