We can't

[ErryK]

-We can't add more character customization
As unfortunate as it is, it is what it is. Think you can come up with something better? Put your $15 a month into something else if you're not happy with results.
-We can't add 3 jobs an expac
It takes about a year to develop one single job. They had been working on RDM since April 2016, when did it come to fruition? Nearly a year later. They already mentioned how overkill NIN, MCH, AST, DRK was as they were all done in relatively the same time period.
-We can't add a new race
They didn't want to add a new race, there's a difference. It's also their IP so, like...
-We can't use multiple dyes on gear.
That's just the way the system works, dude, damn.
-We can't add a glamour log
They actually are working towards this so you can mark this off your list, dude.
-We can't add a PTR
Why do we need one when they can just send out a patch to fix it?

[TaleraRistain]

Because development teams do not control the purse strings. I work as a software developer. The higher ups pick the projects that are going to be of the most benefit to the ideals of our company and the most use to our customers. They have to weigh labor costs, time estimates, complexity, etc. We, the developers, can bring this data to them and make our case if we feel strongly about one project over another. But at the end of the day, the decision is not in our hands.

Also, have you SEEN the list of stuff we're getting in 4.1? There are QoL changes in it, as well as tons of new content.

[Enkidoh]

The ARR engine is a HEAVILY modified version of the original 1.0 engine. Even though it's heavily modified, it's still sporting some of the old ass code from 1.0. So no, it's not an entirely new engine.

False. 1.0 used Crystal Tools, the same engine SE used for FFXIII and it's sequels (and which was not up to the task of rendering a MMO world). ARR uses a custom made engine based on Luminous Engine, the engine that FFXV runs under, with some components of other off-the-shelf engines made by other companies (I believe they use features of Speedtrees and Havoc for various environment components as well.) The only things carried from 1.0 are gameplay functions necessary to support 1.0 character data being transferred in, like aspects of the Armoury System.

[Aletin]

It should also be noted, the Luminous Engine was built to be a single player engine with limited multi-player capabilities (non-mmo scale). And was modified to work in an MMO setting, hence why a lot of these "easy to do in other MMOs" are very difficult here, because those were developed in an MMO engine where large server functionality was intended, compared to Luminous where it was adapted for large server functionality, not created for it.

FFXIV is a Single Player Engine adapted to MMO functionality
Most other MMOs are MMO Engines.

This is why server load is a huge issue in FFXIV. Because it wasn\\'t designed for it.

[Texa]

The engine for this game is a basically a polished turd.

I'm not saying that with any ill-intent, but that is basically what it boils down to.

[Celef]

Why are we paying for servers that can't support this? Why hasn't he hired more people to support some of this? Why is there a lack of communication with balance/jobs? Why are we getting yokai watch again, and not monster hunter? Why are we sacrificing content more and more?

Because there is no other "good" MMO at the moment :/

[Daralii]

The engine for this game is a basically a polished turd.

I'm not saying that with any ill-intent, but that is basically what it boils down to.

Something this game has in common with WoW, which runs on a modified version of the WC3 engine with a mountain of code that no one can decipher because it was written by a different staff over a decade ago. I can only assume that it boils down to Crystal Tools/Luminous Engine being a lot less malleable and/or the XIV team being given fewer resources.

[Singularity]

- We can't use multiple dyes on gear.

(Most) Databases are arranged in tables, with a fixed and specific set of columns (item ID, glamour item ID, dye, spiritbond level etc.) using multiple dyes would entail adding new columns to this database and possibly modifying packet structures also if they rely on the definition of an item being a fixed number of bytes. Case-in-point: the Novus relic weapons from 2.x do not show a spiritbond meter once soulglazed - I strongly suspect this is because they reused the spiritbond counter to track how much light the weapon has accumulated.

- We can't add a glamour log

This would require some way of flagging, for each item in the game, whether or not a character has ever owned it. There are thousands of wearable items in the game, so the glamour log underneath would be an enormous bitfield that grows substantially with every patch (I suspect this is also how the armoire works, though with far fewer items). Yoshi-P himself mentioned that they dould do something powered by achievements, in the same way that the Calamity Salvager checks achievements and quest flags when determining what you can buy from him. I thought that was a pretty good idea as it would require no additional flags at all. Definitely something is being worked on here though according to one of the live letters.

Why are we getting yokai watch again, and not monster hunter?

Because all the development effort for Yo-kai is already done. Bringing it (or any other previous event) back is a zero-effort change (they literally just have to set a flag), whereas doing a new event means new assets, dialogue, cutscenes etc. If there is not the time available for the people that make these things, then the choice is between bringing back an old event or having no event at all. Also, I'm not sure why you specified Monster Hunter, but in that specific case it's an IP not owned by SE, so there would have to be agreements negotiated (this would have happened for Yo-kai and GARO too), assuming Capcom would even be interested in a FFXIV crossover event.



Long story short, because we don't know how the game works internally, the community that asks for these things often vastly underestimates how much work they are asking for. Some of these things entail fundamental and far-reaching changes to the game, which would require a huge amount of testing and optimisation to maintain the quality to which we have grown accustomed, and all this while continuing to deliver new content at the same pace. It's not like the development team finished 4.1 a month after Stormblood released and is now just twiddling their thumbs and loafing around before they start on 4.2.

[NolLacnala]

This would require some way of flagging, for each item in the game, whether or not a character has ever owned it.

Possible work-around would be to tie the glamour log into the achievement system. Every map and dungeon in the game has a preexisting exploration achievement, and items like the old bikinis and seasonal events come with accompanying achievements. Achievement obtained = glamour unlocked in the log.

[FallenArisen0990]

I'm just waiting for the next FF MMO or XI Mobile.