Why are you still playing this game?

[BluexBird]

I should probably start off by saying FFXIV isn't a BAD game. However, it has been the worst MMO out of the many ones I have played in A LOT of aspects, to the point where it has frustrated me beyond end in several occasions. If it wasn't for the one thing this game does amazingly well compared to the others, I would have canceled my subscription a long time ago.

In order to keep it short, I'm just going to outline the things that this game utterly fails at in comparison to a lot of other MMOs:

Inventory Management: I'm not talking about inventory space. I'm talking about the fact that you have to rely on retainers to store PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING! This is especially frustrating when you get into crafting.

Story: The level 1-50 story is EXTREMELY BORING! It just felt like the biggest grind I've ever done in any of the games I've ever played. It starts to pick up afterwards, but DAMNNN... for a Final Fantasy game I did not expect so much pointless running around.

Maps and Exploration: There's barely any. And no incentive to explore, either. Nothing about the maps are special in any way. FATEs are incredibly linear and don't give any worthwhile rewards. Not to mention 99% of the time, you'll be doing them alone. There should be more things like Odin, Ixion, and Fox Lady in some of the other maps.

Combat: It would be unfair to compare this game to the combat in BnS and GW2, but when you consider the fact that even WoW has a lot more depth to its combat, skill usage, and playstyle, I just can't help but wonder if they really couldn't have gone with something... more exciting? The fact that rotations remain the same in every single fight kinda takes the fun away from things after a while.

Now as for the reason I'm still playing, it's because what this game DOES excel at, is something the other MMOs could really learn a thing or two about - RAIDS AND BOSS FIGHTS! When it comes to challenging fights and feelings of accomplishment for completing a trial, FFXIV takes the cake. I remember reaching level 50 after the TERRIBLE grind that was the MSQ, and being able to do all the Extreme primals. I just stopped leveling and spent like 2 weeks doing those fights over and over again until I was literally bored because of how much fun they were. And then it just kept getting better from there. I found out about Alexander and immediately became wonder-struck.

And that is literally why I kept playing. And why I still play. Because of the raids and challenging content. I only ever log on to do raids and boss fights, see if I can improve a thing or too. And it just PAINS me to see certain parts of the game in the state it's currently is. How nobody ever does the older content properly and just cheeses it with overpowered gear and level advantages. It KILLS me to see the only way to make money is by going through the HORRIBLE GRIND that is leveling up your crafters/gatherers. And for what? So you can make money FOR WHAT?! Housing that you can't even get? Like... there just doesn't seem any point to it. But as long as new challenging fights keep coming out, I guess I'll be sticking around.

Plus running around as a tiny potato is also kinda fun I guess. >.>