Endwalker is the lowest point of this game since 1.0

[EderTheBro]

My tinfoil hat theory is that CBU 3 tries to funnel everyone into raiding by making jobs more accessible with the 2-minute meta and spacing the release of patch content further apart so that the players get bored and jump into raiding. Once those players are hooked on the choreographed fights and drip fed BiS drops, the devs would have a great excuse to cut costs and put less effort into creating long-lasting content with an interesting gameplay loop in the future.

But that's just a theory; a tinfoil hat theory.

It makes sense but I think Savage participation rates have mostly held steady since Stormblood so whatever they're doing doesn't seem to actually matter even if that's their goal.

[SilversLyu]

It makes sense but I think Savage participation rates have mostly held steady since Stormblood so whatever they're doing doesn't seem to actually matter even if that's their goal.

Then I wonder what they are trying to do, casualizing for the sake of it? It wouldn't draw more players to the game or high content necessarily - the amount would be neglectable, jobs are quite simple already, especially in casual content. Or am I dead wrong? If there is one thing I dont get about this game it's the job design and their goal with it, no doubt.

[MsMisato]

Then I wonder what they are trying to do, casualizing for the sake of it? It wouldn't draw more players to the game or high content necessarily - the amount would be neglectable, jobs are quite simple already, especially in casual content. Or am I dead wrong? If there is one thing I dont get about this game it's the job design and their goal with it, no doubt.

Honestly, i think it was a live letter last year or two ago where Yoshida pretty much said he was tired of community crying about how hard stuff is from trails to raids essentially. Because its true, you even see it today people cry so much when someone wwants do even basic trails synced. Or if they ask for people to help in DF they tell them unsync its easier and quicker. But the people will turn around cry about how easy stuff is and how it needs to be more difficult and thats when I realize its not going to get any better and things will be keep getting more and more simplified and they have been.

[IkaraGreydancer]

As a counter example, look at the worldbuilding for sharlayan over the years. It’s followed the exact path that the brotherhood of steel has in fallout, losing the dubious morality and extreme isolationism in favour of the bowdlerised parody of itself. All the nuance and darker undercurrent has been sanded off, making it significantly harder to care for as a result. Ala mhigo was built up from 1.0 only to be ignored for a jaunt to the far east with a shallow revolution. I think norvrandt only got away with it because it’s the familiar twisted and in the post apocalypse. For characters, the mundanity of lolorito and both halves of that rival lalafell felt more relatable than the whole universe’s despair being thrown around. Even gaius, the invading garleans and their succession issues offered a more grounded problem. Then they decided the garleans weren’t allowed any foot to stand on with the retcon about primals draining the land. I dunno, hades worked as a villain because it was a reflection of the player character to an extent, it’s only lead to them tying themselves in knots with regard to morality since. The ascians being cackling madmen wasn’t great, but their dealings with thordan was a nice use of villains having competing goals. There just doesn’t seem to be the kind of inter character conflict there used to be. I hope this wasn’t too rambly.

See this makes no sense to me. I'll be jumping across point so my apologies. You say there's no inter character conflict yet...isnt the whole of the Ancient storyline from ShB to EW just that? The Cruz of those expac stories is very much that to the T. Hades was a reflection of the player in ShB just as Zenos was in SB to EW (greater so in EW imo).

Garleans were set up to to fail and that was Emets doing. He himself made that clear. I think it's nice that the focus is rebuilding Garlemald now. Ala Mhigo I'd agree could've been handled better. Unfortunate how that turned out.

As for the relatability that (as most things are) is very subjective. From what I've seen and experienced myself EW hits a particular spot with alot of people. The dealing with Nihilism and the meaning/purpose of life is very relatable to quite alot of people. It's not something we've really gotten in XIV and was a breath of fresh air. Did it resonate with everyone? No. But for those it did with it was quite strong. With it being as heavy as it was (imo) I believe that's why the story pumped the breaks n chilled out hence the current post story.

And as for the top point. I mean...how long did you expect said place to stay isolated? It's been that way for years (our time). Eventually it was bound to come into the picture. The reason they stayed that way has been revealed and there's no longer a reason for that. As for nuance being gone I can't agree. Even now XIV as a whole story wise revolves heavily around it. Recent example Golbez. It's very much clear he's not "evil" for the sake of. It says something when Athena is one of the few times we have people who are just downright evil. No nuance there.

Long read so sorry lol

[Sayori]

Relevant content which keeps you busy for an extended time is almost non existent in the game right now. Almost all content in a new patch can be completed within a single day, with the exception of raids and ultimates.
A big portion of Endwalker is a one and done deal. Just take a look at variant or criterion dungeons, there's no real incentive to go back and do it again. I really want to play the game, but besides raiding I feel like I have no real reason to log in because there's simply nothing to look forward to.
I honestly hate how they use the "just go play another game" line to justify the lack of relevant content.

[IkaraGreydancer]

Relevant content which keeps you busy for an extended time is almost non existent in the game right now. Almost all content in a new patch can be completed within a single day, with the exception of raids and ultimates.
A big portion of Endwalker is a one and done deal. Just take a look at variant or criterion dungeons, there's no real incentive to go back and do it again. I really want to play the game, but besides raiding I feel like I have no real reason to log in because there's simply nothing to look forward to.
I honestly hate how they use the "just go play another game" line to justify the lack of relevant content.

Idk. Sounds to me like you and some others are playing the wrong game if long grinds are what you're looking for. EW isn't providing them so may be best to look elswehere

[KitingGenbu]

Is it more fun to keep giving SE money just to get on the forums to complain? Asking for a friend.

[Nav_Fae]

I honestly hate how they use the "just go play another game" line to justify the lack of relevant content.

I was discussing this with a friend last night. Put a tinfoil hat above my head if you want, but I think this is their marketing strategy. I think they actually do want you to play other games which is why they lessen the content to a certain extent. Less resources they have to pump into the game that can be used for other projects. Most importantly, by giving players time to play other games, it might give us an opportunity to go play other SE games. Like the coming soon FF16. Surely it can't be mere coincidence that it came out during a patch lull. Maybe it is. Who knows. But yeah, I think that's the whole logic behind "Go play other games". They want us to play their other SE products but how could we possibly do that if the game takes up to much of our lives?

[BeautyWhitemage]

Exaggerated？ (⊙﹏⊙)

Didn't version 1 is disaster？How is possible for Endwalker to be lower than version 1？ XD

Endwalker still top 2，Shadowbringers #1 obviously

We literally fighting against despair itself，what more do you want XD

[Rolder50]

We literally fighting against despair itself，what more do you want XD

That's a downside, if anything. Where else can the plot even go?