Quote Originally Posted by MOZZYSTAR View Post
To be fair, they have tried addressing these issues ^ multiple times. So, while it's not "satisfactory," they are trying and I think that counts for something.
(I'm not going off on you, promise, just going off in general here!)

I think the issue for me that their attempts to fix these problems are often half-hearted, make the issues worse, or are the most roundabout and least user-friendly options possible, which only make sense in the context of "We don't actually want or have the resources to make any of the many, many necessary infrastructure changes our game badly needs." Chocobo saddlebags? Glamour dresser? More housing wards? They keep slapping bandaids on bone-deep lacerations. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other MMOs (many of which don't even have subscription fees!) in which basic, central features such as glamour and inventory are handled in significantly more reasonable and manageable ways. But we're supposed to be grateful that they're "trying" to fix issues that games ten years older than FFXIV managed to completely avoid? Yikes!

"But their hands are tied because the game's still based on the old code!" Yes, I'm aware. Except now it's been five years--which is two years longer than the first iteration of this game even existed. How long are we supposed to keep buying the idea they have no means to improve their own game's back-end? Is ten more years enough time to expect the infrastructure improvements this game needs just to put some of its most basic features on par with MMOs that have already existed for years? When we just received confirmation that it will be at least three years before any major character customization changes are even considered, the threads about "should they improve this game or just make a new one" aren't even jokes at this point...

I see where you're coming from, and I agree that some attempts to plug up the bleeding wounds are better than no attempts at all, but at some point I feel like I really just have to ask myself: "How long am I okay with things that are 'not satisfactory'?"

As you, me, and others have said, the seeming inattention to the long-term feels very real. The complete lack of transparency on whether anything significant is being done to address the game's severe server and code problems is worrisome because it implies an across-the-board lack of room to innovate, expand, and surprise. Character customization, housing, and gear cannot be the only things suffering from these oh-so-often cited limitations--not now and definitely not two expansions from now.

Which just leaves a terrible taste in my mouth, because I really do love this game. I want to see it grow and thrive for years to come. I don't want to feel like a game I love is already stagnating, barely five years into its (already re-made) run.

All this to say, I guess, that yes, I do think the developers of this game are out of touch. Not because they resent having to answer repetitive "fluff" questions, but because they don't seem to recognize their consistent failure to sufficiently address these fluff concerns is, over time, revealing a systemic inability to address players' greater wants and expectations. Every time I see responses like "We don't have plans for that" or "That would be very difficult to implement, so it is not likely," I'm just left with the thought: "But you expect me to trust that you'll produce innovative, unique, and fun content in other areas instead?" We can't even get solid answers about some of the most basic player desires, but I'm supposed to believe that there are awesome, fresh, never-before-seen things in development for this game that will be revealed if I just wait long enough?



It's just not a good situation when ^ that's how community outreach from the team leaves me feeling.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.