Ultimate demise of 14?

[Kaurhz]

Game is OK,

But they have pushed themselves into a corner with the rigidity and formulaic schedules and predictability behind their content.

Personally, with respect to the reviews and such I am not actually too concerned.. Mainly because, by the metrics, Endwalker would be considered universal acclaim. Even though it frankly failed in nearly every metric that you should be judging an MMO by. As far as I am concerned, the story can be underwhelming, but if it narrows down the content as well as they are suggesting (even if it may be a recycle), then frankly it will be one of the better expansions, even with a subpar story.

I would honestly say more than the content itself -- One of the biggest problems the devs have had for a while is they are just quality-of-lifing the soul out of the MMO aspect - Because heaven forbid there is even a fraction of inconvenience or walling in any activity

Why do I still think it's OK? - Generally MMOs are not really in a great state in the first place at the moment, and frankly there isn't really an abundance of standards for what is expected.

[sharknado]

Good stuff:
- instances
- graphics
- music
- option to take breaks and return whenever and quickly be caught up (no gating of gear and DF)

Dated, needs innovation:
- open world
- FATEs
- Side quests
- Crafting

Bad stuff:
- lack of innovation
- lack of varied post-launch content
- lack of communication on post-launch patch content nature, type
- focusing boss encounter design (non-endgame) to much on hiding majority of damage taken behind solvable mechanics degrading healer role
- (near) one-shot mechanics aren't generating "stress", at best are annoying and when avoided better with time degrade healer role

[Akonyl]

It is absolutely mindblowing how much doomposting is being done about the game and its future based on one expac with mediocre story, where we haven't even gotten any patch content yet. Do people think SHB and EW are the only expacs that have ever existed? People were pretty annoyed with SB too, HW was a decently received story but the actual expac side content was pretty bad (raids until Creator, two separate versions of the diadem failing), and ARR was mediocre (but better than 1.0).

Do I think the start of the expac MSQ was bad? Kinda, yeah. But overall it's a decent expac, and even if I wish it could have been better, good god the speed at which people decided to immediately go for SE's throat is baffling. We haven't even had a chance for the other side content to get added, since we're not even at 7.1 yet.

[gllt]

I'll judge the expac when I'm allowed to turn bloom and wet effects off again so I can see the game lmao

[sharknado]

It is absolutely mindblowing how much doomposting is being done about the game and its future based on one expac with mediocre story, where we haven't even gotten any patch content yet. Do people think SHB and EW are the only expacs that have ever existed?.

People react with emotions X.0 for SHB and EW was good so people were hyped and lasted longer, got taken away by some patch side content. in DT MSQ is worse so people will see the expansion through less hype and then see more cracks in the fabric that were since SHB or longer.