The reason why FFXIV is so boring and not fun to play anymore is because

[Voidmage]

In the end it all boils down to the devs seemingly making a game they don't even seem to be interested anymore.
Either that, they don't play it themselves anymore or Yoshidas extreme excel sheet timeline doesn't allow them any freedom.
No one can tell me that they log into the game see Viera not being able to wear hats and go "yes I am proud to be part of that" or Yoshida playing DT and saying "Yes, this is the best story we could have written".

Yoshida and Co should honestly do a "best practice" and play other games like they did in the past.
The only ones who still seem to have fun working in this game seem to be the music and graphics department (the later because of how they handled the feedback and because I can actually see the improvements personally).

At least that's my opinion after how half assed island sanctuary was, the Hrothgar hair debacle (you know the one that deleted the ears and had them smiling on camera only to be able to deliver when getting laughed at on twitter?), the absolute no idea how mmo's work with criterion or how they completely keep ignoring feedback only acting when the media catches up with it (like with the oversimplified EW content).
You can tell that their idea of an mmo is "fight a boss in an arena" and nothing more.

[Lilapop]

You can tell that their idea of an mmo is "fight a boss in an arena" and nothing more.

Keep in mind, this is not an MMO disguised as Final Fantasy. This is Final Fantasy wearing an MMO skin. It's a Final Fantasy game first.

[NamiRocket]

Keep in mind, this is not an MMO disguised as Final Fantasy. This is Final Fantasy wearing an MMO skin. It's a Final Fantasy game first.

What a nothingburger of a thing that you've said about a dozen times now.

[Jeeqbit]

In the end it all boils down to the devs seemingly making a game they don't even seem to be interested anymore.

It's easy to see their passion when they talk so they are clearly interested. Most likely anyone that thinks otherwise isn't reading their emotions.

they don't play it themselves anymore

They are always clear that they raid and cap tomestones.

However, they want to make it work for a casual audience. To make sure this is the case, they get people who don't normally play the game - such as their marketing team or people from other SE office departments to playtest things like Alliance Raids. If they struggle, they nerf it so that it doesn't give them too much trouble. In this way, it's designed to work for people who don't even play the game or have only just returned to the game after months/years.

or Yoshidas extreme excel sheet timeline doesn't allow them any freedom.

That's obviously part of it but this has benefits because it allows for structure, consistency and certainty (for the developers to know what they are making and for players to know what to expect). If a leader goes in without a plan, it doesn't always go well. Having a plan is, oddly enough, where some "leaders" fail at their job.

No one can tell me that they log into the game see Viera not being able to wear hats and go "yes I am proud to be part of that"

Mostly only Vieras and Hrothgars gonna be thinking that. Realistically it's a competence issue. The models don't need adjusting if they can create a version of each hat with a transparent circle on it for the ears. Technically the ears would poke through the model but not look like they are.

Yoshida and Co should honestly do a "best practice" and play other games like they did in the past.

Clearly they do though. They talk about playing other games all the time. For example, they are fans of games like Monster Hunter, League of Legends, Elden Ring, etc. Yet it doesn't translate into the design, does it? Even FF16 or FF15 design hasn't translated over to this game despite demonstrating through collabs that they can do FF16, FF15 or MHW design. Playing other games doesn't seem to change their course much.

The only ones who still seem to have fun working in this game seem to be the music and graphics department

That seems very silly. I've listened to them at dev panels, live letters, seen interviews and blog posts from numerous of their team. They are all having fun across the board... anyone that says otherwise has not been paying attention to their words, interviews, blogs, dev panels, etc.

At least that's my opinion after how half assed island sanctuary was

That was just a competence issue in my opinion. By which I mean - they were working within the constraints of the engine and produced exactly the kind of stuff we've come to expect of the FF14 engine - click this, go to next NPC, click that, use key item, click to catch, etc. I don't think it had anything to do with passion and if you look at the environment, they worked really hard on it - graphics, models, UI. The concept of catching the animals at certain times was sorta fun.

[Voidmage]

snip

Sorry I won't respond to anything. Not because I don't want to engage but because the forum is terribly designed for that.

