The new player experience and how FFXIV fails as an MMO.

[Mawlzy]

The issue is the implications of playing your job incorrectly being normal.

We can't have normal mode content that requires players to actively participate because the majority of the playerbase don't actually have any idea how the game works. And the majority of the playerbase have no idea how the game works because the game doesn't do anything to teach them, or even incentivise figuring it out or using external resources to learn for themselves.

No damage to heal. No mitigation required. No DPS checks. No dispellable debuffs. No interrupts. No stuns. No CC. The game never requires you to do anything except not stand in the orange. The devs have done everything they can to ensure that failure is near impossible.

The game is stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to have engaging content because the playerbase isn't good enough at the game, and players knowing nothing about the game because the content doesn't require them to learn anything about the game. It makes it very boring for people who do know how to play the game and see all the wasted potential.

I see that as two irreconcilable but legitimate playstyles, hence why I advocate a dual-track approach. Learning and implementing a rigid rotation is, for many, extremely boring.

It's the case in any MMO I can think of that those who want to push their limits and engage in high-end PvE will naturally gravitate towards external sources. Like even in CCGs it's rare for the game to tell you how to optimize your deck, so everyone goes to Icy Veins.