Live Letter LXXXVI 86 Discussion Thread

[SkankyRoe]

Annoyed that they are reversing some of the QoL we got with Bozja. Deleveling is an outdated mechanic that literally nobody likes, and especially baffling is them going back to the terrible BA style entry method for the large scale raid

[HyperiusUltima]

Annoyed that they are reversing some of the QoL we got with Bozja. Deleveling is an outdated mechanic that literally nobody likes, and especially baffling is them going back to the terrible BA style entry method for the large scale raid

Well, I think it's an entirely different method. While it will involve an item for priority, sure, you actually need those items to make an attempt on Fork Tower. I think it'll be more similar to how they've been making the CEs now with no limit on how many can participate.

Deleveling on the other hand is more Eureka-like, but isn't a bad thing since you can get revived. Also to note, above Lv 5 is where you can lose EXP if you decide to release after you die. Back in Stormblood, people shouted the same way they did in Eureka for Healers to give them a revive.

This is also why Exploration Content like Eureka/Bozja is still going on, even when there aren't as many instances as there used to be: They all involve people working together at some point, and foster community bridging between casual players and veterans, if not those who have tried the likes of Savage and Ultimate.

[Zelda206]

There are two simple fixes that can be done to re-engage and meet the terms by which the liveletters acclaim:

1. Learn and improve from the Dawntrail writing and content delivery; slowest, smallest and lackluster execution across the board. Didn't satisfy or live up to expectations by which the audience was set mostly due to promises made by Mr. Yoshida & Co. Dawntrail could have been amazing without the "gonna die in the matrix" cliche and even further still if every character we were forced to endure had a father/daddy issue. If you step back a bit, EVERY "important" character we were presented to or at odds with had an issue regarding their paternal guardian and either wouldn't shut up, or had nothing much that could be said until it was too late to care.

2. Increase the intensity of the Jobs themselves and reintroduce complexity into them; the Jobs being simplistic make every fight beyond them insignificant or simple in turn. A simple fight can be difficult if your attention is split or if you are forced to commit more energy into combos. If you increase the intensity, the players that put very little effort into preparation will get a nasty but necessary shock and will either step up their game or quit and complain on the forums about 'how hard' FFXIV is. Across three different MMORPGs (I've tested WoW for 10+ years, GW2 for 10 years and FFXIV for 3-4 years), FFXIV is the most thoroughly-easy when you apply yourself a little at the current level in this current year of 2025. I've mentored across all three, I've taught fundamentals and basics and each time it comes down to the cooperation and communication of the player itself, not the game solely. Veterans of any MMO will eventually grow weary of the same cycle, so I imagine complexity has to be the key into keeping those players engaged rather than try to gamble with a new batch of players and sacrificing the old. Retaining players and nourishing new ones to live up to the very message of "perseverance & struggle" every single expansion presents is something I fear the narrative and team have forgotten.

I have no doubt that the buzz-words (I have no other means to describe them; apologies) in the liveletter will fail to appeal to those that have been holding out since Shadowbringers for meaningful change or a return-to-form on their Jobs and the unique complexity each one used to give. It feels like yesterday that I mastered MNK and it was suddenly changed all too soon to something that was far easier to follow. I feel less accomplished with the simplicity and less inspired to struggle. I suppose it's a struggle to balance the game, but I wish the playerbase overall was challenged more in battle and in their Jobs as a nudge to endure and improve themselves. The work output and reward are both rather lacking in Dawntrail (to an embarrassing degree), and we can only wait and see what will actually be delivered. My thoughts and hopes go out to the team; I hope things improve and regain semblance of what Reborn's promise impressed upon its community. It's a shallow hope, but a hope nonetheless.

[ZephyrMenodora]

Eager for the new 8 mans as I loved the first set of them. Also interested in the crafting zone.

I don’t like any of the new sets so I’ll continue to wear what I have been since StB.

[Hallarem]

It seems like they are just going to smile and joke through every liveletter like theres been no backlash for anything. Would love to have some actual transparency and ROADMAPS, like.. I dont know. A lot of other games and devs.
I'm not expecting a funeral dour atmosphere for LL, but I mean, they COULD atleast give us something to... yes.. LOOK FORWARD TO.

They should just say something like "Yeah about those hats, we are still working on them, I dont think we can promise them for another year or two"

[Rinoa_353]

Not to my knowledge, or at least it wasn’t on a slide if they did.

They had said in a previous interview that it wouldn’t be ready for 7.2, something along the lines of “please give us a little more time,” with the assumption being 7.3, but not firmly stated.

That's most likely the case, I was hoping we would see that in 7.2, so I guess mid summer when 7.3 is launched that I hope we see those features for housing arrive.

[MicahZerrshia]

That's most likely the case

And this is all well and good, but we have been hearing that exact same statement about a variety of things since literally 2010.

[Wilford111]

Let me tell you, Frontline is about to get 100x worse. I don't know what they are thinking, adding a skill like Comet to casters, but Frontline is already suffering from Salted Earth / Bahamut spam. Can you imagine Comet on top of all of that?

[Gurgeh]

I'm not sure what the live letter could have done to excite me, but it didn't.
I'll just wait to see if/when I decided to turn my sub back on a whim.
At this point I want to see massive change to the main content loop probably. I don't know.
Still hate the timing, 1 week then savage already.
It's simple, now my friends have unsubbed the game isn't fun, as in unsubbed, I'm not making any. When I was subbed everyone so logging in was doing savage.
There were no social sprouts.
Now I'm unsubbed there is zero chance of making new friends. When I resub I wont be expecting to stick around desk the relationships week be very shallow.
Nothing in this letter exited me. Who knows why. I don't.

[Wasselin]

The tomestone gear looks so cool! I love the healer set. The FFV job gear looks great too, I just hope it doesn't come from the raid.

I'm glad the occult crescent looks pretty and not muddy and ugly like Bozja.

Cosmic Exploration looks interesting although I'm not sure about how technological it looks.

I'm intrigued by the MSQ and really interested in where it's going.

I'm not sure I like the idea of mounting while moving or jogging in town. Why do we need to go so fast all of a sudden after all this time?