No exploratory content

[LittleImp]

Yoshida has disclosed in a Famitsu interview that they are planning a new type of battle content (probably) for 7.X, as well as stating that the next iteration of exploratory content is being discussed.

Source: https://www.famitsu.com/news/202307/30311422.html

[caffe_macchiato]

――After Variant Dungeon and Another Dungeon, do you have any plans to develop new 4-player ending content in the future? What kind of feedback have you received so far? Also, is it safe to assume that there won't be any new content for 72 players in the future after the implementation of this content?

Yoshida: The systems of Variant Dungeon and Another Dungeon are very complete, so we'll start by creating end-game content for four players in this series. Of course, we would like to continue to reflect the feedback we receive, and power it up with casual and exciting content, but for the time being, the end content for 4 players will continue with the Variant Dungeon and Another Dungeon series. I am planning to go.

　However, we are currently in the process of planning a completely new type of battle content that has never existed before. We are also discussing what to do with the next series for large-scale games like "Southern Bozja Front" and "Forbidden Land Eureka" that use the entire area, and we plan to take on new challenges.

I find it very hard to believe that a man who'd die working on FFXIV would suddenly give up his life's work for middling single-player content. V&C was obviously an experiment that just didn't hit the right notes. I'm glad he's addressing this obvious inconsistency in his attitude, but the "new content" needs to come sooner rather than later. As in, 2024 or early 2025.

Those on the forums who are tripping themselves defending V&C might want to look at the Famitsu interview, because it looks like Yoshida would disagree with you that the game is "fine as-is". He wants to improve it (as us naysayers do), much to your chagrin.

[Koros]

Those on the forums who are tripping themselves defending V&C might want to look at the Famitsu interview, because it looks like Yoshida would disagree with you that the game is "fine as-is". He wants to improve it (as us naysayers do), much to your chagrin.

He says that all the time, when has he actually done it? Like 33% success rate at best

And let's be honest, the vision and the budget are the biggest issues facing FF14 right now. Not individual problems with content. The entire formula is aging and cannot compete with modern 2023 games. Even these "yeah there are problems with variant" conversations are a distraction from the real issue: they treat this game as a milking factory and their vision consists of Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V'ing every expansion.

There's WoW shaking up the formula every expansion and missing the mark 80% of the time, and then there's FF14 calcifying itself around the sacred formula slowly petrifying.

[Shurrikhan]

There's WoW shaking up the formula every expansion and missing the mark 80% of the time, and then there's FF14 calcifying itself around the sacred formula slowly petrifying.

The sad thing with WoW's missing the mark, too, is that the miss is often just some relatively fine detail or arbitrary restriction, such that the errant new system is actually totally fine... (only) by the last third of the expansion's lifespan.

A reward-balance tweak there and the removal of a bad rule here and voila, it's actually pretty darn good. And yet stubbornness there, too, often keeps that from happening until they've already lost a ton of players again.

I wish XIV's issues were so often so simple.

[Atelier-Bagur]

i hate variant dungeons
i hate variant dungeons
i hate variant dungeons
i hate variant dungeons

Much better than boring zone where all you do is Fate farm in some boring locals. Bozja was the most snooze fest aesthetically.

[Oizen]

Much better than boring zone where all you do is Fate farm in some boring locals. Bozja was the most snooze fest aesthetically.

Is it though? You're doing the same thing essentially in a variant dungeon, except objectively Bozja gives you more to do.

Variants can't match Castrum or Dalriadia, it can't match DR or DRS, there is no expanded skill system with lost actions, no customization, no horizontal progression, hell even the stories are less cool than what Bozja tried to do, which yeah it had its problems but in comparison the stories of Varaint have been:

Whats in Nanamo's basement??
Help the merchant guy find a pipe.

Neat lore dumps at best, boring filler at worst.

Bozja's rewards also completely shit all over Variant Dungeons.

[Striker44]

Is it though? You're doing the same thing essentially in a variant dungeon, except objectively Bozja gives you more to do.

Variants can't match Castrum or Dalriadia, it can't match DR or DRS, there is no expanded skill system with lost actions, no customization, no horizontal progression, hell even the stories are less cool than what Bozja tried to do, which yeah it had its problems but in comparison the stories of Varaint have been:

Whats in Nanamo's basement??
Help the merchant guy find a pipe.

Neat lore dumps at best, boring filler at worst.

Bozja's rewards also completely shit all over Variant Dungeons.

It absolutely can be. I think the point is that practically everything you've tried assigning value to there is nothing but your own personal opinion. Other people can have different opinions. Stories being "cool" is entirely subjective, and other things like a series of extra "lost actions" to learn or horizontal progression can just as easily be a turn-off for some people as it is engaging for others.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Is it though? You're doing the same thing essentially in a variant dungeon, except objectively Bozja gives you more to do.

Variants can't match Castrum or Dalriadia, it can't match DR or DRS, there is no expanded skill system with lost actions, no customization, no horizontal progression, hell even the stories are less cool than what Bozja tried to do, which yeah it had its problems but in comparison the stories of Varaint have been:

Whats in Nanamo's basement??
Help the merchant guy find a pipe.

Neat lore dumps at best, boring filler at worst.

Bozja's rewards also completely shit all over Variant Dungeons.

I had a much better and fulfilling experience in variants and trying to go for all paths than exploratory zones. Literally were arguing over something that's much more short and complete all the way through compared to a content that is long, and paced so horrible because of the grinds.

This is almost the same argument, idiots make over how they judge a game's quality because it has 200+ hours of content but never point out how shallow and padded out the content is to meet that criteria. It's just mind boggling that people are so desperate to have their time wasted even if the activities aren't fun the whole way through.

I agree that the rewards suck but honestly I find more fulfillment just getting all the entries and calling it a day.

[Oizen]

I had a much better and fulfilling experience in variants and trying to go for all paths than exploratory zones.

Tell me, were you more fufilled when you pushed the tree down to make the bridge over the cliff, or the big rock?

[AmpelioB]

The Exploratory content was Island Sanctuary and any fight related fight/lore was Variant & Criterion Dungeon they just aren't related to the relic.