Is the community wrong?

[JackHatchet]

I've taken a break from FFXIV to enjoy Warcraft, but I still enjoyed FFXIV when I played, and like to check in with the community from time to time.

I remember reading reports that FFXIV's sub numbers are the highest they've ever been, and that the game is massively successful. Yet when I try to see how everyone is doing--it's all complaints about Eureka or the companion app, or something else.

I guess I'm confused as to why the sub numbers would be at an all time high if people were actively unhappy with the state of the game and its direction.

[Mahrze]

This community lives in hyperbole.

They literally can't even. Every. Single. Patch.

[WhiteArchmage]

Welcome to the FF fanbase, where every new game sucks and will spell the end of SE but everyone is still gonna buy it. Not to say SE is a perfect company, or this game is perfect or anything like that, but the amount of hate over every. single. piece of. content. is staggering.

[KaldeaSahaline]

I've taken a break from FFXIV to enjoy Warcraft, but I still enjoyed FFXIV when I played, and like to check in with the community from time to time.

I remember reading reports that FFXIV's sub numbers are the highest they've ever been, and that the game is massively successful. Yet when I try to see how everyone is doing--it's all complaints about Eureka or the companion app, or something else.

I guess I'm confused as to why the sub numbers would be at an all time high if people were actively unhappy with the state of the game and its direction.

1) You probably read the expansion launch announcement (was it really a year ago? geez) where they did report the highest sub numbers they've ever had. That's normal with the launch of the expansion. That doesn't mean sub numbers were high in 3.5, or that they're high now in 4.3. We don't have concrete data, but there's evidence of a lot of players taking breaks and being unhappy with some decisions as of late. IMO - more so than in the past.

2) Massively successful is much tougher to quantify externally. It could be financially successful, but still not be good (A la launch D3 being a good example). I'd argue they've dropped the ball on meeting expectations a bit, but RDM and SAM as new jobs probably carried a lot of box sales.

Without data it's hard to speculate, but my feelings indicate that the expansion itself was probably very successful financially (they've said as much), but I'd posit that the subscription numbers don't match the expansion sales over/under indicating a lack of incentive to remain subbed, which we've seen the community echo frequently.

[Nixxe]

A game can easily go from hero to zero in only a few patch cycles if they screw it up badly enough. I'm pretty sure the talk of the highest number of subs ever is already a bit dated and there has been enough time for people to unsub. Since you play WoW, surely you are aware of what happened to the subscription numbers immediately following the release of Warlords of Draenor. Negativity tends to get more focus than positivity, both because negativity is experienced more strongly and because players who are happy are less time to spend time not playing the game they're enjoying to post their thoughts. However, I do think a lot of people feel Stormblood has been pretty lackluster, being mostly an uninspired copy and paste of Heavensward that's light on content with some glaring deficits in large portions of what little content there is (Eureka).

In any case, the game is the game. Take it or leave it. Post your opinions if you want, but it's best to not spend too much time fretting about what other people think of it.

[SenorPatty]

You're looking at the wrong part of the community. The forums are used for venting/suggestions. If you want to experience the "good" side of the community, stay in the game. Don't come here.



No really, don't come here.

[Theodric]

The complaints about Pagos are legitimate. There's some genuine health concerns being raised related to carpal tunnel syndrome.

[Baingoleth]

Someone who is upset is far more likely to complain than someone who is happy is likely to commend. I heard a statistic one time that on average 7 out of 10 people who don't like something will tell others whereas 3 out of 10 people who like something will tell others. I don't know how accurate that is but I think there is truth to it.

[TheMightyMollusk]

This isn't a forum so much as it's a salt mine. Don't take it too seriously.

[Wolf_Heartnet]

Whoever is saying that the subs are as highest as its ever been is not telling the truth. Give me a source to that cause as far as I know from the census reports is that the playerbase is dropping. The highest I recall it ever being was 200k+ more than now and with Square spreading out the content of a patch by taking out the content and then spreading them out monthly is done to retain subs due to the falling number of it.