RIP SAM - no reverts planned for 6.2

[Mitsubashi]

I'd suggest the primary driver of class design and balancing these days is optimising the number of subscriptions and gaining new players. The way they have chosen to do that the last couple of years is simplification and predictability.

I've been playing FFXI and FFXIV since March 2004 and it breaks my heart what they've done with my chosen play styles.

I wish there were enough of us to make them rethink their strategy but I don't think there is.

[Vencio]

I'd suggest the primary driver of class design and balancing these days is optimising the number of subscriptions and gaining new players. The way they have chosen to do that the last couple of years is simplification and predictability.

I've been playing FFXI and FFXIV since March 2004 and it breaks my heart what they've done with my chosen play styles.

I wish there were enough of us to make them rethink their strategy but I don't think there is.

We can only speculate as much,

Then again this is no stranger to me or anyone as most MMOS in their peak reached to this point where community & them (communication/feedback wise) was long dismissed.

Long idleness & silence truly does no good (no matter whatever change it brings be it for one side’s benefit & the others disappointment).

See WoW & other’s in the past & I can see that friction being repetitive with FFXIV.

Kaiten or no Kaiten we have yet to see what highlights would they address & therein…maybe we can see if they’ve taken the player’s feedback all the same regardless.

PS: DRGs & AST…brace yourselves & best of luck

[Flashy]

I'd suggest the primary driver of class design and balancing these days is optimising the number of subscriptions and gaining new players. The way they have chosen to do that the last couple of years is simplification and predictability.

I've been playing FFXI and FFXIV since March 2004 and it breaks my heart what they've done with my chosen play styles.

I wish there were enough of us to make them rethink their strategy but I don't think there is.

For example, I feel like the main draw to SAM is the katana lol, and it was so easy to have fun with SAM, you just collect stickers and have a nice climax at the end and do it all over again. I think it was one of the most popular jobs after WHM so something like Kaiten did not stop anybody from wanting to play it.

Sure, in high-end you are not allowed to drift and have to nearly kill yourself for uptime to not drift out of raid buffs

But the people that the devs are catering to, the ones that resub for the MSQ on the major patches and do their MSQ dungeon and maybe a normal trial and unsub until the next content cycle, do not care about any of this optimization to have fun.

They just want to see big number with anime slash. They do not have to deal with enrage timers, so why do they have to cater to them and making it easier to perform

[Ransu]

For example, I feel like the main draw to SAM is the katana lol, and it was so easy to have fun with SAM, you just collect stickers and have a nice climax at the end and do it all over again. I think it was one of the most popular jobs after WHM so something like Kaiten did not stop anybody from wanting to play it.

Sure, in high-end you are not allowed to drift and have to nearly kill yourself for uptime to not drift out of raid buffs, but the people that the devs are catering to, the ones that resub for the MSQ on the major patches and do their MSQ dungeon and maybe a normal trial and unsub until the next content cycle, do not care about any of this optimization to have fun. They just want to see big number with anime slash. They do not have to deal with enrage timers, so why do they have to cater to them and making it easier to perform

Understatement of the year. I feel that to more core haha.

[Vencio]

You’re proposing them to cater your behalf’s instead?

[Kosachi]

You’re proposing them to cater your behalf’s instead?

Or, you know, not shaft a large chunk the community? You can make changes and compromises without throwing whoever you don't like in the bin.

[Vencio]

Or, you know, not shaft a large chunk the community? You can make changes and compromises without throwing whoever you don't like in the bin.

I tell you this…

You don’t want a dev/devs to favour a certain specific majority for some time & switch sides/spectrums to the other which all the same creates distrust & mayhem or further schism within the community (which we’ll turn on each other for their amusement). See WoW’s history on that & where it lead to.

I am with you on one part though, willing to compromise as little harm as possible & least make it specific enough why the change needed to occur.

Either way not everyone takes changes kindly, and sadly takes discernment & a strong gut to keep going the road or take the “exit”.

[Kosachi]

I tell you this…

You don’t want a dev/devs to favour a certain specific majority for some time & switch sides/spectrums to the other which all the same creates distrust & mayhem or further schism within the community (which we’ll turn on each other for their amusement). See WoW’s history on that & where it lead to.

I am with you on one part though, willing to compromise as little harm as possible & least make it specific enough why the change needed to occur.

Either way not everyone takes changes kindly, and sadly takes discernment & a strong gut to keep going the road or take the “exit”.

Why do I get the sentiment that everyone treats this stuff like a zero sum game. You can make classes easy to learn and very difficult to master for those that want to put in the time; that should be more than enough to keep everyone happy since almost all content except the top in this game is pretty faceroll. Would also keep the people who enjoy things with depth occupied trying to be the best they can be. You don't have to throw a group of the playerbase aside because they're the "minority".

You telling me it takes a strong gut to have everything dumbed down, not have your intelligence respected and like it is hilarious to me.

[Vencio]

Why do I get the sentiment that everyone treats this stuff like a zero sum game. You can make classes easy to learn and very difficult to master for those that want to put in the time; that should be more than enough to keep everyone happy since almost all content except the top in this game is pretty faceroll. Would also keep the people who enjoy things with depth occupied trying to be the best they can be. You don't have to throw a group of the playerbase aside because they're the "minority".

You telling me it takes a strong gut to have everything dumbed down, not have your intelligence respected and like it is hilarious to me.

Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm & we all have different approaches free to go along or not bother at all.

Minority? You’re going way off stream on this, then again you’ve labelled it as just a reminder; your words not mine’s.

Isn’t that part of change? Be it in your favour or anyone’s its not an end factor to all unless you put it that way & just remain upset all along (See Celes & Rensu for instance).

I’ve said enough & glad this approach was not reverted nor change, SAM still stands strong, adapt to it or roll with another job.

It is what it is now & the live letter just concluded that.

[CelestiCer]

Why do I get the sentiment that everyone treats this stuff like a zero sum game. You can make classes easy to learn and very difficult to master for those that want to put in the time; that should be more than enough to keep everyone happy since almost all content except the top in this game is pretty faceroll. Would also keep the people who enjoy things with depth occupied trying to be the best they can be. You don't have to throw a group of the playerbase aside because they're the "minority".

This. Most of the gameplay complexity aren't exploited to it's utmost limits by the vast majority because they couldn't care less how well or proper they play a Job. As long as they play it good enough for the content they do, which by in large statistically is anything but high-end Raiding <- that makes up only 5% at best of the total Game activity.

Casual majority who don't with to learn a job nor master it will bash any button in any order no matter how simple or how complex, won't matter - as long as it performs however bad they do on it with a lot of fancy graphical particle effects.

I agree and this shouldn't even be a debate, that you can have both a friendly skill-floor and barrier of entry to the game ( which atm sits at login in and don't die at anything, just exist ) and have high skill-ceiling for Job and Skill expression for passionate players that love some execution difficulty, even before High-end raiding.

But to many, the perfect world of FFXIV is summed up as

• Don't complain
• Don't ever question the Dev's or Yoshi P
• FFXIV is perfect
• There's no war in Ba Sing Se

The biggest L here? is that the live letter confirmed to doubters like me as a Samurai main that feedback does indeed get ignored. So any other main o f any job who will get a future change? Or heck even anything at all like say PVP and housing? fill in anything, feedback gets ignored, keep that in mind