FFXIV: The State Of Raiding

[Kaurie]

IMO encounters are spread to thin. If we compare WoW to FFXIV over the past year (I do this, because I feel raiding is the thing WoW does best) - WoW has added Hellfire Citadel and FFXIV has added Gordias, Midas, Bis, Rav, Thor, Seph, Void Ark.


In that, it sounds like FFXIV has added way more, but then let's break it down some more.

Hellfire Citadel 13 encounters
WoW: 13

Gordias 4
Midas 4
Void Ark 3
Bis 1
Rav 1
Thor 1
Seph 1
FFXIV: 15

Again, it looks like FFXIV is in the lead. However, then if we consider all the difficulties:

In WoW, there are 13 in LFR, Normal, Heroic and Mythic difficutly - (all of which are currently relevant.)
In FFXIV, there are 3 in 24 person DF, 8 in Normal, 4 in Trial and 8 in Savage - (3 in 24, 4 in normal, 1 in trial, 4 in savage which are currently relevant)

So, while FFXIV has more encounters (takes more time to design graphics, story etc.) WoW has more encounters per difficulty tier. This provides more encounters for each type of player to enjoy. If you are like me, who fit most well into the Trial level of difficulty, all you have to look forward to is 1 fight every few months that drops 1 weapon.

It comes down to three major issues from my perspective.
1. Uninteresting and very restrictive loot tables (i.e. in LFR you can get 1 item per boss so 13 items per week, where in 24 person DF you get 1 item per week - or in trials all you can get are weapons, etc.)
2. Massive dilution to appease a mass audience, resulting in very little content for each market
3. Rapid updates which make previous content irrelevant, rather than adding onto previous content

Then, there are some more personal issues:
1. Uninteresting story
2. Bland colour palette
3. Boring direct-to-arena queues
4. Frustrating fights that seem like they are designed more to be difficult than they are to be fun

[Thayos]

The whole philosophy they have needs to change. Or they need to start offering different paths for progression.

Raiders in this game often talk about coil like it was "the good old days." But really, coil had a very small completion rate back when it was current, too.

I don't understand why such an unpopular form of content is this game's only progression endgame. There's so much wrong with it. The hyper jump rope mechanics, the requirement to have groups of ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE, the need to have a static (and exclude others) to have a realistic shot at progress... it's such a waste.

[Kaurie]

Raiders in this game often talk about coil like it was "the good old days." But really, coil had a very small completion rate back when it was current, too.

I don't understand why such an unpopular form of content is this game's only progression endgame. There's so much wrong with it. The hyper jump rope mechanics, the requirement to have groups of ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE, the need to have a static (and exclude others) to have a realistic shot at progress... it's such a waste.

Did you come in to a "state of raiding" thread to talk about how adding raid content is a waste of time?

[Nicodemus_Mercy]

The primary issue I have with adding more difficulties is that it's not adding more content. The same thing "but harder!' is not new content. It's just an excuse to get you to do the same thing yet again "but harder!". I'd personally rather new content be added than just taking a shortcut by bumping up the numbers (maybe add another mechanic) and calling it new content. I criticize WoW for doing that very same thing.

[loreleidiangelo]

Did you come in to a "state of raiding" thread to talk about how adding raid content is a waste of time?

I think he is trying to say that adding new raids, with XIV's current flawed raid design revolving around permanent 8-man teams and synchronized swimming mechanics - rather than flexible "grab n go" groups with difficult, but less jump-ropey mechanics, is a waste.

[Lunavi]

Did you come in to a "state of raiding" thread to talk about how adding raid content is a waste of time?

Did you miss the word ONLY? Because that was a pretty vital part of his statement, which I do actually agree with. It is sad that there is only one form of content having relevant rewards in the game, especially if it is unpopular. Well, that and the moneysink relic.

Something that I do hope SE will fix somehow. Horizontal progress is important in an MMO in my opinion to keep people online and active. As it is now many people log in one or two days per week, do their lorecap + raid, and then log out for the rest of the week.

[Kaurie]

Did you miss the word ONLY? Because that was a pretty vital part of his statement, which I do actually agree with. It is sad that there is only one form of content having relevant rewards in the game, especially if it is unpopular. Well, that and the moneysink relic.

Something that I do hope SE will fix somehow. Horizontal progress is important in an MMO in my opinion to keep people online and active. As it is now many people log in one or two days per week, do their lorecap + raid, and then log out for the rest of the week.

He said that the only progression endgame content is raiding is a waste of time. Not, the only raiding content is X. Therefore, all raiding content, as endgame, is a waste.

I agree, some form of horizontal progression would be nice. However, I feel the chances of getting anything more than what we have now is extremely low.

I also agreed with some of his points - it would be nice if there were raids with dynamic difficulty based on number of players (similar to how WoW works), so that you are not restricted to exactly 8 players. I also dislike the jump rope mechanics, as he called them.

[Lunavi]

He said that the only progression endgame content is raiding is a waste of time. Not, the only raiding content is X. Therefore, all raiding content, as endgame, is a waste.

I agree, some form of horizontal progression would be nice. However, I feel the chances of getting anything more than what we have now is extremely low.

Ehh really? Because from what I read he clearly stated that it was a waste that it was the only endgame content, while being so unpopular... Which is a statement I fully agree with. Nowhere did I even read the word "time" in the statement at all. I think you read more into the statement than is really written in it.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Raiders in this game often talk about coil like it was "the good old days." But really, coil had a very small completion rate back when it was current, too.

I don't understand why such an unpopular form of content is this game's only progression endgame. There's so much wrong with it. The hyper jump rope mechanics, the requirement to have groups of ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE, the need to have a static (and exclude others) to have a realistic shot at progress... it's such a waste.

Raiding in general isn't unpopular, just the hardcore level. People who are asking for more content typically don't mean more Savage styled fights but trial level difficulty. From patch 3.1 to 3.3, we will have seen Thordan, Sephirot and Nidhogg EX. That's simply not enough long term to sate midcore players over nearly a year.

[WeekendSoja]

You can't say that the "current hardest content" is meant to be completed by grab and go pugs. It's there as a trophy piece for dedicated raiders...

Do you need the i245 weapon and i240 gear to complete pre-savage content, no, do you need it to complete current savage content, if you answered yes to this than we need some kind of intelligence evaluation lol.

To be honest, I don't see a problem with the current raiding scene.