Randomly Ridiculous FFXI to FFXIV

[Aksannyi]

XI was just as much of a full time job as WoW. To the point where entire linkshells would schedule their sleep around HNM camps. I know I'm not the only person who would nap for 55 minutes between Khim intervals when the window was coming to an end. Or log out in the Aery at 11 PM only to get back up at 3AM and sit there until the wee hours of the morning.

You sit every day in the Aery, and if camps don't overlap, you sit in BD, and maybe even in VoS from time to time. You sit on /RNG scanning for five hours - or waiting at the ready at teleport NPC - and you probably have events whose times don't change daily such as Dynamis, Einherjar, Bv2, etc. And if you were online, you were at those events.

You can't say that WoW is more like a full-time job than FFXI. Granted, you don't have to do those things in order to play either game, but you really can't say that about one game and not the other. Hardcore players/guilds/shells/whatever are going to require hours and hours of your time no matter what.

[Kaluuki]

I never said FFXI wasn't like that. I was stating my reasoning as to why I disliked WoW, although I can really say the same thing for both. lol

[Cureslime]

The commitment necessary to be a near-top tier player in WoW is negligible compared to FFXI. If you're in a top tier guild that is min/maxing for realm firsts yeah you will be required to put in all your free time for specific periods of time. If you're just in a great guild that wants to do the majority of hard modes you'll only need to put in 10 hours a week at max. FFXI forced you to forget about your family, your friends, and your schooling if you wanted to be even marginally successful.

Not saying one system is necessarily better, just that WoW is not a second job for anyone who doesn't want it to be.

[Hyan]

That logic would apply if there were no reward at the end of doing whatever they've designed.

Look at ballista. Only the people that enjoyed it, played it. There was no reward for excelling in ballista, other than the ability to buy potions and whatnot before each match. That is a perfect example of your theory.

Sky, Sea, Dynamis, HNM, Salvage, Assault, Nyuzul, and all other reward-based events are not accurate examples. Some people did those because they like them, which is fine, and leads to what you are saying. What, however, about those people that did not like the events, yet did them anyway because they felt that they needed the items either to compete in other areas of the game, or simply because "everyone else has them and expects me to have them."

When you add an incentive on the back of an event, all of a sudden you negate that "well if you don't like it, leave it!" theory. You may not have a complete choice to ignore the event, especially if the reward can be seen as something that may hinder you in the future if you don't possess it.

It is in those times that SE should listen to user feedback, and they have on some fronts. By your logic, SE certain CoP fights for no reason, as if they were too hard and people didn't like them, they should have just skipped CoP altogether.

That is foolish, though. No company wants to see 85% of the player-base never seeing the content they've worked so hard to produce. SE gains absolutely nothing from all-but blocking their players from seeing their hard work. They realized this, and so for that series of events (complete with nice rewards at the end: sea access, CoP rings, gorgets, gear, and AV), they lowered the difficulty to allow more people to see and participate in those events.

Your logic holds little water, I'm sorry. SE has disproven you, they simply aren't disproving you on every occasion. They can, and will - on some occasions - modify an event that people are complaining about in order to better allow people to enjoy it. They are extremely stubborn about it, and rarely utilize that ability.

Everyone has things they dislike about almost every game. The thing is, that SE isn't forcing you to like those things. You're not forced to have that "equipment".

That is also almost entirely a mindset of an addicted player, and I do not think SE should encourage those kind of players to continue playing. When you play, not because you like the game, but because you must have item X, something is wrong.

Normal players Quit the game when they dislike it, or avoid the things that they don't like. If they play because they like the game, those issues can be overlooked. The most important thing is that they like the majority of the game's content; that's why they won't quit.

