This will be a somewhat lengthy post. Sorry in advance.

Originally Posted by
Raasu
Not trying to be a jerk, but why keep making that suggestion if it always ends up with the same (negative) replies?
I haven't made that suggestion on these forums in months explicitly because most of the people on here take it as a direct attack/insult regardless of how it's explained.

Originally Posted by
Raasu
For the most part, people on this forum aren't toddlers and they don't need explicit permission from a stranger to play other games, nor the affirmation that it is alright to do so.
I find this line strange. I've never been under the impression that people require permission to play the game from anybody on here. People having a sub does not require "approval" from anyone except SE.

Originally Posted by
Raasu
Even at face value it just comes off as slightly patronizing.
The following is both a response to this line but also a lengthy explanation of why I have suggested to stop playing in the past. I’m aware that Raasu is not making all of these points. I’m bringing them up because they asked “why?”
Honestly, what comes off as patronizing to me is to have no bite behind one’s bark. I'm fully aware that people can enjoy something about a game while criticizing it however; it comes off extremely weird to not only continue to take part in something that said individual has so many complaints about, but to also financially support said product.
This is a game. I pay money and spend time here to enjoy it. The moment the negatives stack up above the positives then I'm out and I've done it before. Notably when "there wasn't anything to do". That single complaint always makes me mind go to "then stop playing" because I've been there on this and many other games. If I don't have something to do in the game, why would I stay? Boredom is the biggest negative any game can have.
Additionally, I've seen a lot of people make the argument of "it's no longer worth the sub price" which they often either explain or heavily imply that they want the sub cost to be reduced or removed, but people who make that statement will often ignore the very obvious other option there which is to just stop paying/playing.
The housing excuse is also extremely tiring at this point as well. If you bought a house, you did so knowing how the system worked (unless you were maybe part of the first housing release) and that you would lose it if you took a long enough break. To continue to maintain the sub either exclusively or even mostly just to hold onto that house comes off as little more than sunk cost fallacy. Is the housing situation an abusive monetary tactic? Yes, obviously. Do I think it should change? Of course. Should Island sanctuary have an instanced housing feature added? 100% it should. I can agree with someone on all those points and still think maintaining a sub for a house is a bad hill to die on.
I’m very firmly of the opinion that removing financial support is the biggest/loudest feedback any consumer can provide for any product. A lot of people have made comparisons to things that are happening now in XIV to things that happened in WoW that led to its decline. If that is in fact the case then wouldn’t it be a good idea to show the feedback Blizzard eventually listened to and stop subbing? As far as I’m concerned, continuing to financially support a product while having major issues with it is giving a company all the reason to not listen to you.