Quote Originally Posted by OdinelStarrei View Post
I am not responsible!

I didn't do anything except disagree with design/dungeon/job decisions and support/compliment things I liked! I've always said that fights should not be nerfed, that dungeons should not be in this straight line, or at least have the illusion of being more than just a straight hallway. I didn't insist, nor did I force SE to do dumb things that blow up in their faces later on, like Variants, which they STILL fumbled.
Umm...I wasn't referring to you. Notice how the post you quoted has me talking about "your approach" - meaning the person who I was directly quoting and responding to.

To your larger point, it's not a matter of simply "popular" trends, but an immense majority. Think about how many ARR dungeons back in the pre-revamp time actually saw parties you were in do anything but the most effective linear path (and if a group actually did anything off the direct path, were you the tank prompting it). It's not that a simple "majority" did something; it's that practically everyone did. It's just simple reality that allocating time and resources to something that very few people will see just isn't worth it from a production standpoint.

Remember, SE has engagement metrics that we don't have. If they continue designing and expanding on things like Variant Dungeons, it's because they didn't fumble them, and people by and large are enjoying and playing them. So overall, yes, if you have what amounts to a very niche take on a major part of a game, it's unfortunate but reality that you're likely going to be left disappointed. That's not a question of what "should" be, but just a mature realization of what "is."