The reason FFXIV is lacking content is because of casualization.

[EliaStormblade]

Who said worse, there are plenty who enjoy a crazy long grind. Relics were like that in MMOs in one time so it's shocking to many when WoW started to hand out relics for rather easy requirements. Some don't like the term "welfare relic" but it's not like that name came out of nowhere. It's XIV, so I know that there will always be this odd line drawn between easy and very difficult. That said, I seriously do not consider 1500 semicurrent tomestones a meaningful grind. Then again, I like the ARR books. Fite me. /box

Again: you can have a crazy long grind and still have it mean something. If your point of pride is "I did something boring and braindead past the point of reason," then I think that's not really healthy? Just make it engaging, it's not impossible.

[Eraden]

"It used to be worse/more pervasive" isn't a good argument to me.

You can have perfectly meaningful grinds.

I'll take your word for it. I haven't played a second of GW2, admittedly. What was it like, if you could elucidate?

Skyscale quest long and varied. Many different groups of steps. All had meanings for ultimate goal of gettings Skyscale mount.

[Raoabolic]

Again: you can have a crazy long grind and still have it mean something. If your point of pride is "I did something boring and braindead past the point of reason," then I think that's not really healthy? Just make it engaging, it's not impossible.

See, now that's a silly argument considering we are talking about a video game genre that has roots in long grinds. Also, since we are talking about the relic steps, do you believe that 1500 tomestones is a meaningful grind?

[EliaStormblade]

See, now that's a silly argument considering we are talking about a video game genre that has roots in long grinds. Also, since we are talking about the relic steps, do you believe that 1500 tomestones is a meaningful grind?

I definitely don't recall indicating such anywhere.

[RyuDragnier]

Skyscale quest long and varied. Many different groups of steps. All had meanings fo ultimate goal of gettings Skyscale mount.

Ahh yes, the ungrateful sky child. So much zone hopping and running across the world to raise that child. Useful overall, but I don't wish that grind on anybody.

[PetThisMiqo]

The game is in a fine spot. It is not lacking content. The game might seem to be very casual but most of the game's players are casuals. They don't play every day for extensive periods. They just want to enjoy the content in this game and there is more than enough for them to join. Elitists such as yourself should go outside and touch grass.

[Sjark]

There's a lot that I don't miss from the ARR days, but in hindsight I do miss when the overworld felt like a place you had to respect. I remember using sleep/heavy to survive, or generally being in danger when trying to do Sylph/Sahagin/etc beast tribe quests. There was also so many details in the overworld that was cool to find.

When I finally got around to doing Eureka (I never experienced it when it was new), it made me feel like I was actually playing an mmo again. People were being social in shouts, working together, we had a party trying to complete things together, and we had to respect the overworld because some mobs can be quite scary. There's nothing remotely close to that in ShB and EW's overworld, and you could probably include the other expansions in that too. Though my best experiences were in the earlier parts of Eureka, last zone... leaves something to be desired definitely.

The only times I've died in the overworld in EW was when I was still doing MSQ on the moon, and underestimated a fate with explosive enemies. Additionally the areas are vast, sprawling and mostly empty and boring.
Generally the only times I feel like I'm playing an actual mmo (speaking primarily from a combat standpoint) is when raiding, Eureka in general and solo/duo runs in Deep dungeons. Otherwise you are generally in such safe environments, that the thought of failure is so distant.

I also have the hot take (or is it lukewarm?) that crafting is too accessible now compared to before. The abundancy of crafters now is so high, that even if I take the time to level up crafters and gear them, I barely do any crafting.
There's not much incentive to craft nowadays as the market is usually flooded with items, unless you either fine some weird niche or maybe low level items. As an example, I've been making a fish dish that only me and another player makes, and the dish is only used for GC deliveries. It ain't much, but it kinda feels nice even if the purchases are sporadic.

There's no point in trying to advertise yourself as a crafter, because we're a dime a dozen. I'm sure it's a completely different situation on those really new servers, but that's not going to last.

[Eastwall]

Skyscale quest long and varied. Many different groups of steps. All had meanings for ultimate goal of gettings Skyscale mount.

Well, most recent expansion provided a new and much easier way to get skyscale. I wonder why.

[chaotix69]

There needs to be balance. If you make things too easy to achieve then you end up having everyone rush to the end and then the game appears lifeless. On the flip-side, if you make things require weeks or months of grinding, you turn away a large group of players that value their time more than this game. I personally think the game is right in the middle where it should be

[Orinori]

Except not really because that was a response made by disillusioned people whom decided to change their formula of focusing on the mobile market with an entirely different audience and here is people doing the oppossite when every FF game has always been released as a console exclusive game first and PC second yet people are whining that they arent being catered to first becuz PC mastuh rais

Lmao I can actually tell just from this one message that you have never been good at anything in your life