The New Sage Icon, Thoughts?

[Theodric]

Where businesses are concerned there is no such thing as too much good PR.

From their perspective, certainly. From the perspective of customers who genuinely desire a healthy product, however...

It's a matter of equilibrium. Mindlessly bashing every decision made by the development team isn't a good thing, though nor is praising every last little decision. If anything, the latter is more dangerous since it leads development teams to pander and be led astray thinking that everything they're doing is great because even constructive criticism is drowned out as a consequence.

The situation gets further complicated when accounting for different tastes, desires and red lines.

[LaughingBanana]

How do you know it's a gesture at all? My money's on them randomly changing it, then utilizing the move to farm what they believed would be a little free PR from bleeding hearts. There's absolutely no reason to disregard the cynical perspective, here.

I usually tend to default viewing the positive side when something like this happening because I don't want to become more miserable than I already am.

[Krotoan]

Where businesses are concerned there is no such thing as too much good PR.

Business are concerned with Return On Investment as well and the weight of fabricating a lie to create that good pr is a bad one. So far the FFXIV dev team has had aversions to outright lying about things from the get go (though I have noticed several earlier promises have been conveniently forgotten). I don't think I've heard of them doing more than some smoke in regards to why things change, never just making things up.

Businesses in general do always have their own interests in mind for every decision.. but I cannot see how trying to spin this into some sort of PR boost benefits them more than creating a landmine that could explode later hurts them. EA said this? Would be skeptical. Coming straight from Yoshida? ... I have a little faith that this is more of a accommodation for something that might be a problem later than some sort of masked internal decision and grab for MORE good PR in a period in which all they have to do is keep their current standards and everyone seems to be doing the PR for them.

There's being safely skeptical about things that directly affect you, and then there's coming up with accusations like "changing the Sage icon is a design decision warped into a PR grab".

[Theodric]

I usually tend to default viewing the positive side when something like this happening because I don't want to become more miserable than I already am.

That's fair, but I think it's also important to remember that other people do not necessarily feel miserable just because they offer their take on something. Indeed, some people just enjoy discussing things in general be it something major or minor. To say nothing of the fact that the game has people from all over the world from many different backgrounds, cultures and countries.

That also goes for experiences as well. People who have seen first hand how public relations departments operate are going to have a more cynical take than those who have not.

If others wish to praise the decisions, major or minor, then they're free to do so. I simply think it's healthy not to expect every single person to go along with that. The FFXIV community isn't a hive mind, after all.

[Kiurai]

There is literally no reason for this thread to still be this active, half of it is arguments about the quality of the story (?!?!?) for whatever reason, completely baseless assumptions of the devs and other players intentions and pointless bickering about nothing. There is no reason this thread should be 43 pages long.

[Theodric]

There is literally no reason for this thread to still be this active, half of it is arguments about the quality of the story (?!?!?) for whatever reason, completely baseless assumptions of the devs and other players intentions and pointless bickering about nothing. There is no reason this thread should be 43 pages long.

I agree. The thread should have died off many pages ago. Equally, though, when people fling insults and indulge in attempts at character assassination then it is fair for those in turn to push back against such abhorrent commentary.

[Bellsong]

There is literally no reason for this thread to still be this active, half of it is arguments about the quality of the story (?!?!?) for whatever reason, completely baseless assumptions of the devs and other players intentions and pointless bickering about nothing. There is no reason this thread should be 43 pages long.

It only went so far in my opinion because people can't help but make emotional responses to certain posters comments when it's the same arguments and fallacies used to hurt individuals or groups in real life as well, which just causes said posters to double down on whatever slippery slope fallacy, whataboutism or cliche they were pushing in the first place, and that just feedback loops on itself forever and ever.

Not speaking for any one here but that's just my observation, either way this thread was an absolute blast to post in :v

[Wavaryen]

This thread is kinda proof about the quality of the forums. *gets popcorn*

I already said my peace. Icons not that big of a deal, and if it can easily change to make some people happy. Cool. That all that needs to be said. Even if you don't like how the new icon looks. Is that really that big of a deal?