If you continue to dumb down the game, you will lose half your player base

[Anemic]

I agree that this is what people should do, but it seems like you don't understand the point we are making while also making it for us. FFXIV got its big influx of subs from the WoW exodus. WoW lost subs in part by doing all of the things FFXIV is currently doing. If people do leave the game b/c of this pattern of changes (as we both suggest), then that shows that these decisions are making people leave. The OP's entire point is that SE will lose players, which is the opposite of successful.

I personally quit WoW (classic tbc), largely due to what was going on in the company. I didn't feel it was right for me to give money to a company that had a lot of bad corruption come out (and so quickly as it did). There are other reasons (like the game itself etc etc), but this was the main reason. I know of many others that quit for this reason. Also, seeing so many leave and try out other games. WoW was huge for so long and people were just used to playing it and not trying other games.

[RyuDragnier]

I agree that this is what people should do, but it seems like you don't understand the point we are making while also making it for us. FFXIV got its big influx of subs from the WoW exodus. WoW lost subs in part by doing all of the things FFXIV is currently doing. If people do leave the game b/c of this pattern of changes (as we both suggest), then that shows that these decisions are making people leave. The OP's entire point is that SE will lose players, which is the opposite of successful.

The WoW exodus was caused by what Blizzard is currently doing on the inside of their company. I played Diablo 3 constantly, but stopped the second the news hit. I still miss playing it, but any company that does what Blizzard did does not deserve my time or money.

[BaconBits]

But you will waste time on them, sound thinking there!

I did say I'm not here for intelligent discussion no thinking necessary.

[IdowhatIwant]

The WoW exodus was caused by what Blizzard is currently doing on the inside of their company. I played Diablo 3 constantly, but stopped the second the news hit. I still miss playing it, but any company that does what Blizzard did does not deserve my time or money.

I personally quit WoW (classic tbc), largely due to what was going on in the company. I didn't feel it was right for me to give money to a company that had a lot of bad corruption come out (and so quickly as it did). There are other reasons (like the game itself etc etc), but this was the main reason. I know of many others that quit for this reason. Also, seeing so many leave and try out other games. WoW was huge for so long and people were just used to playing it and not trying other games.

Most people did not quit playing blizzard games because of what they were doing internally, don't try to white knight yourself. You quit cause the games started sucking same as most people. Cause quitting the game makes no difference in what they are doing internally. And if you think that it makes a difference well your just wrong.

Now if you were a shareholder and you pulled back investments and stock, that would make a difference, but you aren't.

[LalafellDown]

Less combat skills are great if the combat is fun. Fighting damage sponges is boring. Why do we need to do 50 skill rotations for one fate boss? Raise the boss defense or make him immune to damage as he performs unique mechanics the test the played skills
I would rather have a boss cast puzzles at me and die with one hit after solving the puzzle than a infinite sponge that casts brain dead mechanics.

[Anemic]

Most people did not quit playing blizzard games because of what they were doing internally, don't try to white knight yourself. You quit cause the games started sucking same as most people. Cause quitting the game makes no difference in what they are doing internally. And if you think that it makes a difference well your just wrong.

Now if you were a shareholder and you pulled back investments and stock, that would make a difference, but you aren't.

You are entirely wrong. In my own case; it was like 97% of the reason I quit playing the game. I was even excited for D2:r before all the corruption hit the news. Never ended up buying it or playing it.

[RyuDragnier]

You are entirely wrong. In my own case; it was like 97% of the reason I quit playing the game. I was even excited for D2:r before all the corruption hit the news. Never ended up buying it or playing it.

Same here, I was really looking forward to it when the news hit. Even with it having been on sale, I don't think I'll get it, I can't stomach the company Blizzard is now.

[Moonsprite]

WoW was at its height at the start of WotLK, but at the same time they started a new motto "Bring the player and not the class". They simplified classes, and homogenization across the board. They began trivializing non-raid content.

Blizzard stopped reporting subscriptions during WotLK, and the player base began to decline as the expansion grew older. Everything came to a head, and exploded in Blizzards face with the release of Cataclysm.

SE is just repeating history with Endwalker.

Cataclysm people left because you could no longer aoe trash in dungeons. People didn’t want to slow down and sheep mobs and use sap again. Heroics were overturned for newly geared players. Loot was scarce too. People came back in MoP because they changed loot, reps, and the dungeons and added fun mechanics. Classes didn’t get gutted until Legion. Then in legion your complete class kit was locked behind a artifact grind and RNG legendary system. They took abilities classes/specs had before legion and made people earn them again. WoW has talents, specs, classes, borrowed power to balance too.

Ffxiv classes/jobs, even when you had to level other classes for viability like blm swiftcast, have never had the amount of balance issues or gutting WoW has every expansion. There also aren’t any unplayable jobs in ffxiv. WoW has specs that aren’t viable for endgame depending on the patch.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Most people did not quit playing blizzard games because of what they were doing internally, don't try to white knight yourself. You quit cause the games started sucking same as most people. Cause quitting the game makes no difference in what they are doing internally. And if you think that it makes a difference well your just wrong.

Now if you were a shareholder and you pulled back investments and stock, that would make a difference, but you aren't.

Meanwhile me: Doesn’t care about politics and happily bought diablo 3 and is having a blast with it.

If people stopped playing games made by shitty people or businesses, we wouldn’t have any games left to play. SE isn’t exempt from this either.

[sagacious]

Every class plays braindead 1-2-3 button smashing that literally dulls your brain as you play.

I disagree with this "dulled brain" comment because we need easier combo actions in an environment where you have can't see mechanics and others that require muscle memory even normal dungeons in EW are stressful and never dull. I like all of the changes and it will cause a player base rise to even greater heights.