Openly admitting to ignoring the players

[BooPoo]

I had to think about how to approach this post, or rather how to explain the developers choice of deliberately changing their design philosophy.

Currently, healers and tanks alike, even DPS's to an extend, are designed from a point of 1-10. That means our developers are creating jobs and mechanics associated around them with people of lower skill in mind. This will scale up with content in difficulty, as more mechanics and movement is involved. Say, your satisfaction with a job in easy content is surprisingly low. That is 1. because you enjoy content through the scope of your job, and 2. there simply isn't enough mechanics involved in dungeons and other content to make up for the lack of job actions to occupy you. As a healer, being forced to press 1-2 ad nauseam, while being heavily underwhelmed by the lack of engaging mechanics inside content, will wear you down.

The reason why pressing 1-1-1-1 or 1-2 works in other games like FPS games is essentially because you are occupied by a multitude of different processes. Your attention is being drawn away from the complexity of your class, because the brain cannot deal with 5-10 things happening at a time. The player input has to be drastically lowered as a result.

There will be a point when the amount of new players and influx will hit a plateu. The reason I showed this particular image associated with a panel held by Square Enix is simple. Right now, the common perception of this game is that they care deeply. As I like to analyze trends and see patterns emerging across, eventually once, there will be a dent in growth. Companies rely heavily on public perception to pitch their products and maximize their profits.

As long-time fans will become even more vocal over time, the perception that our developers care so much will start to crumble. The silent ones leave. Since they cannot manage the same numbers as they did previously, they will be hard-pressed to make a decision. The growth has ultimately stopped, and what's left are different factions; all asking for changes. It is impossible to satisfy them all. Increasingly, the company will put them under pressure for the lack of income growth. It's easy to see where all of this will lead.

As much as I agree healers need improvements I think the amount of healer players is still very very far from being able to make an impact. Also gotta count the ones who like the current design, have no complaint whatsoever, or simply don't care. Online forums are echo chambers and neither you or I know exactly how many of the actual healer players would go on protest for some changes that will happen only once an expansion.

You have to understand the people who come on official forums and participate in these discussions like you and me probably make up a negligible portion of the playerbase. Most players don't take part in optimizations, hardcore content, parsing etc. They are okay as long as the story is good, music is beautiful and contents are accessible (aka low skill floor). And SE seems to be able to do just that for the past few years.

[Shin96]

As much as I agree healers need improvements I think the amount of healer players is still very very far from being able to make an impact. Also gotta count the ones who like the current design, have no complaint whatsoever, or simply don't care.

You have to understand the people who come on official forums and participate in these discussions like you and me probably make up a negligible portion of the playerbase. Most players don't take part in optimizations, hardcore content, parsing etc. They are okay as long as the story is good, music is beautiful and contents are accessible (aka low skill floor). And SE seems to be able to do just that for the past few years.

It's correct that they manage to satisfy people that come for the story and music, or FF themes. But they like to deliberately excuse job and role design decisions around those players in mind. Holding back players because others cannot manage to accomplish the same results is a terrible idea. One man's frustration can make up for a thousand, and the silent majority do not set trends. As I have said, all of these choices are made by the developers themselves.

They should introduce optional difficulties. If most players are unable to play at an efficent pace, it makes sense to accommodate them this way. If they are bothered by pressing more than 1-2 buttons, I don't see what's hard by giving them the option to do that. I just don't want to be treated the same way honestly.

[BooPoo]

It's correct that they manage to satisfy people that come for the story and music, or FF themes. But they like to deliberately excuse job and role design decisions around those players in mind. Holding back players because others cannot manage to accomplish the same results is a terrible idea. One man's frustration can make up for a thousand, and the silent majority do not set trends. As I have said, all of these choices are made by the developers themselves.

They should introduce optional difficulties. If most players are unable to play at an efficent pace, it makes sense to accommodate them this way. If they are bothered by pressing more than 1-2 buttons, I don't see what's hard by giving them the option to do that. I just don't want to be treated the same way honestly.

I agree they should add ultimates beyond every savage content as long as it only drops better glamour to avoid FOMO for 99% of the playerbase.

[Shurrikhan]

I agree they should add ultimates beyond every savage content as long as it only drops better glamour to avoid FOMO for 99% of the playerbase.

