This game is on a terrible state right now.

[Absimiliard]

Actually not wrong on the age range. Most people I have met on here and in-game.. some are old enough to be my parents. Anyone in their late 20s/early 30s (like me and others I know) are on the younger side... Especially so on the forums.

Which just makes their recent design decisions all the stranger. They're taking the game in a direction that by all indications is meant to appeal to a younger audience, yet it seems the bulk of the game's players are indeed at least in their late 20s.

[Shougun]

Which just makes their recent design decisions all the stranger. They're taking the game in a direction that by all indications is meant to appeal to a younger audience, yet it seems the bulk of the game's players are indeed at least in their late 20s.

Maybe missing something but ... I feel that's not quite the right take. Assuming older means more responsibilities, which I have heard Yoshida refer to aging players before in a similar concept, and personally feel.. wouldn't it actually make sense?

Not sure how you approached that determination. This is not a post to discount anyone's feedback or desires or even addresss them, just questioning how middle age player base is not targeted by casual choices but younger players are.

When I was younger it was easy to be hard-core, now I feel it's a waste of time and would not play a game that was like original EQ or FFXI, which I did before, and enjoyed, yet now I absolutely love safety nets and other modern amenities (I am aware FFXI has changed significantly).

[Rufalus]

~

Yes dude. I hate that so many things are untradeable unmarketable, even dungeon gear that's weaker than crafted stuff. I would pay a lot of gil for certain drops from old dead content, and groups would be looking for things like that to revive farm, any untapped market. The majority of high demand items in this game are not part of the player economy at all, locked to some non-gil special currency or personal loot.

[Absimiliard]

Maybe missing something but ... I feel that's not quite the right take. Assuming older means more responsibilities, which I have heard Yoshida refer to aging players before in a similar concept, and personally feel.. wouldn't it actually make sense?

Not sure how you approached that determination. This is not a post to discount anyone's feedback or desires or even addresss them, just questioning how middle age player base is not targeted by casual choices but younger players are.

When I was younger it was easy to be hard-core, now I feel it's a waste of time and would not play a game that was like original EQ or FFXI, which I did before and now I absolutely love safety nets and other modern amenities (I am aware FFXI has changed significantly).

Younger players tend to want things handed to them without having to actually earn them. While this is certainly true of some middle-aged players as well, it is not reflective of the majority. There is a significant difference between taking a game from requiring an amount of investment that is not feasible for late 20s and up adult players to something more reasonable and just straight up handing out rewards. FFXIV is listing dangerously close to the latter.

[aveyond-dreams]

Younger players tend to want things handed to them without having to actually earn them. While this is certainly true of some middle-aged players as well, it is not reflective of the majority. There is a significant difference between taking a game from requiring an amount of investment that is not feasible for middle-aged players to something more reasonable and just straight up handing out rewards. FFXIV is listing dangerously close to the latter.

Younger player here, please give me an actual game to play and not free handouts.

[Shougun]

Younger players tend to want things handed to them without having to actually earn them. While this is certainly true of some middle-aged players as well, it is not reflective of the majority. There is a significant difference between taking a game from requiring an amount of investment that is not feasible for late 20s and up adult players to something more reasonable and just straight up handing out rewards. FFXIV is listing dangerously close to the latter.

Hmm, maybe you're referring to some study but imo this just sounds like the classic older generation dismissing their younger generation lol. Young lazy, old made the world. Or something like that, tale old as time XD.

Perhaps there was some data behind it but not something I've seen at least, or would believe when getting an onion or Babylon link :P.

Certainly personal bias could be at play as I could play a part time damn near full time job worth of gaming when young / single, but now it's like... I have so many things to do and to smash my head against the wall while jimbob keeps failing the same mechanic for 3 hours to get nothing done.. sounds awful. Though I like the rolling mountain for this because people who want to scream at jimbob can do that while I come in later with echo or unsync jobs and do it that way.

[seolhyun]

SE flopped hard on EW. all my friends that played since HW have pretty much quit. there's no content except the same roulettes over and over. and even those suck now b/c all the jobs are so braindead and homogenized now. SE needs massive shift in direction the ship is sinking atm

[SturmChurro]

Younger player here, please give me an actual game to play and not free handouts.

Oh? How young?

I'd just like to be able to... play. And have fun doing so. Like, I am sorry, but achievement grind (with no rewards but points or bad titles), and low level "content" over and over is just not that fun. You hardly ever get to use your max level kit unless you are doing high end content, outside of your weekly clears. It sucks. I want things to collect (that are worthwhile). For example, I have been playing tanks in dungeons for years, just to collect each and every tank mount (almost done just PLD - I'd love if they add more/healer mount rewards).

[Ath192]

SE flopped hard on EW. all my friends that played since HW have pretty much quit. there's no content except the same roulettes over and over. and even those suck now b/c all the jobs are so braindead and homogenized now. SE needs massive shift in direction the ship is sinking atm

Yes. Unfortunately, just like the titanic, these forums have a pesky band of people trying to cheer others up and telling them everything's fine. But in the end, they also drowned didn't they?

[SamSmoot]

I've been leveling other jobs out of desperation. I'm not raiding, and only run dungeons for the weekly challenge logs. And, I never socialize in game.
I'd be trying out the WoW Dragonflight expension if they hadn't killed my target closest enemy macro. (The new talent system is overly complex as well.)