Hi,
It’s unlikely this will ever be seen by Staff or Yoshi-P himself, as posts like this often end up as echoes in the void. Still, I want to voice my concerns for the future of FFXIV - not because of any recent event, but because of the trajectory the game has taken over time.
Classes / Jobs
As the game has evolved, jobs have become “samey.” DPS follow near-identical patterns, tanks blur together, and healers are split only by shield versus pure heal. The unique utility that once set jobs apart has been stripped.
One of my fondest memories is of my first Lakshmi clear as a Red Mage. I spent most of the fight rezzing and mana-shifting MP to healers so the party could stay up. That gameplay made me feel valued. Now, Red Mage is just another combo-driven DPS. And the same can be said for most if not all classes. I miss when jobs felt valuable.
Content
Content feels complacent. Earlier expansions were exciting and adventurous; patch days carried genuine surprise. It feels like everything now must follow a rigid schedule. Why repeat the same formulas like introducing another Deep Dungeon when HOH or POTD could simply be expanded to newer levels?
Why must every patch include the same structures - two dungeons, a raid series, a trial? Why not shake the formula? Where is the variety, the adventure?
Customization
Viera and Hrothgar hats arrived, thank you. But long-promised hairstyle contest winners remain missing, years later. Across an entire expansion cycle we might see two or three new hairs, which feels painfully limited.
Why stop there? Where are new horns, faces, tails, ears, and racial features? When was the last addition to face paints? Players yearn for more tools to express themselves. And aside from Gear / Dyes, they receive bare minimum.
Story
Don’t be afraid to return to the game’s roots. Dawntrail was meant to be a “chill” expansion, yet still landed in another futuristic setting. We’ve seen Garlemald, Amaurot, the moon’s, and now cyber cities. How much more 'futuristic' can we get?
What about a return to rustic, medieval fantasy? Not as instanced zones or one-off dungeons, but a proper city-state with the feel of Alexandria. Or literally anything else but 'advanced technology'?
Fix / Expand Existing Systems
Grand Companies remain untouched for years, with three placeholder ranks still locked away. Why?
The Gold Saucer hasn’t seen a true mini-game in ages.
Island Sanctuary updates feel abandoned.
Systems launch with fanfare, then gather dust.
FFXIV markets itself as a “theme park” MMO, but too many rides stop running after their debut.
TL;DR: I love this MMORPG deeply, but it has evolved into something nearly unrecognizable from the game many of us first fell in love with. Please, consider change. Bring back identity, surprise, and a willingness to nurture what is already here. Remind us why this MMORPG captured our hearts in the first place.
Continue reading...
It’s unlikely this will ever be seen by Staff or Yoshi-P himself, as posts like this often end up as echoes in the void. Still, I want to voice my concerns for the future of FFXIV - not because of any recent event, but because of the trajectory the game has taken over time.
Classes / Jobs
As the game has evolved, jobs have become “samey.” DPS follow near-identical patterns, tanks blur together, and healers are split only by shield versus pure heal. The unique utility that once set jobs apart has been stripped.
One of my fondest memories is of my first Lakshmi clear as a Red Mage. I spent most of the fight rezzing and mana-shifting MP to healers so the party could stay up. That gameplay made me feel valued. Now, Red Mage is just another combo-driven DPS. And the same can be said for most if not all classes. I miss when jobs felt valuable.
Content
Content feels complacent. Earlier expansions were exciting and adventurous; patch days carried genuine surprise. It feels like everything now must follow a rigid schedule. Why repeat the same formulas like introducing another Deep Dungeon when HOH or POTD could simply be expanded to newer levels?
Why must every patch include the same structures - two dungeons, a raid series, a trial? Why not shake the formula? Where is the variety, the adventure?
Customization
Viera and Hrothgar hats arrived, thank you. But long-promised hairstyle contest winners remain missing, years later. Across an entire expansion cycle we might see two or three new hairs, which feels painfully limited.
Why stop there? Where are new horns, faces, tails, ears, and racial features? When was the last addition to face paints? Players yearn for more tools to express themselves. And aside from Gear / Dyes, they receive bare minimum.
Story
Don’t be afraid to return to the game’s roots. Dawntrail was meant to be a “chill” expansion, yet still landed in another futuristic setting. We’ve seen Garlemald, Amaurot, the moon’s, and now cyber cities. How much more 'futuristic' can we get?
What about a return to rustic, medieval fantasy? Not as instanced zones or one-off dungeons, but a proper city-state with the feel of Alexandria. Or literally anything else but 'advanced technology'?
Fix / Expand Existing Systems
Grand Companies remain untouched for years, with three placeholder ranks still locked away. Why?
The Gold Saucer hasn’t seen a true mini-game in ages.
Island Sanctuary updates feel abandoned.
Systems launch with fanfare, then gather dust.
FFXIV markets itself as a “theme park” MMO, but too many rides stop running after their debut.
TL;DR: I love this MMORPG deeply, but it has evolved into something nearly unrecognizable from the game many of us first fell in love with. Please, consider change. Bring back identity, surprise, and a willingness to nurture what is already here. Remind us why this MMORPG captured our hearts in the first place.
Continue reading...