I guess it's time

[loreleidiangelo]

Here's a question: if you were given the choice to change only ONE thing about FFXIV, no matter how radical the change would be, what would you decide to alter?

For me, it's definitely the dumpstering of old content. If I had my way, the devs would be constantly expanding areas like the old 24-mans (instead of just forcing geared, level-synced players into queuing for it via the relic quest, players would instead run the "original" version simply to access the "new" floors), adding new hunts to each zone every so often (with less predictable respawn timers, please!), adding rare spawns or treasure chests with unique items into the old dungeons, inventing a reason for players to do Verdrfolnir/Metal Gear Revengeance 2/Proto Ultima/Odin/Behe/Coeurlregina again (possibly via zone consequences to teleporting/flying/gathering should they spawn and fail?), etc.

I'm curious to see what other people might change, if they were only given one option.

[Aezelas]

Here's a question: if you were given the choice to change only ONE thing about FFXIV, no matter how radical the change would be, what would you decide to alter?

That would be putting an end to the boring scripted fights. Lately, i've been bored the very 2nd time I enter any dungeon, trial or raid.
Knowing the exact second when shit is happening, on every single fight, is in my opinion the worst game design.

[Zojha]

Knowing the exact second when shit is happening, on every single fight, is in my opinion the worst game design.

The alternative is randomizing encounters - in which case, you need to ensure every possible combination is still clearable which in turn means the mechanics themselves need to be much more lenient. Basically, a tank buster can't require cooldowns to be used to make it through it if the cooldowns might not be available for the next. A telegraphed AoE needs to give you enough time to dodge it even if another ability just forced you to the far end of it and you need to run the full distance. And on the flipside, what is meant to be a challenging fight might become very easy because you got a lucky combination. You can't really make bosses do something they're not programmed to do either. And the trinity further works against more chaotic fights with its natural tank&spank design.

So...I could see some practical issues with that.

[Istaru]

The alternative is randomizing encounters - in which case, you need to ensure every possible combination is still clearable which in turn means the mechanics themselves need to be much more lenient. Basically, a tank buster can't require cooldowns to be used to make it through it if the cooldowns might not be available for the next. A telegraphed AoE needs to give you enough time to dodge it even if another ability just forced you to the far end of it and you need to run the full distance. And on the flipside, what is meant to be a challenging fight might become very easy because you got a lucky combination. You can't really make bosses do something they're not programmed to do either. And the trinity further works against more chaotic fights with its natural tank&spank design.

So...I could see some practical issues with that.

Step 1 could be no more tank and spank snoozes. Make it exciting to run that dungeon for run #50, entering the dungeon you know that you could get burned and that makes it fun. There is so little challenge to most things. Many of us could run these dungeons and fights in our sleep. That isn't fun.

[RiceisNice]

Here's a question: if you were given the choice to change only ONE thing about FFXIV, no matter how radical the change would be, what would you decide to alter?
.

Honestly, there's so many things that need to be addressed imo it's just not one thing. But the big thing I'd say is not cutting corners/rushing with content/expansion release, and to have plans for longterm. That means not scrapping initial ideas because it "didn't work out" (like multiple MCH attachments, Diadem, PvP) and not throw-away content.

[Istaru]

Honestly, there's so many things that need to be addressed imo it's just not one thing. But the big thing I'd say is not cutting corners/rushing with content/expansion release, and to have plans for longterm. That means not scrapping initial ideas because it "didn't work out" (like multiple MCH attachments, Diadem, PvP) and not throw-away content.

I will agree with you. They have a very good foundation and they could build a masterpiece of a game. It just seems that they can't pull it off for one reason or another. I think that is what frustrates me the most.

[Iromi]

I will agree with you. They have a very good foundation and they could build a masterpiece of a game. It just seems that they can't pull it off for one reason or another. I think that is what frustrates me the most.

I feel the same way as well. It has felt this way for a long long time now. I had convinced myself from all their hype and interviews foreshadowing 3.0 that since they claimed that this time its all "them" and no fixing 1.x or focusing on the past mistakes..that they would really turn the game around. I remember reading in an interview where the producer said that this expansion will be their original work, new envision and so forth. Then lo and behold it was 2.0 repeat. Really a big let down. Maybe I expect too much...is just such a shame because the potential is there for this game to be memorable and a masterpiece, yet they just continue to release dead on arrival content and nothing with longevity.

[Fricca]

Here's a question: if you were given the choice to change only ONE thing about FFXIV, no matter how radical the change would be, what would you decide to alter?

It's kind of hard to say all the the things that I want to change, but this question made me realize that I can put it simply into 1 idea: I want the devs to bring justice to every content they made and actually make them matter (rewarding).

Primals:
✅The first 3 primals had weapons and were necessary to complete the relic quest.
❌The succeeding primals acted like they're a content of their own and focused only on the slightly higher ilvl weapons as reward. (easily discarded, can easily be skipped by anyone new to just do newer content)

Raid Content:
✅You had to finish BCoB to proceed to SCoB and then finish SCoB to enter FCoB. No normal mode.
❌Normal mode. Something about goblins... probably has something to do with cheez... cat... BOOM, BANG... BEAMZ.... (Yea I didn't pay attention to Alex... sry)

Towers:
✅Use to only have items exclusively found in it.
❌Became the tool that helps people catch up by providing upgrade items similar to what the current raid content offers.
Fix: Make it relevant in its own light without ruining other content in the game. Also I would like to have 8-man tower mode, please and thank you.

