Is the game built based on the wrong perspective?

[Anonymoose]

TL/DR Version:
Why is this game built respective to trying to balance the needs of "casual" players and "hardcore" players when the true binary at work here is over the perception of whether or not "Sandbox Development Tasks" are as big of a part of the game as "Content" is.

Articulated Version

This game seems to be built trying to balance the desires of two extremes of play-style: The age old Casual vs. Hardcore formula. However, I'd like to propose the idea that this approach to developing FFXIV may be entirely misguided.

All of the rifts in the player-base seem to be caused by a different extreme: those who see grinding levels for progress as the 'meat' of an MMORPG, and those who see it in taking part in the content that requires said progression. (Thenceforth referred to as "Canopy Content;" i.e. whatever is considered endgame relative to current levelcap)

The people who believe that leveling classes is the meat of the game believe that it should be every bit as time consuming as canopy content.

• Death should have harsh penalties regardless of situation,
• gear damage rates should be higher,
• exp should be regulated,
• power-leveling should be limited,
• soloing should be much slower.
• EXP loss is forgivable, that's the risk taken for progress

However, there are those that believe that leveling classes is the elementary school of an MMO; the bare basics required to take part in real content. By this logic, as long as you learn how to play your job efficiently, it shouldn't necessarily require just as much time-input as content itself - as they are just the prerequisites to job progression quests, the main scenario, company missions, and canopy content. Therefore, the basic leveling grind should carry mechanics like:

• Death should not carry arbitrary timesinks, but limit survivability in a high-importance battle
• gear damage rates should be lower, if existent at all on earned gear
• EXP should be situational, but overall easy to get
• If friends are willing to power-level you, you deserve to get there faster to play with them.
• soloing should be just as legitimate as partying
• The loss of exp you've already earned is ridiculous.

Casuals and Hardcores may fall on opposite sides of these issues, generally, but to liken this to politics, party affiliations may generally agree on the same sides of the issues, but the issues are not based on party affiliation: being against abortion doesn't automatically make you a republican; disagreeing on what is a "basic requirement" and what is "real content" doesn't make you casual or hardcore.

So why are we trying to balance the game in this manner? Based on the arguments caused by 1.18 & 1.19, I'd say the true issues aren't being addressed at all and the game is only becoming more divided and unbalanced in the areas that make it an MMORPG.

To put it bluntly:
I absolutely love Final Fantasy XIV, I just don't really want to play it anymore.
The MMO Mechanics of it rob me of any enjoyment the actual game content provides.
Should the game be re-evaluated with more regard to perception of the game's meaning than whether you play it casually or hardcore?

My Mindset:

I spend more time on meeting and maintaining the most basic, boring, monotonous requirements of the game than I do on actually taking part in the game; and while the hardcore mindset might automatically fall on, "GOOD! EARN THAT SHIT!", I don't necessarily feel like that's required. I consider myself a hardcore player, and yet I'd prefer to be hardcore in my pursuit of content, not arbitrarily based, artificially extended base requirements.

To me, those who say otherwise do so out of the insecurity that if people who play just as well but not as often earn the same perks they do, they're perceived as worth less. Personally, I don't think your psychological dependence on the game having to be a place you feel like you matter for once should influence my in-game enjoyment and the game's build mechanics - but hey, that's not only irrelevant to the conversation, it's biased. So let's ignore that.

Anyone care to discuss?

[Anonymoose]

TL/DR'd the sh!t out of this because I didn't mean to write a freakin' ZAM article instead of trying to get a discussion going.

[KiriA500]

I think the main problem with this game is the lack up constant updates. I know the game is still changing with every patch, but all that does is cause conflicts between the casual and the hardcore players.

With this current patch, quite a bit has changed. Guildleve's are a pain in the ass to do solo, the new gear system completely gimps you even if one level under the recommended level, etc. While the hardcore players might be having a blast with the new mechanics, the casual player (which I consider myself, only because I can't devote a lot of time to the game, not because of the preexisting notion that casual automatically means someone who is awful at games and has to have their hand held at every possible moment) is finding the game less enjoyable. I'm like you, I love the game, I just don't want to play it.

What I think could help fix this problem, would be Square updating the game more than once every three months. That's frankly too much time between major updates. Add a dungeon variation every few weeks. This doesn't even have to consist of MAJOR content, just adjust the monster spawns inside, and randomize some loot (color changes, stat variation, etc.) so the hardcore players can constantly feel like they're being challenged. Meanwhile, you can keep the solo content, such as Guildleve's (which, I'd like to point out, was supposed to be the main focus of the game, aside from the Armory System prior to this) in tact so players who don't have a lot of time, can still play the game and feel like they're getting something accomplished. I honestly don't see people complaining nearly as much if they have to run through the same looking instanced area as long as they had new stuff to work for, because that's basically all they want. If you constantly add stuff for people to work for, they'll do it.

Since this patch, I've struggled to rank myself up, because I work at night, so none of my friends are usually on during my peak times. I don't have a problem partying with people, I have a problem relying on random shouts in the city I happen to be in. A seek party system will fix this issue, but that isn't the point of this post.

Please Square-Enix, try and focus on both sides.

