Zepla: Endwalker is the Worst FFXIV Expansion I have played

[CNitsah]

Especially when there's such a backlog of content that new players can basically never catch up in side content, having the new side content no require you to spend hours a day grinding to cap this or grind out completions of this fate over and over is a net positive.

There is the problem. I get the feeling. But what about those that don't have any backlog left? That's where the problem lie. it's mmo. Not too much grinding is good thing, but adding zero longevity content so newer players can catch up and old players can go fuck themselves is not a solution. You also have to keep those occupied.

Once again, I'll call to the Bozja/Zadnor example. It was not perfect, and but at least it kept you occupied, with objectives that won't really matter for newer players. New player that wanted to get up to date don't need to collect the 600m mettle points needed to get all the 3 medals to lvl 10. But that was an objective made to keep the older players occupied, along with getting the haircuts and mounts of the place. Some people might never get the mount. Big oof. And those were incentives that took a long time and were simple enough to get player invested (contrary to thing like deep dungeons, that have big entry barriers, making it "not worth it"). But they kept the player invested. That's the kind of incentive the game currently lacks.

It kinda pains me a game that, at one point in time, had for principle to not let the longtime player down (because they were there during the 1.0) doesnt care about long time players anymore, and don't give them anything to do.

[ZephyrMenodora]

There is the problem. I get the feeling. But what about those that don't have any backlog left? That's where the problem lie. it's mmo. Not too much grinding is good thing, but adding zero longevity content so newer players can catch up and old players can go fuck themselves is not a solution. You also have to keep those occupied.

Once again, I'll call to the Bozja/Zadnor example. It was not perfect, and but at least it kept you occupied, with objectives that won't really matter for newer players. New player that wanted to get up to date don't need to collect the 600m mettle points needed to get all the 3 medals to lvl 10. But that was an objective made to keep the older players occupied, along with getting the haircuts and mounts of the place. Some people might never get the mount. Big oof. And those were incentives that just were long, and they were simple enough to get player invested (contrary to thing like deep dungeons, that have big entry barriers, making it "not worth it"). But they kept the player invested. That's the kind of incentive the game currently lacks.

It kinda pains me a game that, at one point in time, had for principle to not let the longtime player down (because they were there during the 1.0) doesnt care about long time players anymore, and don't give them anything to do.

I feel EW patches put too much dev time into solo activities that don’t have longevity like using NpCs for story dungeons and Islands. Adding NPCs to MsQ dungeons every patch is also probably a feature most vets will never even use. I haven’t. Even new players I can’t see using them more than once if that.

Many MMO players much prefer long-term engaging activities they can do with others. We didn’t really get that in EW.

[Theodric]

I think the problem is they thought we’d spend this time on our Islands instead, but Islands are isolating and not community activities for the most part. Also to me dull and uninteresting for an MMO compared to Bozja or reconstruction.

So I think they did try some experimental content, it just fell flat on its face for a lot of players.

Yeah, it's the sort of content I'd like in theory but in practice it just...doesn't have enough meat on the bone. Too much time interacting with menus and then just waiting around to speak with the NPC again after a set time period.

Just some random ideas that spring to mind to improve it but...there could be treasure that washes up on the beach from time to time that contains gil, materia, potions, crafting resources and a chance for a mount or a minion.

There could be rare enemies to fight in the depths of the island's cave with similar rewards. Ghost and pirate ships prowling the nearby seas that can optionally be boarded.

Messages in a bottle could also wash up on shore, providing quests to go and find the NPC responsible for sending it as an avenue for interesting stories.

[Stormpeaks]

Why are people putting so much stock in the opinions of a clickbait content creator?
At the start of Endwalker it was "FFXIV is so good WoW is so bad" because that sold clicks and views, WoW was in a slump in their patch cycle and xiv had a new expansion. Now it's flipped so all the content creators are flipping it around about how they hate xiv now.
In a year they will make videos about how "Dawntrail did it, how I came back to XIV" and people will eat that slop up like crazy.

Sometimes I have to wonder with the posts on here if people are actually forming their own opinion or are just regurgitating what they hear a streamer say for views and clout.

"I agree with this streamer, I think their video covers my point and my complaints very well"

"WHY DO YOU AGREE WITH THE STREAMER ?? BC THEY RE POPULAR HUH ? THEYRE JUST CLICKBAIT AND THEY MAKE MONEY OUT OF IT WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT HUH?"

[Supersnow845]

I prefer the Endwalker content that we've been getting, it's better and more plentiful than in Shadowbringers, but it has less arbitrary grinding, which is definitely a win-win.
Especially when there's such a backlog of content that new players can basically never catch up in side content, having the new side content no require you to spend hours a day grinding to cap this or grind out completions of this fate over and over is a net positive. Those things in MMOs just existed to artificially pad out the life of content, not necesarily make it better.
I'd rather have a patch that gives short, good content that lets me go back to older content like old extremes, savages, or even try out ultimates, than have new patches where if I miss grinding fates for that week I am not entirely behind everyone else and can't catch back up.

But apparently that's the minority, most people around the forums would rather have the game force them into a 4 hour a day grind for specific fates or CEs in a special zone to keep up with the rest of the players than be able to make their own fun by playing stuff they enjoy in the game.

This just in person who started last year tells 10 year old veterans you can’t run out of backlog

More at 11

[Tahbitha]

Well, all I can say is...

I'm having a lot of fun in Endwalker.

YMMV, of course.

[VerdeLuck]

This just in person who started last year tells 10 year old veterans you can’t run out of backlog

More at 11

That's not what I said, that's an entirely different sentence.

[Supersnow845]

That's not what I said, that's an entirely different sentence.

Especially when there's such a backlog of content that new players can basically never catch up in side content

Yeah you totally didn’t say literally exactly that like 6 posts ago

[Bonoki]

Yeah you totally didn’t say literally exactly that like 6 posts ago

I think they were speaking about from a new player perspective. I don't think what they said is particularly that bad though to really dog on them for.

[Stormpeaks]

I think they were speaking about from a new player perspective. I don't think what they said is particularly that bad though to really dog on them for.

That's actually what they said that though

They said you cant run out of backlog lol, and that even new players cant catch up.