A friendly warning to SE: Do NOT turn FFXIV into an Asia Grinder!

[stupiddog]

When I started to play ARR (as my first MMORPG) in February, I was completely blown away by the beauty and the main storyline. When patch 2.2 came out, I was very pleasently surprised about the content that comes after the main quest (esp. Hildibrand). However, after that, the production values seriously went downhill. Playing the same dungeons again and again and again, repeating the tasks the wild tribes give you again and again and again, the Atma crap (finished it, but definitely will never do that again), and now the Novus impertinence.

SE, when finishing a grindfest like Atma, at least give the player a pretty and long cutscene! I am starting to remember that for the price of 3-4 months subscription of FF14, what I got by paying ~40€ for FF13.3 was: A great storyline, about the same amount of FMV than the whole FF14 content released so far, and complete (!) voice acting in even the most trivial encounter. Your very own company shows that, in terms of production values, you CAN do better if you want (need?) to.

In case you think "oh well, one player yells, just ignore him", here is my prophecy about what will happen in the upcoming months if you proceed this way:

- More and more players will realize that only the names and Levels of their weapons and bosses change. Chasing numbers is not a long-term motivation.
- When the previous grind content is nerfed two months later (like you do now with the Myths of the current dungeons in relation to the cost of Animus maps), the following will happen:
- a) Wait for a patch, then subscribe for a month
- b) Grind new content
- c) Unsub
- d) Wait two months until next patch
- e) Go to step a).

Of course, you could introduce a penalty for returning players (like a reactivation fee or something like that). But that would surely backfire in that players will not return at all.

So, SE, hear my plea:
- Release MEANINGFUL and non-cheap content for the players to play between the big content releases
- Make the release cycles shorter. I would like two medium-size releases every 45 days much better than one big release every three months.
- Do proper voice acting, at least in all the cutscenes. Everything else looks rather cheap these days.

EDIT: Just to clarify: I do NOT have a problem with grinding per se. But I do have a problem if it is used as a cheap excuse for missing content, or for content with very poor production values.

[Nero]

Newsflash: SE is an "Asian" Company.

Also, FFXIV were in need of Grind-Content and as it stands now, the grindcontent is straight optional. IF people feel like they were forced to do it, that is up to them. But yeah, there were a good amount of Threads, which were asking for grinds. Now we have them and a certain group of people is pleased.

It always goes both ways, without grinds that certain group would quit as well.

[Caesir]

Can't agree with you more

[ShinkuTachi]

Newsflash: SE is an "Asian" Company.

[stupiddog]

Newsflash: SE is an "Asian" Company. Also, FFXIV were in need of Grind-Content and as it stands now, the grindcontent is straight optional.

I do not mind grinding per se. But I do mind it if it is used as an excuse for poor production values.

[yahhzoo]

Grinding in a MMO. No way. What a surprise.

[Vogue]

I only hope SE doesn't listen to all the complainers, there are more players who have no problems with the system and like it. I am tired of seeing people rushing through content and then complain about how bored they are (even when they have 1 level 50 and nothing else levelled, "the game is too boring and there is nothing to do!"). Please...

[stupiddog]

there are more players who have no problems with the system and like it.

Do you have anything to back this claim, other than "if they did not like it, they would post here"?

I am tired of seeing people rushing through content and then complain about how bored they are (even when they have 1 level 50 and nothing else levelled, "the game is too boring and there is nothing to do!"). Please...

You might have noticed I did not complain about the DoH or DoL class quests. That is because there is production value in them: Nice little cutscenes (although they could do with voice acting...) and I like their storylines, too. Now, compare that to Atma/Animus/Novus, and you might be able to understand what my point is.

[Rufalus]

I have faith/hope that there is amazing content in production. The grindy busy work they are giving us now is probably because they don't have time to make fun stuff for the minor patches so it's that or nothing.

[Pantz]

Atma/Animus/Novus are obviously intended to be grinds. No point if everyone can get them easily within a few days. It serves as an alternately pathway to those that don't want or cant clear coil. Would it be fair to coil clearers if everyone can just get Atma/Animus/Novus easily? If you don't want to clear coil, then do it the grind method.

Also, Sightseeing is not intended to be cleared right away. If SE had not included weather requirements, people would probably have cleared it already or in the next few days. What would be the point then? Take it slow. It's meant to last a few weeks or even months to keep people occupied while SE makes other content, be they grind or non-grind content.

And yes. SE is an Asian company.