Shadowbringers starting to feel like a budget expansion

[grinkdaboy]

from how little content we've gotten this expansion compared to previous ones is making me wonder why xiv is so underfunded. so let's have a quick review shall we

Au Ra could wear headgear at launch
Au Ra could wear all hairstyles at launch
Au Ra had both genders
SAM and RDM still got level 60 primal and tome weapons despite being outdated content, and everything from level 50.
They got: Bismarck, Ravana, Thordan, Sephirot, Sophia, Nidhogg, Zurvan, All tome weapons (Hellfire and Shire), All three Alexander raid tiers. On top of all the base primals like Shiva and Ifrit, etc.
SAM and RDM both had PVP weapon models right away.
SAM and RDM continued to have new models added through 60+ content
Stormblood had new PVP content and glamours shipped out the gate.
Stormblood launched with a complete PVP overhaul (not a good thing though)
3 dungeons per patch in HW
2 dungeons per patch in SB
Relics that took longer than an hour to get
Savages had unique and innovative mechanics
2 Ultimates
Deep dungeons

but in Shadowbringers...
Viera cannot wear most headgear
Viera cannot use all hairstyles
Viera are gender locked
Hrothgar cannot wear most headgear
Hrothgar have 4 hairstyles and cannot change that at the aesthetician
Hrothgar are gender locked
GNB and DNC have had two starting weapon models made for them (Shire and the steel one you start with)
GNB and DNC got nothing else in the level 60 range.
GNB and DNC got none of the level 70 weapons beyond Scaevan, Ryumakyu and Omega, not a single primal at launch.
No: Susano, Shinryu, Byakko, Tsukuyomi, Suzaku, Seiryu, UCoB or UWU, A SINGLE omega raid tier, and only 2 tome weapons. Not even the basic primal weapons from ARR that everybody has at launch.
GNB and DNC have about 20 total unique weapon models, the rest being reskins. Yes even the new ultimate alex weapons are just reskinned Shire and Forgiven weapons.
Shadowbringers PVP glams almost didn't happen but yoshida needed somewhere to put the contest design winner from Stormblood.
1 dungeon per patch
No crafted SB primal weapons at launch
1 ultimate
No deep dungeon
Savage fights designed by B-team

[Theodric]

I'm just hoping that the development team are secretly working on some big surprises behind the scenes and that is the reason why some things feel a tad rushed/incomplete. The lack of a direct rival MMO also doesn't help matters much, I suppose.

[yukiiyuki]

They tried to increase quality with same team and budget they had before, maybe even less, because they working on new FF main title with Yoshi P in lead. Base game was good, but patches is where game began to show cracks, almost all PVE went to boss in circles, they reusing so many assets in new wrapper, new races fiasco, making game easier for masses, slowly turning it into social platform. Game was different in ARR, even in HW they had different approach to the game. Maybe someday they'll stop the train of sheldued content and think about future of the game and how they want to see it, instead of mindlessly repeating same content over and over again, sometimes delivering cool ideas, that dies within a week. Or, they can continue doing half baked things in rush, but adding more emotes, stuff for social interaction etc. People love it, it's an MMO for lazy people, you can't find that on market, and money will keep this game for a long time in this state. And yes, I'm pretty sure that instead of hiring and teaching new people or maybe at least outsourcing, they trying their best to bring us 2.5 hairs on new races and maybe even bring missing genders. Of course they'll have reused bodies with unique heads that can't use older hairstyles. That means that very unlikely we get new character customization options or upgrated graphics in terms on textures and AA.
Still waiting minion farm btw.

[Reap00]

from how little content we've gotten this expansion compared to previous ones is making me wonder why xiv is so underfunded. so let's have a quick review shall we

