Never Make Your Players Have to "Find the Fun"

[Lexia]

- Gameplay that is dictated by timers. It is time for a GATE, have to go do that. It is time for gathering nodes, have to go do that. Haven't capped esoteric tomes this week, have to go do that. Haven't gotten my Void Ark item this week, have to go do that. Haven't done my roulettes today, have to go do that. Have to check the plants. Have to enter my house so it doesn't get demolished. It's a chore list, NOT engaging gameplay.

FIX: Deemphasize content that can only be done at certain times or in certain timeframes. Leave nodes as is (to preserve item rarities), decrease the frequency that players have to check plants, and use RNG instead of time gates to slow progression. That way players can play WHEN they WANT. I feel like FFXIV is telling me when/how to play. I won't continue playing if this pattern continues (yes it has been like this since launch BUT it has gotten worse with every added game system; i.e. it's not just tomes anymore).

This is not even a issue as there nothing telling you when you can and can't do it, ok the ARR once an hour unspoiled nodes are kind of annoying but the heavensward ones spawn every 30 minutes so there nothing really stopping you from deciding when you want to do it. Not like it only spawns once or twice a RL day. As for the weekly system how that even a point? Cause you get 7 days to choose when and how fast to collect those tomes or do those runs.

[OmegaStrongtan]

Pretty hard to 'find the fun' since the only fun content we got in the past few month is Thordan EX.

[Lexia]

Pretty hard to 'find the fun' since the only fun content we got in the past few month is Thordan EX.

That a personal opinion of what content a person defines as fun.

[LaylaTsarra]

I must be doing something wrong, I have fun each and everyday I log in and I play this game way too much.

[Purrfectstorm]

I must be doing something wrong, I have fun each and everyday I log in and I play this game way too much.

I play this game too much too and it's not even that I never have fun. But there are things that rub me the wrong way ALL THE TIME in this game and make me feel like my gameplay experience is on rails. The system of bonuses (roulettes, challenge log, etc.) and lockouts make me feel this way the most. Not everyone is going to feel like they are missing out if they don't cap tomes this week or get Alexander loot or whatever. But some of us feel that way.

I'm not going to argue what other players find fun or not as that is subjective but many players have voiced complaints in the forums lately so I really don't think I'm alone on this. All I'm asking for is a more flexible game play experience. I don't think waiting around is fun and I don't think having nothing to do because one has exhausted the day's allotment of chores is fun either. You may be fine with it and more power to you if you are.

[FoxyAreku]

Games where you find the fun are much better than games where the fun is directed to you. It's very important for players to be able to find their own fun.

This is why this game has housing, and weddings, and gold saucer, and all this other great stuff. They give you the tools, you just need to go and find what you enjoy, and it's fantastic.

Though...I'm not sure what timers have to do with 'finding fun', that's a bit of a misleading title tbh.

[Spawnie]

I must be doing something wrong, I have fun each and everyday I log in and I play this game way too much.

not the only 1 :3

[Dyvid]

- Gameplay that is dictated by timers.

Some things are on timers, others on RNG and I see complaints on both ends. You mention dailies task but nothing is actually forcing you do that stuff every day. House is 45 day timer, don't have to do all the roulette's every day, and gardening is something you decided to do.

- Waiting for FATES.

I must not have done this yet because I can't remember waiting on a FATE since ARR days and thought we got rid of that stuff after the CT days. If not I agree it's bad design on SE's part.

- Waiting for groups.

Okay but at some point the game has to be an MMO and not just solo game. That means you have to wait for a group. SE can't force people to run certain things so they add chores and incentives which the community cry's foul every time. Before the new relic quest hardly anyone did HW FATEs for leveling. Now, even after all the complaints, I can level up a job in HW with FATEs and not be the only one doing it.

I think there is growing discontent w/ the status quo

I believe the discontent is from the lack of diversity we have now when compared to 2.XX. HW was an expansion but hasn't really expanded other than tacking on 10 levels. It's still easy dungeons, a trial, and 8-man or 24-man raid. Diadem was a good concept to start a new trend but badly implement and not really fixed in a timely manner. People are also annoying with gear bloating and the process of FFXIV's vertical progress.

We also need more fun content. My favorite content is dungeons but dungeons are boring lately. We need more dungeons like AV or AK. I think 24-person raids are just the worst. They are trolly cesspools of stupidity that last 45 min to 1 hr. We need content to make our chores less repetitive. Why have there been no more 8-person main story dungeons since 2.0? Main Story Roulette is just 2 duties! No good.

Not much SE can do about the trolly cesspool in VA because that's on the community. I agree with 8-person dungeons. I think the problem was from the backlash about cut scenes in those story runs that Yoshi-P got the wrong message and dropped it all together. The problem wasn't the 8-man, it was the cut scenes stopping the gameplay.

TL;DR - Players want to see more depth, more creativity, more engaging gameplay and less standing around bored, less waiting for x to happen, and less building our game routines around a repetitive list of chores. What this game does have going for it is the world and the fact that it's a very pretty game. I think crafting/gathering is more fun than in other games. But right now I don't think this will hold me for much longer if things don't change.

Most is true and we have a real lack of diversity in the game. Yoshi-P said that after 2.XX they would stop playing it safe and try new things. When are we going to actually see this?

[Judah_Brandt]

Hey I just logged into the game. Whoop, found the fun. It was right there. Fun is subjective, stop projecting your opinion and presenting it as fact. You offer little in the way of insight into what you find fun other than many of the functions in this game not being it. It's such a worthless argument.

[Purrfectstorm]

Hey I just logged into the game. Whoop, found the fun. It was right there. Fun is subjective, stop projecting your opinion and presenting it as fact. You offer little in the way of insight into what you find fun other than many of the functions in this game not being it. It's such a worthless argument.

Your comment is what's worthless. You say the game is fun and so therefore I am wrong. Then you tell me to stop projecting my opinion and presenting it as fact but HELLO, isn't that exactly what you are doing? Besides, I'm not presenting my opinion as fact. My opinion is my opinion. It kind of goes without saying. I didn't realize I had to add "this is only my opinion" at the beginning of each sentence. Besides, it seems to be an opinion a lot of other players share.

Also, if you just logged into the game and you're finding it so much fun, why are you on the forums trying to pick a fight with me? Nah, the game's not fun, that's why you're here. Trolling people on the forums is what people do when they're waiting for fates, PF/DF groups, or idling in Idyllshire. Good luck w/ your fun, BRAH! LOL