Why telling people to unsub is a horrible defense of the game.

[ChonkGoblinSuprem]

Rule #1: The moment you start name calling is when your argument goes out the window.

You just broke this rule, so I’m not inclined to look at your arguments if you’re going to call everyone a creep.

lmao you weren’t going to look anyway, but I guess I gave you a weak excuse to virtue signal so you can get out of needing to engage! Yay for you! You could have just not responded but that wouldn’t have signaled so you just HAD to post.

[Leifei]

@Skiros, you're making good points. I can see that many people agree and/or at least understand where you're coming from. Now, how do we solve this issue? From what I've heard the devs don't pay attention to the English forums. I could be wrong though. There's plenty of people here, including yourself that have good ideas. It's now a matter of getting heard, someone having a discussion with the dev team to prioritize those ideas, then implement them in future patches.

[Noumenon]

Has anyone seen this? Lucky Bancho is showing that the "unsub and play other games" faction is winning hardcore. This graph shows the number of people who have gotten a single new achievement in the past month. In other words, active players. Notice how Endwalker compares with the other expansions.



Is this really a good thing, and are we still supposed to like it?

https://luckybancho.ldblog.jp/archives/57775035.html

This is alarming and puts to rest the inanity of arguing that Steam numbers don't show a decline.

[ZephyrMenodora]

This is alarming and puts to rest the inanity of arguing that Steam numbers don't show a decline.

Very sharp decline and if this chart translates into player interest / money, there is need to worry. This is the steepest loss of interest since the game returned as ARR - and with whatever the expansion is called so far away (honestly I'm not even hyped enough to remember what it's called lol) - it may lose a lot of momentum if more effort isn't put into retention.

[Mimilu]

Can you explain what the blue, red, and green lines mean?

For anyone who didn't google-translate the link, this graph shows trends in achievements. The right side of the graph is for player number, and the bottom shows time periods.
From what I can gather (which you should take with a grain of salt because I don't read Japanese and using google-translate):
Blue is "New" for the number of characters whose first achievement was recorded during that time (i.e. new players when they were new).
Red is "Continuing" for characters whose achievements were confirmed during the time period but aren't new players.
Green is "Last" or "Final" for the number of characters whose achievements are from after their initial release time period. (This one confused me the most and if anyone can actually translate it, it would help (;´Д`)).

The graph starts from when achievements were first available back in Legacy.

[MisterNublet]

Has anyone seen this? Lucky Bancho is showing that the "unsub and play other games" faction is winning hardcore. This graph shows the number of people who have gotten a single new achievement in the past month. In other words, active players. Notice how Endwalker compares with the other expansions.



Is this really a good thing, and are we still supposed to like it?

https://luckybancho.ldblog.jp/archives/57775035.html

Looking like WotLK/Cataclysm all over again. An absolute shock to no one who has played MMOs outside of only FFXIV.

ShB had a story that carried the expansion (and Field/Foray Bozja) that helped mask how bad the gameplay was. EW doesn't have that luxury, and now the lack of content and overly simplified and lackluster gameplay has reared up, and people are becoming bored.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Looking like WotLK/Cataclysm all over again. An absolute shock to no one who has played MMOs outside of only FFXIV.

ShB had a story that carried the expansion (and Field/Foray Bozja) that helped mask how bad the gameplay was. EW doesn't have that luxury, and now the lack of content and overly simplified and lackluster gameplay has reared up, and people are becoming bored.

It's also coupled with the large amount of good games released this year as well and will likely continue for a bit with things announced coming already. We may also see new things on the horizon with the Tokyo Games Show in a few days.

[Noumenon]

For anyone who didn't google-translate the link, this graph shows trends in achievements. The right side of the graph is for player number, and the bottom shows time periods.
From what I can gather (which you should take with a grain of salt because I don't read Japanese and using google-translate):
Blue is "New" for the number of characters whose first achievement was recorded during that time (i.e. new players when they were new).
Red is "Continuing" for characters whose achievements were confirmed during the time period but aren't new players.
Green is "Last" or "Final" for the number of characters whose achievements are from after their initial release time period. (This one confused me the most and if anyone can actually translate it, it would help (;´Д`)).

The graph starts from when achievements were first available back in Legacy.

Green means they don't have a new achievement in the next period, which is why the last period is all green (since there isn't a next period after the last period).

[Jeeqbit]

The image translation is New (Blue), Continuation (Red) and Final (Green).

