The issue with Dawntrail and importance of 8.0

[NamiRocket]

For fun I did a super quick check for steam population of FFXIV.

August 2021 : 40000 (Peak 65000)
December 2021 : 53700 (peak 95000)
January 2022 : 36614 (peak 65656)
January 2023 : 27140 (peak 48000)
July 2024 (DT) : 42000 (peak 77000)
January 2025 : 17229 (Peak 25783)

You're welcome.

Posted without a hint of irony, as if Steam numbers matter for your argument.

[Archeron]

Even if you put storytelling aside which I think is the worst written expansion in this games history, Dawntrail has done NOTHING new. NOTHING exciting. It's a copy/paste expansion, where they've stuck to the "Safe" Formula and made no attempts to add new depth, new gameplay, or exciting new ways to experience the world. What have they introduced that no expansion has ever done before? Where is the content they promised before Dawntrail launched? Why do we need to wait 8+ months for that content to drop when the game is actively hemorrhaging players now? This game is suffering from massive levels of stagnation that extend even beyond Dawntrail. The story post Dawntrail was the only thing keeping this game together. Once the rose tinted goggles are removed, the shallowness in every aspect of this game is clear as day to see. It must change, and this MMO must evolve if you care about it remaining relevant in the future.

[Clockworks]

Posted without a hint of irony, as if Steam numbers matter for your argument.

https://luckybancho.ldblog.jp/archives/58883226.html

Here you go, that's non steam.

My pleasure.

[Daralii]

https://luckybancho.ldblog.jp/archives/58883226.html

Here you go, that's non steam.

My pleasure.

It still doesn't count because it's not Yoshida saying it to them personally.

[ovIm]

I'm not ignoring good posts. Either I haven't seen them, or posts you think are good I think are bad. Feel free to link an example of something you thought was good. I won't respond in depth if I think it's bad but I can tell you if I hadn't seen it before and it's valid.

no, I don't think I will. There are better things I want to do with my time, since I know your habit of swatting away information that don't suit you and claim that they are invalid without giving any reasons.

As for the rest of your post, your energy is met with the same. What you perceived as mocking was in response to you calling my tone holier than thou. What goes around comes around. You projecting is amusing though.

Lastly, Dawntrail is great. It's def not perfect but overall I had a good time with it and enjoyed it a lot. I find much of the writing to be compelling. But I'm probably approaching it with a different perspective than many other people. That's fine though, right?

You can think Dawntrail is great, I can think Dawntrails quality is all over the place and is seriously lacking in some aspects. Its no skin off my back what you believe.

Don't you think it's odd how the count for DT is three times more than that of EW? That's such a suspicious uptick.

No, I don't think its suspicious, given that there was an uptick in players somewhere in 2021/2022 (WoW Exodus). But, knowing that Steam Reviews have already been considered untrustworthy on this forum (which I can see why, given that you can only say good or bad, which lacks nuance, and its much much easier in Steam to just click the dislike button as compared to something like metacritic) I chose to go for metacritic, which is easier to check and allows for a bit more interesting score than something binary.

Do tell me though, why is it easily believed that 1000 voices averaging in a score of 9.1/10 with the game in 2019 legit, but 1000 voices averaging in a score of 5.3 means the game is unjustly review bombed?


ETA: As expected, can dish it out, but can't take it.

[Exmo]

snip

Hi, not going to respond to all that. I gave you the benefit of the doubt for long enough, even after you started by being rude and aggravating towards me. You spent so long badgering me to debate you, but when I ask you to provide one example from this forum of good critique of DT you totally buckle. Nah, you earned your own treatment. Feel free to act like I cannot respond to your comments here, the truth is I just don't enjoy talking to you, sorry.

Anyway, Dawntrail was great. I really enjoyed how Zoraal Ja's militaristic beliefs intersected with a decreasing sense of humanity in how he related or could not relate to those around him. As he descended further into his own sense of self-grandeur, he shut himself off from a society which thrives instead on harmony. By the end, even his military contained no living soldier but himself. No wonder he struggled with the concept of family. Anyway bye!

[Carin-Eri]

The vast majority of players enjoy DT well enough. It isn't most people's favorite expansion but that's ok.

Agreed.

I've expressed this opinion before, but to repeat - I enjoyed it for the most part. Granted it had plenty of flaws and I will concede that they overplayed Wuk Lamat... but otherwise? I don't look back on my journey through Dawntrail with any regret. In fact my two biggest issues with it were A: it didn't have any standout 'memorable' moments, and B: whilst I was able to tolerate Wuk Lamat for the vast majority of DT, her appearance in the Queen Eternal fight did offend me considering the dialogue clearly labelled 'us' as the "single greatest threat".

Otherwise? It wasn't a terrible addition to the ongoing story in my view. Just not quite as good as what came before.

[Voidmage]

Hi, not going to respond to all that. I gave you the benefit of the doubt for long enough, even after you started by being rude and aggravating towards me. You spent so long badgering me to debate you, but when I ask you to provide one example from this forum of good critique of DT you totally buckle. Nah, you earned your own treatment. Feel free to act like I cannot respond to your comments here, the truth is I just don't enjoy talking to you, sorry.

Anyway, Dawntrail was great. I really enjoyed how Zoraal Ja's militaristic beliefs intersected with a decreasing sense of humanity in how he related or could not relate to those around him. As he descended further into his own sense of self-grandeur, he shut himself off from a society which thrives instead on harmony. By the end, even his military contained no living soldier but himself. No wonder he struggled with the concept of family. Anyway bye!

There you go https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-full-spoilers for one on this forum. The very first post of OP goes in really good detail.
Other than that I would give you the videos from Preach and Zepla for story and Mr Happys "state of the realm" for status on content delivery.
But I am pretty sure you already know those exist.

DT has mixed reviews across the board with a heavily divided playerbase... more than any expansion before it and even Yoshida himself admitting to it "we expected bad reception".
So while yes you can like DT and find it great that is pretty much not the common opinion.
Here, on Reddit and comments on several boards you will find people saying "I like Wuk Lamat but even i see the problems" or "I like DT but I can understand why other people don't".
Heck even ingame I have seen people making no secret of how little they think of the story "no more Wuk Lamat", "the story was nonsense", etc.

Have fun with the game and all that, truly.
I am happy for everyone who enjoys this expansion.

Note here:
I won't respond to an answer because I only wanted to give the requested examples and frankly there are other persons like Jeeqbit who while having a completely different opinion from me actually are fun to discuss with.
Something I haven't seen with your posts frankly (the steam number one the most). Apologies.

[BigCheez]

Posted without a hint of irony, as if Steam numbers matter for your argument.

Why? Steam is a plenty large enough sample size to gauge player behaviour.

Looking at Steam numbers won't tell you how many total players there are but it will give a pretty accurate estimation of % changes over time.

[ViinaS]

There you go https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-full-spoilers for one on this forum. The very first post of OP goes in really good detail.
Other than that I would give you the videos from Preach and Zepla for story and Mr Happys "state of the realm" for status on content delivery.
But I am pretty sure you already know those exist.

snips.

I don't think that'll work. Afterall according to that person the forum are already an "echochamber of negativity". Same with Steam, Reddit and Youtube.
I don't think unless the devs themselves prostrate live on stage and apologise for Dawntrail you'll convince that person that there is any type of issue going on.
At least according to the reactions till now when given sources.