Quote Originally Posted by Mirage View Post
Well, it makes no sense to refer to what was midgame in 2006 when it currently is 2012, just like you wouldn't call level 25-30 midgame when the level cap was 75, even if it was midgame when the cap was 50.

Actually, when you're about lv 60(and that is most certainly midgame), there is a lot of stuff you can actually do without raising your level even further. You can start doing your AF quests, for example, which offer somewhat interesting storylines in some cases. You can quest a lot of scrolls, you can do a lot of missions without needing help, and you can probably get past all the promyvions. You can unlock a lot of the advanced jobs as well.

It's not the game's fault that people wait until they are level 99 before they start doing these things. People just usually do it when they've hit the cap because it's easier.
It seems the pervailing thought on the forums and by the dev's post (no offense to him) but he's claiming that people need to get to 99 faster so they can have "fun" with other players in FFXI. While there are things to do on the way, none of them compare in quality to end game content (in most people's mind).

When a developer makes that bold a statement, it's very hard to read what he thinks the playerbase is thinking as a whole. I can tell you from years of experience of mentoring however, unless you get a player somehow involved in group activities early on, they feel the game is out of touch to them... that anything worth doing is only achieved at level cap.

What I am proposing is more activites for lower level players so they don't feel the need to be level 99 in order to have fun with their friends. I mentioned some examples in eariler posts. Current low level content is outdated reward wise however and needs a major overhaul and vast changes in game play. It is key to new player retention and doesn't force this attitude that people need to get to level 99 quicker or they will leave the game.