Is it possible to keep the Hardcore appeased?

[Jarlax]

I am a former "hard core" player in games like Everquest 1 (10 years), Rift, ToR, GWII (Titan Alliance). I have read countless threads in reguards to content and hardcore players. This time when FFXIV ARR launched I told myself I wasn't going to ruin the game this time, and not worry about what everyone else was doing, and play the game to have fun. I suppose you could consider me Mid-core sliding more to casual, but I have a group of friends that are all like minded and we still accomplish things.

I can say that it gets tiring, and the stress of worrying about OMG we need to grind MOAR to beat X guild in doing Y bleeds over into "this and that sucks and is not viable threads" always comparing everything to the most efficient easy example to compare it with. I can say that not feeling this way and saying F-that I want to play a game this time not have a tournament with the rest of the world has made the experience a hell of a lot more enjoyable in my opinion. A side effect of my new attitude for the launch of this game is that I feel like there are tons of content if I am willing to do it.

I still do all the primals every day they are so much fun, help folks asking for relic weapon boss fights like chimera or hydra these are fun as well, AK "could be a little harder", slacked off CM " a little redundant", I also queue for the lower dungeons as well for fun, as I didn't FATE grind to 50 I quested and chain queued dungeons I think they are pretty cool. Waiting on the rest of my free company mates to finish up their DL and relics and we will start coil and the new Crystal Tower. I am having a lot of fun and play hours everyday.

[Vaer]

Content takes longer to make than to consume, you will always run into this same problem until someone figures out how to deal with it.

The thing you mentioned about efficiency is exactly what is happening now. Finding faster and faster ways to do things. FATE leveling, SRs, running past mobs, overgearing, etc.

[Kyriea]

Wasn't slamming hardcore players at all I just don't understand it and for a game it is unhealthy simply because from a developer point of view they cannot possibly create enough content. It is not possible to keep hardcore players happy because it takes a very long time to create content. Coming from an animation background working alongside game programmers etc they will most likely be working flat-out for 3 months to create the content you'll get every 3 months.

It's the reason a lot of companies set targets that might not seem that big to players and by the time the 3 months is up and the content is due out they haven't perfected as much as they'd have liked and post-pone release. What might seem like a small amount of content takes a lot longer than people imagine.

And it is true, there are people who play this game to replace life but that will never be the case. You cannot make a game as good as life so they will be disappointed.

[DuferBloodmoon]

I feel as though there isn't that much content end game and that it is a treadmill. I do think that if pvp were in the game, it would greatly side track a lot of us burning through the content. My average day (If I log in outside of a raid day) is to get on and farm and then hope that the items I farm will even sell, since everybody undercuts by huge amounts I really don't ever sell. Then I'll grind my AK's for myth, then use the philo to gear my second lvl 50. But pretty much it's a waiting game for me at this point for resets.

[Tooth]

FFXIV is unfortunately, a very casual game, and nothing will ever change that.

[zakalw3]

FFXIV is unfortunately, a very casual game, and nothing will ever change that.

Without bashing player's personal preferences...

Why is this a bad thing?

How could the game cater better for Hardcore players?

How did previous games you've played do this better?

[killergerms]

You'll have to wait till more content comes out for it to even appeal to hardcore gamers, finishing turn 1-4 within 40 minutes doesn't seem that would appease them. Also this game just came out. I for one am excited for the new content.

[GuardianAngel]

I think it depends somewhat on whether hardcore is measured in hours played, or a specific need to be on the bleeding edge for progression/gear/etc.

For the latter, I don't think this game is really focused (or if it is, it's not really succeeding) at providing a significant challenge hardcore players. If you're singularly focused on getting gear and progressing, the content is definitely lacking at the moment. I think even most "mid core" players could have cleared it all by now if they dedicated themselves to it.

However, in terms of hours and "general stuff to do", I think the game is in a good place for launch. It has some flaws, but has kept my attention easily playing 5-7 hours per day with my significant other after work as our main hobby, and only now after a month are we generally looking into "real" end game progression. The rest has gone into alts (for cross class skills), crafting, gathering, and helping to gear up FCmates as they reach 50.

[Buckles]

I think you can appease hardcore players -- but I do not think you can appease hardcore players who have a narrow scope of what they want from a game (if they even know what they want from a game). The latter is the type of player who comes to the forums complaining about this or that or them.

I think any hardcore player ('hardcore' in the truest sense) will always find new goals to set themselves within the game, or are hardcore because they enjoy the game and are not easily dissuaded from it as the 'other' type of hardcore players are. Clearing every dungeon and amassing an armory of all the best equipment (to me) does not mean that person is hardcore -- this type of player generally does not enjoy the process that went behind the acquisition of the gear and will eventually quit to do the same in the next MMO release.

True hardcore players are the people online six, twelve, eighteen months later still tearing the content a new one and contributing positively to the community.

[Terius]

Very hard to keep making content for people who play 10+ hours a day.