Isn't that also going to be the most relevant reward for that same 99% of the playerbase.

Not getting something only useful to Ultimate is hardly going to be missed by those not doing Ultimate. But glowing more? That unites people.

[Deceptus]

It's correct that they manage to satisfy people that come for the story and music, or FF themes. But they like to deliberately excuse job and role design decisions around those players in mind. Holding back players because others cannot manage to accomplish the same results is a terrible idea.

This is what I don't understand about this. If someone wants to CureBot, that's fine, it's their sub. But they are NOT entitled to a group outside of the Duty Finder. Party finder is for like minded people trying to do content a certain way. Their Group, Their Rules (within the boundaries of the game). So fine, be a CureBot, but don't be surprised if you don't get many groups.

They should introduce optional difficulties. If most players are unable to play at an efficent pace, it makes sense to accommodate them this way. If they are bothered by pressing more than 1-2 buttons, I don't see what's hard by giving them the option to do that. I just don't want to be treated the same way honestly.

This already exists. It's called Normal Mode. EX, Unreal, Savage, and Ultimate exist for a reason on the broad spectrum of difficulty. Harder difficulties require more effort out of players to complete them.

[Shurrikhan]

This already exists. It's called Normal Mode. EX, Unreal, Savage, and Ultimate exist for a reason on the broad spectrum of difficulty. Harder difficulties require more effort out of players to complete them.

This is what I don't understand about this. This rationale is about as relevant as telling a village they needn't be starving because food exists... somewhere.

Yes, an actually compelling difficulty exists... somewhere within the game, but only if you happen to enjoy the means by which that difficulty is provided (e.g., ultra-scripted fights for "difficulty" in Ultimate or extremely long grinds for "difficulty" in solo PotD clears).

You enjoy 4-man content that's not merely a procedurally generated slog? No difficulty for you, I'm afraid. You'd like 8-man content that isn't painfully scripted or limited to perfectly rectangular or circular rooms? No can do, sorry.

At virtually no cost, though, compelling difficulty levels --as giving by having actual options within each different content types-- could exist for... any and all content. That is what your painful oversimplification ignores here.

[Liam_Harper]

Yes, an actually compelling difficulty exists... somewhere within the game, but only if you happen to enjoy the means by which that difficulty is provided (e.g., ultra-scripted fights for "difficulty" in Ultimate or extremely long grinds for "difficulty" in solo PotD clears).

You enjoy 4-man content that's not merely a procedurally generated slog? No difficulty for you, I'm afraid. You'd like 8-man content that isn't painfully scripted or limited to perfectly rectangular or circular rooms? No can do, sorry.

I agree. I like Savage and Ultimates so that itch is scratched somewhat, but there are a lot of things the game simply refuses to do because "a hard difficulty exists". I dislike that large scale raids are strictly limited to faceroll Duty Finder alliance or a niche tucked away somewhere like BA and DR. It's a shame there's no regular semi-casual flexible group sized large raids for FC's to progress in, guild raid night used to be the big thing to look forward to in other games.
4 man content is the other obvious one. It's either faceroll DF dungeons or "go solo PotD lol". I just don't like the format of PotD. It's not a dungeon. It's long, incredibly punishing in a bad way and locked to Save files. It's not something you can grab a few FC or friends and say "hey, anyone up for an EX dungeon or two" and just hop in for fun.

It's always either scripted 8 man, faceroll or full of weird mechanics and niches. But rarely ever just plain regular large raids or dungeons with a bit more bite.

[Gemina]

I agree. I like Savage and Ultimates so that itch is scratched somewhat, but there are a lot of things the game simply refuses to do because "a hard difficulty exists". I dislike that large scale raids are strictly limited to faceroll Duty Finder alliance or a niche tucked away somewhere like BA and DR. It's a shame there's no regular semi-casual flexible group sized large raids for FC's to progress in, guild raid night used to be the big thing to look forward to in other games.
4 man content is the other obvious one. It's either faceroll DF dungeons or "go solo PotD lol". I just don't like the format of PotD. It's not a dungeon. It's long, incredibly punishing in a bad way and locked to Save files. It's not something you can grab a few FC or friends and say "hey, anyone up for an EX dungeon or two" and just hop in for fun.

