Quote Originally Posted by HikariKurosawa View Post
The encounter difficulty of from software games is way higher and more dynamic than games like ffxiv as a result because the inputs are so simplified. This is the most extreme example of difficulty contrast between inputs and encounters, and it's not how I want ffxiv to go, but the way ffxiv is currently is too much complexity in the input department and too little difficulty in the encounter department.

The other problematic part about all the difficulty being in the input half of the design is that, it eventually becomes total muscle memory even with all the nuanced tricks you guys are using to optimize your rotations. When that happens, all you experience is easy encounters which also go more or less into muscle memory over time. Once you know the mechs of a fight, it just happens naturally. What you are claiming you want is a mindless experience with trivialized difficulty in the content. What standardized rotations lead to is more complex encounter design that actually ends up feeling dynamic and constantly engaging. You can't have it both ways, and it is better for the difficulty to come from the encounter more than the inputs. It leads to more engagement from newer players on top of more enjoyment from veterans who have already mastered their rotations.
If I wanted to play a from software like game I would play a fromsoftware game. I would NOT want another succesful game, with players who enjoy it, to become like a fromsoftware game.

Also have you ever stepped foot into an ultimate as a Sam? Because I can assure you that between downtime mechanics, bosses that jump away, and variable kill times for each phase that a sam's inputs are anything but muscle memory from training dummies.