FFXIV is reliable and consistent

[galbsadi]

Agreed. I have been back for about 4 weeks, and I have had to spend 4 weeks to gear up my main (dragoon) in mostly just 380/390. I don't have anything else really geared in anything other than 360, and some 370. So, dragoon is about it for me when it comes to end game content. Alts can make this easier, but it is a pain to level that up, and I don't want to spend the money to skip. Granted, in every mmo I play I am a one character main person, so it doesn't effect me as badly, but like you said being able to play any class on that one character is a major selling point.

I'm not sure I see this as a bad thing, to be fair. I mean, unless you're pushing savage raids (which you're probably not doing on anything other than DRG)...you can get more gear than you need for any content pretty much in unlimited quantities.

Sure, i380/i390/i400 gear is capped...and outside of savage raids you really don't need i380/i390/i400 gear. However, i360 gear is unlimited, and at i360 you can (other than savage raids) get into and complete any content currently in the game. i355 gear drops from dungeons and is also good enough for any content currently in the game (other than savage raids). i330/i340 gear is now basically free and unlocks most content in the game (other than alphascape). Finally, i380 gear can be crafted in unlimited quantities and again give any class of yours unlimited access to any part of the game INCLUDING savage raids. So, overall, there's nothing really stopping you from being able to do whatever content you want on any class on a single character.

Could this be revised so perhaps the crafted gear is i355, the dungeons are i360, and the unlimited tomestones i380? Sure, and that might make things easier for some people (at the cost of making crafting less valuable for the portion of the population that focuses on crafting).

Further, if one is really pushed to want multiple caps it's not that different from leveling an alt in another game (and in fact even costs about the same amount in total to buy the same skip you get in another game).

How would you recommend improving the situation without devaluing crafting...another aspect of this game that many people love and enjoy?

[BillyKaplan]

It might not be content you wanna do, but its there.

That is the double edged sword of the theme-park model. There's a little something for everybody in here, but that's about all there is. For players who enjoy very specific aspects of it, you run the risk of running out of things for them to do, especially when they spread content as thin as they do. And when they effectively leave you with only the one thing to do until the next thing you want is released, it causes burnout. If things were released together, a lot of people would've been able to alternate and keep themselves interested for longer periods because things wouldn't have lost their allure. But when patch cycle after patch cycle you only have this to do, and then you only have that to do, it's wearisome.
And that's before you get to other difficulties like how content outright runs out. I did level all my jobs. I did run certain quest lines to their end. And now I'm left hunts and mentor roulette farming.

To that you'll say "see, you do have content!"
To which I'll reply "yes, but what kind of content is it..."
I fully admit I'm logging on due to habit and because at 1500 S ranks I might as well push through. Sunk Cost Fallacies be damned. But while I admittedly continue to pad SE's pockets with my sub money, it did feel like I had more to do in HW without having to resort to the endless achievements.

[Laphael]

For me consistent patchcircle with down-times in between are great.

New Patch -> play new content for around 4-6 weeks
down time -> play other games, work on some longer achievements in ff14 for 4-6 weeks
New Patch -> hardcore grind ff14 again

Im doing not all content thats available (no pvp and no savage for example) but i still feel to have enough to do.
I have everything job at 70; im collecting mounts and minions, working casually on some achievements etc.

If ppl have only a special part of the game they are playing, they have to accept, that there is not enough content (FOR THEM) to do for a whole patch circle.
And ppl that have more time on there hands then the average player need to realise that too.

[BillyKaplan]

If ppl have only a special part of the game they are playing, they have to accept, that there is not enough content (FOR THEM) to do for a whole patch circle.

The problem is the game punishes you for those breaks Yoshi P keeps telling us we can take. Especially with the existing housing system. And when people feel compelled to log in because of how the game is designed (which includes, but is not limited to, when patches are released in relation to estimated sub renewal times) they're going to want better/more content.

[SturmChurro]

How would you recommend improving the situation without devaluing crafting...another aspect of this game that many people love and enjoy?

