Why are you still playing this game?

[odintius]

I play mostly for story now afterwards I go play another mmo that I feel have more interesting gear options and choices even if it's a illusion of choice as some may say. /Shurgs

[odie]

I honestly burned out and took a break, plus real life things took priority. I only recently came back because IRL friends play the game and wanted me to join them. I like to play the market and make money, plus be a badass Roegadyn. My favorite race in any game I've ever played.

[popotaro]

For the REAL end-game content: GLAMOURS.

[Cold_Raven]

Yea I know it\\'s fun the first time, and I\\'m all for grinding to get something, but doing the same over and over again without any meaningful rewards or at least a sense of accomplishment is no bueno.

It's fine that you don't have fun in the game anymore.

I still have fun with it, though.

Your issues with the game seem to revolve around a single-player experience... the idea of playing a game to reach a goal within the game.
I can understand why such an idea causes so many frustrating problems within an MMO.

I don't play the game with such a focus.
I play the game because I like to be part of a team.
My main team is really small. Me and my wife run an FC. That FC has 3 other (active-ish) players in it.
And I have a few friends on the server I also consider to be part of "my team" (even if they don't know it )

That's it.
But that's the way I like it.
Small, understandable, not-overwhelming, and I can feel like I make a difference.
Not a difference in the game... I'm not doing any world-firsts. But a difference to my team.

As soon as I'm playing for "my team" and not "something in the game..." it no longer really matter what the actual content is.

I don't care if all the Expert dungeons are (fundamentally) the same thing.
I don't care if most content (fundamentally) is the same thing over and over.
I appreciate such things because they help refresh the background scenery.. but it's not why I play.

I play to be part of my team.
I want to be there for them... answer questions, provide help, provide support, joke around, relax, have fun.
I want people to rely on me. And I want to successfully fulfill that needed support.

I have a dude in my FC who stops playing for months... then returns for a month or two and repeats the process (he likes a bunch of other games, too.)
This is our general interaction:

"Hey Cold, nice to see you again, just returned. I have no idea what's been added in last few patches, what should I do?"
"Hey dude, good to hear from you again. Finish MSQ, open Expert, and don't miss the new 24-man raid for gear along with whatever you can get with Creation Tomes."
"Thanks! I'm on my way!! - Hey, I saw some cool dog-mount, I want one, how do I get it?"
"That's the mount like the ponies from earlier primals. Each new EX primal gives one out, RNG isn't too friendly yet, but just have to keep killing them."
"Sounds fun, later!"
"For sure, have fun!"

I *like* being the guy who can answer such questions very quickly and easily and help out.
I like being the FC who doesn't kick someone for leaving the game for a few months, and is there to welcome them when they return.
I like supplying glamors, melds or anything else I can to enhance the fun for the rest of my team.
I like chatting about the game, discovering/learning content-dances, and teaching it to others for the rest of my team who play regularly.

For me, it's all about "being part of a team."

I used to play a lot of rec-level sports for that part-of-a-team-feeling, but my body isn't capable of following what my mind thinks it should be doing anymore. I'm too old to treat it that way now (I'm 39). So I get that part-of-a-team-feeling from MMOs now. And FF14 is the best one I've found yet. It's smooth, fun, and contains lots and lots of really nice people to meet and hang out with.

Some teams last only 1 instance or 1 hunt or 1 meld request.
Others are parts of multiple runs for specific items (like wolf-farms or hunt-trains or going after a specific item).
Others still are very long-term with no end in sight (or desired).

That's why I play. I play for the team experience.
And I like video games, so it's fun for me to get that team-experience while playing a video game.

FF14 isn't a game I play to have fun.
FF14 is just the game I play while I'm having fun.

[Sentaryuu]

I still play because it is fun and I love my character. I love to collect glamour, mounts and, minions. I love to take screenshots. I love to level the jobs. It is the only mmo that really stuck. I've tried to move on to other games, but they don't keep my attention for long. Unless they release great mmo on the PS4, this is where I'll stay. This is also the one mmo that I can actually get other mounts without paying real money. Wish I could say friends, but I can't get anyone else but my sister to play with me.

[silverlunarfox]

My FC family. The casual feel of the game compared to other games I play. It's not all about the content but the memories within the game.

[Lyshell]

For the story and because I feel like it.

[Ameela]

There's nothing quite like the ecstasy of seeing all the hard work and failed PFs pay off when you finally get that sweet, sweet Duty Complete screen.
So basically I play hundreds of hours for a 15-minute high!

[Disappoint]

I challenge you to name a single worthwhile MMO for casual players that keeps a steady flow of content. Don't say WoW, it's an RNG grind hell right now.

[Ilan]

I challenge you to name a single worthwhile MMO for casual players that keeps a steady flow of content. Don't say WoW, it's an RNG grind hell right now.

But thats what they say about FFXIV because they don't get BiS Gear as soon as they are 70.

I still play because of my friends, the game itself doesn't really have much to offer to me since i stopped raiding.