Quote Originally Posted by Kazama View Post
Oh it most certainly is a huge selling point. Unfortunately to go along with that almost nobody has done a revised review almost a year later now so most people go off of those outdated and nearsighted reviews or Reddit feedback. Since we know almost everyone in the Reddit community is more concerned about their screenshot satire, glamours, cosplay and RP that leaves very little insight for new players. Additionally, since the game is targeted at RPG and Console players it is no wonder so many people love the game. Compared to Final Fantasy XIII, XIV is amazingly good.

I understand for newcomers to the genre or even just to the IP it seems spectacular, a non linear RPG with an open world and good story with a real challenge near the end. But id say it takes at least a few years playing MMOs to understand what makes them truly great. Anyone new to the MMO genre I think looks at the game as it currently is and judges it whereas veteran MMO players look at where it is going and that's the big difference. Most of us, casual and hardcore alike love what they have done for the most part. What scares us is where it is heading and if they can redirect the currently grim future we see. That is my opinion at least.
I think you are right, but I wonder, when the new people has completed the storyline, and realize that all that's left is the gear threadmill... I wonder how a new player to MMO's will react, because as far as I know, the retention rate is really low, for any MMO, and I think ARR has a really short live (about 4 months from personal experience of people that came new to the game and left), but thee's new people coming all the time. So I wonder, when all the "new" players have come and go, what population will ARR retain, and of that population, how many of us will still be asking for more depth and complexity, and how many will still be asking to keep things like is this was a 2004 MMO still.