More Content, Less Narrative

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Originally Posted by Caurcas

pvp should be the center piece going forward.

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Players and the game doesn't really care about PvP. There are some instances, 6.1 will even add a new one, but it's a niche.

New World wanted to be survival PvP MMO and players quickly told the devs they don't want PvP so it was made completely optional...

I'm good with the narrative focus. After the live letter last night, what you're asking for doesn't seem likely. One of the slides they went over was a comparison of things like dialogue and cutscenes and showing how between the two patches they were comparing how the cutscene amount doubled and I forgot what dialogue did. Plus they said they are trying to interest the single-player Final Fantasy playerbase more in this game. I think we'll still see MMO content, but we're definitely going to have a hefty dose of narrative.

But the narrative IS content. Please be more specific.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

But the narrative IS content. Please be more specific.

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Using EW as an example, its more watching cutscenes than playing. I am fine with a story, its nice even but when that gets in the way of gameplay then it chaffs something fierce. Going forward, instead of epic narratives that require dozens of hours of cutscenes why don't they give us simple stories with alot more gameplay and less just watching/reading.

I didn't feel like it was that bad. Beats running out to collect 20 more bear asses. At least I could have lunch while watching.

I LOVED all the cutscenes towards the end of Endwalker. I mean when the ship takes off for parts unknown and when it returns again...I just sat there in my chair and drank it all in. It was such a treat!

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Originally Posted by Caurcas

Using EW as an example, its more watching cutscenes than playing. I am fine with a story, its nice even but when that gets in the way of gameplay then it chaffs something fierce. Going forward, instead of epic narratives that require dozens of hours of cutscenes why don't they give us simple stories with alot more gameplay and less just watching/reading.

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Simple answer? Because epic narratives and dozens of hours of cutscenes are bread and butter in single player Final Fantasy games and that's going to be one of their focuses going forward.

Then why not just make it a movie instead of a game if story is the only thing that matters?

No narrative in a narrative-driven game? Doesn't make sense.

Everything in the game is influenced by and a part of the story. That includes the music, the bosses, the environments, the things in the background and if you take that away the inspiration and creativity for everything you are doing is lost. All bosses would become square blocks and the particle effects, bereft of a context would all look exactly the same in every fight. No darkness, no sin eaters, that creativity is gone because you don't want a narrative-driven experience.

Since there is no narrative, we have no reason to journey beyond our home city so all bosses that we fight will be in Western La Noscea where Hall of the Novice takes place and they will all be square blocks with different mechanics but the same boring particle effects.

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Originally Posted by Caurcas

Then why not just make it a movie instead of a game if story is the only thing that matters?

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It's not the only thing that matters. Even single player JRPGs have some gameplay. They have optional areas. They have minigames. But the main part of those games is the narrative. XIV has always been like this, though. They're not really changing much except making the MSQ soloable, or at least almost soloable.