What is going on with Square Enix and the 14 team?

[Theodric]

Yep, I took a break from FF, and I am still weeks behind in gear. I can't even really gear up my RDM or tank, because I still need to finish up my tomestone set for WHM. I think FF has been able to get away with a lot for so long, because of there being no real competitors other than WoW, and it was generally doing things pretty well for a little while there, but if content remains on this same path, and even the patches have gotten slower, people will start looking elsewhere regardless. They will take that " go play something else", or "this game isn't for you" to heart, and just not come back.

Yeah, I'd definitely consider there to be some genuine competition right now. I've been spending more of my gaming time on ESO and Lost Ark. There's also some upcoming MMO's that have piqued my curiosity.

Truth be told, I'd rather just pick one MMO to play and stick with that but FFXIV has been making all sorts of odd decisions lately. The biggest red flags for me are that the 'new story' looks to be more of the same thing and that all of the new expansion features have yet to be implemented.

[AziraSyuren]

Saying FF14 never had competition is backwards. It never truly was the competition until recently. That "competition" is frankly only going to have a negative influence on the game from here on if the devs actually take it seriously.

FF14 gets away with a lot because that's just how the devs are, and the overwhelming majority of the playerbase just doesn't care.

[Kisshu]

Yeah, I'd definitely consider there to be some genuine competition right now. I've been spending more of my gaming time on ESO and Lost Ark. There's also some upcoming MMO's that have piqued my curiosity.

Truth be told, I'd rather just pick one MMO to play and stick with that but FFXIV has been making all sorts of odd decisions lately. The biggest red flags for me are that the 'new story' looks to be more of the same thing and that all of the new expansion features have yet to be implemented.

Honestly I'm really interested in what they're gonna do with the story now, and not in a good way. At the end of EW it seemed like a new tale was gonna start, Emet hinting at several places we could visit for a new journey as an adventurer. But then when 6.1 dropped we got a 75% Drowned City of Skalla plot and we're back with nearly all the Scions again. Furthermore, it seems we're now gonna focus heavily on The Void, and it would honestly not surprise me if we end up saving that shard in an afternoon.

[LisSquid]

Honestly I'm really interested in what they're gonna do with the story now, and not in a good way. At the end of EW it seemed like a new tale was gonna start, Emet hinting at several places we could visit for a new journey as an adventurer. But then when 6.1 dropped we got a 75% Drowned City of Skalla plot and we're back with nearly all the Scions again. Furthermore, it seems we're now gonna focus heavily on The Void, and it would honestly not surprise me if we end up saving that shard in an afternoon.

It took them 2 seconds to try to get us to be on board with going to another shard again. Let the Void be a mystery for a while longer!! We're already breaking down too much of the mythos!! Let us just explore some Allagan ruins and uncover some unknown history of Eorzea..

[VentVanitas]

6.1 MSQ spoilers

Not to mention I feel like there's even more re-treaded ground by using yet another recognizable FF figure as an antagonist. Instead of Elidibus as Amano's Warrior of Light, it's Golbez instead. As if the FF4 parallels weren't obvious enough, apparently.

[SturmChurro]

Yeah, I'd definitely consider there to be some genuine competition right now. I've been spending more of my gaming time on ESO and Lost Ark. There's also some upcoming MMO's that have piqued my curiosity.

Truth be told, I'd rather just pick one MMO to play and stick with that but FFXIV has been making all sorts of odd decisions lately. The biggest red flags for me are that the 'new story' looks to be more of the same thing and that all of the new expansion features have yet to be implemented.

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

[IdowhatIwant]

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

I think this is sadly becomes more obvious after SHB being very lacking due to covid. Now we get EW and it feels familiar in a bad way.

[Nethereal]

Yep, I have over 1k (granted a lot afk) hours in Lost Ark, over 1400 Ilvl on my sorceress. So I've been spending a lot of time in that. If I had things I really wanted to do in FF I'd be playing it more. Like, I've said before, burn out wasn't the reason I took a break. There just wasn't anything interesting for me to do. I think even Shadowbringers held my attention longer.

I just want things to do in the game, and more things to strive for. The reward structure in FF is really lacking, in my opinion.There isn't really any lasting content, other than maybe CC currently, that keeps you playing, and it's taking so long for them to release even little things like Island Sanctuary.

Been playing a lot of spearmaster. It feels good to be rewarded for mastering a class.

[Raoabolic]

6.1 MSQ spoilers

Not to mention I feel like there's even more re-treaded ground by using yet another recognizable FF figure as an antagonist. Instead of Elidibus as Amano's Warrior of Light, it's Golbez instead. As if the FF4 parallels weren't obvious enough, apparently.

I'm an idiot then. I assumed it was the actual (Not omega made) Exdeath since he was tied to the concept of the void in V and XIV. I will legit stop playing if they just make every villain in the FF main series the bad guy in each shard (I liked the FFVIII nods in Eden but now it is making me nervous considering that came after the Omega fights where they reused dissida models.).

That said, say what you will about XI but that game had SOUL and half of me wants to take a XIV break and check out the new XI story but then that would be giving money to SE. ESO is pretty fun though I can see where the game wants you to play with a group. If anyone plays that game can you get a companion in game or do you have to buy one of the DLCs to get access to them?

[Theodric]

Honestly I'm really interested in what they're gonna do with the story now, and not in a good way. At the end of EW it seemed like a new tale was gonna start, Emet hinting at several places we could visit for a new journey as an adventurer. But then when 6.1 dropped we got a 75% Drowned City of Skalla plot and we're back with nearly all the Scions again. Furthermore, it seems we're now gonna focus heavily on The Void, and it would honestly not surprise me if we end up saving that shard in an afternoon.

Yeah, I was hoping that being an adventurer again would lead to actual adventure instead of...conveniently having everything align with finding new ways to help the Scions. If Y'shtola cared so much about Runar, she should have just stayed behind on the First. It's not like she contributed much during Endwalker. I also dislike the idea of fixing the Void. What happened to the supposed need to 'move on'? Which, mysteriously, only seems to ever apply to the antagonists - no matter how sympathetic their plight may be.