The Game Often Feels Like it is Punishing Us

[Erwith]

It balances out because when you don't get CT, the higher level raids + bonus give you way more. I simply farmed the Alliance roulette 3 times when I started, to give me a head start, and I actually finished it first before all the others.
There are only certain areas of the game I could agree with this on. It taking me 3 tries to get a Blue Mage spell or TT card is fine. It taking several tries to spawn an S rank is fine. Fishing not always being a success is fine. Extreme mounts rarely dropping is fine due to the pity system, although there's little point in the delay in it selling for totems. RNG on crafting is fine in many cases because gear or abilities can turn it into a 100% chance.

However, dungeon or alliance loot can be annoying.
I really wish SE would let us disable dungeon loot so we automatically pass unless it's an unobtained minion, TT card or orchestrion, because otherwise I just don't care for it. Dungeon loot is only useful for MSQ-only players, if that.

The loot system I think really needs to be re-designed. I hate the system as it is now. In eight runs of San d'Oria, I've only been able to get one tattered sheet music, despite us only competing against eight people now instead of all 24. My success rate is pretty much the same, so I might as well be competing against 24 people. That pretty much negates any incentive I could possibly have for running it more than once because I don't even need any of the gear.

Also, I hate legendary fishing. I put this example in my OP but it was too long so I had to take it out. I have level 100 HQ crafted, pentamelded gear. I should not be failing to catch level 50 fish (and it shouldn't take weeks sometimes for it to show up at all).

I'm not necessarily saying all RNG is bad, as there is something to be said for a bit of luck. But just *how* dependent many of the elements of FFXIV are on it makes the game a slog to play through at times and makes it just not a fun experience. This is a game. I should be enjoying my time playing it. And losing missions should not come down to just having plain bad RNG.

I do agree with having an option to disable dungeon loot. And having to fight a boss repeatedly for a reward isn't the worst thing in the world, because you're at least playing the game. I actually really enjoy TT, the game. And I enjoy collecting. I wish they would have alternate ways of getting these cards, such as playing an NPC for them. I'm okay with it taking a while for a rare TT card to drop because I like the game and I enjoy playing it, so playing it repeatedly for a reward is not as soul-crushing as some of the other content.

[Jeeqbit]

Also, I hate legendary fishing. I put this example in my OP but it was too long so I had to take it out. I have level 100 HQ crafted, pentamelded gear. I should not be failing to catch level 50 fish (and it shouldn't take weeks sometimes for it to show up at all).

I don't like the mooch behind mooch behind mooch thing because I haven't progressed the quests that need it yet. There are certainly fish that have too much competition so it's always the low level ones too.

I should be enjoying my time playing it. And losing missions should not come down to just having plain bad RNG.

Some aspects of this game just take after original MMO design, which used to be RNG heavy and far, far worse to the point you'd have to sacrifice eating and sleeping to play, nevermind working. The game has moved away from that but certain old game systems still have it, and I think it is especially baffling to people that are new to MMOs.