Dawntrail's MSQ story is a disaster and waste of potential. [full spoilers]

[Raven2014]

One of the thing that worries me is that not only the MSQ was bad, it doesn't seem to leave a lot potential for further development that I feel would interest me.

For example, even though SB's MSQ wasn't good, it was still filled with memorable characters and moment. Yotsusu, Maigna, Sadu, Fedolra, and factions like the Confederated, Tamanizu, Azim tribes were interesting enough that I wanted to know more about them even after the MSQ was over. I can't say there is a single characters or factions in DT that spark any kind of interest for me currently.

- I know there are some degree of interest in Erenvile, Kona, and Bakool but ... tbh, I'm pretty apathetic about them. IMO they're popularity came from the fact they're standing next to a walking disaster that makes everything else look good. Comparing to other expansion's NPC, they're plain and average.

- I don't care about any tribes in Tulya because ... frankly, there isn't much to care about them. It felt like each of them were given a token introduction so shallow that fail to provoke any sense of curiousity.

- The Mamook has a more elaborate story, but its plot has so much holes in it that it feels like a trainwreck.

It's obvious we gonna learn more about S9 and Alexandrian, and I really really hope they will come up with some thing really really good to spark my interest again, but honestly right now I can't really say I care about them either.

One of my chief complain in the past is the fact the MSQ often introduce a lot of interesting new lead, yet the post MSQ often don't explore half of them, leading to what feel like waste opportunity. DT on the other hand doesn't seem to leave me with anything I can be excited for in the post MSQ.

[Turtledeluxe]

Whenever I read about the "10 more years" for XIV, I think back on the original Phantasy Star Online 2 and how the director about 6-ish years back talked about celebrating a 10 year anniversary. This ultimately coincided with the disaster that was Episode 5 which irrevocably damaged the game to the point where Sega chose to move onto New Genesis after Episode 6 failed to salvage 5's damage, which from what I've heard is even worse. Though I guess in the end the original PSO2 did get to enjoy a 10 year anniversary... In maintenance mode.

I was thinking of Destiny. Either way i think we know how that goes. XIV was frankly blessed to reach it's maximum output at the end of its original 10-year run. I felt like saying I had another 10-year run was a little delusional and perhaps even dishonest because this seems like the kind of team that would already be cooking up something new after an arc like the one we experienced. My secret delusional fan theory was that the 10-year thing was a lie and that they were developing Final Fantasy XVII which would be the next online MMO.

One of the thing that worries me is that not only the MSQ was bad, it doesn't seem to leave a lot potential for further development that I feel would interest me.

Same. I don't find the concept of the relic and traveling to reflections interesting at all. I don't care about any of the DT characters that much. The next xpac is an all or nothing deal for me. I suspect for many others as well.

[AhnSateo]

At this point I think the next expansion would need to be Cataclysm...

A total revisit of La Nosca, Twelveswood, and Thanalan. But they'll never do that.

[sharplysurreal]

At this point I think the next expansion would need to be Cataclysm...

A total revisit of La Nosca, Twelveswood, and Thanalan. But they'll never do that.

big agree, I think we need to stay grounded and expand on what's already rooted rather than treat it like a forgotten foundation. i was kind of hoping dawntrail would be this way when they said we were going to be back in adventurer mode, solving local crises and tending to the realm and its people. not what we got at all and i hope the right people in charge read this and what we are all saying.

[gumas]

At this point I think the next expansion would need to be Cataclysm...

A total revisit of La Nosca, Twelveswood, and Thanalan. But they'll never do that.

i always kinda want cataclysm like expansion for ff14, maybe a new limsa uldah and gridania area because a disaster strike, or just go crazy like we wol got into accident that jump us 20 years into the future so everything has change and lot of bad things happen during it but because we wol wasnt there, thing got worse

stuff like that

[Hyperia]

It’s starting to feel like Yoshi is director and producer in name only as he is overloaded with too much work. He already said he has to spend more time in PR than he wanted along with board work.