Au Ra could wear headgear at launch
Au Ra could wear all hairstyles at launch
Au Ra had both genders
SAM and RDM still got level 60 primal and tome weapons despite being outdated content, and everything from level 50.
They got: Bismarck, Ravana, Thordan, Sephirot, Sophia, Nidhogg, Zurvan, All tome weapons (Hellfire and Shire), All three Alexander raid tiers. On top of all the base primals like Shiva and Ifrit, etc.
SAM and RDM both had PVP weapon models right away.
SAM and RDM continued to have new models added through 60+ content
Stormblood had new PVP content and glamours shipped out the gate.
Stormblood launched with a complete PVP overhaul (not a good thing though)
3 dungeons per patch in HW
2 dungeons per patch in SB
Relics that took longer than an hour to get
Savages had unique and innovative mechanics
2 Ultimates
Deep dungeons

but in Shadowbringers...
Viera cannot wear most headgear
Viera cannot use all hairstyles
Viera are gender locked
Hrothgar cannot wear most headgear
Hrothgar have 4 hairstyles and cannot change that at the aesthetician
Hrothgar are gender locked
GNB and DNC have had two starting weapon models made for them (Shire and the steel one you start with)
GNB and DNC got nothing else in the level 60 range.
GNB and DNC got none of the level 70 weapons beyond Scaevan, Ryumakyu and Omega, not a single primal at launch.
No: Susano, Shinryu, Byakko, Tsukuyomi, Suzaku, Seiryu, UCoB or UWU, A SINGLE omega raid tier, and only 2 tome weapons. Not even the basic primal weapons from ARR that everybody has at launch.
GNB and DNC have about 20 total unique weapon models, the rest being reskins. Yes even the new ultimate alex weapons are just reskinned Shire and Forgiven weapons.
Shadowbringers PVP glams almost didn't happen but yoshida needed somewhere to put the contest design winner from Stormblood.
1 dungeon per patch
No crafted SB primal weapons at launch
1 ultimate
No deep dungeon
Savage fights designed by B-team

If you are not enjoying the game you can take a break. I know its crazy talk but you can especially considering how easy it is to catch up by design. I could respond to everything you have gripes about but it won't resolve anything or change your mind so I won't waste the time.

[grinkdaboy]

taking a break won't suddenly make them make more content

[yukiiyuki]

taking a break won't suddenly make them make more content

It's their polite form of f... off, game is perfect, take your criticism and go play another MMO, because talking about negative side of game is taboo, you can even get death threats. Still remember that time with Scott when he just once critiqued how Raiding scene is done in FF, ended up with someone actually stalked his irl address, fun times. GCBTW.

[AlliciaCapulet]

Sadly, I totally agree with OP. I feels like this game will die at this rate, I've been playing since arr, and on arr, HW and SB I was playing this game from few to lots of hours every weeks... Now... I do the content at the release of a patch, then wait 1-2 month to get new things, repeat. I'm even considering stopping my sub/retainers, I still pay for 10 retainers...

[yukiiyuki]

Sadly, I totally agree with OP. I feels like this game will die at this rate, I've been playing since arr, and on arr, HW and SB I was playing this game from few to lots of hours every weeks... Now... I do the content at the release of a patch, then wait 1-2 month to get new things, repeat. I'm even considering stopping my sub/retainers, I still pay for 10 retainers...

It won't die, as I said, it's pretty good social platform. But if Blue Protocol will be a hit and a good game, mostly medium and high core gamers will switch to it, if it will provide more content and variety of it, it will be selling point. And it's direct competitor to XIV, because it's story based Japanese MMO.

[Reap00]

It's their polite form of f... off, game is perfect, take your criticism and go play another MMO, because talking about negative side of game is taboo, you can even get death threats. Still remember that time with Scott when he just once critiqued how Raiding scene is done in FF, ended up with someone actually stalked his irl address, fun times. GCBTW.

Thats a pretty huge jump there pal. That was absolutely not my intention when I wrote the reply. The producer/director himself has said on more than one occasion that he encourages players to take breaks. Imagine this. You take a break for 3 months. VOILA! You come back to more content!

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

The savage fights are not designed by a b-team, they are new devs getting their feet wet with savage content. People complained they didn't have new people working on the game. We have new people now. Now you are complaining.

Also, it's unfair to say there's only 1 ultimate, when there's only the possibility for one ultimate at this point. Stormblood had 1 ultimate at this point in its life cycle.


Also, this game has over 80 dungeons now. We don't need a huge amount more.


The relic is what people asked for. Easy first step to get you the base weapon with more to come. Did you want a 30 hour grind for a 485 weapon?



It amazes me how the same people spend all their time here whining. If you want some new dungeons, get a group and go run some old ones at minimum ilvl, I'm sure you haven't run most of them in the last 6 months or more.