Dawntrail needs to better, not just more.

[Kisshu]

I'm still looking for that new hook to keep me interested in the expansion. So far most of what they've shown is Shadowbringers with a gold coating, it's basicly following their old plans and we can 99% predict what will be in each patch.
So when they're on stage, they're just talking about stuff we already know will be there, just what coat of paint it will have.

To me, they instead should show us something we didn't expect. But then again, they don't have a good track record on doing that (show a slide for Island at fanfest, don't talk about it for a year, then release and we know the rest). Atleast Variant dungeons gave a bit of fun, but don't even think it was mentioned at the fanfest.

There's a reason ToAU from FFXI is my favourite expansion, while it build on the old, it also added a lot of new system to try out that were noticeable different from previous content, stuff like Assault, Einherjar, Beseiged, Nyzul Isle and so on.

[Alleluia]

The sad part of this is that with the whole idea of "a new story, a new adventure and beginning" yet we are still hanging onto old characters, we're still hanging to the same formula, aren't the devs themselves getting bored of doing the same thing over and over?

I mean, story-wise, we haven't had a hunt for a lost city to decide btwn two candidates for a throne be the plot. Or the scions taking sides and splitting in to teams along those lines. While the outcome of the throne will very likely be the same, regardless of what we choose, it is still a new story and position we haven't been in before. (And it'll be another thing for us all to argue over. Which will be so nice, I'm sure.)

I doubt there'll be any physical fighting, but I wonder why people seem to think the disagreement won't even be sincere? The scions can easily have differing opinions. The twins went their separate ways back in ARR and still maintain that character development even after they came to understanding. I see no reason that the Scions actions in DT should not add to their characters as much as every expansion before has. And they all mostly have.

[Ryskim]

I feel the same.

The game needs serious changes to its core.

- Jobs should be determined by the soul stone you equip, so they should be allowed to use more than 1 type of weapon.
- Remove all classes entirely. all ARR jobs should become basic jobs, while the rest would be advanced jobs.
- All jobs, including advanced jobs, when unlocked, should start at level 1, not 50, 60, or 70. Advanced jobs should be much harder to master and have a slow learning curve. Hence, the need to make them start at lv.1
- New Game + should give some sort of reward or experience.
- Give a powerful, unique 2h skill to every job
- There's no job identity and this is needed. Grouping all of them into categories has totally erased the uniqueness of every job. DRG or MNK are just a DPS for most people.
- More exclusive armor to every job, to make it stand out from the rest.
- Food and potions, they need to become really important. They are so secondary at this moment. I wish they were more decisive when doing any type of content. In FFXI, for example, food was vital, and potions.
- Some jobs should be able to play different roles. DRK, NIN, PLD, GNB, should go DPS or Tank if they wish to do so, and have the appropriate skills and specific equipment to deliver. You select your role in the character settings/menu.
- DRK and RPR should get dark spells. DRK should be able to use 2-handed scythes.
- NIN should have a specific animation when sneaking/stealthing, and it should have more functions inside and outside battle.
- BLM should get a decent cool-looking teleport. Aetherial Manipulation looks pathetic.
- SMN should get Diabolos, Typhoon or Fenrir, it should be reverted to have permanent summons and if not, Bahamut/Phoenix/Diabolos/Fenrir/Typhoon should be glamour options for Carbuncle.
- There's no true dark caster, or healer. When are we going to get one?
- We need the chemist or apothecary. With the addition of the Geomancer I think we added every single job people was asking for. Only Chemist remains as popular request. Chemist does not necessarily have to be a healer.
- Airships and chocobo porters have little to no use with the teleport system. Why not make them more useful? I say less teleporting and more traveling by other means. Some places should simply only be accessible by airship or chocobo porters, or a combination of both and mount. The FFXI formula was actually way better in this matter.

In short, I wish we could play the same job in different ways. Some people really commit to one job and they'd like some variations and more customization options in the way you play that job. Right now there's only one way to play it. It gets boring and repetitive after 90 or more levels. I would like food and potions to have a serious meaning in the game, and traveling throughout the vast world of the game should be enjoyable and sometimes challenging. Not just teleporting everywhere.

There are no dangerous areas in the open world where you know the risks if you dare to go there (unless you're powerful enough). I miss those kind of places. Beautiful, yet dangerous and challenging locations, where players should group up and support each other to complete different tasks or just go through.

