Question: Do we have enough content for high-end and casual equally?

[HyperiusUltima]

Figured I'd ask since there's a lot of people who've given me the canned answer of "There's no content(I want to do)." when I've asked in some friend circles. I remember in one interview Yoshida went into depth about how they're trying to make content to accomodate all levels, but personally it feels like they keep missing the mark.

I'm not sure what in the world they'll do about it in 8.0, but the other problem I think we had this expac was they spread their focus too broadly in terms of what content to make available outside of their usual application(Beast Tribes, MSQ, Raid Tier in particular).

This can be said since we had not only Cosmic Exploration, we also had Pilgrim's Traverse(Deep Dungeon), Occult Crescent(Exploration Content) with North Horn coming in .55 probably, and to top it off we had The Merchant's Tale(Variant Dungeon). That's a lot in just one expansion to push, and I think from development it might make sense given the size of the team; of course I don't fault them for letting their juniors attempt some things, but most people argue it's about rewards over everything else which is understandable in current state.

I just want to understand why they release content at a pace where we get a drought in a live service landscape that's pushing out updates almost bi-monthly.

[LanceSummers]

Figured I'd ask since there's a lot of people who've given me the canned answer of "There's no content(I want to do)." when I've asked in some friend circles. I remember in one interview Yoshida went into depth about how they're trying to make content to accomodate all levels, but personally it feels like they keep missing the mark.

I'm not sure what in the world they'll do about it in 8.0, but the other problem I think we had this expac was they spread their focus too broadly in terms of what content to make available outside of their usual application(Beast Tribes, MSQ, Raid Tier in particular).

This can be said since we had not only Cosmic Exploration, we also had Pilgrim's Traverse(Deep Dungeon), Occult Crescent(Exploration Content) with North Horn coming in .55 probably, and to top it off we had The Merchant's Tale(Variant Dungeon). That's a lot in just one expansion to push, and I think from development it might make sense given the size of the team; of course I don't fault them for letting their juniors attempt some things, but most people argue it's about rewards over everything else which is understandable in current state.

I just want to understand why they release content at a pace where we get a drought in a live service landscape that's pushing out updates almost bi-monthly.

There just needs to be more casual content to do. The nature of hardcore content makes each piece of it have more longevity for raiders, due to difficulty and time for prog. Raiders have eaten well for Dawntrail, too well imo. Casual content has been thrown to the wayside just to introduce more high-end content.

[Bryson]

all content can be done by all players.. the only thing that varies is the "when" with regards to completing it.
i've played since arr phase 1 beta, and i've played with people ranging from super casual (irl time constraints like work college raising children etc etc) to sweaty af. This notion that someone who plays casually is incapable of doing "certain content" is a myth NA perpetuates because for some odd reason they conflate time with difficulty. It's honestly very patronizing of people to presume that because you play casually, you are somehow "incapable" of doing xyz content. Idk what it is about xiv players obsession with putting people in these boxes founded on completely arbitrary metrics.

I literally know people who play a couple hours a day, a couple days a week, and they've cleared everything I have... the only difference is the "when."

[LanceSummers]

all content can be done by all players.. the only thing that varies is the "when" with regards to completing it.
i've played since arr phase 1 beta, and i've played with people ranging from super casual (irl time constraints like work college raising children etc etc) to sweaty af. This notion that someone who plays casually is incapable of doing "certain content" is a myth NA perpetuates because for some odd reason they conflate time with difficulty. I literally know people who play a couple hours a day, a couple days a week, and they've cleared everything I have... the only difference is the "when."

Even if this is true, not all casual players have the time to do harder content, or even like doing so. I personally enjoy casual content more, I like being able to just do stuff and have a fun time instead of trying to get gud.

[Bryson]

Even if this is true, not all casual players have the time to do harder content, or even like doing so. I personally enjoy casual content more, I like being able to just do stuff and have a fun time instead of trying to get gud.

that's why i said the "when" varies. I'm gone 10 hours a day Mon-Fri... inversely, someone could be a "casual player" and be home all day (some of my friends for example.. be it working pt, college student etc etc). I'm in no position to presume they are incapable of doing x y z content just because the "community" has arbitrarily decided that said content is "too hard for them." Players have enough agency to decide what is and isn't for them, relative to the amount of time they want to put into it. This casual/hc binary is reductive and arbitrary.

Doing stuff and having fun isn't mutually exclusive to "get gud." Q40 is stuff and I had fun. FT is stuff and I had fun. That's kinda my point... There is no one size fits all to content and fun.

To me, there is no such thing as casual or hc content. Content merely exists.. and what you put into it could be casual (couple hours here and there) or hc (a lot of hours). There is not a single piece of a content a casual player is incapable of doing. Whether it interests them or not is besides the point. Like cosmic exploration. It's for everyone.... I just choose to not do it. That's on me, not SE.

[Atreyu]

snip.

I think that XIV could benefit from content that is solo-optional and that is also a means of progressing. It helps gently nudge people along into harder content by forcing them to get better, at their own pace.

For example, I think WoW is in a better state than it has been in a very long time, specifically because they have more branches of progression than ever before.

Delves and the new Prey system can both be run solo or with a small group. If you're interested in their mechanics, look them up.

Before someone comes in to say 'well just play WoW then'. I do. I also play XIV.
But, and I want to stress this: I didn't enjoy WoW before they implemented these systems.

I was, sincerely, someone who never once stepped foot inside even a Normal raid unless I was forced and/or carried.
Now, only weeks after the Midnight expansion launched, I am successfully completing Heroic raids with friends, and I am by far not the only person who has had this near-identical experience. Not because the option wasn't always there to 'get good' but because now there is a clear bridge between them that I can follow at my own pace. The systems I mentioned before will have you learn your toolkit to progress, which makes you a more confident and skilled player, in an environment that never needs to leave solo play, if you don't want it to.

More options, outside of 'just wait for the content to become less hard', is a good thing.
Stealing genuinely good ideas is not only allowed, but encouraged and has been done before.
When 1.0 failed, one of the MMOs that FFXIV borrowed heavily off of was WoW, and Yoshi P himself has confirmed this. The currency system is basically a copy and paste from WotLK era WoW.

We are long past that era now, however, and I really believe that they would benefit from taking another look at how other MMOs have helped bridge the gap. One that doesn't involve just doing Duty Finder over and over ad nauseum until the content becomes insignificant enough to do at your current play-level. Give people incentive to become better, at their own pace, and they will.

[SyferU]

I feel like this is the wrong question. I think the right question would be how to get casual players to engage more with difficult content.

[hydralus]

I feel like this is the wrong question. I think the right question would be how to get casual players to engage more with difficult content.

I'm just one guy but it doesn't matter what sort of reward you put in there. If I have to enter a discord call to listen to someone do callouts, I'll pass.

[CidHeiral]

There just needs to be more casual content to do. The nature of hardcore content makes each piece of it have more longevity for raiders, due to difficulty and time for prog. Raiders have eaten well for Dawntrail, too well imo. Casual content has been thrown to the wayside just to introduce more high-end content.

The overwhelming majority of content in this game is casual. It may not all be content that appeals to you specifically, but to try to argue that everything is catering to hardcore players ridiculous.

[SyferU]

I'm just one guy but it doesn't matter what sort of reward you put in there. If I have to enter a discord call to listen to someone do callouts, I'll pass.

I have done savage and some ultimates in party finder and have never used discord so you should be fine.