Quote Originally Posted by Enkidoh View Post
Someone seems to have forgotten though that the Final Fantasy series is famed for story more than gameplay (and that this is a Final Fantasy game first and foremost.).
Final Fantasy in particular has gone a few different ways, but it has managed to keep its genre interesting. FF1-6 are RPG Classics, but out of that bunch you have one that gameplay-wise is just boring as sin: FF2. I think we're in that state where they've produced an uninteresting gameplay product, but have tried and failed to craft a decent story to go with it. DT feels more like watching a movie with how things go, and this is only me giving an opinion here.

Back to topic, the Job System of FF5 actually shook up gameplay at the cost of its story(which is VERY comical if you choose to look up the tropes it uses), while FF6 has a good balance of both along with a unique cast of characters. 7, 8, 9, 10 in particular tried different gameplay systems: Limit Breaks, GFs, AP System, and even literal Turn-based combat compared to ATB in that order. While I haven't played XI, I can say that over the years we've been seeing a move from the classic RPG system to more action, which 12-16 do.

What I see for Dawntrail is a lack of both engaging gameplay AND a story that is lackluster in its own genre of MMO. This is why we're throwing a lot of negative feedback and backlash at Square Enix on their official forums and social media platforms. I know for a fact they can make quality content, as shown in 91 Dungeon - but focusing on one thing at a time is not good if everything else suffers, even if it's slow.