The Lessons Not Learned.

[Rufalus]

I'm neutral right now. They're doing about enough to keep me subbed. Could be better, could be worse. V&C dungeons is a flawed but good addition. Island Sanctuary is very underwhelming but has some potential that or may not be realized later on. Most everything else this expansion is business as usual and more than tired by this point to people who've been around for a long time. It's not a good structure for the first year of each expansion to be entirely business-as-usual content and then try some new side content in the second year. Raid savage alone isn't enough to carry endgame for long stretches of time. I don't like to criticize Yoshida too much so hopefully he makes some exciting changes to the structure for the game's second decade, then I won't have to complain.

[b3nzyme]

take a breath, go outside, slow down. It's just a game. It's ok to not like something and take a break. You will find happiness in more places than solely in a video game. That's life, and it will never change.

wise words, paraphrased

[Floortank]

Because relics are a time sink with no challenge other than time, everyone assumes they're owed one and hates every step involved, no matter what expansion, no matter what the content is. SE has tried numerous different ways for the relic grind to proceed since ARR, and it is the same response every time: screaming about how you're bored, game is dead, content is boring, etc.

I should add that I think putting it behind Hildibrand is straight up predatory, to artificially triple or quadruple the time it will take many new players to get a relic this expansion. I have finished all of Hildibrand up to the 6.15 + stuff, but am tempted just to skip the relic entirely for the first time ever because I disagree vehemently with the constant steps the dev team has been taking since late Shadowbringers to artificially inflate our play time while giving us the same rewards.

[Renalt]

Definitely agreed. Thus creating those players who are the textbook definitions of white knights and toxic positivity, which must be called out given the path they are dragging this game down by failing to call out the lack of quality we've seen this expansion across multiple fronts.

It's not white knighting. We know there are issues. Some of those issues are stupid and make no sense why the issue is there in the first place...however we all have things we DO like.

So I'm directly asking you. What makes you come back to the game? What DO you like if ANYTHING about the game. If your answer is nothing...why stay?

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

I dont think there is a single game out there that doesn't eventually fall into "business-as-usual". It happens. What matters is, are you still entertained and willing to play?
And in this case, continue to Pay to Play?
For me and Im sure many others, that is a yes. That shouldn't be discounted just like the opposite side shouldn't be.
So far I am satisfied and loving my time in the game. I dont fault or think less of anybody who may disagree, and not like or be happy with the current content, or arnt getting what they want. My mindset is we have yet to see Everything this expansion has to offer. Stormblood also had a slow start, but post-game and future patch content turned out to be awesome. Endwalker still has potential to do the same.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Because relics are a time sink with no challenge other than time, everyone assumes they're owed one and hates every step involved, no matter what expansion, no matter what the content is. SE has tried numerous different ways for the relic grind to proceed since ARR, and it is the same response every time: screaming about how you're bored, game is dead, content is boring, etc.

I should add that I think putting it behind Hildibrand is straight up predatory, to artificially triple or quadruple the time it will take many new players to get a relic this expansion. I have finished all of Hildibrand up to the 6.15 + stuff, but am tempted just to skip the relic entirely for the first time ever because I disagree vehemently with the constant steps the dev team has been taking since late Shadowbringers to artificially inflate our play time while giving us the same rewards.

I think EW relic weapons are the last thing new fans are worried when going through FFXIV for the first time. Especially when most of the community and their friends encourage them to take their sweet time with the story and enjoy the side content at their own pace. With how popular Hildibrand is, it's most likely theyll be tempted to go through it.

[VelKallor]

Im enjoying it all immensely. Will be doing the dungeons later after I get some other stuff done. Omicrons are fun, no issues here.

[Aexnidaral]

Pretty meh on the patch.

I genuinely liked Eureka and Bozja and am quite sad we aren't getting an exploratory zone. The relic weapons largely look decent, but I don't like Hildi quests and this is one of the few things I actively spam skip cutscene for.

Criterion and Variant Dungeons are very cool. Criterion is genuinely fairly challenging, and it's been fun to learn. Unfortunately, with such lackluster rewards I'm not really sure this system is going to have much longevity, especially for the Savage Criterion. I am banking on the rewards getting expanded in the future, but I'm getting weary of what feels like a mindset the developers have for shipping half baked plans at the outset with the promise of expanding on it when we have so many systems that have fallen to the wayside after being replaced, only to then suffer the same fate.

[SilverObi]

I don't see the issue myself with the base weapon being easy to get, they've all been non-intensive to get except for in ARR due to the bad netcode making Titan HM a living terror. And I can gradually get the other weapons for all the other jobs over time then worry about the ensuing grind later. The content and rewards out of V+C Dungeons are great and I can see it being a fun lowman event for my FC and I can't wait to fill out the lore entries! The Omicron quests are fun so far with some interesting implications (I find them more interesting than the hippo lyfts).

I dunno, I don't consider myself casual since I participate in most of the game's available content and I can see this lasting me until the next patch easily -shrug- for folks with limited scope or interests I can see this being not enough however

[Gemina]

I cannot imagine what appeal these weapons would have for us veteran players who likely already own a good number of relics, let alone those of us unwilling to suffer through the torment of the Hildibrand quests – with even more of that sort of writing apparently being present in the Omicron beast tribe storyline. Seems like even the Pixies had a darker plot to their quests, and they involved a literal candyland.

This is actually dark AF. In most iterations of storytelling, such sugary utopias are actually lure traps for children. The Pixies are not benign creatures.

I haven't started up the Omicron questline yet, but I have a little difficulty with Ultima Thule in general as it is a zone at the edge of the existence that ripped my heart out of my chest; that we can still just go to, so... cafe. Obviously.

Relics for me anymore are about experiencing the story involved with the questline. Tying this one the Hildbrand is kind of a bummer because I liked saving Hildy quests for rainy days during content draught, so now if I want to experience the questline this go, I will also knock out Hildy simultaneously. It's not that bad, but still a bit of a let down.