It's always either scripted 8 man, faceroll or full of weird mechanics and niches. But rarely ever just plain regular large raids or dungeons with a bit more bite.

This game tosses a plethora of content at players in both solo and group formats, and the difficulty range is quite fair for being an mmo wherein the majority of the playerbase has a nice comfort level of where they like to do content. I can't help but facepalm when I see gripes like this. If you are no longer finding anything engaging, I don't think it's the game's fault; I think you're just burned out. Don't take that offensively. It's not meant to be. It's meant to have you take a step back and look around. Imagine being a totally brand new player coming into FFXIV right now.

The majority of the playerbase don't do Ultimate, Savage, or even EX. I mention that not because it's difficult and intimidating to try, but because each of those can be considered their own content, and require their own time investment. The same can be said about content like big game fishing, expert level crafting, housing and gardening, Eureka and Bozja, PoTD and HoH, etc. It's a big 'ol amusement park, and most players don't have the time to try all the rides, or they establish a comfort zone with particular rides and don't want to try the others. You really should be able to find something engaging and fun. If you can't, then you might have to seek out that engagement and challenge elsewhere.

In any case, and still using the park metaphor; you can't hop off the rollercoaster and head over to the Ferris wheel and expect the same kind of thrill, yeah? Don't hop into dungeon after doing savage/ultimate and be like, "You know what would be cool? Some kind of enrage timer to make things interesting!"

[ty_taurus]

This game tosses a plethora of content at players in both solo and group formats, and the difficulty range is quite fair for being an mmo wherein the majority of the playerbase has a nice comfort level of where they like to do content. I can't help but facepalm when I see gripes like this. If you are no longer finding anything engaging, I don't think it's the game's fault; I think you're just burned out. Don't take that offensively. It's not meant to be. It's meant to have you take a step back and look around. Imagine being a totally brand new player coming into FFXIV right now.

The majority of the playerbase don't do Ultimate, Savage, or even EX. I mention that not because it's difficult and intimidating to try, but because each of those can be considered their own content, and require their own time investment. The same can be said about content like big game fishing, expert level crafting, housing and gardening, Eureka and Bozja, PoTD and HoH, etc. It's a big 'ol amusement park, and most players don't have the time to try all the rides, or they establish a comfort zone with particular rides and don't want to try the others. You really should be able to find something engaging and fun. If you can't, then you might have to seek out that engagement and challenge elsewhere.

In any case, and still using the park metaphor; you can't hop off the rollercoaster and head over to the Ferris wheel and expect the same kind of thrill, yeah? Don't hop into dungeon after doing savage/ultimate and be like, "You know what would be cool? Some kind of enrage timer to make things interesting!"

The thing is, your comment is disregarding the entire issue. For healer players, many of whom have become experienced with how healing plays have discovered that healing is very poorly designed for casual content. DPS jobs are engaging at all levels of play. It doesn't matter if it's Ultimate or if it's your dungeon roulette. Sure, Ultimate is still more engaging for those that want to scratch that itch, but even when you're doing your dailies, if you enjoy your DPS job's playstyle, then it's still fun. Meanwhile, once you've understood how healing plays, casual content basically asks you to do nothing. Healing requirements are trivial to which healers don't neve need to stop DPSing to keep the party healthy. I don't really understand why there are some people who find the idea of asking for a job to always be fun for as many players as possible rather than only fun if the fight is pushing you to your limit or you're just not a very experienced healer is such an outrageous request.

This is not a theme park where the content exclusively dictates the experience you receive. The quality of the job you play is half the ride.

[Liam_Harper]

I can't help but facepalm when I see gripes like this. If you are no longer finding anything engaging, I don't think it's the game's fault; I think you're just burned out. Don't take that offensively. It's not meant to be.

Whenever I read nonsense like this I facepalm too. We can facepalm at each other c:

I'm entitled to have preferences. I've never really liked dungeons, alliance raids or PotD ever since I started the game, so I haven't burnt on them, I just think they're bland, boring, throwaway content and always have. I still enjoy plenty of other content, great story, hard content is great, crafting is good, customization is good. Overall I like FF14. I just don't have strong preferences on their casual content. I think it's wasted potential that 4 man dungeons and alliance raids are solely limited to faceroll duty finder.