Discussing your 'unpopular' opinions

[Shurrikhan]

(1) I love PvP in many an MMO, yet can't get into it in this one. I don't know if it's more a matter of tuning, undermechanics, or aesthetics, but feeling like meandering cylinders with little interaction beyond sapping each other's numeric values just can't hold my attention. I want to enjoy it. I can readily imagine ways it could be changed such that I enjoy it, yet it's only gotten worse with time, imo (save for perhaps ARR -> HW).

(2) Players often confuse external balance (the idea that two (i.e. compositional) choices under a given premise are of equal weight or value) as the ends-all goal of development. Internal balance, the equal weight of choices across different premises (i.e. fights, compositions, and gear loadouts) allowing for more varied and individualized play, is often considered expendable, despite a larger contributor to "fun" -- even if tighter variance in viability is still required thereafter for cutting edge play. Too often players are willing to sacrifice the latter for quick payouts of the former, usually missing both (e.g. by overcompensating for fundamental issues elsewhere by just sticking more potency on already strong skills).

(3) There should be no distaste for the idea that everything amounts to primary contribution and that, as per every XIV fight--by choice, not by inherent need--all fights are completed through damage dealt, that that primary contribution will always be DPS over time. It's just common sense.

(4) Privacy in terms of performance is overrated and need not even be considered a "right". There's no benefit to keeping your poor performance private that is not equally a disbenefit to all you would hide that fact from. The only net change possible, then, is simply the guilt and/or sense of egotism over keeping up the pretense. It's best to just let the cards fall where they do, and limit discussion to improvement or praise, rather than bothering with 'white' or outright lies. (Yes, this is parser talk.)

(5) "Roles" are a misnomer. Specializations is a far more apt term. Just because a tank exists does not free you from the responsibility, when the tank is dead or d/ced and you are in the next-best position to carry it out, of saving your healers or moving mobs appropriately. Not being directly loaded with curative abilities does not free you from the responsibility to keep yourself and others alive, as best weavable to maintain best rDPS when considering that survival.

[Camiie]

My unpopular opinion:

Too many people think that they are or should be the sole arbiter of what is right or wrong with the game's design and other players. They believe that everything and everyone should operate to their personal preferences and arbitrary standards. There's too much arrogance, narcissism, and a serious lack of proper perspective within the community. While we are all entitled to our opinions and to express them, we are just players like everyone else and nothing we do in game will ever elevate us beyond that.

[Kallera]

I don't like being called the Warrior of Light.

And I kinda wish the Garleans actually got some points on the board with their armies. it seems the only times they and their magitek do well are when some backwater eorzean is controlling them, most often they end up defeating themselves, or act like card carrying villains, like Master tactician Zenos and his many fails.

[DracotheDragon]

My unpopular opinion

I think the game should raise the bar a little and stop aiming to the lowest common denominator in terms of difficulty

And steps of faith was a interesting fight and I would like to see more like it

[Reynhart]

And steps of faith was a interesting fight and I would like to see more like it

Nerfing it was the first sign of the Apocalypse

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Nerfing it was the first sign of the Apocalypse

Nah, that was Pharos "is too hard, and we're" Sirius.

[seraf]

In the next expansion they should add a new element to Black Mage. I still think a Water based spell is possible if they add a gauge add-on for the current gauge BLM already has for it. Keep using Fire IV and Blizzard IV to fill up a special gauge and when it's charged you can do something that is like a Dual Cast where you combine Blizzard IV and Fire IV together to make an even more powerful (potency) Water attack. I think it would be cool. It would change things up a bit for BLM.

I feel this is a bit unpopular because I've never seen anyone complain about the Black Mage spell elements before.

[Settiesama]

I feel this is a bit unpopular because I've never seen anyone complain about the Black Mage spell elements before.

The problem with this is it would pretty much go against the lore of the spells they use. Water belongs to Conjurers in the lore because it is a natural element. Red Mage is there for wielding all the elements and it's water spells are it's curative ones.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I feel this is a bit unpopular because I've never seen anyone complain about the Black Mage spell elements before.

Oh nah, it's just the even divide between natural elements and destructive ones between the White and Black magic schools. Wind, water, and earth are the natural, and Fire/lightning (thunder)/ice are the destructive.

[KaldeaSahaline]

I believe SE is under utilizing their cash shop. Players hate the idea that a lot of glam and mounts are on the Mog station, but the more revenue this game generates, the more SE will invest back into FFXIV.

Companies only spend money to make money. If SE sees that FFXIV can generate a lot more revenue than it currently does, it will give the developers a larger budget.

As someone who works in business let me tell you exactly how this meeting would go:

We made X $$ off mog station. It only cost pennies. The ROI is through the roof. Shift resources away from dungeon dev, to make more mog station stuff. Dungeons aren't getting us that kinda money and are costing too much dev time.

They'll reinvest it sure, it just won't be into the gameplay. That'd be what's called a BAD business decision for the consumer (good for the investors, #1 driving decision to any publicly traded company, which SE is).

2. Skip story potions bug the hell out of me. Even if it doesn't affect me personally it bothers me as a consumer that someone is willing to fork out money for a game then fork out extra to skip playing the game they just paid for.

I have a team of WoW raiders (all former top players) who'd love to try out the raiding content in this game with me, but honestly don't have any investment in the FF universe or characters (I do). We'd love to play together and try something new, but the game's barrier to entry for the type of fun they'll enjoy is far too staggering from both a financial and time standpoint.