[Antanias]

Ya lost me after TL/DR, but ppl wanted change in Eorzea. Heck, we're at least getting a brand new Northern Thanalan ^^

[Anonymoose]

What I think could help fix this problem, would be Square updating the game more than once every three months. That's frankly too much time between major updates.

I'm pretty sure I agree. I think they're progressing their updates at the right pace, but I think the rate of release is causing a lot of problems. I think it would be a lot more manageable to change a couple things every couple of weeks instead of changing pretty much everything every few months. Player feedback would be a lot more valuable, as well. We have these forums for a reason, but when the whole game changes without the finer polish, we all just rage.

Looking at the 1.18 & 1.19 patch notes, I see a lot of opportunities to have bi-weekly updates of tweaks and adjustments and then every few months - BOOM: Total Guildleve revamp. BOOM: Total gear revamp. Etc. The only trouble is that people absolutely bitch nonstop when an update focuses on something other than they think it absolutely needs to focus on.

[Dreamer]

I think there's some truth to your OP. When it comes to playing the game, I don't care about leveling - what I care about is being able to do fun parts of the game.

For my first dungeon, I have to be level 15 in a combat class.
For my chocobo, I have to be level 20.
For my next dungeon, I have to be level 25.
To see the full culinarian questline, I have to be level 36.
To see the full main storyline, I have to be level 50.
etc.

In each of these situations, I could care less about the level except that it's the gateway to the content I want to be able to enjoy.

However, I do think that many players consider the leveling process as content, placing way too much emphasis on the sense of achievement that comes with it.

[Anonymoose]

I do think that many players consider the leveling process as content, placing way too much emphasis on the sense of achievement that comes with it.

This is a great way to rephrase one of my core points. There are players that consider the time spent leveling to be a core part of the experience while others seem to grind it out and write it off immediately.

I agree completely; IMHO, that part of the content isn't meant to have the much of a sense of achievement placed upon it. I think the people who do are people who tend to compare themselves to others far too much, striving to be the people they see ahead of them so hard that even just getting the same level is an achievement when in fact all it has done is open the DOOR to becoming that progressed.

You're right, it is merely a gateway, and I spend more time trying to open the door to the room and stopping it from closing on me than I do getting to play with what's inside. The latter is driving me insane; maintenance alone takes longer than content. It's like using one of those sinks where you push the knob down and it sprays until it automatically raises - but it's worn out so it stops spraying by the time you get your hands back in the sink. Pisses me off, lol.

I don't think the inclination to feel that way should be emphasized as so important to the DEVELOPMENT of the game, only the PLAYING of it. I just don't have fun anymore.

[Physic]

This is a great way to rephrase one of my core points. There are players that consider the time spent leveling to be a core part of the experience while others seem to grind it out and write it off immediately. I agree completely; that part of the content isn't meant to have the much of a sense of achievement placed upon it. I think the people who do are people who tend to compare themselves to others far too much, striving to be the people they see ahead of them so hard that even just getting the same level is an achievement.

I don't think the inclination to feel that way should be emphasized as so important to the DEVELOPMENT of the game, only the PLAYING of it. I just don't have fun anymore.

see my problem with what your talking about is,

i dont really see what it has to do with this game right now, if anything it feels like exp will soon become an afterthought, with some adventures and what not, a bit of an exciting thing sometimes, but with how much and how fast you can get it, or the means to do it fairly steadily and slowly through leves, without much time, It really doesnt seem exp is the focus of the game anymore.

Seems to be more focused on content, even the gear changes make it so you can actually feel accomplishment hunting midlevel gears. The other focuses seem to be on content, in terms of job development and exposition being a quest/content based thing. Even dungeons and ifrit battle, chocobos etc seem to focus more on the adventuring aspect of the game.

Dont really see the game going sp grind heavy, in fact seems to be going away from that.

[Lienn]

To put it bluntly:
I absolutely love Final Fantasy XIV, I just don't really want to play it anymore.

I agree completely with you...in special with the quoted part...it's exactly my feeling right now.

Even with a pretty much "positive" patch like 1.19, i'm already very unlikely to stay once subscription fee pops because i don't feel like paying to play FFXI again.

Also, in the end the way you placed the things is exactly the comparison of FFXI and original FFXIV core concepts. A very interesting post indeed.

[Anonymoose]

i dont really see what it has to do with this game right now, ... It really doesnt seem exp is the focus of the game anymore.

Seems to be more focused on content, ... Dont really see the game going sp grind heavy, in fact seems to be going away from that.

In many of the biggest areas, you have my assent. I should clarify that what I'm referring to are the little things - the handling of the mechanics that are required of an online game to be social-multiplayer experience.

Check out the questions asked in the current hot topics:

• Why can't I solo anything?
• Why so much downtime?
• How are new players going to function?
• How can the non-rich get by anymore?
• Why can people power-level other so fast?
• Why am I not having fun?

These are all things related to how to function through the phase of the game that opens the gateway to actual content, like that to which you refer.

It's not the the grind is the focus, it's that the mechanics used to do it now are balanced in respect to the wrong perceptions and thus incredibly difficult to achieve and maintain without a specific set of resources that not everyone wants to put in / has time it put in the effort to monotonously grind out - all to balance Hardcore v. Casual instead of what parts of the game people find fun, meaningful, and integral to the MMO experience.