The real reason there are even subscribers in 2024

[Maxilor]

FF14 has the best drama. Desolance? Xeno? Arthars? Healer strike? Wuk Lamat? Need I go on? It's always a fun time to be in the FF14 community because every other day some human interest story will organically pop up that lets people get a huge whiff of what absolute human depravity looks like.

Now this I can agree with.

FFXIV drama is peak.

[Shibi]

Best? Dunno, SL drama makes FF drama look like a kindy kid in church. I mean SL drama is bat-cap crazy.

Edit: Come to think of it, SL drama makes Sena look sane enough to be the US president.

[dspguy]

I follow the money. If the game has a lot of subscribers, it is drawing players - for whatever reason. Maybe not every idea SE has is gold, but enough of it is. The proof is in the pudding.

[Heavenchild]

Did someone mention the fear of dropping something that you spend a lot of time and money into it?

I guess there is a ton of players who just can't let go even if the game doesn't bring much fun anymore. Just because of this.

For new players it's a great game with a lot of content. But for longterm players the always repeating forumla becomes very boring at some point. On top the issues of the game get not solved over so many years.

But..., as I've said before, those many years spending time and money into 14 make lots of people stay and hope for better times again.

In my opinion that's one point why people stay. But I also think that the modding community keeps it alive for a lot of people. Even if it is forbidden.

I am personally not a big fan of all the modding stuff. I like the idea that every player on every plattform can see 'the same'. But I have understanding for all people who want actual hands and feet, hats and hairstyles no matter what race, normal upper male bodies and similar stuff that should be available vanilla in the game anyway for years.

[Rueby]

Did someone mention the fear of dropping something that you spend a lot of time and money into it?

I guess there is a ton of players who just can't let go even if the game doesn't bring much fun anymore. Just because of this.

For new players it's a great game with a lot of content. But for longterm players the always repeating forumla becomes very boring at some point. On top the issues of the game get not solved over so many years.

But..., as I've said before, those many years spending time and money into 14 make lots of people stay and hope for better times again.

In my opinion that's one point why people stay. But I also think that the modding community keeps it alive for a lot of people. Even if it is forbidden.

I am personally not a big fan of all the modding stuff. I like the idea that every player on every plattform can see 'the same'. But I have understanding for all people who want actual hands and feet, hats and hairstyles no matter what race, normal upper male bodies and similar stuff that should be available vanilla in the game anyway for years.

sunk cost fallacy

The only reason I'm staying is that I have alot of 'memories' related to my house and FC, and the MSQ. Memories is all that's keeping me chained to this game. Also, there's no appealing alternative. I played GW2 for like 5-6 years before I started this game, and I burnt out completely from it and I hate what it has become. WoW? Hm, I considered it but subbing to another MMO is too much for me.

I think I'm too tired to start a new MMO, XIV burnt me out socially that I only spend time alone in it. I guess I fall into the lonewolf category. I enjoy PF alot though, but alot of encounters put me off due to low visual clarity.

Mods for this game are akin to what the community is doing for Skyrim. I honestly don't care what people see on their client, it doesn't affect me at all. I wish they'd give us something other than sausage fingers?? My face is high poly but my body is low poly...it stands out even more now. Idk how they didn't bother to update that too lmao

[PercibelTheren]

My reason for sticking around is mostly my FC and the friends I have in-game. I like doing stuff with friends.

[gllt]

I like to play and finish games I've paid for. I haven't even seen DT yet.

[HighlanderClone]

Wow I'm really impressed! It doesn't look like Skyrim at all, this sounds like AI voices though? It's super interesting. I think Skyrim would've died long ago, I'm surprised it's still going! I remember my ex telling me about it back when it was fresh...

I don't want to judge, but as long as I don't see that cursed shit on my screen....you do you. Though I think you traumatized me abit with that...painfully tiny waist and massive booba my back hurts. My therapy is on you.

Yeah, lots of AI voicing in Skyrim now, along with many player made DLCs with good voice acting. Better than Dawntrail unironically lmfao

https://youtu.be/BGCWr-lGdOY?si=joMFlLPWJJlKOdG2&t=678

They even have... Actual accents based on race!

https://youtu.be/BGCWr-lGdOY?si=NoJ7Lc5r44e26e98&t=508

So hilarious that a player made mod is unironically better than FF14

[Rueby]

snip

I'm really impressed, it doesn't look like skyrim at all. The voice acting is actually pretty decent for AI..but to respond to your other comment.

You're partially correct, SE doesn't innovate because why change things when there's someone else providing players with QoL. Only when it 'blows up' in some kind of scandal like WF or something do they ban the guy and implement a worse version of a plugin. I don't think SE is capable of bringing the level of QoL third party provides to the game, I don't think they understand what the players want/need. This is why I disagree with you on that.

SE is a japanese company and that's a can of worms on its own. I'd say a survey after each patch would be great, like a customer satisfaction of sorts, but I highly doubt this would happen because it probably requires investing into some kind of way to analyze this feedback and it assumes everyone can provide honest feedback.

I doubt anything you're suggesting would ever come to this game because I think this isn't the kind of game. They want to tell a story and for you to consume it, that's it. I think they're really detached from the playerbase and it shows. We need competition because as long as XIV is on top, no innovation is going to happen, but I think the genre is kinda...stagnant? I doubt anything will blow something out of the water, barring an actual disaster, which I'm seeing DT being from what I'm reading and what my friends are saying about the MSQ.

I doubt we'd get custom maps or story lines, god knows I'd love to reimagine alot of EW so I can save that one blonde garlean man. I also want to explore an ending where you go alone to the Tempest to meet Emet. I think if such a thing existed, it'd be amazing, the roleplay potential and the wol story potential would be....off the roof. I'd love to fantasize about it, but realistically speaking, the only medium such ideas can be explored is...fanfiction.

I'll admit, I don't know what the potential of this game can be aside from wanting/missing QoL from other games....how many times did people cry to lift off the restrictions on glam and rework the glamour dresser? This game is basically the cow that is being milked to fund failures like Forspoken and scary announcements like NFTs and mobile games. They don't pour enough into this game though it generates so much for them.

I guess we got a graphical update that broke alot of shit and went kame hame ha on my eyes. I would've rather them take time than deliver half baked product.

I think mods are usually made by passionate players for other players. The same way mods/plugins are made for this game. Devs are detached too + language barrier.

Sorry, rant long, thoughts fragmented, might read abit weird.