Less particle effects and more gameplay

[Rueby]

Sometime I wonder if they do it on purpose, and the visual overload is part of the challenge.

For example look at M2S, in my experience beat 1 is where people tend to mess up the most despite mechanically it should be the easiest ... why? Because we have that big visual cue on top of our head that actually blocked our view of the very things we're supposed to avoid. Especially the end of phase mechanic where 3-4 people converse for the stack ... yeah, given how obnoxiously and unnecessary big the icons are, I always tell myself "this gotta be on purpose".

If so, then this imo is horrible design. I didn't experience the fight myself, but there's hardly any skill in making things particularly hard to see or even hurt to look at. It's cheap.

[SongOfTheWind]

It's literally the point of a video game.

This is pretty cute of you, but also so very wrong.
A hint: there are two words in the definition you are looking at. Try read the second. Try read them together. They are placed together for a reason. Good luck with your discoveries.

[Mirikh]

I don't think it is done on purpose to block our view here although I get what you are saying. I don't even like the big new red boss alerts but I'm pretty sure they intended them to be helpful. I've heard game designers in other games admit that they do add clutter or places where getting ones camera in the right position is more difficult to make fights harder ("Camera Bosses" ), but I don't see that yet in FF14. In 14 I think it's more just the way they've always done things. I'd love an option to turn down boss graphics.

[Rehayem]

During the first run in Skydeep Cenote at last boss, at one point I became extremely lightheaded, dizzy and thought I would pass out. My friend mentioned how the boss has a lot of flashy particle effects.

I wish I could turn that stuff down. It's fine to see fancy effects first time but I don't need to see it all the time. I'm pretty sure Aion had an option to tone down enemy vfx (including bosses) but that game (which is from 2008 btw) wasn't that heavily reliant on vfx like FFXIV is.

[ACE135]

It's sad that sometimes you have to turn down the effects to be able to see the boss better. That can't be the goal, that you create so many graphic effects, but in the end you have to disable them in order to be able to play the content properly. Then why develop those effects in the first place.

[Fiel_Tana]

This has been causing severe eye strain and headaches whenever I go into dungeons and raids. It was bad before the graphics update but now it's so severe I haven't even finished the MSQ. I'm right near the end facing a dungeon and trial that I know will be painful and impossible for me to play decently since I won't be able to see anything and will end up being a burden to other players. Not fun at all.

Yeah, I have turned off other player effects and limited my own, but if we had a setting to reduce opacity / intensity of the boss and arena effects it could go a long way for accessibility. As it is now it's simply unplayable for a lot of us.

[Sekundessounet]

This has been causing severe eye strain and headaches whenever I go into dungeons and raids. It was bad before the graphics update but now it's so severe I haven't even finished the MSQ. I'm right near the end facing a dungeon and trial that I know will be painful and impossible for me to play decently since I won't be able to see anything and will end up being a burden to other players. Not fun at all.

Yeah, I have turned off other player effects and limited my own, but if we had a setting to reduce opacity / intensity of the boss and arena effects it could go a long way for accessibility. As it is now it's simply unplayable for a lot of us.

Did you try reducing gamma and the luminosity of your screen ?

[Fiel_Tana]

Did you try reducing gamma and the luminosity of your screen ?

Yes tried that, both with in-game graphics settings and computer settings, still causes pain sadly.

[Sekundessounet]

That sucks yeah :/

Did you discuss it with an ophtalmologist or the like ? It might help, seems it reaches farther than the game itself

[Fiel_Tana]

That sucks yeah :/

Did you discuss it with an ophtalmologist or the like ? It might help, seems it reaches farther than the game itself

I have and was told that some people are simply more sensitive to sudden changes in brightness. For example, my eyes adjust quickly to darkness but slowly to sudden light, some others are the opposite, not an issue IRL or in other games (WoW & BG3, for example, are fine despite often flashy combat). During EW I could handle it mostly, it was unpleasant and I accepted that extended combat sessions in this game just wasn't for me but the graphics update changed something and made it far worse. Now each fight is painful and impossible to see what is happening to avoid kissing the floor. :/

A simple setting for boss and arena effects, even one similar to what we have for player effects, would be a very welcome and helpful addition.

If they do add that, an option to remove / move other clutter (Boss chatter banner and the new red warning text bar in the centre of the screen etc.) would also be helpful for players struggling with those blocking their view of what's happening.