What you said misses my point. My point is, that whatever SE says is of no importance- only what SE does is important, because that's when the change happens. They can talk about how they apologize because CoP is too hard and think about maybe fixing the difficulty someday, but that won't make the event easier. Only when they implement the change the event will become easier. And you need no words for that, only actions. And people who play because they like the game, don't really care about SE apologizing and maybe in the future making the event easier. If it comes, good, but if it doesn't, they'll keep playing because they still like the game. If they for some reason don't like the game anymore, SE coming up and apologizing and explaining why they did what they did won't make the players like the game again. The game is still the same, no matter what SE says.

Plus it really depends if players actually believe SE or not. If SE comes up and says something like "We didn't do event X this way because it would have caused y, z problems", how many players are going to believe them, and how many would figure out a "solution" for y,z within 5 seconds? It's pretty much like arguing here. There's no way SE could say anything and people wouldn't start disagreeing with their decisions/opinions. In the end being too open about things might only hurt the company in the long run. It's not like addicted players will ever be happy. If something gets fixed, they'll find a new problem to nitpick about. An MMO is never perfect, and neither are MMO developers, because for every 100 players playing there are 100 different opinions as to how exactly the game should be run. When you make a decision that one guy agrees with, there are 99 others that don't.

The point is that Blizzard actually listens to player feedback and changes things instead of stonewalling and telling you to go eat a dick like S-E does. They don't always get it right but at least they make an effort. Changing things = action and not just words.

FFXI was a good game and that is why we all expect FFXIV to be a good game. A good game with a good license will always make monies. FFXI could've been a great game had S-E done a better job of supporting it in its early years. I don't know why you're lobbying for S-E to reject all feedback and make a terrible game.

The point is that Blizzard kisses players asses- and not just any players, mainly the addicts that demand care and "communication" or they'll quit.

There is a distinct line between "listening to feedback" and what I just said above. Players can raise up their concerns, but there is no need for SE to answer with anything but the updates, because nothing else will make a difference. Either they listen, or don't, but the result will be the same, in both the case of SE and Blizzard. If the developers are good (or rather- if they have more money) they can react faster to player's concerns and more stuff will get fixed.

If you think that not saying anything basically turns into an "eat a dick" phrase, then I have to disagree. If you think that SE didn't listen to player feedback (post 2006), then I have to disagree.

I don't know why you changed the "point" of the whole discussion. I was pointing out that words don't make a difference but actions do, and there was no other point to make. If Blizzard comes up and says "We didn't do event X that way because it would create z,y problems" it most likely means that Blizzard isn't going to create event X that way because of z and y. That's listening to the feedback, and rejecting it. SE does that, too. And it's necessary, because not every kind of feedback will be good feedback. Most of the feedback is quite shitty, actually. Blizzard comes out and says why they did what they did, while SE doesn't. Either way both methods give the same result, except addicts will be butthurt in SE's way. Which I don't think is a bad thing, at all.

[Lucavi]

Everyone has things they dislike about almost every game. The thing is, that SE isn't forcing you to like those things. You're not forced to have that "equipment".

That is also almost entirely a mindset of an addicted player, and I do not think SE should encourage those kind of players to continue playing. When you play, not because you like the game, but because you must have item X, something is wrong.

Normal players Quit the game when they dislike it, or avoid the things that they don't like. If they play because they like the game, those issues can be overlooked. The most important thing is that they like the majority of the game's content; that's why they won't quit.

What you said misses my point. My point is, that whatever SE says is of no importance- only what SE does is important, because that's when the change happens. They can talk about how they apologize because CoP is too hard and think about maybe fixing the difficulty someday, but that won't make the event easier. Only when they implement the change the event will become easier. And you need no words for that, only actions. And people who play because they like the game, don't really care about SE apologizing and maybe in the future making the event easier. If it comes, good, but if it doesn't, they'll keep playing because they still like the game. If they for some reason don't like the game anymore, SE coming up and apologizing and explaining why they did what they did won't make the players like the game again. The game is still the same, no matter what SE says.

