FFXIV: Do Better

[Isala]

Just gonna drop this study here again as a potential explanation for why the game is becoming "dumbed down" or "less involved mentally".

https://quanticfoundry.com/2024/05/21/strategy-decline/

This is a study on gamer motivations that has been conducted over the last 9 years (published May 2024) with a pool of around 1.7m people. It outlines the 12 motivations of gaming and how, compared to the other 11, strategy in particular has taken a much larger decline in priority to gamers.

A quote:
"Even if the underlying cause(s) cannot be identified, it’s clear that gamers have become less interested in strategic thinking over the past 9 years. It implies that gamers are now more easily cognitively overloaded when they play games and are more likely to avoid strategic complexity. This has implications for game design and marketing. Overall, gamers now prefer shorter time horizons to plan for (i.e., the number of steps and branching outcomes they have to think through) and less complex decisions that rely on fewer parameters to consider."

I've seen that study before, but there is a lot that it doesn't take into account. It doesn't go into the fact that games themselves have stopped asking gamers to think, to chase the "wider audience", nor does it go into the fact that anyone with a phone and Candy Crush can also consider themselves a gamer.

[LianaThorne]

I've seen that study before, but there is a lot that it doesn't take into account. It doesn't go into the fact that games themselves have stopped asking gamers to think, to chase the "wider audience", nor does it go into the fact that anyone with a phone and Candy Crush can also consider themselves a gamer.

I mean, I feel like if there wasn't an audience for the "dumbed down thinking" those types of games wouldn't be as popular as they are now. Wouldn't they have just died off if the masses wanted something more complex?

I also don't fully think it's gaming's fault either that this happened as short form media/"easily digestible content" as a whole has taken over. You only need to look at how popular TikTok/YouTube shorts/etc. are to the general public. It's been a thing for years and I believe originally started in 2013 on Vine? That also wouldn't have continued to exist and subsequently exploded with TikTok if there wasn't an audience for that type of content.

I also don't really understand the point of saying "Oh you play x, you're not really a gamer." They're still playing a game, so by definition they are one. If you don't want to recognize that because of a certain standard you have, fair enough.

[Isala]

I mean, I feel like if there wasn't an audience for the "dumbed down thinking" those types of games wouldn't be as popular as they are now. Wouldn't they have just died off if the masses wanted something more complex?

I also don't fully think it's gaming's fault either that this happened as short form media/"easily digestible content" as a whole has taken over. You only need to look at how popular TikTok/YouTube shorts/etc. are to the general public. It's been a thing for years and I believe originally started in 2013 on Vine? That also wouldn't have continued to exist and subsequently exploded with TikTok if there wasn't an audience for that type of content.

I also don't really understand the point of saying "Oh you play x, you're not really a gamer." They're still playing a game, so by definition they are one. If you don't want to recognize that because of a certain standard you have, fair enough.

Not trying to gatekeep here, just saying that the term "gamer" has been diluted to the point where literally anyone who has even touched a game is considered one. It'd be like saying "I put a TV dinner in the microwave one time, so that makes me a chef."

[CerusSerenade]

Hello, all.

My sub ends tomorrow, so I believe this will be my last message for a while--maybe until 8.0. I have not touched a single minute of Dawntrail's story, its dungeons, or its content. Yet it's not because I'm burnt out of FFXIV. On the contrary, I have a very strong urge to play through Dawntrail's content, but what I have absolutely no drive to do whatsoever is put up with Endwalker job design any longer. It's a weird feeling, having both a constant urge to want to play the game and yet dreading the idea of actually playing the game. I want to explore the Story. I refuse to put up with Dosis spam. I want to try Arcadion. I am burnt out of DPS jobs. I want to see the upcoming field operations. I have no interest in trying tank jobs. I feel torn to say the least.

I'll get to the point. I love FFXIV, but I hate Endwalker PVE job design. I would play through the story as PVP Sage if I could, but I can't, and there's not a single PVE job that I want to touch with a 10 foot pole. Yoshi P, if you truly want FFXIV to be a game for everyone, do better.

