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

[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.