Plus it really depends if players actually believe SE or not. If SE comes up and says something like "We didn't do event X this way because it would have caused y, z problems", how many players are going to believe them, and how many would figure out a "solution" for y,z within 5 seconds? It's pretty much like arguing here. There's no way SE could say anything and people wouldn't start disagreeing with their decisions/opinions. In the end being too open about things might only hurt the company in the long run. It's not like addicted players will ever be happy. If something gets fixed, they'll find a new problem to nitpick about. An MMO is never perfect, and neither are MMO developers, because for every 100 players playing there are 100 different opinions as to how exactly the game should be run. When you make a decision that one guy agrees with, there are 99 others that don't.



The point is that Blizzard kisses players asses- and not just any players, mainly the addicts that demand care and "communication" or they'll quit.

There is a distinct line between "listening to feedback" and what I just said above. Players can raise up their concerns, but there is no need for SE to answer with anything but the updates, because nothing else will make a difference. Either they listen, or don't, but the result will be the same, in both the case of SE and Blizzard. If the developers are good (or rather- if they have more money) they can react faster to player's concerns and more stuff will get fixed.

If you think that not saying anything basically turns into an "eat a dick" phrase, then I have to disagree. If you think that SE didn't listen to player feedback (post 2006), then I have to disagree.

I don't know why you changed the "point" of the whole discussion. I was pointing out that words don't make a difference but actions do, and there was no other point to make. If Blizzard comes up and says "We didn't do event X that way because it would create z,y problems" it most likely means that Blizzard isn't going to create event X that way because of z and y. That's listening to the feedback, and rejecting it. SE does that, too. And it's necessary, because not every kind of feedback will be good feedback. Most of the feedback is quite shitty, actually. Blizzard comes out and says why they did what they did, while SE doesn't. Either way both methods give the same result, except addicts will be butthurt in SE's way. Which I don't think is a bad thing, at all.

I fair opinion, but I disagree. We'll just agree to disagree. I don't think it is only "addicts" that would enjoy a little communication. Technically, in your narrow view of what constitutes a FFXI addict, I was not an addict. I did dynamis for the fun and for the gear, and once I had the gear and it no longer became fun, I stopped. Same deal with sky, and I all-but skipped all of sea outside of Limbus because the same reasons.
I never got into assaults, skipped salvage for the most part, and couldn't be bothered with Nyuzul. I still had fun, but I still would have liked more changes and more communication from the company, and all of this was long before I even considered WoW - back then I was still of the "SE >> Blizzard for no reason at all!" camp.

I guess I am the anomaly of your theorycrafting: The guy that didn't grind through events that he didn't enjoy simply for the loot that they drop, yet still wanted a higher level of transparency and communication for the game, especially in the areas that he did traffic, which was merit-whoring and ballista.

I suppose I'll continue to be that anomaly for the next game, because I expect a greater deal of communication between SE and their player base, and I have a feeling that we'll get it. From SE's statements, and from the other successful models in the MMO market, and knowing that SE wants to collect some of those massive paychecks like their rivals, I doubt we'll be seeing the carbon-copy of FFXI with prettier graphics that you seem to wish for.

[Vacht]

I fair opinion, but I disagree. We'll just agree to disagree. I don't think it is only "addicts" that would enjoy a little communication. Technically, in your narrow view of what constitutes a FFXI addict, I was not an addict. I did dynamis for the fun and for the gear, and once I had the gear and it no longer became fun, I stopped. Same deal with sky, and I all-but skipped all of sea outside of Limbus because the same reasons.
I never got into assaults, skipped salvage for the most part, and couldn't be bothered with Nyuzul. I still had fun, but I still would have liked more changes and more communication from the company, and all of this was long before I even considered WoW - back then I was still of the "SE >> Blizzard for no reason at all!" camp.

I guess I am the anomaly of your theorycrafting: The guy that didn't grind through events that he didn't enjoy simply for the loot that they drop, yet still wanted a higher level of transparency and communication for the game, especially in the areas that he did traffic, which was merit-whoring and ballista.

