Manderville Relic Criticism

[Remember_The_Name]

This idea that getting a weapon in an MMO should necessarily be subject to an unhealthy grind for people who are on welfare or living in their parents’ basement and/or addicted to gaming is ridiculous. There’s no accomplishment with long grinds other than showing that you have way too much time on your hands and not many interests and/or responsibilities in RL.

You understand that this argument makes no sense? It can be wrapped and twisted to absolute silly extremes. Let me show you:
"I have a family, two jobs and a house to manage. That's why I am entitled for all ultimate titles and weapons to be handed to me next morning after their release. Everyone else that wanted them locked behind a challenging fight are just sad no lifers. I want to see them in my mail box tomorrow, thanks SE, luv you <3"

If you have a busy life and responsibilites, just don't participate in long and difficult undertakings that will interfere with your schedule. It is that easy. Good thing that FF14 does not require you to grind anything to enjoy the best parts of the game.

The gamer base has aged, many have jobs, families, responsibilities and can’t carelessly and stupidly spend all their free time grinding a weapon that will soon become obsolete. The new system is fine. Those that want to invent themselves an ARR type of grind can do so. I like that I can finally get a decent weapon for different jobs. Don’t care about what others think of what my chars wear, I play for myself, not for strangers.

Except that you can get a decent weapon for different jobs, if you were playing the game normally before. Literally 5 item levels lower weapon are available at the Market Board for a fair price. If you are a casual player, the small difference means almost nothing in the type of content you will be playing.

And I love how all of you wants to drag the conversation down to "ARR type of grind"? As if everyone here wants that. No, just make relic weapon require at least something interesting beside being a fancy tomestone weapon, ffs.

I already mentioned how tying the progression to V&C dungeons, Island Sanctuary, specific type of duties that changes with relic development could've benefit the life cycle of the game.

Don’t care about what others think of what my chars wear, I play for myself, not for strangers.

With that attitude, why do you even bothered with relics so much? Run around with MB or tomestone weapon, nobody will care, really.

[Jojoya]

Except that you can get a decent weapon for different jobs,

Most players don't do the relics because they want to get a decent weapon.

They do them because they want a very shiny weapon for glamour. The very shiny weapons come from the relic series and Ultimates. With Ultimates out of reach for most, that leaves the relics that can be done by any player - and which many of them have been doing all along.

I don't get the idea that everyone needs to get a relic. If you think the grind is too bad, then simply don't get it? Not like you need it.

When everyone is running around with relics, they don't really feel like relics

They never were relics. Relics don't get crafted in front of your eyes. They get dug up from old ruins.

You were doing something that any player could do if they chose to. Some players would get them faster than others based on skill but they were still accessible to everyone.

If someone didn't get a relic, it's not because you were better than them. It's because they either didn't care about the relics or because they had better uses for their time than grinding out a very shiny weapon in an online game that would be replaced in the next content update.

It's not what you have that makes you special. It's what you do with your life that does.

[Gullis]

They never were relics. Relics don't get crafted in front of your eyes. They get dug up from old ruins.

You were doing something that any player could do if they chose to. Some players would get them faster than others based on skill but they were still accessible to everyone.

If someone didn't get a relic, it's not because you were better than them. It's because they either didn't care about the relics or because they had better uses for their time than grinding out a very shiny weapon in an online game that would be replaced in the next content update.

It's not what you have that makes you special. It's what you do with your life that does.

what are you even on about?

[Remember_The_Name]

Most players don't do the relics because they want to get a decent weapon.

They do them because they want a very shiny weapon for glamour. The very shiny weapons come from the relic series and Ultimates. With Ultimates out of reach for most, that leaves the relics that can be done by any player - and which many of them have been doing all along.

Thanks for proving my point. I will add that relic weapon is not only "the shiny weapon", it is somewhat a badge of achievement to represent through what players went to get it. That is why players target them specifically.

There are also augmented Extreme weapons, that are also shiny, but instead of grinding them, one can buy them outright from a Market Board or craft themselves.
If the player truly wanted "the shiny" - this is also a great option.

[Jojoya]

Thanks for proving my point. I will add that relic weapon is not only "the shiny weapon", it is somewhat a badge of achievement to represent through what players went to get it. That is why players target them specifically.

There are also augmented Extreme weapons, that are also shiny, but instead of grinding them, one can buy them outright from a Market Board or craft themselves.
If the player truly wanted "the shiny" - this is also a great option.

How do you know they don't have both because they consider themselves collectors of shiny weapons?

If you think the relic weapons represent some sort of special achievement, then that's the way you think. I can't argue that.

That does not mean that everyone sees them that way. I think of my friends that farm all the relics and what they say when they get them.

They don't say "I feel like I've achieved something". They say "doesn't this look great?!"

[Remember_The_Name]

They don't say "I feel like I've achieved something". They say "doesn't this look great?!"

So they are still glad that they got such beauties into their possession, right? Isn't that the same as "achieving something"?

[Jojoya]

So they are still glad that they got such beauties into their possession, right? Isn't that the same as "achieving something"?

No, it isn't. Look at all the people who buy things from the cash shop and proudly show them off. Are you going to claim they achieved something by getting the cash shop items?

Back Shadowbringers, I grinded out Castle in the Sky. Did I go around showing off my new mount to my friends? No. I simply told them I got Castle in the Sky completed. They knew it was a goal I had set for myself and how happy I was that I accomplished getting it done. The mount was never the goal for me - completing the achievement was. About the only time I use the mount is if I get Aswang for my weekly B rank because the mount is the exact same model as Aswang, even to the colors.

For those who are unhappy with the relic grind this expansion, let me leave you this link. Perhaps a reminder of what your final rewards will look like will make you feel better about it not being a massive grind this time.

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...efe7860ff65dc4

[Remember_The_Name]

No, it isn't. Look at all the people who buy things from the cash shop and proudly show them off. Are you going to claim they achieved something by getting the cash shop items?

Oh, you do not compare this to the cash shop. This is whole another problem. The only thing I can claim when I see people with cash shop items is... that they have some money to spend. And games putting good stuff exlusively for cash shops is a festering problem in modern gaming.
I was talking about achieving something in-game by playing said game.

Back Shadowbringers, I grinded out Castle in the Sky.

Congratulations on getting the achievement. That was your personal experience and your right to how much you wanted to brag about it. Also there are not so many places outside of cities to show your mount (thank goodness they are disabled in cities, remember WoW with its clustertruck of mounts)

The mount weapon was never the goal for me - completing the achievement was.

Thanks for proving my point yet again. You see, relic weapons were not just shinies. When you were showing them around, people realized that you dedicated your time to the game, you traveled to Eureka, Bozja, etc.

With Manderville weapons, the only thing to realize that you managed to insert your 1500 tomestone quota several times. Thrilling.

And, once again, please pay attention - tying relic progression to EW new content is a nice way to make them more popular and give them some form of future proofing.