Well, granted, once you spend 7 weeks fully gearing a main class, it gets much easier to gear your alt classes. As far as I know, to craft that stuff on top of actually being a crafter, you also have to do the higher level content themselves to craft it. Good for crafters, not really for people who don't craft, (I don't) unless they have deep pockets. I am no game designer, I don't have any solution. Off the top of my head, maybe a way to grind out the gear slowly for people who don't craft, etc.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

The problem is the game punishes you for those breaks Yoshi P keeps telling us we can take. Especially with the existing housing system. And when people feel compelled to log in because of how the game is designed (which includes, but is not limited to, when patches are released in relation to estimated sub renewal times) they're going to want better/more content.

Not only housing, but if you did take the plunge into Eureka, it's much less a hassle when the crowds are more populated. What Yoshida conveniently leaves out of that PR statement is "but don't unsub." Now I'm under no delusion the dev could ever appeal to the sheer hours I can dedicate to this game should I choose. At the same time, I shouldn't be done with new content in a week. But more than a few times this expansion that has happened.

Have you leveled all the jobs? Done all of Hildebrand? Done your hunts. Raised your chocobos? FFXIV has a lot of content, in fact it can be too over whelming with content. It might not be content you wanna do, but its there.

Not only are they leveled, most are i370 or higher. I have yet to do Hildebrand, but he is a one and done activity. They only add two quests per odd patch. I'm not exactly missing content with a lot of longevity. I barely touch my chocobo because why? I don't use it for anything, though I have been leveling a racing chocobo. Hunts, sadly, can only be done at specific times and most get zerged out of existence, so not exactly riveting. Finished all the logs and about to finish Pyros even.

Believe me. I have done plenty in this game. When all you have to offer for longevity outside raids and Eureka is chocobo leveling, well, you've more or less proved my point.

[Laphael]

I always try to have "reasonable expectations" about games and content.
There are real people working on content in real time.

Of Course everyone can expect wonders, but then ppl will get disappointed for to high expectations.

FF14 did get better overall since ARR, at least from my point of view.

[galbsadi]

Well, granted, once you spend 7 weeks fully gearing a main class, it gets much easier to gear your alt classes. As far as I know, to craft that stuff on top of actually being a crafter, you also have to do the higher level content themselves to craft it. Good for crafters, not really for people who don't craft, (I don't) unless they have deep pockets. I am no game designer, I don't have any solution. Off the top of my head, maybe a way to grind out the gear slowly for people who don't craft, etc.

You have to appropriately upgrade your crafting gear, but you don't really have to do higher-end content at all to craft even the best craftable gear in the game HQ. In fact, there's a whole segment of the population (not me) who specifically ignores most combat content and makes a crafter their 'main' class...and it's quite viable for them.

[Renato]

The predictability has never been my problem with the game, but over SB, it felt like at patch they were spreading stuff very thinly over mini patches. I never felt that way during HW or ARR~

This is my issue as well. I don't know if I've just never noticed it in HW or what but it's really frustrating how SE teases a patch and everything that will be released within said patch only to break it up and release bits and pieces of it throughout the next couple months. For example how Eureka was announced for 4.2 but didn't come out until 4.25. (Two patches/Two Months later)

It gets really bad when they release repeatable content that is supposed to hold us over for 2-3 months like the MH crossover, HoH or Eureka and nothing else.

At the same time...I'm not really sure how to remedy this. Is it the content predictabilty that is annoying or is the content itself stale?

[galbsadi]

Have you leveled all the jobs?

Yes. Actually working on doing it all over again on a second character for shiggles.

Done all of Hildebrand?

All except the last patch worth, so maybe 15m worth of content. Close enough to 'yes.'

Done your hunts.

Yes.

Raised your chocobos?

Yes.

FFXIV has a lot of content, in fact it can be too over whelming with content. It might not be content you wanna do, but its there.

Some of us have been around for a long time, too. :P