I suppose I'll continue to be that anomaly for the next game, because I expect a greater deal of communication between SE and their player base, and I have a feeling that we'll get it. From SE's statements, and from the other successful models in the MMO market, and knowing that SE wants to collect some of those massive paychecks like their rivals, I doubt we'll be seeing the carbon-copy of FFXI with prettier graphics that you seem to wish for.

TAKE THE BLUE PILL NEO!

[tsaroth816]

Things I'd like to see:

-no need for mule characters or mule accounts
-extra characters don't cost anything
-inventory issues fixed at start of game
-able to level all crafts, no limits
-no 21~24hr NMs
-keep and improve upon Adventuring Fellow
-or add a pet to level up and gear, any class/job, perhaps your personal chocobo can help you fight
-open servers, but give the option for regional server if wanted
-vast character creation options
-when new armor is added, make it actually look new and have valid stats
-no hidden stats of any kind, on character or equipment (or hidden conditions)
-official forums, where GMs make posts regularly keeping the community up to date, inform about upcoming patches, and respond to players
-no more JP midnight waits
-no more 3hr events
-no zoning at all (if must, no LS chat or tells missed because of zoning)
-better rewards from random quests

Bold. I'm in the communication is a plus boat. Over the hears, hearing about all these "fanfests" and other live events that people went to, just to GET information, that's sad. Sure the next day(s) I read up on them to see what was upcoming because I was interested in the future. Would be nice if SE had official forums and GM posters to keep things up to date. And not promise job changes at a fanfest (for psych value), then 2~3 years later see the adjustment(s) implemented.

[Cureslime]

Bold. I'm in the communication is a plus boat. Over the hears, hearing about all these "fanfests" and other live events that people went to, just to GET information, that's sad. Sure the next day(s) I read up on them to see what was upcoming because I was interested in the future. Would be nice if SE had official forums and GM posters to keep things up to date. And not promise job changes at a fanfest (for psych value), then 2~3 years later see the adjustment(s) implemented.

I fully agree in theory. I can't see S-E having official forums or responding to feedback directly. They are too arrogant and value the mystique of their developers too much to do so. They tried forums for FFXI and immediately scrapped the idea. S-E doesn't really need a forum like WoW's, they just need to offer legitimate development updates to players via the website.

[Hyan]

I fair opinion, but I disagree. We'll just agree to disagree. I don't think it is only "addicts" that would enjoy a little communication. Technically, in your narrow view of what constitutes a FFXI addict, I was not an addict. I did dynamis for the fun and for the gear, and once I had the gear and it no longer became fun, I stopped. Same deal with sky, and I all-but skipped all of sea outside of Limbus because the same reasons.
I never got into assaults, skipped salvage for the most part, and couldn't be bothered with Nyuzul. I still had fun, but I still would have liked more changes and more communication from the company, and all of this was long before I even considered WoW - back then I was still of the "SE >> Blizzard for no reason at all!" camp.

I guess I am the anomaly of your theorycrafting: The guy that didn't grind through events that he didn't enjoy simply for the loot that they drop, yet still wanted a higher level of transparency and communication for the game, especially in the areas that he did traffic, which was merit-whoring and ballista.

I suppose I'll continue to be that anomaly for the next game, because I expect a greater deal of communication between SE and their player base, and I have a feeling that we'll get it. From SE's statements, and from the other successful models in the MMO market, and knowing that SE wants to collect some of those massive paychecks like their rivals, I doubt we'll be seeing the carbon-copy of FFXI with prettier graphics that you seem to wish for.

So, there are more kind of addicts that demand attention. The more you know~

The question for you is, why do you want more transparency and communication? Why is "out of the game" content more important than "in-game" content for you? Why do you think this kind of behaviour is usually apparent in MMO's as opposed to other genres? I rarely see someone not play a single player game because the devs didn't communicate with the fans during the development process. MMO's and other games have not much different about them, in the end- so that can't be the reason.

