Quote Originally Posted by Loggos View Post
I know that FF14 aims to be a theme park, where there is something for everyone and I really appreciate this idea.
And I really appreciate the effort you put into this post. You have some solid ideas and I agree with your perspective.

That being said, one thing I would just like to add - I too appreciate the idea of having something for everyone because it keeps the game profitable / supported and a thriving player base in a game that's (or at least should be) socially grounded is important!

But, having something for everyone doesn't mean EVERYTHING IS FOR EVERYONE. That's where most big mmos fuck it up imo. I know you're not saying that it should be, but it looks to me like that's what they're all trying to do. Make as much of the content accessible to as wide an audience as possible, which is great in theory but that requires stripping a lot of the elements that make gameplay unique and interesting in the first place.

By its nature things that are accessible to a broad range of interests, skill levels, commitment levels, etc. is going to be increasingly generic the more accessible it is. Everyone has to be able to accomplish everything except the hardest of the hard in end-game content (like savage raids). It doesn't have to be that way. Does your workplace lower expectations because you suck at your job? No. You either get better (be it through coaching or on your own time or w/e) or get fired.

Life in general is this way. If you aren't cutting it, it's not up to the world around you to change to accommodate you. There are millions of games out there - if ONE specific game is too challenging for you, then there's absolutely nothing wrong with spending a bit of time to increase your understanding (lets be real individual mechanics like APM are barely relevant in an mmo, its more about decision making and to some extent reaction time) if you really want to play that game, or just try a different one. I miss games that felt like they were made with love and passion, and consequently felt unique and interesting. Everything is so "safe" nowadays... I worked in the financial sector so I understand investor pressure and prioritizing your ROI but it doesn't have to be all or nothing. ESPECIALLY for a well established company.