Zepla: Endwalker is the Worst FFXIV Expansion I have played

[OdinelStarrei]

Hey friends, my sub has been out for a bit, so I'm not gonna be able to post soon. A shame, since I have so much to say, but I really think that I'm checked out.

There's simply too many bad things about this expansion for me to even have the rose-tinted googles that I do for Shadowbringers or Heavensward. Why did my entire FC, four statics, and social group explode? It's not because of the release of Elden Ring, or AC6, or BG3, or Honkai, or any of that. It's not because they were "burned out". It's because we were spending more time talking about what we miss, or what we're disappointed in over even playing enjoyable content for over a year. It's because the game itself became unfun to play because of the changes in the jobs, the changes in the savages raids that are now just body check simulators, the absurdity of TOP. Objectively, I have spent less time in Endwalker that I have in even a single patch of Shadowbringers or Stormblood, not just because I find the actual gameplay experience of the jobs not only lackluster, but a complete downgrade in many aspects, but that so many people around me agreed with that prognosis that they effectively unsubbed until further notice, and didn't come back/didn't get invested in anything outside of MSQ. Every once in awhile I'll see someone turn up, ask if the game is fun yet, receive a RESOUNDING "lmao no" and away they go again. Endwalker caused the collapse of the MMO part of an MMORPG around me.

Seeing that interview from Mr. Ozma is like, another straw for me. There have been so many opportunities for communication about these issues that go beyond "Our metrics say everything is fine" and "sub number high" because there will come a point where the metrics MIGHT NOT be fine! Datacenters outside of like, what, Aether??? are a desolate wasteland, but that's made even worse by DC travel. It's top tier being a newer player right now with a backlog, but as of late, I refuse to bring new players in unless they are MSQ-ONLY, as they just won't be given a compelling gameplay experience that they can find in literally any other game.

I went to Fanfest. I AM A FAN OF THIS GAME. But rather than being in an abusive relationship, it's almost like I'm in an avoidant one. I want the devs to communicate with us, not just about fluff nonsense but about the GAME itself. I want the devs to WANT me to play their game! That they feel Yes, we are PROUD of our work, we WANT you to be here with US! I want the devs to want my attention as a player! Because right now, they really don't seem like they could care whether I was here or not. Every other game is FIGHTING for my attention, they want me to come enjoy the experience they've created with their vision. FFXIV doesn't even put up a compelling argument. They just say "Come back later!" I did. What did you change? Nothing. "Take another break!" I did. What did you add? Nothing engaging for me and my friends, based on our playrate. "Play another job!" I did. You ruined the combat, and refuse to acknowledge that feedback is even exists on the front. Good god, being a support focused player in this MMO is actual hell.

I am glad that I am finally allowed a platform to say these things, and that other people are experiencing something similar. Because I really don't want to feel like all my friends left for no reason, and that their experiences didn't matter. Because they mattered to me.