What is different about the genres, then? The addicts. Demanding attention, communication, "out of the game" content- even quitting the game because there is no such content available. Players who aren't satisfied with the game itself.

I fully agree in theory. I can't see S-E having official forums or responding to feedback directly. They are too arrogant and value the mystique of their developers too much to do so. They tried forums for FFXI and immediately scrapped the idea. S-E doesn't really need a forum like WoW's, they just need to offer legitimate development updates to players via the website.

You mean they are too wise to do so?

[Kaluuki]

I fully agree in theory. I can't see S-E having official forums or responding to feedback directly. They are too arrogant and value the mystique of their developers too much to do so. They tried forums for FFXI and immediately scrapped the idea. S-E doesn't really need a forum like WoW's, they just need to offer legitimate development updates to players via the website.

I don't mean to get on SE's cock or anything...

But honestly, not having official forums is probably a smart idea. If you have official forums to talk to people on, there's bound to be shitloads of complaining, no matter what they do to make people happy. SE probably doesn't want to kiss the ass of elitist players, so they don't create the opportunity to do so.

It's impossible to make everybody happy with a game, these are the facts. I know, right this moment, some people won't play FFXIV for petty reasons such as being ported to the 360, or not having hardcore play as the main mindset of the game. On the other hand, it makes the 360 players happy, and the college students/working class people happy because they don't have to dedicate themselves to the game for hours on end.

SE does what the majority wants. And honestly, I have to agree with them.

As much as I'd like them to interact throughout development, it's not going to happen, because they know EVERYBODY will complain.

tl;dr: You can't make everybody happy.

[Cureslime]

Hmm I guess I don't really understand the argument that developers should be aloof and combative. WoW has improved greatly due to player feedback.

Yes, Blizzard gets things wrong a lot of the time. The new armory feed is one of the worst additions to a game I've ever seen. Because Blizzard actually listens to feedback it's a fair bet that there will be an opt out or customizable settings added in the future. The decision to allow auction access via phone in Cataclysm is another horrendous forum idea that Blizzard is implementing. Still, I'll take trying-->failing-->trying again to ignore-->ignore-->ignore all day long. Only one method leaves you with a better game in the long run. I'm just sayin'.

[Vobent]

How about "closed" official forums where only certain people can post.Using FFXI as an example, why not use the mods of the popular FFXI forums. Zam/KI/BG. Weeds out the spam, while keeping the ideas.

[Cureslime]

I think they can get the word on the street themselves from the JP/Euro/US fansites. Direct gameplay issues and bugs they can get from bug reports. No need for a Jedi council if the developers are actually paying attention to what's going on after the game goes live. Devs not paying attention and ignoring customer feedback made the early years of FFXI a dreadful experience. S-E did eventually start listening to customers which is a big reason why the game still carries an impressive base. We certainly shouldn't go backwards from that and say "hey devs you can do no wrong, do whatever the hell you want and we'll accept it."

[gugru55]

So, there are more kind of addicts that demand attention. The more you know~

The question for you is, why do you want more transparency and communication? Why is "out of the game" content more important than "in-game" content for you? Why do you think this kind of behaviour is usually apparent in MMO's as opposed to other genres? I rarely see someone not play a single player game because the devs didn't communicate with the fans during the development process. MMO's and other games have not much different about them, in the end- so that can't be the reason.

What is different about the genres, then? The addicts. Demanding attention, communication, "out of the game" content- even quitting the game because there is no such content available. Players who aren't satisfied with the game itself.



You mean they are too wise to do so?

Perhaps you and most people have an entirely different perception (as seems to be the case) being that you don't see any difference - at least no discernible one - between a single player game and an MMO.

I'll play any single-player game regardless of how open the devs were about it, because honestly, most single-player games that I know of you rent, borrow, torrent, or buy and you are capable of playing, in most cases you spend 50-60 bucks on said mainstream game and on average depending on the game you get maybe 10-50hrs (Depending if it's an RPG or FPS or what not) of fun and enjoyment out of it. Not including the replay value or whatever.