Sure there are pieces when a semblance of wanting to do a good job sparkles through like flying in ARR zones.
But that was done outside of Yoshidas knowledge.
Same as with the hats. You have ones that just cut away Miqo'te ears and ones that don't. That for example doesn't have a technical excuse and either showes extreme fluctuation in quality or that certain devs seem to make a bigger effort than others.

The interviews, blogs and so on are PR. Of course no one goes on stage with mouth down and says "yeah actually I don't really care for all this".
The whole thing is also always painfully obvious in that it is scripted. Not a criticism in itself because everyone does it but I don't see it as a point to defend them.

If they play it themselves and enjoy it despite numerous feedback on all sides of the ocean then that seems to me even more a case of them not knowing how video games work anymore or even worse they completely ignore the feedback just so they can have their own way.

I will defend things that I think are good like the music, the graphical update (and especially the handling of feedback) or fight design in parts.
But I will absolutely call out things that don't have any defense and Viera hats are part of that.
After all those years they have absolutely no excuse for it other than lazyness or unwillingness same with gear cutting of racial features. We are talking about professionals here who design gear for a living.
If they want to do better and are called back by whoever then that makes it even worse in my opinion.

Island sanctuary as well I will not defend despite me being probably being one of the few who enjoyed it to an extent.
The engine as an excuse is completely overused because when they want they already showed that they can do it like with the graphics update or the Hrothgar hair/ear issue. It is also no excuse for unengaging gameplay.
I give them kudos for the rewards there but none other.

So no I stand by my point.
Either they have an engagement issue with their work, are restricted by a complete overplanning from Yoshida or have terrible quality control.

There is one point where I defend them though.
It all needs the final ok from Yoshida and in the end he is the one responsible for everything and not the devs themself. That's why he get's a bunch of money and the duty of the boss.

Keep in mind, this is not an MMO disguised as Final Fantasy. This is Final Fantasy wearing an MMO skin. It's a Final Fantasy game first.

They market it as an MMO.
That defense is correct in the story department in "MSQ and story comes first" and yes I agree that this is a good thing that probably made the game as big as it is.
But let's not excuse everything with that mentality.
I am absolutely in favour of teh MSQ being easy to get into and even to be completely soloable but the rest should still be an MMO.

[Jeeqbit]

The interviews, blogs and so on are PR. Of course no one goes on stage with mouth down and says "yeah actually I don't really care for all this".

I feel that some of the things I've seen them say wouldn't be said by someone that wasn't enjoying the work and the challenges it entails. But you can also tell just by the way they say it.

or even worse they completely ignore the feedback just so they can have their own way.

Mostly that, really. I think there is too much feedback and noise. I think the most common way they are deciding what to do is just from things they encounter when playing themselves, viral videos/memes or discussions that come up in interviews. You can see because a lot of things that see action follow from one of these things.

The engine as an excuse is completely overused

I'm not saying it is an excuse. It doesn't excuse it. I am saying it is clearly a reason and that to make things better than they are, they should be trying to push or extend the capabilities of the engine.

Either they have an engagement issue with their work, are restricted by a complete overplanning from Yoshida or have terrible quality control.

Second one clearly. But there are pros to it, not just cons.

It all needs the final ok from Yoshida and in the end he is the one responsible for everything and not the devs themself.

Exactly and everyone should remember this point.

[Voidmage]

I feel that some of the things I've seen them say wouldn't be said by someone that wasn't enjoying the work and the challenges it entails. But you can also tell just by the way they say it.

Who can say? Yes I don't deny that there are some of them who have fun like Ishikawa in her works but I also don't think everyone of them is like her. That's just human in the end and the whole things stays PR.

Mostly that, really. I think there is too much feedback and noise. I think the most common way they are deciding what to do is just from things they encounter when playing themselves, viral videos/memes or discussions that come up in interviews. You can see because a lot of things that see action follow from one of these things.

Than that is the wrong approach though.
I won't deny that it is important for a video game developer to make what they themself want to play but the feedback of the players is as important if not even more.
That's why we got ARR in the first place.
Taking feedback only from interviews or memes is terrible and they actually should have a team just for going through feeback.
Maybe they have but it absolutely doesn't feel like it because things like DRK "living dead" took years despite outcry.

