The amount of dead content in the game is alarming

[CapricaLangley]

This has always been a problem with FFXIV, but with every new expansion it gets worse. As per title, the amount of dead content is alarming, there are lots of activities that are impossibile to tackle for the average player (meaning anyone who doesn't have friends/a FC/is in a Discord channel). Variant and Criterion Dungeons, Eureka, Bozja, Castrum Lacus Litore, Delubrum Reginae, The Baldesion Arsenal, and of course older raid tiers and especially Savage.

Personally I don't have a solution, but a thing that I think everyone noticed is that every activity that grants a lot of EXP, no matter how long, bad or tedious it is, always manages to attract people. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that the playerbase prefer grinding Bozja Southern Front FATEs than tackling on Variant Dungeons, it's just a matter of how efficient it is to level up alt Jobs.

What do you think? I discussed this with some friends and they say that these activities help keeping the social apparatus of the game alive. While I understand their reasoning I feel like sooner or later it's important to solve that problem.

[Kaecilius]

I think players that don't regularly do any of the content you mention might just be intimidated and haven't really tried it out. You don't need a dedicated pre-formed social group to do most of those (though it helps)

Bozja and Eureka always have people around, and it's just a matter of shouting "lfg" to find a group. Extreme, Savage, Criterion, even some Ultimates can easily be progged through Party Finder.

Baldesion Arsenal and Delubrum Savage usually need more organization and yeah, those will require you to find a solid group probably through Discord.

[Xaphire]

Those rides had their time, there are new rides now. It's the reality of a themepark MMO. Old things get left behind eventually (usually after their expansion).

But people are still doing Bozja. There are still people doing Eureka. You can put together groups to do whatever. The solution to the 'problem' you've found is make friends and play the video game with them.

[Ratikal]

Rival Wings is the best PVP content this game has to offer and only gets play during Mogtome events and discord-organized nights.

[Kaurhz]

This has always been a problem with FFXIV, but with every new expansion it gets worse. As per title, the amount of dead content is alarming, there are lots of activities that are impossibile to tackle for the average player (meaning anyone who doesn't have friends/a FC/is in a Discord channel). Variant and Criterion Dungeons, Eureka, Bozja, Castrum Lacus Litore, Delubrum Reginae, The Baldesion Arsenal, and of course older raid tiers and especially Savage.

Personally I don't have a solution, but a thing that I think everyone noticed is that every activity that grants a lot of EXP, no matter how long, bad or tedious it is, always manages to attract people. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that the playerbase prefer grinding Bozja Southern Front FATEs than tackling on Variant Dungeons, it's just a matter of how efficient it is to level up alt Jobs.

What do you think? I discussed this with some friends and they say that these activities help keeping the social apparatus of the game alive. While I understand their reasoning I feel like sooner or later it's important to solve that problem.

The solution is to make the content long-standing, and not just something that is isolated to that singular expansion.

Add regular updates to content, even if it is just additional loot, lore entries, achievements, EXP, or gear.

[Wildheaven182]

Oh, I never thought I'd see this. Yeah I've thought this forever.
Cutting to the chase, it's unsustainable for an mmo. They never reach something's potential before they leave it in the dust to push out the next gimmick.

Old content being ignored disenchants new players too. It's the biggest reason new players dont want to join too, because they dont get to do anything worthwhile until the current expansion.

I think FFXIV could be doomed in 5 years, for this and many other reasons, and being square's flagship, it could actually downgrade square enix to the small indie developer everyone jokes they develop like.

Square needs to wake up.

[angienessyo]

Eureka, BA, DRS, and Bozja are all things people still do. Bozja was extremely crowded when DT first launched because it was the best way to get to level 90 on the new jobs. And I want to point out that BA and DRS have always needed joining a Discord to complete, this doesn't make them dead content. I should know, I got my Ozma mount the week BA dropped, and everyone used a Discord back then for it. (that Discord is still running BA weekly to this day if you still want to get Ozma!) Me and a bunch of friends also got our DRS dogs shortly before DT dropped. I don't think you can have large scale difficult content and not expect people to want to use a pre-made group with voice chat for it. And I mean, I'm pretty sure like, 99% of MMO players are going to have Discord on their PCs, phones, or consoles so it doesn't make the content inaccessible to anyone. You don't even have to speak a word to anyone if you're shy or have anxiety over being in a voice chat with 40+ strangers, everyone mutes except people doing the call outs.

[gllt]

I've thought for a while this game needs rewards that aren't glam, housing items, mounts, minions, or currency

Something like giving out more personal boost items like the ones you can get from squadrons (exp buffs so that you do the activity to get the exp buff and then go use the exp buff in another activity, create rewards that make you do more stuff)

And stuff like consumable items that make you move faster in town

Things that don't feel necessary to get but feel nice to get and help you when doing other activities

[Oizen]

It be nice if they at least patched old content to not be as much of a pain in the ass anymore.

the mandatory 10m wait on queueing into Delubrum Reginae really should be axed.

[MoofiaBossVal]

Eureka and Bozja are not dead. You can zone in to any map and find other people doing the FATEs. You can /shout "let's group up!" and form a group to do together if you want. Castrum and Dalriada can be completed by the people in the zone, discord not required. Discord runs were useful at launch when everyone was undergeared and didn't know the boss patterns, now it's been years since launch and you will have more than enough veterans who will carry the group. Baldesion's Arsenal is the borderline edge case where it CAN be completed by people in the zone without discord, but due to the amount of people required you will probably want to be in a discord run to fill up.

Delibrum Reginae I agree, mainly because it's instanced so there is no chance of seeing it pop in a zone and other people showing up like with the other three field operation raids.