On the eve of Final Fantasy XIV’s subsequent growth announcement, the MMO finds itself in its most precarious scenario but. While Dawntrail was removed from a horrible growth, its stumbling put emphasis on all the opposite points that XIV gamers have been grumbling about for years. Most jobs haven’t modified radically since Shadowbringers, with Dawntrail particularly barely touching jobs in any respect; even when the story has been good, gamers have begun to really feel drained concerning the inflexible state of the sport. It’s time for a radical change, however can we anticipate one in any respect?
Every week in the past, I wasn’t so certain. While Creative Studio 3 had dedicated to eight.0 being a extra radical departure for the sport even previous to Dawntrail’s release, we lacked concrete examples of precisely what adjustments the staff was focusing on. With the most recent Live Letter, nevertheless, we’ve begun to get an concept of precisely what kind of scope we could also be . Both the glamour and dye techniques for armor are set to obtain a serious rework subsequent patch, and the staff has begun to trickle out details about how that is simply step one, because the staff has begun to actively goal components of the sport that had been untouched for over a decade.
Next growth, gamers gained’t have the identical “totem farms” for Extreme Trials. Nor will Relic Weapons exist in the identical type as earlier variations; the stinger for the latest patch trailer revealed that Dawntrail’s second Ultimate raid will break sample and custom by centering round Kefka, fairly than the anticipated Stormblood or Shadowbringers Main Scenario-themed struggle.
Taken on their very own, these are all very minor adjustments – and we nonetheless know little or no concerning the grander scope of them. Yet, taken within the context of the beforehand disclosed declare that 7.0 can be a “safe” growth earlier than the staff may goal extra broader adjustments in 8.0, it’s our first instance of the staff following by on that promise. Considering that the promised concentrate on battle content material for Dawntrail has largely lived as much as the staff’s expectations, it does go away me hopeful that there’s a lot to be hopeful about with the following growth.
That being mentioned, whereas I’m hopeful, there nonetheless stays a lot to be involved about. While I imagine the staff is focusing on bigger adjustments, Dawntrail’s content material cadence has been messy to say the least. While the sport has seen probably the most “new” content material added to the sport with Dawntrail, the staff has struggled in some baffling methods to make the content material fascinating and accessible to everybody. Occult Crescent is the poster baby of the problem, however even content material that I cherished – like Chaotic and Quantum – has been simply as a lot of a miss as a success. Both fights noticed the staff experimenting closely with reward buildings, and whereas I recognize the makes an attempt, I doubt a lot of the playerbase has something constructive to say about how issues shook out.
The query stays if these struggles are emblematic of deeper points with the event of Final Fantasy XIV, or had been anticipated whereas the staff actively experimented earlier than solidifying a plan for the sport’s future from 8.0 onward. I want to hope it’s the latter, but on the similar time admissions from the staff that Occult Crescent’s Forked Tower turned out the way in which it did because of a scarcity of assets makes it appear extra seemingly that it was the previous; possibly it’s nonetheless attainable that the staff has had a bigger than common emphasis on creating the following growth, and we gained’t run into the identical points in 8.0 and its patch cycle, however I wouldn’t really feel snug betting on that end result. We can solely hope that the staff has discovered from the expertise, regardless.
As far because the story is anxious, it’s a bit too early to say how issues will prove. I believe there’s promise right here, now that we’re deep into the Dawntrail patch quests – however till we’ve seen 7.5, and the place the following growth is really taking us, I can’t precisely say how issues will prove in the long run. I usually preferred Dawntrail’s story nicely sufficient regardless of some fairly egregious writing stumbles; it’s not like prior expansions have had excellent writing both, so so long as the course correction sticks the touchdown, and the following story arc that we’re ramping into is fascinating, I’ll be joyful. I’m certain the remainder of the playerbase feels the identical.
Final Fantasy XIV has undeniably gotten stale. Yet, whereas there’s lots to be involved about – it looks like there’s simply as a lot to be excited for the state of the sport going ahead. The staff clearly understands the playerbase’s issues; the one query that continues to be is that if they’re as much as the duty to ship on answering them. Only time will inform, however I’m feeling hopeful. We’ll know extra within the coming weeks, and I can’t wait to search out out what the staff has in retailer for us.
