When are we as player going to demand from SE a better MSQ experience

[CuteBucket]

I started playing Infinity Nikki at the behest of a friend. It's a casual, fluffy, open world game about collecting fashion items to make outfits with. Like as casual as it gets.

So why am I having more fun playing through the story of this goofy little pretty princess game than I have been playing a Final Fantasy game??

Because there's things to do in the quests and while traveling between them! Collecting things is enjoyable! Exploring the world is interesting and rewarding! I don't think this game is some masterpiece, by the way, but damn, at least it can keep my attention! What do I get for wandering around in Yak'tel? Uh...hm...maybe...I guess this one area looks kind of nice? Maybe I could gpose here? Ehh...

[Mawlzy]

Its polarizing because Square Enix spent the last 9 years making sure that you do not need to actually play the game in order to watch the cutscenes.

So many solo duties can literally not be failed at this point that every time a duty can actually fail, people are complaining. Story progress is always granted, in a way.
As already written by other people in this thread, other Final Fantasy mainline games do blend actual gameplay and story, and unless you actually play the game, you will be unable to see what will happen next.

Granted, FFXIV is an MMORPG and needs to do some things differently (as expected because of the genre of game), but it begs the question if there is not a different kind of solution here.

I'm not sure it was polarizing because it was difficult. I recall at the time some people claiming the excitement was in part driven by what terrible things the WoL's body might do to the Scions, while others pointed out Y'shtola would "see" the ruse in a nanosecond and just say something sarcastic.

However, I think you've hit the nail on the head in that a different solution is needed to incorporate engaging gameplay in the MSQ. And to me the most underutilized part of the FF14 assets is the open world. We have these incredible maps which are visually striking and topographically deep, and yet we keep walking across an aetheryte plaza to ask a local if they need any poo gathered.

[Akamadoshi]

Please.
Stop.
Involving.
Old.
FF series.
I want FF14 original story. PLEASE, for the love of Ascian, STOP and focus on FF14, not promotional avenue to old FF to make players buy or try the other games.
FF14 is already designed "once you're done, play other games", do we need more reason to quit FF14? The generosity of no FOMO is changed into "Get out ASAP or RP!!"
Please don't do this. I never play other FF other than 14, and I feel missing out on reference. Or "Why did I see this in a promotion before?"
There is no more unique FF14 music as much, it is refered and modified of old FF, for nolstalgia for those who played?
Even when story IS unique to FF14, sphene looks Genshin impact model, not FF14!! And I am sorry, but now I know almost certain the remaining shards is promo.
so far all the shards except for the ancient which was FF14 original (Ascians) it has been nothing but references to old FF games, I am not ignorant to recognize this.
When I saw Wuk Lamat in 6.5 I thought "Oh No... this is going to end bad.... I don't like this person... She is going to win it, and that's going to be the vacation?"
It was worse than that.. It would not be worse if they stopped getting inspired by old FF. Please bring out new original ideas and characters,
and if you add new models like Sphene, making it playable would be nice. It is even sad for many years players asked "Can we get brighter color options for dye/hair?"
Always there was told about limits and now the NPC are flourishing with pretty colors, maybe they work on it now and it releases in 8.0 but I am not holding my breath.

[sindriiisgaming]

Since you mentioned JP... Usual caveats apply for below. I'm rummaging through their image boards with Google translate right now to find more gems.

some of these are absolutely savage lmao

[Zelda206]

DT was ordering a double-meat whataburger, one of the patties being taken in-transit, the other patty being turned into a veggie-patty, and the waitress telling you how much better this is because it's agreeable to the culture of the natives of Utah while excluding and ignoring that the establishment is a gorram WHATABURGER. And best of all, you have to nod and agree with everything said and you don't have an option to object despite you making disagreements and objections to other waiters and waitress' at other establishments for similar reasons.

Story, gameplay, class designs -- it didn't cook, it got nuked. Tanks have it rough, especially, and fit the analogy of 'skimping out on the sandwich', and story-wise the WoL got neutered.