Expansion is only temporarily enjoyable. Fails to fix all main flaws.

[Ferocious]

Lengthy read ahead.

If you make a list and compare pros/cons of FFXIV: Heavensward, the bad outweigh the good by far. It's mostly because the flaws are still there which plagued the original game. I know I may get criticized for this because it's the official forums, but I'll do this detailed review anyway. Some things need to get pointed out, the reasons why most players unsubbed before and will do it again.

First, the pros:

+ Level cap 60, this is what keeping most busy at this point with leveling main/alts.
+ Main storyline done much better than original.
+ Massive zones and flying.

Unfortunately, that's all I can say for pros because it seems that's where most of their efforts went. Once you hit 60, it's like now what? Back to what it was like before, which is...

Cons:

- Linear Gear Progression. Back to mindless tome grinding and hunts. Repeat easy dungeons over and over again. How about actual challenge in dungeons and have a sense of progression from the start? There are many MMO's that get this right by making Hard Mode dungeons actually "Hard" and make their gear necessary to obtain in order to start progression in raids. Or have raid attunement, world bosses, rep grinds, open world drops, etc to provide different options for gearing. FFXIV has taken the most boring path possible and it only hurts it further when the gear resets every six months.

- Second flaw, still no challenge anywhere to be found. Raids for example, they're planning "one real raid" every 6 months like before and only 4 bosses. Are you kidding me? We have so many classes/jobs now, but still only 4 bosses to farm to hope for your gear piece. I know this from personal experience as a hardcore raider before, it kept many people unsubbed for months. Raiders get tired of farming same old content for six months straight and only four bosses.

Instead of releasing one billion easy dungeons, how about transfer some of that effort for creating more raids instead? And I don't mean 24 man raids, they're a joke. Typically, MMO's release with couple of raids for progression. One higher tier than the other. Here, we don't have our first raid yet. The last one came out in 2.4, which was October of last year. It's been almost a year. That's too damn long for an active and profitable MMO like this.

- Third major flaw, still no such thing as character builds. The new 51-60 skills only add to your existing rotations, but they haven't done anything to have a variety of character builds. It's an MMO after all. Like the gear progression, the depth in classes are so bland and linear. The rotations are still 1 > 2 > 3. Think about it. If they continue like this till level cap 100, you would need all hotbars you can get to run all available skills. Because a character build makes only certain skills viable, but here everyone is running on same gear and rotation. Speaking of gear, the gear stats are still as bland as they can get. Where are the special powers or pieces that could help with different skills? There are no thoughts invested.

- Fourth flaw, glamour and inventory systems are still a mess. Instead of giving us some more storage to gather all new crafting materials, glamour etc like MMO expansions normally do, here we have more retainers to "purchase". Are they so desperate for money that they have to nickle and dime on every opportunity? Glamours are a huge mess. It will clutter up your retainers like crafting mats do. Why couldn't they do come up with a transmog system like Blizzard does? Then there are other issues like crafting still can't take materials directly from your bank/retainer. Can't manage multiple retainer storage at once to search and manage items. Everything is so archaic here.

- Fifth flaw, too much recycling/re-skins. New jobs were a huge disappointment.

It started with 2.4 when the raid bosses were re-skinned mobs, crappy Bahamut fight and the efforts seemed lazier compared to 2.2. Now in expansion, majority of enemies are recycled from original including even raid bosses. Same old recycled mechanics, nothing refreshing as seen on new Extreme primals. Again, it makes me question where their efforts were spent.

Then to make it worse, the new jobs were pretty much copy/pasta of another job with their silly gimmick thrown in.
Take AST for example, re-skinned WHM skills with the card gimmick. I really expected better thoughts put into new jobs.

I can go on forever with more issues, but these were the top five I wanted to point out. I know FF games are all about storyline, but this is an MMO with monthly subscription so it wouldn't hurt to fix the flaws I mentioned. Maybe next expansion, I hope they focus on fixing/improving rather than "more of the same".

[Malevicton]

Your first 3 cons are the intentional design direction of the game. May as well criticize CoD for not having a diplomacy minigame, or Witcher3 for not having spaceships. Diplomacy can be fun, and spaceships can be fun, but everything has its time and place.

No offense, but maybe this game just isn't your speed?

[PandaPause]

Cons:

- Linear Gear Progression. Back to mindless tome grinding and hunts. Repeat easy dungeons over and over again. How about actual challenge in dungeons and have a sense of progression from the start? There are many MMO's that get this right by making Hard Mode dungeons actually "Hard" and make their gear necessary to obtain in order to start progression in raids. Or have raid attunement, world bosses, rep grinds, open world drops, etc to provide different options for gearing. FFXIV has taken the most boring path possible and it only hurts it further when the gear resets every six months.

While I don't agree w/ everything you said and cant speak regarding the new jobs since I haven't played them. I whole heartedly agree w/ your above statement.

[Catwho]

Your definition of "challenge" is different from someone else's definition of challenge. What is easy for you is very difficult for someone else.

I didn't have any trouble with the current dungeons, but there are some people out there that just aren't getting them. Friend said it took him 30 minutes and 4 wipes to beat the last boss in Neverreap yesterday because the DPS didn't get the concept of "constantly move."

[PandaPause]

Your definition of "challenge" is different from someone else's definition of challenge. What is easy for you is very difficult for someone else.

I didn't have any trouble with the current dungeons, but there are some people out there that just aren't getting them. Friend said it took him 30 minutes and 4 wipes to beat the last boss in Neverreap yesterday because the DPS didn't get the concept of "constantly move."

That is the only challenge tho, never knowing who you might be paired up w/ in the DF. If you run w/ friends/guildies you are going to steam roll it every time.

[Dyvid]

My biggest complaint is SE didn't try anything new this time around and appears to be making the same mistakes as ARR. Yes the massive zone and flying mount to tranverse them are nice but @ 60 what's the point of massive zones? FATEs are dismal in reward vs challenge, Alex (Coil) was released before Alliance Raid? (CT) so ilvl will be backwards progress again. Hunts are the same.

I'm not saying ARR's content was bad but was hoping SE would something new and exciting to the mix. At the very least they could have added Hamlet Defense back into the fold.

P.S. I haven't started DoL / DoH yet so can't judge that part of the game.

[Chukkaque]

Most of these just feel like an opinion. I don't feel the same way as you in most of the points.

[Musashidon]

character builds in any game are an illusion, you can pretend all you want you can be different but you can't if you don't go the good build you are nothing but dead weight to your team.

[Zaft]

character builds in any game are an illusion, you can pretend all you want you can be different but you can't if you don't go the good build you are nothing but dead weight to your team.

This. There is always one correct choice. The only thing builds give you is the illusion of choice.

[Xairos]

I feel like SE answered all the forum's questions with an expac. Bigger zones, illusion of choice with characters for story, new jobs, removing pointless quests (somewhat). Look at this game's foundation: this is a battle, theme park mmo. They cannot upend the entire system to change everything on the first expansion to make it more grindy and more challenging just for the sake of it. Not yet at least. This expansion is already gated.