I'm not saying it is an excuse. It doesn't excuse it. I am saying it is clearly a reason and that to make things better than they are, they should be trying to push or extend the capabilities of the engine.

Don't missunderstand me. I don't say you use it as an excuse but them. The engine is something Yoshida likes to hide behind with his "too hard".

Second one clearly. But there are pros to it, not just cons.

I'm sorry but here I absolutely disagree from my work experience over the years alone in there being pros.
Engagement issue is a huge problem in a company because it spreads and it's the job of the boss to counteract it through motivation or through for example a bonus for outstanding work.
Overplanning can destroy a company and doesn't allow any flexibility. I am not saying planning is bad but overdoing it.
Quality control needs to be good because it is the final check of the product and if bad can lead to huge catastrophes.
You don't have to believe me here but Iworked in those positions and saw how companies can fall down because of it.

Don't missunderstand me. I don't disagree with you on the fundamental principle in dev motivation but I honestly think they do have a problem there. Either in the case of the devs or Yoshida himself and I don't know what is worse tbh.

Overused excuse but totally valid...? What does making a few models have more depth, polygons, better textures etc. have to do with the limitations on actual gameplay? Cutting a few holes in the models of a few hats is an entirely different beast than new gameplay for the player to enjoy.

No an excuse loses it's valid point when there is nothing done to solve the problem.
You tell me the engine was at fault for island sanctuary being boring? That farming material is even more bland than normal gathering or simple things like upgrading the houses couldn't be done by us planting down housing items?
That click on NPC is because of the engine despite us already having more engaging gameplay like actual crafting?
I don't ask them to reinvent the wheel there but to use what they already have ingame.

It doesn't matter if hats or gameplay. Both often use that excuse but if pressed enough they find a solution (glamour dresser upgrade? midlander beard stubble despited them telling us that it wouldn't be possible because the character editor is "full").
I can understand if they say "it's hard because of the engine" but Viera hats have absolutely no excuse nowadays anymore after all those years.
But just throwing up the hands saying "engine" and then ignoring things for years? No.
They already showed that they can implement new gameplay things (most often in fight design) so no I don't acknowledge that excuse anymore.

[Lilapop]

No an excuse loses it's valid point when there is nothing done to solve the problem.
You tell me the engine was at fault for island sanctuary being boring? That farming material is even more bland than normal gathering or simple things like upgrading the houses couldn't be done by us planting down housing items?
That click on NPC is because of the engine despite us already having more engaging gameplay like actual crafting?
I don't ask them to reinvent the wheel there but to use what they already have ingame.

It doesn't matter if hats or gameplay. Both often use that excuse but if pressed enough they find a solution (glamour dresser upgrade? midlander beard stubble despited them telling us that it wouldn't be possible because the character editor is "full").
I can understand if they say "it's hard because of the engine" but Viera hats have absolutely no excuse nowadays anymore after all those years.
But just throwing up the hands saying "engine" and then ignoring things for years? No.
They already showed that they can implement new gameplay things (most often in fight design) so no I don't acknowledge that excuse anymore.

That isn't really how an excuse works. Considering boredom is one of the most subjective things on the planet? I fully believe you find it boring. I fully believe (and personally know) people who have really enjoyed Island Sanctuary. Just because you don't like a bit of content doesn't mean the content is bad. If farming/gathering in the sanctuary was anything like gathering for the gathering classes, you'd then complain about how "lazy the developers are because the systems are so similiar," so I don't really understand why that's your take to die on. Same about Island crafting vs actual crafting. Again, making new fight mechanics is a different beast than something entirely new that an engine developed for a game over... what? a decade old? now might not be able to do easily. Why do viera hats have no excuse? What's changed since the last time they said it? Because you say so? Yeah, okay.

[Lilapop]

The engine as an excuse is completely overused because when they want they already showed that they can do it like with the graphics update or the Hrothgar hair/ear issue. It is also no excuse for unengaging gameplay.

Overused excuse but totally valid...? What does making a few models have more depth, polygons, better textures etc. have to do with the limitations on actual gameplay? Cutting a few holes in the models of a few hats is an entirely different beast than new gameplay for the player to enjoy.