The Formula won't change

[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.