For over 10 years, MeinMMO editor Alex has called the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV his second home and is one of those who usually hardly misses any content. However, the game is now forcing him to urgently change something, and he seems to be far from alone in this.
With well over 10,000 hours, Eorzea has long been my favorite virtual home. However, the current endgame of Dawntrail is prompting me to urgently need to change my gaming experience to stay engaged.
And I seem not to be alone in this, as Final Fantasy XIV is currently struggling with dwindling player numbers, which veterans may remember reminiscent of the drought during the weakest expansion, Stormblood.
At the current time, there are around 880,000 active players in Final Fantasy XIV according to the census, compared to a peak of about 1,500,000 – 1,700,000 during the Endwalker expansion and similar numbers during Stormblood at around 850,000 – 950,000 (see luckybancho.ldblog.jp). This indicates a decline of about 30 – 40% since the last expansion and the player peak.
It is hardly surprising that I am struck by the same feeling that I last had during the Stormblood expansion in 2017. The endgame simply lacks a lot, and this situation is just the tip of the iceberg that Dawntrail has already created.
But giving up my favorite MMORPG completely? No, this inertia and boredom are not strong enough, and the fundamental love for Final Fantasy XIV is too great. Because Dawntrail also has its strengths, which just need a little more spice.
A fresh experience is needed when adrenaline is lacking
Why are we experiencing a second Stormblood? Dawntrail is struggling with similar problems that Stormblood faced around 2017. After the Heavensward expansion and the dramatic end of the Dragon War, Stormblood had to build a new, more politically-charged story. Many perceived the pacing as significantly “slower” and less emotional.
Dawntrail now had to perform a similar act in terms of storytelling: After the universe-saving finale of the predecessor Endwalker and the end of the saga around Hydaelyn & Zodiark, the expansion had to dare a complete story reboot. The “vacation” story as a sidekick of protagonist Wuk Lamat felt trivial to many who were used to the epic story.
And even though the new content like trials, raids, the Cosmo-explorations, and the field expedition Kreszentia are quite creative, they fail to hold attention for long. Despite the creativity within the mechanics and content design, there is a lack of fresh wind. The Cosmo-explorations were, for example, already completed on many servers just 24 hours after their release and the highly anticipated field expedition Kreszentia did not match its predecessor from Shadowbringers, but rather struggled with frustrating drop rates.
Even the epic raids are quickly exhausted and have many mechanics that are less challenging and instead annoying and fiddly, making the weekly raids hardly enjoyable. However, they are visually really well done and the wrestling-arena vibe is truly engaging.
In short: The endgame currently offers little that can truly retain regular players. This, combined with the generally shallower execution of the expansion, also explains the decline in active players. Even head Naoki Yoshida saw that the team had become too complacent and promised improvements in the future.
The latest patches and especially the finale of Dawntrail were already significantly better and could also convince fans again. However, this improvement did not last long enough. And all of this is the reason why I now had to bring my joy of the game back myself, just as I did back during Stormblood.
Back to the little things and the origin of love
How have I made the game exciting for myself again? There are reasons why I have liked the game so much until now, and why I have stayed engaged without taking long breaks. Therefore, I thought about what makes the game so good for me and how I can create new experiences that motivate me to check in more often than just for the weekly raids.
I also considered why it feels so monotonous for me right now and what I can do to make it feel fresh again. So I sought out the following things that might help you get out of your “Dawntrail hole”:
- I went unsynchronized into content from old expansions and tried to complete them solo. This way, I faced new challenges and could simultaneously farm items I had wanted for a long time.
- I took on jobs that I rarely play and joined farming groups for current hard trials to offer my mind something new and to improve.
- I browsed the Eorzea Collection catalog in anticipation of the upcoming patch to put together new outfits and obtain the parts, since soon all jobs will be able to wear all parts. We all know that glams are the real endgame.
- I started doing speedruns of old content, improving my times while practicing various roles for potential job switches in the raid group.
- I regularly set myself small challenges to make content more exciting, such as not using certain abilities.
- I regularly seek out other players to chat with during that time and enjoy the social aspect of the game more.
- I help new players in the Newcomer Chat and guide them as a tank or healer through content, showing them why the game is actually so cool.
All of these things help me return to my origins and remember that the game is still good with Dawntrail and why I actually love it, even if it might currently be going through a drought phase. And with the awareness of why FF14 is simply a cool game outside of the expansion, the joy of playing has returned.
Because yes, the story and fresh content keep the spirits high and provide new input at regular intervals, but even the content that is already there offers plenty of potential for a good time. However, one must also be the type who fits these expectations of a game.
For my part, these small changes have already helped me stay engaged without feeling like I have to force myself to play.
Over the years, Final Fantasy XIV has received 5 expansions, which have all been more or less well received. Therefore, we have taken all of them to heart and compared them in a power ranking: Final Fantasy XIV: All expansions in the Power Ranking – Which is the best?