New is the number of characters whose first achievement was recorded during that period.
The final number is the number of characters whose achievements after that period could not be confirmed.
Continuations are characters whose achievements were confirmed at that time, excluding new and final characters. However, if the same character is counted as new or final within that period, it will be double deducted from the continuation, so it is given +1.

[Kaliesto]

Gonna gather my thoughts here as I feel this topic is the right spot for it

Played since Stormblood, so my knowledge is limited on some things:
====================================================================
Zones:

The Good - The Zones of FFXIV are incredibly beautiful, and bring this game world to life in many ways, and some things in the zone has lore behind it (even not important locations).

The Bad - Zone FATEs I feel are outdated when Bozja came along as Bozja's idea of how FATEs operated seem like a good evolution and with 1 versus 1 battles. The problem with the old zone FATEs is that about 90% of them are not very rewarding nor challenging unless its a chain-FATE or achievement FATEs, but even those are pretty weak sauce most of the time. It seems like most of the challenge was sucked into THE HUNTS in the zones, but the problem with those is that most players will just gather in unintended huge groups and just cheese through it all like it was nothing. When Shadowbringers happened they try to attach rewards to FATEs with those gemstones, I feel like those semi-worked, but I feel the number of gemstones you get is a little too low considering the prices of some of the items and a mount which to me isn't worth the trouble considering you'll be boring yourself to death every day for many months trying to get it. If I had to work that hard for a Gemstone Voucher Mount I want to make sure the FATEs are actually engaging and worth doing for fun, but most are not in my opinion.

There is also the problem with Zone Monsters, they're pathetically easy, and their mechanics will never hit you. The only real way you can make it a challenge if you were to gather a bunch of them of together, but even then there is not much payoff from doing that.
====================================================================
Dungeons (4-Man):

The Good - Some Dungeons have some interesting bosses, there isn't much to say here.

The Bad -

1. Most Monster encounters and the bosses are way way too easy.

2. From what I saw from ARR to now I feel like they lost creativity over time, and just are incredibly boring linear experiences. I feel like CBU3 should have taken a page from the ye olde days of RPGs (and even from their Classic Final Fantasy games) where Dungeons was more of a open field to explore rather than a linear tunnel, find lore, find interesting monsters, puzzles, hidden treasures, and then finally the boss.

Criterion Dungeons has somewhat remedied this, but I feel like not far enough yet because there is still a bit of a linear bent to it, but they're definitely on the right track. Criterion feels more like what Classic Final Fantasy Dungeons were like minus a few details. From what I saw in the cut 1.0 dungeons of FFXIV it did seem like the dungeons were going to be big explorative areas compared to what 2.0 brought instead.

My only real problem with Criterion is the repeated 1st boss on each route, and that is about it for the moment.
=====================================================================
Alliance Raids:

The Good - Some Bosses are fun and engaging (mostly Ivalice and some of Nier imo).

The Bad - Some bosses are a snorefest, and most are pathetically easy. I come to these huge alliance raids for a good and fun time, but the challenge and the fun is not there for most of it.
=====================================================================
How tomestones work:

There is nothing honestly good about this system, I feel like the daily lockouts are not needed since I would rather have all my jobs geared up, so I can take that gear over to the next level whether that be Extreme, Savage or some other content. the daily limit of Tomestones is apparently there to keep players in the game for the next week, but really there is a lot to do in this game that I think its not needed and it should go away already.

Heck you don't even need Tomestone Gear to clear Savage, so the daily lockout is pointless, but its nice to have handicap gear be available completely to work toward savage gear.
=====================================================================
Deep Dungeons:

The Good - There is a true challenge here, and I never get tired of it, and I love the fact I have to think about how to properly use my pomanders to fight against the RNG.

The Bad - The Palace of the Dead 1-100 and 100-200 should be separated for the Necromancer title, the true challenge is at 100. 1-100 of POTD is not really all that hard, but more of a nuisance when trying for the achievement. Alternatively at least let the achievement start at floor 50 and on up, so players get all their pomanders there to be ready for floor 100. It would cut down a few hours considering a certain boss at floor 180 is not always a victory due to a lot of bull&&&& that can happen with that behemoth.

HOH and EO are great, but POTD really needs a adjustment.
======================================================================
Grand Companies:

The Good - Its a great place for new players to get alternative gear, and other things.

