ANOTHER Seasonal Event Just Running Around Talking to NPCS

[Collin_Sky]

Where tf is our money going? Every recent seasonal event has been the absolute bare minimum.

[Red-thunder]

Your mistake was expecting gameplay in the critically acclaimed tv series FINAL FANTASY XIV

[Clockworks]

Where tf is our money going? Every recent seasonal event has been the absolute bare minimum.

People would be too overwhelmed, please understand and look forward to it.

[Aco505]

These seasonal events have cute little quests that I personally enjoy but it'd be good if they added some sort of game play element as well, even if independent from the quest line itself, to incentivize player engagement into something such as farming some sort of tokens for cosmetics by doing special duties like the labyrinth we got some years ago.

[Avoidy]

They're trying to apply that standard to the msq as well. Look at dawntrail. Remember when we spent all that time building a train (running around talking to npcs) with guns to smash into a structure, but then the actual train riding section was just a long cutscene with no gameplay despite there being an on-rails train minigame already in the game at the gold saucer? Or when we spent all that time gathering ingredients (running around talking to npcs) for a cooking contest, but then the actual cooking contest was just a long cutscene with noooooo gameplay once again? Dawntrail basically played like a really long standard seasonal event quest with a handful of dungeon/trial moments sprinkled in to break up the "Talk to npcs, watch a movie" format.

[Wasselin]

I like running around talking to NPCs

[Zakuyia]

not gonna lie i skipped the cutscenes i just wanted the simping emote for my primal girls now i feel like the true bee simp / primal simp in me can reflect XD

[BokoToloko]

They're trying to apply that standard to the msq as well. Look at dawntrail. Remember when we spent all that time building a train (running around talking to npcs) with guns to smash into a structure, but then the actual train riding section was just a long cutscene with no gameplay despite there being an on-rails train minigame already in the game at the gold saucer? Or when we spent all that time gathering ingredients (running around talking to npcs) for a cooking contest, but then the actual cooking contest was just a long cutscene with noooooo gameplay once again? Dawntrail basically played like a really long standard seasonal event quest with a handful of dungeon/trial moments sprinkled in to break up the "Talk to npcs, watch a movie" format.

This is a far worse offender than seasonal events being pretty much a "talk to npcs" deal, to be honest. There's something to be said about how they make more and more solo duties about controlling another NPC too rather than playing as ourselves.

[AvoSturmfaust]

i personally im fine with it, i know games there is a event once a year, while we get regular events and if i only have to talk to a npc to get my glam/emote/mount/minion im fine with it, but atleast they should try to improve the mog event then a bit with the rewards because thats the only really "grindy" event we have

[ovIm]

This is a far worse offender than seasonal events being pretty much a "talk to npcs" deal, to be honest. There's something to be said about how they make more and more solo duties about controlling another NPC too rather than playing as ourselves.

If only they made more and more solo duties - it feels like they are just giving us less and less game, and more cutscene instead. What solo duties we have are often not even dangerous and can be won without pressing a button. I've seen people defend it with the usual "but it has always been like this" defense (which, to be fair, is kinda true for most of the MSQ of FF14), but that still keeps the question of "why" open. Are we not playing a video game? Isn't engaging with a games mechanics and the interaction between player and game core to the experience of it all?

Youtuber Embers Arcade has recently released an interesting video (The Problem with Yoshi-P | An Honest Critique) talking about these exact issues, analyzing the video game design of both Final Fantasy 14 and 16. Its a good watch, about 20 minutes long. Really recommended.