Request: Can we go back the old patch model? Content is now spread too thin

[Renato]

I agree with the topic of this thread and have been saying this since the following patch of the SB launch when they announced that they would begin spreading content. I think the bottom line is that FFXIV now caters more to the players that are new to the game to the point where they feel like there is so much to do (which it is.) Content has been made easier and more accessible to draw in new players but in doing so they neglect the long time players why spreading content and removing the challenge.

I took the day off because of the patch and played it for about 3-4 hours...Then didn't pick it up again because I just wasn't having fun. I recently unsubbed after the last patch...Just as I did after the Kefka fight was released. I keep coming back in hopes that something will renew my interest in this game but I've come to the realization that there just isn't much keeping me attached to the game other than nostalgia and my love for the series. And after disappointment after disappointment, I'm just done with this game.

Nothing in this game holds value...That il370 weapon that people are mindlessly grinding for in Pagos will be trash come next patch cycle. HoH was finished in a week, trials and dungeons come and go. I'm tired of re-skinned weapons and armor. Tired of delayed content that literally is a copy of previous content. (HoH/PoTD and Animos/Pagos)

[MageBlack]

I kinda miss feeling a little overwhelmed and not knowing where i wanted to go first.

[Areic]

SE's low-tier content model and content is general is why we've went to play WoW's xpac and haven't touched FF14 more than maybe 3-4 times in the past month.

It's a shame because we used to want to play it everyday, all the way back from ARR but content either A: Takes forever to get out or B: Is just a complete repaste or minor rework of some old content. You could try to say it's just being burned out, but really they haven't been offering much new to get burnt out on.

Whereas the new expansion for WoW has been a blast so far, even just doing normal quest/dungeons has felt more fresh and fun than anything SE has released in the past half year, or with Stormblood in general really.

[Lunavi]

SE's low-tier content model and content is general is why we've went to play WoW's xpac and haven't touched FF14 more than maybe 3-4 times in the past month.

It's a shame because we used to want to play it everyday, all the way back from ARR but content either A: Takes forever to get out or B: Is just a complete repaste or minor rework of some old content. You could try to say it's just being burned out, but really they haven't been offering much new to get burnt out on.

Whereas the new expansion for WoW has been a blast so far, even just doing normal quest/dungeons has felt more fresh and fun than anything SE has released in the past half year, or with Stormblood in general really.

Yeah, WoW definitely had a very good expansion last expansion. Mythic+ really saved that game from the raid or die environment that game had. Now, if only FFXIV could solve that same problem next expansion and always have something for people to work on on all skill levels it would be great as there would be two great MMOs on the market.

[Anselmet]

I don't understand them pushing Pagos out after HoH. I really think if they are spread thin and they had to make a choice, then HoH should have been the one to get pushed back. Now, I understand that Pagos is more work to make, but seeing how its the way we get our relic weapon it needed to be at the start of the patch not a few weeks out from the next patch. But I honestly don't mind them releasing stuff here and there. Because my issue with HW was I'd beat everything that I was interested in (I wasn't doing savage like I am now) and then have nothing to do for a month or two. Now I get a few weeks where I don't really play then I'll play for quite a bit until something else is released. Which is nice cuz I got sick of Tsukuyomi and my classes that needed her weapon have it. Took a few weeks off then HoH came out and i grounded til I had what I wanted.Got sick of doing the daily grind on savage for gear that is about to outdated and took some time off then Ratholos and Pagos came out now I am playing again. I don't think this is a bad formula. I just think they're catering to an audience than those who make this game their main squeeze with little breaks in between. Don't get me wrong, I play this game the most, I just can see why and how this formula works vs what we got during ARR/HW.

[Clover_Blake]

I don't know what the best course of action might be, but I do remember back in the day, when they released everything at once. After a week or two, people would have devoured the content and would start complaining that there was "NOTHING ELSE TO DO", mad at how Yoshida dared to tell them to have a life or play other games between patches. I understand why they'd want to try the spreading out content formula, so people have something to look up for every month. However, this method is also making people unhappy.

In the end, you simply can't please everyone. There'll be complaints.

The ludicrous part of what you're saying is that the whole reason why eureka exists is because people kept complaining on doing old content over and over, and that feedback likely got to them via one route or another.

I don't care either route for the relic, but seeing the community flip flop like this is both a reason to laugh and facepalm.

This too.
I personally enjoyed Eureka a lot, it's the first time I completed a step of my relic with two characters -laughs-. I haven't tried Pagos much yet (engaged in MHW at the moment), but I'll get to it eventually.

[Alleo]

I don't know what the best course of action might be, but I do remember back in the day, when they released everything at once. After a week or two, people would have devoured the content and would start complaining that there was "NOTHING ELSE TO DO", mad at how Yoshida dared to tell them to have a life or play other games between patches. I understand why they'd want to try the spreading out content formula, so people have something to look up for every month. However, this method is also making people unhappy.

In the end, you simply can't please everyone. There'll be complaints.

You can never truly please those that really rush through content. I mean if you no life the game there wont be enough to do. But even if you play casually you will have done most of what the patch had to offer in max a week and with the splitting of the content maybe even faster. In the past people that rushed through content that normally takes some time for casual players could also just unsub and wait for the next patch. Now they have to sub again and again for each splitted patch content (which they will go through even faster) thus they are kinda waisting money on this. But you will also have casuals that will go through this fast because there is nothing much else new so even they might have nothing to do. (Other than giving yourself other tasks, doing achievements and stuff like that) So any more content that is not seen as that good for quite a part of the community is another point where people will just unsub..combine that with the release of WoWs expansion and you might lose quite some subs..

So the big problem imo is that even the more casual playing gamers go through new stuff too fast or have something that is too much..we need a better middle ground. Something that might still be cleared fast by no lifers but still be achievable by casuals.

[InkstainedGwyn]

Giving me content that lasts an hour, maybe four hours tops if you're counting first .x release, every month doesn't really make it any better than giving me 8 hours of content one month and then holding for 4 months. At least when I have everything at once, I'm more likely to alternate - an hour of Eureka here, a night of HoH there, some crafting for gil later - but when I only have one thing to focus on I'm going to burn out on it. Maybe more rewards from places like HoH, Eureka, Canals need to be bound. Give me a reason to run these things short of "the items are now 10 gil so I'll just buy what I want." I don't know. I just know that even Swallow's Compass, which I loved, got old after a few weeks of running it nightly.

[RTX3080]

Besides the fact that Pagos just isn't fun, a big factor here is that Yoshida delayed Pagos by an entire month and a week just to try to spread content over the patch cycle. If Pagos had come out with HoH we at least would have had some use for that weapon, but as it is right now we're ~4 weeks away from 4.4 with a 30 item level increase, how do we justify having people grind for 2-3 weeks just to use a weapon for 1-2 weeks?

This was a question actually asked in the last live letter and Yoshida's answer was that they always split content, but content was never spread this thin before, normally we would have 4.3 and 4.35 with every other patch being minor changes, now we have major content being split into 4.3 4.31 4.35 4.36, it just makes the content drought more visible and discourages people from sticking around to wait for new content.

Don't trust the live letter... listen to your heart and ignore the apologists. The answer is FF16.