Because this ongoing hyper simplified job design has alienated not just me, but many others who have also resigned and left the game. There has to be a better middle ground that's still approachable but doesn't exclude the players who want to engage with job design. Don't wait for 8.0 to make changes. Just waiting for 8.0 to address these issues is cutting corners when there are things you could do now to make job design more enjoyable without sweeping reworks.

Make healers more enjoyable now. Leave Viper alone for the players who enjoy its complexity. Restore nonstandard gameplay aspects to Black Mage and other jobs as well. There is a healthy middle ground you can achieve with job design, and this is clearly not it. Goodbye for now everyone, I hope all of you are able to find enjoyment in the jobs even if I cannot and enjoy what Dawntrail has in store. I sincerely hope I can return sooner rather than later.

That's neat. See you in a week.

[Lyndina]

[QUOTE=Menriq;6539551]They said they were changing the encounter designs with DT, and I think a lot of people have said they've delivered on that front so far. Legitimate question, but what kind of content are you expecting? If you could provide some examples, that would be great.

Not gonna lie, the new dungeons and raid are good mechanically. Bit too hard for some people (according to the forums) and a bit to easy for some other. Thats fair. As i said, i like them and nothing to complain about. However...its just the same formula time and time again. Every 2 levels...3 "Endgame" dungeons, Same 2 Trashpack-Boss-> 2 Trashpack-> Boss- since we had in like times forever. When i look at roulettes...its mehh. Example: Alliance Raids.."hey welcome Crystal Tower" for the 500th time. "Hey, 50 something "hard" dungeon. Hey 50 something trial and so on. Combine that with classes that almost play alike with a different colors. Guess its just a burnout on my side too...right now more playing other games then this expansion that only came out recently.

[ty_taurus]

That's neat. See you in a week.

Watch my level sit at 90 and eat my nouliths.

[Evergrey]

I mean, I feel like if there wasn't an audience for the "dumbed down thinking" those types of games wouldn't be as popular as they are now. Wouldn't they have just died off if the masses wanted something more complex?

One of my personal take on the "audience for dumbed down thinking" when it comes to games boils down to how people in general don't have the same time to dedicate in games as one might've once had.
Like, when digital games came out it was mostly younger people who was drawn into it. Kids that outside of School had plenty of time to sit down and play games.
Now those kids are adults, many with jobs and/or a family to take care of. So a game being simple, having a lot of QoL features making the pacing of a game smoother/faster feels like welcoming, maybe even necessary to many to give them the little time they have to sit down and enjoy a game.
And an MMO is probably the type of game that requires the most time and dedication from their players if they are to experience what the game has.

[Daralii]

Not gonna lie, the new dungeons and raid are good mechanically. Bit too hard for some people (according to the forums) and a bit to easy for some other. Thats fair. As i said, i like them and nothing to complain about. However...its just the same formula time and time again. Every 2 levels...3 "Endgame" dungeons, Same 2 Trashpack-Boss-> 2 Trashpack-> Boss- since we had in like times forever. When i look at roulettes...its mehh. Example: Alliance Raids.."hey welcome Crystal Tower" for the 500th time. "Hey, 50 something "hard" dungeon. Hey 50 something trial and so on. Combine that with classes that almost play alike with a different colors. Guess its just a burnout on my side too...right now more playing other games then this expansion that only came out recently.

WoW's forums during its lowest points taught me that there's no such thing as bad or overly formulaic content or systems, just burnout.

[Thari]

You are terribly wrong If you think this is the Case... There are less and less people who watch ff14 on Twitch (Peak was round about 2 years ago when Asmon Played). Many people unsubbed because The Story ist terrible and does Not motivate to do anything Else. Besides that there is nothing Special...every Expansion is The Same Patch cycle with The Same Stuff nothing Out of The Box...

[Thari]

Game has still enough Players who why would they care about a few people? Its like the Healerstrikes its a MINORITY nobody cares about it, only a handful people.

Quoted this guy