But do you keep playing that game, and paying for it? No. If I'm continually feeding my money into the devs pockets you damn well better believe that I want them to treat me like a repeat customer and not some cheap trick in a dark alley. I'm not saying WoW does it right, hell I'm not even presuming to the point that I have the slightest clue as to what to do about it, but only revealing any sort of communicative information at 'parties' which the gross majority of players won't be able to attend is asinine.

I don't give a shit if the devs say, 'sorry about how hard it was, we'll tone that down for you right away, would you like a happy ending with that?' I agree with you that action matters, but nobody had any idea that they were going to EVER tone down COP or do any of the alterations they did until it came. So it's quite an inconvenience to the average player who doesn't really keep up with most. I've never touched WoW myself so I don't know how they run the game, but even a shitty company like Gravity (makers of Ragnarok Online) were more communicative than SE's 'I don't know.'

tl;dr - When constantly tweaking and changing things as is omnipresent in any MMO, there needs to be some level of communication and transparency.

Edit: Forgot one thing - it's usually not the addicts that make the devs change their minds, surely they're the loudest, but they are also the minority. Devs from my varied experiences try to pick their way through the keening posts of the addicts and whiners and find the common thread among them. Everybody likes the blame the hardcore and addicts and said people like to blame the casual players and noobs, but in most cases the devs are going to pick the middle ground through the two camps (trend lately is to side w/ the casuals as it is the majority and they'll likely increase their bottom line by doing so) to come to a good solution. Now if they don't do that, and by proxy lack the deductive reasoning faculties one would require to do so, then my point is void.

You've seem to have a massive hatred for 'addicts', far be it from me to try and puzzle out why but you do have to wonder - what is exactly so bad about an addict? Is it because they whine and complain at every turn? Because that's just a human trait, it has nothing to do with how addicted or into the game a person is. If a person finds something wrong they'll complain regardless of their dedication or if they're 'itchin' to get a fix'. In fact, addicts are more than likely the people (addicts by your definition, mind) that discover the great complexities of the game, those people who found that you can get great enmity with dispel, blind, etc. The haste cap, the DRK zerg, and whatever else that has changed the face of FFXI's gaming. So you can label people all you like (another prime human trait - but usually a necessary one) but just keep in mind that if you've ever used any strategy or been a member of group that has, or used any gear combination or job combo, or w/e else - more than likely you've got them to thank for it. Because I'll bet dollars to donuts that most casual players wouldn't give a damn about min/maxing as much as a person who loves/is 'addicted' does (Lvl 68WARs with Sun rings for TP anyone?).

[arus2001]

How about "closed" official forums where only certain people can post.Using FFXI as an example, why not use the mods of the popular FFXI forums. Zam/KI/BG. Weeds out the spam, while keeping the ideas.

"Fuck those Zam posters for asking for a cheese sandwich!"

Repeat to infinity as someone along the closed chain does something people disagree with.

Really, I'm not sure why Hyan's getting all super-defensive over SE's isolationist dev policy. No, you can't please everyone all of the time, but I dare say SE failed to please the majority of their customers in the long run. Fuck the 500k number. That's a lot of people paying out of obligation, for mule accounts, or just not wanting to feel their years of work wasted by not playing anymore. Old game is old, yes, but a hell of a lot more could've been done to keep things fresh, people interested, and most importantly, entertained.

If for some reason, people think a niche minority know more or better than the majority, I can't exactly agree. There are plenty of smart people who don't troll forums and do things many of us may never even hear about, and the chance of this only multiplies the more servers and zones there are. And even if the niche narrow their focus for greatness, you can still be good at the game without killing AV or PW. Hell, part of that "skill" is just having enough people and enough people willing to die repeatedly in 2 hours.

[Vacht]

they should just bring ffxiv out already so you guys can stop mentioning asses and cocks all the time.