[Volgia]

I mean, story-wise, we haven't had a hunt for a lost city to decide btwn two candidates for a throne be the plot. Or the scions taking sides and splitting in to teams along those lines. While the outcome of the throne will very likely be the same, regardless of what we choose, it is still a new story and position we haven't been in before. (And it'll be another thing for us all to argue over. Which will be so nice, I'm sure.)

I doubt there'll be any physical fighting, but I wonder why people seem to think the disagreement won't even be sincere? The scions can easily have differing opinions. The twins went their separate ways back in ARR and still maintain that character development even after they came to understanding. I see no reason that the Scions actions in DT should not add to their characters as much as every expansion before has. And they all mostly have.

What's the point in having a conflict in which there are no consequences for you choices? If you choose one side or another and a character doesn't like you for it, but ends up forgiving you anyways cuz we gotta move the plot then why have a conflict there in the first place? FF14 doesn't allow for this kind of dynamic character growth, it's too linear. The scions have gone to the end of the universe with you to save reality, they will forgive you no matter what. This kind of conflict would be more interesting with a brand new cast of characters, cuz they don't know who you are.

[MonsutaMan]

The only good thing which "May" emerge from this is Vana'diel & eorzea being connected.

That may be beyond their emo creativity.

Because, there is a lot of ways they could go with this.....SE is king of re-used assets. They could even re-use jobs, armor, etc by simply swapping them into those two respective games. Maybe NPC and Quest of the two titles appears in the other?

They want more people to play XI, but not really doing anything to warrant people to play it lol......

..."Hey, buy my car....btw, we stopped making parts for it...."

XI is a niche audience. Those type of MMO are not created anymore. GW, XI, EQ and WoW are the last of a dead-breed. However, XI still being a profitable p2p old school mmo is impressive in the age of cash grab f2p mmo. I digress....

[Connor]

I feel like the idea that ‘nothing can threaten us now’ is severely underestimating the power of YoshiP Ex Machina.

The new antagonist will obviously come across a magical macguffin that gives him heretofore unseen power and it’ll be up to the WoL to fight against this new powerful foe. Or he’ll otherwise unlock the secret hidden powers of a long-lost civilisation. Of course this magical macguffin can’t simply be wrest from the hands of its abuser - cue a Y’shtola scene where she does some ‘UwU dommy mommy’ humour and inexplicably works out the macguffin’s weakness. In my crystal ball I am also seeing this ‘weakness’ is related to a character established in this expansion who serves no other purpose than acting as this specific plot device.

Also, at some point during the story, someone will die then return in the next patch.

My power of foresight terrifies even me sometimes. It’s chillingly plausible.

[Iscah]

I think it's a mistake to insist that every piece of media has to be "better" than its previous chapter. There has to be a base level of enjoyment that you get out of it, of course, but it doesn't and simply can't need to get higher and higher each time.

[NekoMataMata]

I think it's a mistake to insist that every piece of media has to be "better" than its previous chapter. There has to be a base level of enjoyment that you get out of it, of course, but it doesn't and simply can't need to get higher and higher each time.

Someone needed to point this out.

It's the same with the stakes in the story, or the strength of various characters.

I don't want DT to be boring or having poor writing, but I'm not going to be angry if the story takes a while to build up a new threat. At the least I feel that's expected.

[caffe_macchiato]

People come up with threads like this near the end of every expansion cycle. The game still isn’t anything more than exactly what it’s always been

Yep, and that's why people aren't playing anymore. Odd how FFXIV is starting to sunset after just ten years, when the other MMO lasted for twice as long and is still making deep changes. Wouldn't it be crazy for World of Warcraft to outlive FFXIV, which was supposed to be its successor?

[Jeeqbit]

Odd how FFXIV is starting to sunset after just ten years

There is really no evidence of that according to Lucky Bancho, who has estimated 1.25 million active characters, up from 1.13 in the previous survey. These surveys are generally done prior to patches, before the massive spike that those patches bring, so they are an underestimate.

Now sure, there was the picture that circulated of players with achievements enabled quitting, but the people with achievements enabled are achievement hunters who enabled them for collection websites. As such, although you can say that achievement hunters have been quitting (permanently or temporarily is up for debate), they are being thoroughly replaced with sprouts and returners. Which means the game is not sunsetting.

The Lucky Bancho estimates have remained over 1 million for the whole of the Endwalker expansion. I would have to see them at early Shadowbringers or Stormblood levels, which were below 1 million, to observe any sort of decline.