Is it time to Sunset FFXIV?

[BabyYoda]

I would say there is no need for new MMO not from FF at least.

we got changes to graphics and I believe it is not yet fully released but it is going to work for next 10 years,
but what we need is huge changes to systems and combat system, adding more mechanics to skills, there should be new innovations for it,

if this not happening I believe the game wont live it to 10 years or it will be in live support

[NOODS]

They can do all the changes gameplay wise, add other way to gear yourself, add new zones, etc... if they don't add content with longevity, it's gonna get worse, people will continue to leave once the novelty will fade. That's the one thing they have to acknowledge, the number one FFXIV problem before the story the job balance the pvp problems,... is the lack of new engagement content with shelf life.

I think one of the biggest problems is just the lack of variety in terms of how to get gear, levels, and items. Content released in a certain expansion (Eureka, Bozja, Island Sanctuary) only contains items relevant to that expansion and never gets updated to match current expansions, alternatively there's no way to really use old content gear or weapons besides desynthesizing it and selling it on the MB. Other MMO's and other games allow you to level and get better gear through various ways and give you the option to trade in old gear for currencies/items that you can use to claim glamours, titles, customization options, and even gear that's better than what you have.

The reason there's no longevity in the game is that old content has no reason to exist beyond being an interesting change of pace once in a while. For example; if Bozja wasn't the most efficient way to level from 71-89, I doubt it'd be populated as much as it is now. Adding to that, for me personally, if they added Rival Wings to the roulette and had it get populated frequently, I'd be playing it multiple times a day just for fun.

[KernCadfan]

It really does come down to the fact they need to really focus on long-standing quality-of-life solutions... slightly grindy group based open world content, an alternate end game progression system, and a numbers update to account for the raw sizes of Cross World Linkshells, and better communication and networking abilities in-game. Less of an emphasis on cash-shop items that would be very suited to actualized in-game side quests that provide the goal for those who want it...

FFXIV has already reached its sunset. Endwalker is over and done with, the original plot that carried us through 10 years of content is over, and Dawntrail is the new coat of paint... and it's a very nice coat of paint in a lot of ways, but it really comes down to the fact players need more options when it comes to things to do that add longevity to the game in its current iteration, and not relying on old and forgotten expansions...

For example, if a progression system unlocked at max level that allowed you to add stat bonuses to your character that was aimed directly at the casual player base... well now we have a reason to keep working on our character outside of casual raid-logging... what about Grand Companies? Why haven't they been expanded...

In point of fact, this is a new side of Eorzea, so give us new grand company options for this new adventure... our loyal Dawn servants have traveled far and wide, have they not? That's good enough in-game lore to believe some sort of military is required for the protection of the peoples fiven the MSQ. In the same way Grand Companies operate, it would stand to reason Wuk and company would see the value in that. So, give us a new and improved flavor of what grand Companies would look like when newly establishing. give us a whole side quest involving networking with new fan favorite characters. Wuk wasn't hugely well received, but let's not forget our boy Bakool Ja Ja and others like him. Culture was such a main focus in Dawn trail that we should be building on that by actually taking the story and working in mechanics and gameplay that reinforces the long and rambling story of dawn trail's MSQ in a way that validates it beyond the story itself.

Given that this is supposed to be a new story entirely, that's perhaps my largest gripe. We spent so much time building up the lore, but at the end of that lore there is nothing but the raids... validate the lore... I actually liked the lore, and I liked the journey... but Wuk and Koan are the dawn servants now. It's about time we do what we're good at doing as the Warrior of Light: adventuring, meeting new faces, and steeping ourselves in wider world political nuances and fighting off big-baddies...

[Garruss]

I feel like the game (Devs, writers, etc..) has painted itself into a corner. Maybe it's time to focus on the next MMO and start over. This one isn't fun anymore and I don't know how we can recover from it. They whole formula that it was built upon is stagnant. The game shouldn't drop to a lull in things to do and play time just in a few months after the release of a major expansion.. the brand is suffering.

Maybe if you feel this way it's time for you to Sunset and leave the game?

I admit DT has had its big problems but the devs can fix these in time.

But again if YOU feel this way it sounds like a YOU problem and time for you to move on to something new

[KernCadfan]

Maybe if you feel this way it's time for you to Sunset and leave the game?

I admit DT has had its big problems but the devs can fix these in time.

But again if YOU feel this way it sounds like a YOU problem and time for you to move on to something new

That might be a little too reductive... this is a good thought experiment, if little else... I certainly agree that if they dislike 14 that much that it may be time to move on, but in a brooder way to look at things, it's a fair question to make after 10 years. The game is old, the systems are a tad broken (most are fixable, but many are broken), and even YoshiP is asking players not to retire... in a game where he used to encourage people to take time off and play other games, he''s all but begging people not to give up their sub. I think that's something to take notice of, and encourage discussion about FFXIV, it's future in the long term, and that that means for us as players.

I don't think it's as much a "them" problem as much as it is a problem with content flow, and a predictable and iterative drip-feed cycle, and the fact the Dawn Trail wasn't as well-recieved as the devs thought it would be. The writing staff had a lot of new people on it, so we should give them grace as players for sure... but a lot of decsion, such as the graphical update has made it harder for a lot of people to play the game, and while that won't make me quit playing final fantasy xiv, it does make me wonder about the future of the game and what it means for me as a player...