❌Unsyncing.
✅Reverse sync. Let the content sync to us, not us syncing to the content. (Lvl 60 coil anyone?)

Creatures all over eorzea:
❌Only there for the sake of Hunting Log. Some drop important mats. Harmless.
✅Please add purpose to them. Like make the mobs spawn a boss mob that drops some special material maybe. Make them as challenging as what their supposed level is in the game and give out reasonable experience. Make them more interactive with different aggro triggers. Make them more than just moving pixels around the map.

Gil:
❌Why do I even have Gil?

Zones:
❌Straightforward. Easily explored. Feels like its dead.
✅Utilize ships (yea they exist), have hidden tunnels, make us feel there's danger in the outside world, or something, please.

What else do you guys think the devs aren't utilizing to its fullest? I feel like this way when I log in I'd have something to do, game would be more alive with new people looking into beating old content that they actually need... What's more is that we can revisit them and do them at level 60 with reverse syncing, possibly have fun, and get the new crafting materials.

[TAS]

It's kind of hard to say all the the things that I want to change, but this question made me realize that I can put it simply into 1 idea: I want the devs to bring justice to every content they made and actually make them matter (rewarding).

Primals:
✅The first 3 primals had weapons and were necessary to complete the relic quest.
❌The succeeding primals acted like they're a content of their own and focused only on the slightly higher ilvl weapons as reward. (easily discarded, can easily be skipped by anyone new to just do newer content)


Raid Content:
✅You had to finish BCoB to proceed to SCoB and then finish SCoB to enter FCoB. No normal mode.
❌Normal mode. Something about goblins... probably has something to do with cheez... cat... BOOM, BANG... BEAMZ.... (Yea I didn't pay attention to Alex... sry)

Towers:
✅Use to only have items exclusively found in it.
❌Became the tool that helps people catch up by providing upgrade items similar to what the current raid content offers.
Fix: Make it relevant in its own light without ruining other content in the game. Also I would like to have 8-man tower mode, please and thank you.

❌Unsyncing.
✅Reverse sync. Let the content sync to us, not us syncing to the content. (Lvl 60 coil anyone?)

Creatures all over eorzea:
❌Only there for the sake of Hunting Log. Some drop important mats. Harmless.
✅Please add purpose to them. Like make the mobs spawn a boss mob that drops some special material maybe. Make them as challenging as what their supposed level is in the game and give out reasonable experience. Make them more interactive with different aggro triggers. Make them more than just moving pixels around the map.

Gil:
❌Why do I even have Gil?

Zones:
❌Straightforward. Easily explored. Feels like its dead.
✅Utilize ships (yea they exist), have hidden tunnels, make us feel there's danger in the outside world, or something, please.

What else do you guys think the devs aren't utilizing to its fullest? I feel like this way when I log in I'd have something to do, game would be more alive with new people looking into beating old content that they actually need... What's more is that we can revisit them and do them at level 60 with reverse syncing, possibly have fun, and get the new crafting materials.

My thoughts exactly! You just blast through everything so quickly and then your stuck on repeat for months. There's such a disconnect between the world and the content. With the exception of certain dailies, once you've unlocked everything you could literally just stand in one place/Zone for the duration of the patch until the next one launches. And once you finish off the story, unlock the content, rinse and repeat...

[Alaltus]

Here's a question: if you were given the choice to change only ONE thing about FFXIV, no matter how radical the change would be, what would you decide to alter?

For me, it's definitely the dumpstering of old content. If I had my way, the devs would be constantly expanding areas like the old 24-mans (instead of just forcing geared, level-synced players into queuing for it via the relic quest, players would instead run the "original" version simply to access the "new" floors), adding new hunts to each zone every so often (with less predictable respawn timers, please!), adding rare spawns or treasure chests with unique items into the old dungeons, inventing a reason for players to do Verdrfolnir/Metal Gear Revengeance 2/Proto Ultima/Odin/Behe/Coeurlregina again (possibly via zone consequences to teleporting/flying/gathering should they spawn and fail?), etc.

I'm curious to see what other people might change, if they were only given one option.

Well besides what i've mentioned already there is one thing.

Itemization. In this game gear is just an extension of your base stats, the higher the item level the higher the str/vit rating. Gear is uniform which is boring and leads to everyone only being interested in the highest i-level items.

How to reform- I'd like to say strip gear of their uniformity and i-level whilst keeping the average level as a calculation of all of your stats. What would help is situational bonuses and alot of them. +weaponskill hits, +dot potency, + combo dmg, + crit dmg, +emnity, enchant effects (drain, aspir), -dmg% and so on. Point being is so that players have motivation to partake in horizontal content to build multiple sets for different types of encounters. Much more battle content variety for said situational gear to be put to work. Slow down vertical progression some. Spread around the 'best' gear across a variety of content, no more full sets of the best gear for any given job being rewarded from a single piece/type of content. Players with different main jobs will have different priorities encouraging players to branch out. Introduce some 'best' gear via RNG drops into content like Diadem, Aquapolis and Deep dungeons.