The Lessons Not Learned.

[LittleArrow]

I just wanted to throw my own representation in this thread, because I feel a really terrible habit that has formed for years now is people saying they represent huge groups of the playerbase when in fact, they don't.

I've been playing this game since beta, and I'm very happy with this patch and the content they've released.

1. Relic: I'm very happy with the relic quest. I'm an older gamer and I welcome Yoshida's desire to steer some content my way considering I have many real life obligations. I do not feel bad for more hardcore players, because there is content exclusively for them that is being regularly implemented. I'm happy with the easy first step and I know I'll probably drop off the relic quest once the more grindy steps come into play, and I'm fine with that. My personal confusion with the forums is it seems to be either too grindy (have to do Manderville quests) or not grindy enough (too easy with tomestone purchase).

I'm honestly at a loss at how SE could please both crowds without re-implementing Bozja / Eureka as I see that's what the real complaint here is. My advice to my fellow WoLs would be to be please be patient, they do content in cycles, and more than likely they'll implement a Bozja-like zone in the next exapansion or one after that. We all take turns in XIV, us deep dungeon crowd had to wait too.

2. Criterion / Variant Dungeons: I was extremely impressed and very happy with this content. I love the ease and controlled challenge of the dungeons. I really enjoyed getting to know Nanamo and the history of Ul'dah. I understand the complaints with the rewards, but I think they're fine for this first step into this content. I truly hope that they continue to expand upon this content and perhaps use this content as a means for leveling. Still, I've thoroughly enjoyed it and have been farming it enough solo to get my mount! I hope we get more Criterion dungeons for the other major cities (Gelmora for Gridania would be really fun to explore).

3. Content disparity: This is probably the main point I agree with OP, but definitely not the tone being portrayed. Coming from 1.x, I know what "no content" actually looks like, and this isn't it. It does seem like the team is under strain due to the release of FF16, and I commend Yoshi and his team for managing both projects. Still, I would like to see more development with the content that is being released. The time between patches does seem pretty long even though the .2 / .5 patches in between have been good so far. I completely agree more content is better.

Sidenote: I personally, hated Bozja. It felt very gated, grindy, and extremely unfriendly. Not only that, but all of those resources seem totally wasted considering it's basically dead content, imo. I don't want to play Final Fantasy 12 or Final Fantasy Bozja, I want to play FFXIV. I do understand the complaints for people not having a long term project in game to work on, and it would be nice if there was a way to provide something like that towards those players.

4. Dark Tone vs Light and Breezy: I saw this barely mentioned, but again I know that the devs check these forums and I want this feedback to get to them. This game has portrayed dead children, beaten prostitutes, sexual abuse, and much worse. I honestly hate it. I don't watch Game of Thrones, The Boyz or anything else that is so needlessly violent and horrible. I come to entertainment to get away from the evils of the world. I do not want to see that in my video games. People can throw around the rating all day, this is just my opinion. I have no idea why our society has come to a point of basically worshipping purely evil and absolutely detestable media, but it is what it is. I have this forum, so I'll fight for more restrained content every day. This is meant to be a sanctuary away from the pains of real life, not a pile in the ground for my nose to be rubbed in it.

Overall, I'd give this .5 patch an 8 / 10. I'm excited for more development with criterion dungeons and I truly hope we get the fun weapons at some point with the Hildibrand quests.