[BabyYoda]

Maybe if you feel this way it's time for you to Sunset and leave the game?

I admit DT has had its big problems but the devs can fix these in time.

But again if YOU feel this way it sounds like a YOU problem and time for you to move on to something new

At this point it is WE problem.. many people lost faith it is actually YOU problem not understanding the problem,

"Please do not retire" says lots of things and you can't read between the lines from Mr. Yoshi P comment

[CuteBucket]

No, it's not time to sunset the game, because where else is there to go? WoW? I never played it and the world and aesthetic don't interest me. GW2? I tried it but it didn't really hook me. I just don't have that connection to the world and story like FFXIV gave me. It'd be one thing if a theoretical MMO FFXVII was on the horizon, but it's not. As much as I wish the game was in a better place, it is also my home away from home, in a very real sense. It is the place I go to to see and interact with my friends who I deeply love and cherish, but who I can't see IRL very frequently because we all live far apart. Endwalker patches lacked a lot of the fun of the previous expansions, and Dawntrail has flat out sucked so far, but there's still things about this game I love and I don't want to see it go anytime soon. That's why I'm here in these forums--because I care about this game want it to be better again.

[Garruss]

At this point it is WE problem.. many people lost faith it is actually YOU problem not understanding the problem,

"Please do not retire" says lots of things and you can't read between the lines from Mr. Yoshi P comment

Oh I am saying it's fine to have problems with this game, trust me DT really was a low point for this game. I'm just saying maybe a break could help get your head focused and see the game from the outside?

[Archeron]

A break isn't magically going to make this game have more content to hold people over. You can take a year long break and you'll come back and see not a whole lot has changed.

Even if we assume that hypothetically FFXIV needs to be replaced, the problems that have made FFXIV enter a downward trend still persist. The directors are totally out of touch with the community, they have a lack of talent, and SE is holding the purse strings and not reinvesting money back into the game. New MMORPG comes out, same problems. There has been feedback here for years, they don't care to listen to, or hear it. When there is a large enough backlash, they repeatedly demonstrate they do not understand the core reason the backlash is happening. Risks need to be taken. Innovation is needed to bring life back to XIV. This game will suffer a slow death, bleeding players to other games until it fades into irrelevancy if they continue on their current course.

If they did exit surveys, they'd understand in depth why people are unsubbing. They'd know that there is nothing to hold people over between expansions. They'd understand the bad PR that is Yoshi P who tells people to "Play other games" and now comes to us pleading with us to "Not give up, don't retire". To me it's not even just that there is a lack of content, there is also a lack of quality. Why aren't cutscenes fully animated? Why do we have to fade to black to avoid unique animations? Why aren't all lines of dialogue voiced? Why do Viera/Hrothgar still have no headgear/hairstyles? I hate to bring it up, but the modding community has already done SE's job for them, and created tools to put them into the game. If third party amateurs are doing better than you are at adding QoL to your multi billion dollar game, it's hard to think anyone at Square Enix, or CBU 3 is even trying at this point.

[Supersnow845]

A break isn't magically going to make this game have more content to hold people over. You can take a year long break and you'll come back and see not a whole lot has changed.

Even if we assume that hypothetically FFXIV needs to be replaced, the problems that have made FFXIV enter a downward trend still persist. The directors are totally out of touch with the community, they have a lack of talent, and SE is holding the purse strings and not reinvesting money back into the game. New MMORPG comes out, same problems. There has been feedback here for years, they don't care to listen to, or hear it. When there is a large enough backlash, they repeatedly demonstrate they do not understand the core reason the backlash is happening. Risks need to be taken. Innovation is needed to bring life back to XIV. This game will suffer a slow death, bleeding players to other games until it fades into irrelevancy if they continue on their current course.

If they did exit surveys, they'd understand in depth why people are unsubbing. They'd know that there is nothing to hold people over between expansions. They'd understand the bad PR that is Yoshi P who tells people to "Play other games" and now comes to us pleading with us to "Not give up, don't retire". To me it's not even just that there is a lack of content, there is also a lack of quality. Why aren't cutscenes fully animated? Why do we have to fade to black to avoid unique animations? Why aren't all lines of dialogue voiced? Why do Viera/Hrothgar still have no headgear/hairstyles? I hate to bring it up, but the modding community has already done SE's job for them, and created tools to put them into the game. If third party amateurs are doing better than you are at adding QoL to your multi billion dollar game, it's hard to think anyone at Square Enix, or CBU 3 is even trying at this point.

I hate having to feel like I have to turn to mods just to make my WOL (who I care about) feel like a living person

How are we still using the “explain” emote then fade to black to replicate the WOL talking 12 years after the game comes out

There is just no quality anywhere. The only shade of quality that has been shown since 6.0 itself is PCT and I’m fully convinced PCT’s design is a complete accident and their actual goal was “gay SMN”

Why do I feel like I’m playing a game on life support when I’m playing the second most popular MMO on the market, even if square is being stingy with funds to fund failures like forespoken the design team seems to have no idea what to do with the money they are allocated