The Bad - The GC Ranking System appears abandoned by CBU3, and along with the Squadrons because Trusts are starting to take over more. The Grand Company system is starting to feel like a relic of the past, and being left behind and I'm wondering what its true fate is going to be in the future.
======================================================================
Free Companies:

The Good - Subjective depending who you ask

The Bad - It really needs more activities aside from the FC Workshop.
======================================================================
The Gold Saucer:

The Good - Great way to pass the time doing fun little things

The Bad - I think they should had tried to expand the Gold Saucer with every expansion that came out with more new floors of the Gold Saucer with their own minigames just to keep the experience fun and fresh.
======================================================================
Extreme Raids:

The Good - It hits the sweet spot of what I consider a good challenge, but not trying to break my back or feel like a Job like Savage Raids

The Bad - I feel like the mechanics should be less scripted and more random, that way the experience is different every time; few bosses already do this to some little extent.
======================================================================
Savage Raids:

I have nothing good to say about it, it feels more like a job and way too punishing for little payoff other than I guess bragging rights, and the gear you get here will be outclassed at some point within months, so its worthless to even try for something that will just go into the garbage bin eventually.

I get some people here will love constant 1-hit KOs with almost every mechanic, but that to me is quite annoying for various reasons and just screams artificial and unnecessary punishments, and if it happens too much you're not gonna clear enrage. The fight should be about the journey, and not trying to force players to rush to beat the enrage timer as you're just invaliding those 8-players hard fun like it didn't mean anything.
======================================================================
Ultimate Raids:

No opinion, I will never get this far.

I do respect and acknowledge the players who did legitimately get those ultimate titles and weapons (noticed I used the word legitimately). Though if some players gotta go that far to cheat, I do wonder if its a failing on the ultimate raid rather than the player considering how common the cheating has been lately? My understanding of Ultimate Raids that there is many many mechanics you gotta memorize.
======================================================================
PVP:

The Good - It can be fun good ol' time, and there is some decent amount of pvp modes to play (it needs more though).

The Bad - Currently there is a bit of a job inbalance going on (mainly with DRK bull&&&&), but aside from that PVP really needs bit more things to do in Frontlines, and also return the maps they deleted over the years as its better to have a variety to keep things fresh.

Crystalline Conflict...I'm just gonna say this is really about RNG with Jobs than anything else, this can be annoying if you're on a constant losing chain streak that can suddenly invalidate everything you worked for.

Rival Wings has been stagnated because there isn't enough awards attached to it though ironically its a lot more fun than Frontlines. I really wish they do something about it, and also finally get that other Rival Wings map unlocked again as they had it locked for many years now.

Finally the lack of PVP shop rewards, once you get everything you can't do much else with those wolf marks and Trophy Crystals, they really need consider some alternatives that are meaningful to use those on. Personally it would be nice to convert 20,000 Wolf marks to 20,000 Gil, and would make PVP a lot more rewarding because of it and use those Trophy Crystals to maybe create special ranked weapons and armor you can work towards over the pvp season..like Basic > Intermediate > Master Armor > Grandmaster Armor with some cool glowy effect, etc.

Going back to Frontlines maps, I think what could help keep things fresh is that map is not always the same, if you had three or more variety maps of the same mode that it can help keep players engaged and keep having players comeback to PVP.
======================================================================
Island Sanctuary:

The Good - Its nice and relaxing, and the rewards are just enough where I feel satisfied with it.

The Bad - Gathering materials can be a bit tedious, kind of opposite of relaxing.

Suggestions - CBU3, you all thought about letting other players stay on their friend's island and build their own little house?
======================================================================
Housing:

There is a bit of a crisis going on with that right now due to Greedy Free Companies and Players eating up every house they can get.

Instanced housing can fix this.

This may mean the end of Social Housing Zones, but I think that is a price that will have to be paid to put a stop to this.
======================================================================


Overall experience:

CBU3 seems to be all about style, but lack so much depth. They get you with the initial wow factor, but once you look behind the curtain there isn't much there after the initial rush of new content.

FFXIV is not exactly a Bad MMO, but with the trajectory they're going it could end up being legitimately bad at some point. I guess they feel after 10 years of FFXIV why bother going back to fix the problems?

Also on a extra note about their cash shop:

I think their prices are based on Japan Economics, something we don't try to account for outside of Japan, it might explain why some things are so unreasonably expensive as everything is priced based on the local economics of their country. Right now in Japan most things are quite expensive (especially living costs), and so the prices reflect that. I'm not saying this to defend, but it could be a possible reality of the situation.