hi some stuff about ffxi misinterpretations:
ps2 support was cut due to cost-cutting, not due to a lack of ps2-shaped computer cases. translations teams were cut due to a lack of croissant-shaped devkits, though.
ffxi doesn't have to be profitable to keep running. it gets a budget each fiscal year and cuts are made when ***gets bad. what's important now is data collection. look at the different type of content they add and note how they are polling us.
xxx didn't leave ffxi due to health reasons or getting brain cancer from ruining the game. that was a euphemism.
gms became useless around the recession due to budget cuts, not because 'cheaters/rmt pay subscriptions and that keeps the game alive'.
hopefully the move to virtual servers will reduce the labor costs of swapping bare metal systems.
the budget cuts are good. there are less people working menial ***contract jobs asking fish botters if they are around. no one is creating *** like the evolith system and thinking they're a rockstar dev. manual testing of releases is hopefully replaced with some regression scripts.
hopefully there is a meeting with bagels where someone presents data on "people who use the kb vs scripts to sell all the prize powder"
2019 ffxi is good. people can play oldschool style, or cheat to get all the loot, or spend money to have others do it for them. discord is really good and lets you talk to linkshell mates via mobile. the women are getting fatter and older, though, but some are still milfs.
hopefully they don't make ffxi fortnite. or maybe fortnite should get a kraken club?