With CBU3 being tasked with two more games, they have to pull their seasoned teams away and let the new people work on XIV as they would never let rookies work on a new game.

I too have the feeling that we have what we have and everything is starting to go into maintenance mode.

[Voidmage]

snip

Personally I think the reason is far less spectacular or dark.

Yoshida in the past seemed to have a very hands on approach with micromanaging and planing all things way in advance to the finest detail.

In a recent interview he said that he is more hands off lately.
That coupled with „new“ and inexperienced writers resulted probably in all this.
The battle designers had it „easier“ with normal content in that they just have to take their experience from harder content. Even their strategy is if you brake it down „more of the same or a safe approach“.

I have seen that in real life.
Workers who have their entire day planned in detail go into projects and are overwhelmed with the difference.
Timemanagement, prioritizing, self initiated communication are things that have to be learned and Japan is probably also not the most modern place for that.

What we see might be the inbetween of changes in the teamstructure and strategy at the devs side and maybe that’s needed.
The game wouldn’t have a future if it is entirely dependent on Ishikawa, YoshiP or Soken.
What I criticize is more that it seems that they see FF14 as a game that will sell no matter what and that they have become too easy going in a number of areas.

If that’s the case than it’s more the fault of Yoshida though.
He is the one who has the overlook and with new people a hands off might be the wrong move.

In the end we will never get an answer and there will always be players who will like how DT turned out and no one is necessarily wrong.
We who are unhappy can just give feedback and hope for the best.

All in all I have given all feedback I wanted and probably won‘t comment much more.
The ball is in their field now.

[Manamaru]

I too have the feeling that we have what we have and everything is starting to go into maintenance mode.

Given that FF14 is one of Squenix's main money makers, they would sooner play all their sleeved cards, from Sephiroth Trial/Raid fight to a number of other things before they go into maintenance mode.

Part of the problem is, if you're familiar with all the things listed to be included into this expansion, they've spread themselves incredibly thin with trying to keep things in check and get things in order. Field operations, space exploration for crafters, trials, new race, new dye capability, updated graphics, expansion story, raids, alliance raid, new jobs, etc. etc. etc. . I believe the team is just spread out so much that they don't have a proper handle on QC really seeing how the writers and localizers would do their jobs on top of everything else. At best, it is incredibly lazy for them to have written some story points like what I mentioned before for the sake of moving the plot along to us eventually being in opposition of Sphene. At worst, it's incredibly insulting that they willingly ignored such a crucial detail like that and hoped that we would've forgotten or not thought much about it because ooh look jingle keys.

[BigBoom550]

Given that FF14 is one of Squenix's main money makers, they would sooner play all their sleeved cards, from Sephiroth Trial/Raid fight to a number of other things before they go into maintenance mode.

Part of the problem is, if you're familiar with all the things listed to be included into this expansion, they've spread themselves incredibly thin with trying to keep things in check and get things in order. Field operations, space exploration for crafters, trials, new race, new dye capability, updated graphics, expansion story, raids, alliance raid, new jobs, etc. etc. etc. . I believe the team is just spread out so much that they don't have a proper handle on QC really seeing how the writers and localizers would do their jobs on top of everything else. At best, it is incredibly lazy for them to have written some story points like what I mentioned before for the sake of moving the plot along to us eventually being in opposition of Sphene. At worst, it's incredibly insulting that they willingly ignored such a crucial detail like that and hoped that we would've forgotten or not thought much about it because ooh look jingle keys.

The story should have been tighter, shorter, and smaller. I would have taken a lower stakes, more basic 'fun' adventure with some random locals over... whatever this was. Halve the length and flesh out what's there by cutting the useless fluff, and it'd have been pretty great. Fill it out in the patches.

Alpaca Vidraal as the first trial. Valigarmanda second. Golden city guardian as the 100 trial. There you go.

[Teraluna]

Instead they tried to give the playerbase a world threatening scenario, which turned out to have all the depth of kitchen foil.
DT writers, if you're going to try something that serious you need to take a long look at how it's done, then go away and practice.