The Formula won't change

[Turtledeluxe]

All of this to say, I'd be actually counted as a player that went to interact with 99% of Eureka and 90% of Bozja (I didn't do DRS, sue me), in spite of my overall dissatisfaction with the content. I think the numbers would be deceiving for that reason.

Yes, that's why I said I'd be curious to know of those that actually did it (not just haters of new content), what were the points of friction? Instead of revising, they just made a 2nd attempt with Bozja, and then came to the conclusion it just isn't worth doing at all. I don't think either field operation is perfect, and I've completed all steps excerpt DRS. I still see huge potential in the idea, especially since this game's weakest point is casual widescale content players can do together. I wasn't around for the marketing, but if they were pushing story and relics, those are just side components imo. The main thing about the field operations is making combat content everyone can do together in an open setting.

And maybe it's anecdotal but I feel like all I ever see is people asking for this (give us casual combat content), and it's like they don't even know it's already kinda in the game. Maybe it's the difficulty or the grind, I'm unsure. Maybe the game doesn't push it hard enough. I'm optimistic about the upcoming zone.

Ideally in an MMO you would not need segmented off MMO play. It would just be in the world. But here we are. And although I am aware both zones are fate centric like the base game, they do have other components and systems that make them slightly more interesting than generic open world play.

[OgruMogru]

Ideally in an MMO you would not need segmented off MMO play. It would just be in the world. But here we are. And although I am aware both zones are fate centric like the base game, they do have other components and systems that make them slightly more interesting than generic open world play.

This is a huge part of the problem for me! Imo all map zones should function more like Eureka/Bozja as a baseline. I enjoyed both iterations of the idea and was hoping, as with all things, that exploratory content would have been continually refined instead of just shelved for a whole expac. Bozja content was great but I found the subject matter and story delivery very dry - a personal problem I have with Matsuno's work although I love the pomp and weight of the dialogue in the ivalice 24 mans] - it also didn't help that the whole map was a desolate, craggy warzone. The sequestering off of these cool open world systems into their own separate content really kills any incentive to commit to them in any meaningful way even though they provide a far more structured and integrated experience than the baseline overworld. Bit of a waste tbh.

[Turtledeluxe]

This is a huge part of the problem for me! Imo all map zones should function more like Eureka/Bozja as a baseline. I enjoyed both iterations of the idea and was hoping, as with all things, that exploratory content would have been continually refined instead of just shelved for a whole expac. Bozja content was great but I found the subject matter and story delivery very dry - a personal problem I have with Matsuno's work although I love the pomp and weight of the dialogue in the ivalice 24 mans] - it also didn't help that the whole map was a desolate, craggy warzone. The sequestering off of these cool open world systems into their own separate content really kills any incentive to commit to them in any meaningful way even though they provide a far more structured and integrated experience than the baseline overworld. Bit of a waste tbh.

I much preferred the tone and setting of Eureka myself. But I'm very optimistic ahout zone 3 based on my own experience. I've converted several of my friends to relics hunters (I did both post EW, across all DCs actually and bith both zones were very axtive) and they successfully completed the zones within the last year. Bozja has been a hotspot for leveling. I think players have become more familiar with the zones retroactively vs less, although only SE would know that. I'm assuming my observations are on the money or else they wouldn't even be doing a third zone. Hopefully they use the opportunity to do something inviting that excites players across a wide skill spectrum.

And I say that because I see they're doing other new things. I see the Choatic raid and the lifestyle content. But both of those have their own drawbacks in terms of being wide appeal, cooperative, long term, etc. Exploratory zones can fill that gap.

[Supersnow845]

Small tangent on Eureka, I played through the whole and experienced most of what it had to bring, specifically at release. I hated the content (to a point where I had to make it bearable by listening to most of the history of rome podcast... stellar podcast btw, but it should tell you the amount of hours involved just grinding out), but I still did it, precisely because I had no idea what was ahead. When Anemos came out, I had no idea what it would be inside, so I went in. I kept going because I had no idea how the next area would be, and the next. I had no idea how the relic steps would be or evolve. I had no idea on how much story i'd miss out or not. I had no idea that BA was waiting for us in the last area as well until it released. I farmed my relic, farmed my armors, my relic was actually BiS in Pyros already because SE couldn't balance MCH savage itemization for shit. Same for Bozja, and I'm glad I went through its slightly less egregious but equally if not more boring grind because there was CLL and Dalriada on the way at their endgames, and more story to feed on.

All of this to say, I'd be actually counted as a player that went to interact with 99% of Eureka and 90% of Bozja (I didn't do DRS, sue me), in spite of my overall dissatisfaction with the content. I think the numbers would be deceiving for that reason.

However think of it from square enix’s perspective oh this one. The game doesn’t have a lot of content that 100% isn’t required and most of it has pretty poor retention (variant or EO for example). Why would field content be an anomaly that’s basically “hate played” when no other optional content shows this sort of retention. And let’s say the answer to that question is the relic……..okay isn’t that the purpose of the relics, to draw people to content, it’s not like EW’s tomestone relics did anything to incentivise anything considering you physically cannot incentivise roulettes in this game any more

If field content was say “60% liked it, 40% hate played it” it’s still a successful anomaly because no other optional content gets hate played, they just die on launch

[Valence]

This is a huge part of the problem for me! Imo all map zones should function more like Eureka/Bozja as a baseline.

The problem for me is that they precisely function like Eureka/Bozja (CEs excepted). They're fates that you move between constantly.

[Turtledeluxe]

The problem for me is that they precisely function like Eureka/Bozja (CEs excepted). They're fates that you move between constantly.

I disagree. Eureka has more interesting map design than base game that better uses verticality and secret areas. It feels more like you're truly discovering a new area. Mobs (at least when you're starting out) can actually be threatening. It a has a basic iteration of an elemental weakness and armor system. There is a built in bunny mini game with secret chests. There's probably things I'm forgetting, but I remember wishing the actual game was more like Eureka. Bozja also has the duels, overall I rememeber Bozja being less impressive outside encounter design. They both have cooperative "dungeons" and, in Eureka's case, it requires player setup/coordination. XIV open world has story dungeons but they're just your routine thing with 4 players.

I also believe I heard Eureka and Bozja were staggered releases and that imo, would have made my experience worse. I was able to just go through Eureka at my own pace. With both zones it felt nice to go into unexplored maps and not really know what I was going to find.

Base game has...aether currents? :/

[Daralii]

I disagree. Eureka has more interesting map design than base game that better uses verticality and secret areas. It feels more like you're truly discovering a new area. Mobs (at least when you're starting out) can actually be threatening. It a has a basic iteration of an elemental weakness and armor system. There is a built in bunny mini game with secret chests. There's probably things I'm forgetting, but I remember wishing the actual game was more like Eureka. Bozja also has the duels, overall I rememeber Bozja being less impressive outside encounter design. They both have cooperative "dungeons" and, in Eureka's case, it requires player setup/coordination. XIV open world has story dungeons but they're just your routine thing with 4 players.

I also believe I heard Eureka and Bozja were staggered releases and that imo, would have made my experience worse. I was able to just go through Eureka at my own pace. With both zones it felt nice to go into unexplored maps and not really know what I was going to find.

Base game has...aether currents? :/

Eureka started with Anemos in 4.25 and then the other areas in subsequent 4.X5 or 4.X6 patches. Bozja technically started with Gangos/the solo duty/Memoria Misera in 5.25, but the Southern Front was 5.35, Delubrum was 5.45, and Zadnor was 5.55.