Player and developer communication

[Maxilor]

Saying the devs don't listen to the players while meaning they don't specifically listen to you.

If you ask 10 players what they want to have changed on a particular job, you'll get 6 different answers.
Some want it harder, some easier, some more utility, some more mobility while using skills, etc.
So, how are they supposed to make everyone happy?

The devs do communicate, they just say something you might not like.

They can't make everyone happy and they never will, which is why for the most part player's opinions on job changes are filed directly into the trash can.

Like the example you gave, ask 100 Players what to change about a certain job and you'll get 100 different answers.

But when something is so awful, so broken that those same 100 players all agree on it... That's when the devs should begin to listen.

[Kes13a]

But when something is so awful, so broken that those same 100 players all agree on it... That's when the devs should begin to listen.

not really.

you have 100 raiders from that other game that want things like they were in the other game. or 100 pvpers wanting open world pvp.

in your theory, they are more important than the vast number of people against that?

unfortunately, or fortunately, game companies are not democracies, its their vision. could there be a bit more communication? sure, why not. ever play Wildstar? they started listening to their players... hmmm.. where is that game today? Or that other game, they listened to high end raiders, and where is it today?

the player is not always worth being listened to. plain and simple.

[Maxilor]

not really.

you have 100 raiders from that other game that want things like they were in the other game. or 100 pvpers wanting open world pvp.

in your theory, they are more important than the vast number of people against that?

unfortunately, or fortunately, game companies are not democracies, its their vision. could there be a bit more communication? sure, why not. ever play Wildstar? they started listening to their players... hmmm.. where is that game today? Or that other game, they listened to high end raiders, and where is it today?

the player is not always worth being listened to. plain and simple.

That was just an example I made, but in real life we would be considering the entire player base and each individuals opinions.

If the great majority of a player base all agrees that a certain job is unfun, or is broken in some way should their feedback not be taken into consideration?

BTW i'm not talking about the loud minority on the forums.

[Caurcas]

I doubt the devs actually take any community feed back. Even JP feedback. Just look at the state of MCH, or WHM. The state of tanking and healing as a whole. The list goes on and on.

[StriderShinryu]

I doubt the devs actually take any community feed back. Even JP feedback. Just look at the state of MCH, or WHM. The state of tanking and healing as a whole. The list goes on and on.

Reaper and male Viera exist pretty much exclusively because of player feedback. So.. yeah.

[Ayche]

When the customer base jumps up a magnitude, direct communication pretty much has to go.
For multiple reasons, but even for the sake of fairness, you cannot give this, unspecific, concentration of players more attention than this other group of players, even if they are more vocal about it.
Let's think about the numbers they are willing to release. In a chart shared with the press, the game had 4 million registered users in 2015, then hit 10 million at the release of third expansion Stormblood in 2017. And then 24 million announced before Endwalker.
In face of such growth, singular voices become more and more insignificant really.

[Caurcas]

Reaper and male Viera exist pretty much exclusively because of player feedback. So.. yeah.

And male Viera are a second class race like FViera and Hrothgar....so what feedback they take they implement half done.

[dapperfaffer]

And male Viera are a second class race like FViera and Hrothgar....so what feedback they take they implement half done.

Thats because both male and female Viera are modified Miqo'te and Hrothgar males are modified Roe skeletons.

[Vrankyl]

And male Viera are a second class race like FViera and Hrothgar....so what feedback they take they implement half done.

Tbf Female Viera are also a thing only because SE was listening to player feedback. They were going to go all in with Hrothgar, but decided a bit later into the game to listen to the player demands since they wanted to stop making new races after that. Which shows they probably should have just ignored the requests for viera and stuck to their guns with Hrothgar. They gambled and lost big time, and now have to keep working on two races for some time because of it.

[Ravor]

I play many MMMorpg and I think the ff14 dev explained a lot of their decision making and game design in the live letter, they were not obligated to do that much explaining but they did, one of the reason why the dev is doing a somewhat balanced good (and bad) job at the same time is because they use both logical and emotional aspect in balance to make the vision forward, if they simply use logical approach on development, just look at many predatory money hungry Game out there, more focus on make it easier to play the game if you pay more than other player, or simply look at data statistic and see how many people play what class and buff other underused class or nerf overused class, but the dev will take some emotional approach by hearing to some player thought that perhaps illogical or the data statistic disagree, this could work and also could fireback, this is really a tricky stuff to do, also just for my opinion on the ff14 dev focus, they will give more focus on casual stuff aside from combat