[Aksannyi]

We will never stop mentioning asses and cocks. NOT AS LONG AS I AM HERE!

[Hyan]

"Fuck those Zam posters for asking for a cheese sandwich!"

Repeat to infinity as someone along the closed chain does something people disagree with.

Really, I'm not sure why Hyan's getting all super-defensive over SE's isolationist dev policy. No, you can't please everyone all of the time, but I dare say SE failed to please the majority of their customers in the long run. Fuck the 500k number. That's a lot of people paying out of obligation, for mule accounts, or just not wanting to feel their years of work wasted by not playing anymore. Old game is old, yes, but a hell of a lot more could've been done to keep things fresh, people interested, and most importantly, entertained

Do realize that what I'm talking about has nothing to do with SE not keeping things fresh, people interested, and entertained.

I would find it good if SE spent more money on XIV as opposed to XI (call it "being lazy" or "incompetent" or whatever, but to me not getting enough funds and having too little manpower is the apparent reason for not doing "enough", not the "laziness") but that has nothing to do with SE's isolationist dev policy. That doesn't affect how much and how good content is being made. Isolationist or open, as long as the feedback goes to SE and they take it into consideration, there is no need for them to answer back with anything else but actions; updates, and the like.

SE's problem is that they'll do just enough to keep most of the people playing, but they never do more than that. That's how most companies work, max profit for minimum effort, and while it would be nice for them to just throw money at the game for no sign of extra profit, I don't see it happening. Blizzard's way of business is keeping players happy through other means, and part of it is just fluff (like devs posting on the forums) that doesn't really affect anything, but still makes people "happy" (= more profit). SE could take the same approach, but when they could instead use those resources to make the in-game content better, I don't see why exactly would we want to sacrifice that for more out of the game content. To me, the game itself is the most important thing, not what happens out of the game. Maybe that's not the case for some, I don't understand why though.

[Kaylia]

Blizzard's way of business is keeping players happy through other means, and part of it is just fluff (like devs posting on the forums) that doesn't really affect anything, but still makes people "happy" (= more profit). SE could take the same approach, but when they could instead use those resources to make the in-game content better, I don't see why exactly would we want to sacrifice that for more out of the game content. To me, the game itself is the most important thing, not what happens out of the game. Maybe that's not the case for some, I don't understand why though.

Let me point the biggest flaw in your argument

More profit = bigger investment = more content

Why do you think blizzard can give us huge update every 3 months? Because they make a shitload of money and can afford it. Keeping their playerbase happy allow them to make more money, and reinvest more money to make even more money.


Beside, do you think having a few developpers communicate with people change nothing to the game? They often give people technical details about the gameplay that player alone couldnt figure out. For example, it took Squarenix 3 years to realize it wasnt freaking possible to craft the goblin drink without any hint. Does it really add up to the atmosphere of the game to not know anything? No, not really.

And it's true the other way around as well. If the developper really listen to what the players want, do you think we would end up with garbage like "CREATE YOUR OWN EVENTS" system, or similar bullshit? You want them to spend less money on communication and more on content...fine...but the content they are adding rarely make sense, because no one wanted it in the first place.

[arus2001]

Player happiness also translates to word of mouth that can then equate to more subscribers and therefore more profit. Changes may cause some to ragequit from time to time, sure, but I'd rather have a game that can potentially draw in millions of players and keep them instead of the 250k or so XI has now. And yes, I doubt the 500k number given server populations have been steadily declining the past few years.

Frankly, the expense of hiring maybe one person to act as an intermediary per language base with the devs shouldn't be all that expensive. It'll probably be a thankless job, sure, but I also look at the playerbase and know you'd also have plenty of people willing to do it for free or make life easier for that person. Bercus' interviews come to mind here, but we'd also get stonewalled by SE's trademark useless responses most of the time. In that vein, I don't see people wanting XI-2. Too often the point that there is a middle ground is lost in these kind of debates.