Is it maybe time for a full infrastructure rebuild? (Re: Database and netcode issues)

[RichardButte]

The OP's post really hits the nail on the head. SE rushed the hell out of their database and netcoding design process when they were making 2.0. And if they don't spend some time getting their act together, the whole thing is just going to collapse in on itself someday.

This.

It's not going to be an option, and we're going to hit the point where they'll need to start deleting expansion items from the game to make room for new ones.

Remember that chest piece appearance you're so fond of? Better not get too attached to it...

They are better off creating a brand new FF MMO at that point.

Even if, logistics-wise, that's what they'd be doing, the story, setting, and content of this game are still very much loved by the community.

We're not talking about rebuilding the ENTIRE game from scratch, just about updating database and netcode.

Again, they built 2.0 WHILE maintaining and updating 1.0, and that required rebuilding nearly everything except some parts of major cities, since the old world was built from copy-pasta.

[Tridus]

I dont really know anything about data and coding, but I am pretty sure that a list that shows the stuff thats been made or worn has to be less intense on the system than having to actually carry the item, or have it stored on a retainer... I agree. It doesnt need to be overcomplicated at all

Yeah. The WoW system knows if you've unlocked it, which means "had it in your possession at some point". When you do that with a lot of items, you can track that with 1 bit. So you can track unlocks on a huge number of items in a small amount of storage space. That doesn't let you track dye or anything like that, but for unlock purposes it doesn't matter (you'd need to dye it as part of the glamour process instead, in that case). AFAIK the armoire works like that right now, which is why only certain items can go in it.

The glamour closet is working more like inventory, in which case you have to store which items are in it. That require at a minimum some kind of item key to indicate what item is in that slot, and possibly also a slot number if it's not a fixed data structure like an array. In this case you don't need a quantity because you can't have more than one of a given item in the slot. But an item key is a bigger value to store, so you need more storage space to do it if you want to store a large number of things in there.

Without knowing what their backend looks like it's hard to know why they chose to go that way considering the limitations it creates. Perhaps they didn't have the budget to sort out how to do a dye on a glamour of an item without doing it on the item itself, which would be a problem in a WoW system and likely doesn't exist in this one (assuming it works the old way where you'd dye the item itself and then cast the glamour).

I bet it'd be really fascinating if we could ever get a technical talk from someone on the team about why this stuff works the way it does.

[Minako_Nightsong]

I agree with the statements of the OP but there is another option they might consider. They could age out the game. When that day comes that they can no longer make patches or expansions they simply do not make more. At that time the game has concluded it's natural life cycle and the cost of rebuilding the engine is more than the profits to be made by continuing for a few more years.

I think they do need to go through their main story questline and revamp it for new or returning players. It's a huge turn off at level 50 and cost them money on lost business. An mmo should be prepared to streamline old content as it ages. Things like a housing revamp so that everyone can get an apartment and maybe fix that animation where people appear to run in place sometimes and other times seem to slide across the screen would help attract and retain customers.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

An infrastructure overhaul of that magnitude will likely never occur. They are better off creating a brand new FF MMO at that point. We are seeing gradually deviations away from 1.0 code but a complete overhaul just doesn't happen to an active game. Citing that because FFXIV managed to recover once following 1.x's shutdown doesn't mean they can do it again without player revolt. Keep in mind, to the average player, nothing is amiss. Sure, they may want more QoL features but they likely wouldn't agree with temporarily shutting down the game or to have it remain without much content for an extended period of time.

At best, any significant changes such an infrastructure won't occur outside expansions.

[Gleipni]

I don't think this is feasible without going through 6 months + of no new content. They would basically have to halt content production and refocus everyone on porting to a new engine, new design, new everything. Game would die.

Hum...its already happening that SE give us no content for 6 month,so yeah they can use that time to do it

[Balipu]

Hum...its already happening that SE give us no content for 6 month

In what universe? Big numbered patches are 3 and a half months appart. You are cofusing this with World of Warcraft, my friend.

[Vstarstruck]

In what universe? Big numbered patches are 3 and a half months appart. You are cofusing this with World of Warcraft, my friend.

At least try to understand where people are coming from, do you ever talk to others? People been feeling drought for a while. It is not something I personally fully agree with as I do value trying to improve the game.. but..:

Omega: Deltascape is the first section of Omega, the main 8-player raid in Stormblood. Released on July 4, 2017, Deltascape requires players with item level of 295 or higher to enter. Once unlocked, the raid can be queued from the Duty Finder.

Since this they added very little as far as content. The problem with FFXIV is that it struggles to make content last so people get board after a month.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

At least try to understand where people are coming from, do you ever talk to others? People been feeling drought for a while. It is not something I personally fully agree with as I do value trying to improve the game.. but..:

Omega: Deltascape is the first section of Omega, the main 8-player raid in Stormblood. Released on July 4, 2017, Deltascape requires players with item level of 295 or higher to enter. Once unlocked, the raid can be queued from the Duty Finder.

Since this they added very little as far as content. The problem with FFXIV is that it struggles to make content last so people get board after a month.

Except the last content patch was in October. 3 months ago. That is not 6 months.

[Maero]

Both the coding in the game and the game launcher/updater itself is rather outdated (the launcher is rather bad) but i agree with Valkyrie here. From a standpoint of SE it would probably not be feasible nor would they dedicate time+ resources.
It is unfortunate.

[RichardButte]

From a standpoint of SE it would probably not be feasible nor would they dedicate time+ resources.
It is unfortunate.

It's not...optional, unless they start actually removing entire expansions worth of items from the game or something to that effect.

If the database is THIS limiting to what they can and cannot do with the game, it's literally only a matter of time before they can go no further with it and need to do a full revamp anyway.

Better sooner than later.