Disappointed With XIV Direction

[GinzoKazama]

Long time player, first time caller sort of, but I just had to get this off of my chest.

I want to preface this with that I am someone who has dabbled in most content (aside from Ultimates) and have done everything from fishing voyages to some of the harder savage content. Not the best player but absolutely not the worst.

And hear me when I say, the direction this game is going is sad. I know Yoshi P said that the game is not meant to be played all the time, but I just finished what was in this content patch and am floored that there is NOTHING else to do. It offers NOTHING worthwhile to engage my friends or anyone else who I have had to watch fall off this game because it is so empty. I waited 4 months for essentially nothing to do.

"BuT tHeRe iS pLeNtY tO dO"

No there isn't. PvP is an EXP machine. Raiding is for a small sect of people (not knocking but stating the percentage of people who raid is much smaller than the whole). Criterion dungeons fell flat. And Gold Saucer is not entertaining when it's the same things (mostly) since it released in ARR.

The worst part of all of this is the player base enables it. There is no evergreen content that keeps the middle 15-80 percentile wanting to even come back. I played WoW SoD FAR LONGER and enjoyed it (with some qualms) than I did this major patch for two days.

Something needs to change because I am tired of seeing the people who I want to play this game with fade away because there is nothing to keep them engaged. And yet, there are people who say there's plenty to do.

Absolutely reprehensible.

[Kaecilius]

I'm sorry to say, this seems to be a common sentiment, I just wanted to comment on one thing.

And Gold Saucer is not entertaining when it's the same things (mostly) since it released in ARR.

I will never for the life of me understand why they keep adding the seasonal minigames (some really good ones too) to the inn toy box thing that no one knows about instead of adding them as arcade machines in the Gold Saucer. You could even have weekly rankings or something as a reward.

[Ritsugamesh]

Gotta agree. Cancelled my legacy sub (yes, Legacy - true ride or die FF player here) because this patch held about 8 hours of engaging content and 1 single boss fight raid I am so-so about tackling (24 man chaotic raid). Ultimates I just don't have the time to do or the supporting friendship group.

Part of the problem is the volume they deliver now, but just as importantly is the areas they focus on. It really feels like they just take one step forward, two steps back, and one step leftways that nobody freaking expected (looking at you stupid 7.1 job hatchet changes).

I don't think 8.0 will be what we're promised either. Nor do I think I have the patience to bother waiting. The game isn't the game I loved and I think I have to make peace with that.

[FudoMyoo]

Perhaps you are bored of FF14 model after 14 years, take a break unsub. I unsubbed twice since 2013.

But I don't find the need to come forum and inform the player base. This is not an airport.

There are still a lot of things for me to do: collecting glams, housing, 2000 S hunt for that tiger mount. PvP mounts. Island Sanctuary.

[Supersnow845]

Perhaps you are bored of FF14 model after 14 years, take a break unsub. I unsubbed twice since 2013.

But I don't find the need to come forum and inform the player base. This is not an airport.

There are still a lot of things for me to do: collecting glams, housing, 2000 S tank for that tiger mount. PvP mounts. Island Sanctuary.

If 14 actually provided a comprehensive exit survey then maybe people wouldn’t feel the need to announce they are leaving

I see these kinds of posts as “the game has lost me I hope they do something before they lose you as well” which wouldn’t be so necessary if 14 had a single shred of transparent feedback gathering

[Hyperia]

The pandemic kinda broke the game in that we now have approximately 5 months per patch and it’s all time gated on a drip feed.

Back when it was 3 to 3.5 months, we got a lot more and when something didn’t go over well, it was only 3 months till more.

Due to the growing gaps in content we went from having 5 expansions to look forward to back in 2014 to only 3 on 2024 to 2034, let that settle in for a bit.

I have been here since 2.0 and played nearly daily for almost all of the patches but I started to take longer and longer breaks in the 6.x series because there was nothing to do… looking at you relic quests.

I ended up taking another break only 3.5 weeks after 7.0 releases and I never did anything like that before, I usually took a break in the .5 series.

The content drought now is far worse than anything we have had. I love this game and I really want to play but when I look at the launcher, I just close it because I realize I don’t have anything to do. I only login to maintain my house but that’s it.

For the first time, I’m going to cancel everything except the basic single player sub and give up all my retainers as I don’t need them anymore.

If we don’t get something in the next 10 months that keeps me playing routinely, I’ll probably retire and move on.

Absence makes the heart go yonder…

[CVXIV]

There is plenty to do in the game, but the question boils down to whether you actually wish to participate in said content and find it engaging. Dismissing it because you don't find it to your taste isn't a failing of the game.

I do agree that the length between patches could be shorter, so that way the wait isn't as long, but that doesn't change the fact that there is a plethora of things to do for new and old players alike.

[Rehayem]

There is plenty to do in the game, but the question boils down to whether you actually wish to participate in said content and find it engaging. Dismissing it because you don't find it to your taste isn't a failing of the game.

I do agree that the length between patches could be shorter, so that way the wait isn't as long, but that doesn't change the fact that there is a plethora of things to do for new and old players alike.

You ever been to a theme park? FFXIV is exactly that, depending on the person, some may consider the rollercoaster to be quite spooky to get on and get anxious. Think of a ride that very few people get on, that's kinda what savage/ultimates are. If you ride the smaller rides too often, you'll get bored. You can try the spookier ride but it may not be for you.

I've tried savage, I've tried extremes. I even planned to do ultimates. Even if you clear most of the older content, what's remaining is really just achievement hunting, and most are time-gated, like levequests, that take 7 years to complete. Or how about discovering 20,000 Accursed Hoards? Not everyone likes the same rides, but when the theme park is building only scary rides for the daring, the rest of the people have nothing to do and will just go somewhere else. For 7.1, we get few hours of mediocre MSQ, Alliance raid and beast tribes for the casual player, and that one is gated too. Sounds fun to you? Doesn't to me. They should've released the new field content instead of chaotic raid in December.

[TheGrimace]

Perhaps you are bored of FF14 model after 14 years, take a break unsub. I unsubbed twice since 2013.

But I don't find the need to come forum and inform the player base. This is not an airport.

There are still a lot of things for me to do: collecting glams, housing, 2000 S tank for that tiger mount. PvP mounts. Island Sanctuary.

Square-Enix directs everyone to post their grievances on the Official Forum. The player's post was not necessarily to inform the playerbase of their departure, and more likely a personal exit survey because CS3 does not provide a single better way to post Comments or Concerns.

[FudoMyoo]

Unsubbed to me is something like 6 months or more or even skip the entire expansion. (like my wife). Everyone that is burnt out, bored of current expansion should try it. There is no need to announce.