Quote Originally Posted by ForteNightshade View Post
For the sake of argument, I'll take this at face value.

Ultimate and Unreal only exist because they use very little new actual assets, thus are cost efficient. Cutting either wouldn't give back much of anything in terms of alternative content for casual players. Additionally, while they'll never outright admit it, Ultimate is basically the only thing they have to keep raiders subbed. Which does benefit everyone because it means they might be doing other content, be it EX farming, Savage PF or just roulettes to level other jobs.

As for Savage. It also doesn't see a huge upswing in development time because they still have to design all the assets for normal mode. The only exception here is the second phase for the last fight. So at best, you could argue casuals would get a 5th encounter. Not exactly a big deal, especially when it wouldn't reward them anything.

To put in bluntly, raid content has very little to do with the lack of content on offer, and removing it wouldn't actually address that. The bigger issue is the utter lack of longevity and their very rigid systems that prevent any sort of flexibility on progression and rewards. Look at much better WoW handles its content cadence through M+. You're essentially running the same dungeons but they're progressively harder, with higher scaling rewards as a result. XIV not only lacks that but has a very small power window of 20 ilvls. So almost nothing else can offer gear.
What do you mean Ultimate uses very few unique assets? They have entirely new bosses models for the phases, new markers, new attack particles, new mechanics, new voice lines. There's always a compeltely unique final phase in a brand new high quality arena with a unique boss form.
It takes a lot of work to make one of those which is why they only make 1-2 an expansion.

You also have it backwards, they do not design normal mode first. They develop the Savage mode and then strip mechanics to create the normal mode. The normal mode is a concession given to casual players because Coils gated and still gates integral plot points ot the story behind savage level raids.