Suggestion [remove Aether Currents as a catch up mechanic]

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Originally Posted by SeverianLyonesse

Lol. I *did* wade through nine years of content. It was mostly enjoyable--for me. But I also recognize that several of my friends simply do not have the patience to push past as much mandatory content as FF XIV has just to enjoy playing the game with me.

I don't think it is controversial at all to observe that, unlike other MMOs, FF is unusual in how much it requires players to grind through story just to unlock content. And I don't think it's unreasonable that some players don't want to have to play for 200-300 hours just to be able to participate at the current tier.

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Then buy a skip? The vast majority of the community doesn't see the story as a grind at all. That's primarily why discussions about removing stuff tends to get met with backlash.

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Originally Posted by Xirean

Then buy a skip? The vast majority of the community doesn't see the story as a grind at all. That's primarily why discussions about removing stuff tends to get met with backlash.

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And the fun part of buying a story skip? You get all of the flight currents through Stormblood without having to do a darn thing!

Only commented on the catch up part before, but I guess worth to say I think this (current system) is one of the better ways to gate flying. Pure flying right away just seems like a great way to kill the world's ability to communicate with players.

I wonder if stamina based flying could be another interesting solution but it's not something I'd suggest randomly changed on players (maybe could work in a Eureka, or a new game obviously). In such a way you can fly but you also couldn't simply cover the entire map without any thought (looking to some of GW2's ideas on mounted travel as some ideas in actual practice).

Anyway, seems like a nice system as it promotes exploration and isn't exceptionally painful either. I suppose if they put a flying current atop the Kugane Tower I'd be more on the side of "oh wow, yeah plz nerf" lol but it seems like a nice system as is. . . I suggested tomestone reward to currents as a catch up mechanic (so not added right away, but perhaps after an expansion previous currents auto get a boost)- then when you side track slightly out of your way for flying you didn't really sidetrack since you then worked on gear that would comfortably carry you to the next expansion (if anything then the reward helps you stay on track even if it slightly appears off the rail).

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Originally Posted by SeverianLyonesse

Lol. I *did* wade through nine years of content. It was mostly enjoyable--for me. But I also recognize that several of my friends simply do not have the patience to push past as much mandatory content as FF XIV has just to enjoy playing the game with me.

I don't think it is controversial at all to observe that, unlike other MMOs, FF is unusual in how much it requires players to grind through story just to unlock content. And I don't think it's unreasonable that some players don't want to have to play for 200-300 hours just to be able to participate at the current tier.

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the point about aether currents is rather moot then since they can purchase a boost which will come with the currents unlocked.

as for FF being unusual, its unusual in NA... not everywhere.

Trust me to the WoW players coming over the Aether Current system for unlocking flight is a breeze.

Unlocking flight over there is a nightmare if you wanna talk momentum blocking.

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Originally Posted by SeverianLyonesse

I don't think it is controversial at all to observe that, unlike other MMOs, FF is unusual in how much it requires players to grind through story just to unlock content. And I don't think it's unreasonable that some players don't want to have to play for 200-300 hours just to be able to participate at the current tier.

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It doesn't require players to grind through story to unlock content at all.

The story is the game. It's the catalyst for everything. Even the optional unlocks are tied into the story and have their own lore related to it. That's why those options aren't available until specific MSQ story points.

What the game does have is some extra unlocks along the journey of the story path. And these happens at regular intervals, so it's not just current tier that's relevant and important. XIV is not like other MMOs and that is one thing that makes many of us love it. The entire package is important, not just a handful of optional pieces of content at the highest level.

So, yes, in terms of how the design of the game is, it IS unreasonable that some players don't want to play the game to get access to some superfluous optional content.

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

Trust me to the WoW players coming over the Aether Current system for unlocking flight is a breeze.

Unlocking flight over there is a nightmare if you wanna talk momentum blocking.

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At least, from Warlords of Draenor onward. Before that, it was just....get to the right level and spend some gold. Not even a terribly huge amount of gold, either; I think Northrend flying was 1,000, which at the time was a fair amount but doable without too much effort.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

At least, from Warlords of Draenor onward. Before that, it was just....get to the right level and spend some gold. Not even a terribly huge amount of gold, either; I think Northrend flying was 1,000, which at the time was a fair amount but doable without too much effort.

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I honestly will never understand why they decided flight was anti-design instead of making zones designed for flight. Like they used to. Icecrown, Netherstorm, parts of Nagrand and Storm Peaks, even parts of Jade Forest. It's wild.

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

I honestly will never understand why they decided flight was anti-design instead of making zones designed for flight. Like they used to. Icecrown, Netherstorm, parts of Nagrand and Storm Peaks, even parts of Jade Forest. It's wild.

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mostly because 3/4 of the time they never intended to allow flight, I think thats part of the reason even getting flight was so horrendous, and tightly locked until essentially max level. they wanted players to explore, on foot essentially, all of the zones

and if people complained.. they could just say "well.. you WANTED flight, so you got it..."

They wanted the game to become an even worse time sink so people would stay subscribed longer. So they made it a job.

It's kind of meant to make you explore the map on-foot first, along with tackling key side quests. The fact of the matter is you'll get XP locked throughout the story, so those side quests that give a current also drive into more side quests for XP. There is no need to change anything, it's a a one-and-done process anyway.

Yeah, I kinda like the aether currents, its a pretty nice way of exploring a new zone.

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Originally Posted by technole

It's kind of meant to make you explore the map on-foot first, along with tackling key side quests. The fact of the matter is you'll get XP locked throughout the story, so those side quests that give a current also drive into more side quests for XP. There is no need to change anything, it's a a one-and-done process anyway.

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That's also how I was able to co-level WHM and PLD through both SB and ShB. I think I'll be doing the same with EW this time around.

I'll take aether currents over pathfinder garbage any day of the week.

Aether currents as they are now are just a time-wasting formality. Not bad enough to be a big deal, but pointless beyond the fact that they force exploration.

It's not a big deal. They're fat that could be trimmed at no loss other than a few whiny babies complaining about making the game easier or some stupid shit like that, but inoffensive enough to not really need removing. It's also nice to explore areas we'll otherwise have no need to go back to.

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Originally Posted by van_arn

They absolutely do get tedious if you're doing the unlock quest chains as you try to do the MSQ. The Ruby Sea, for example, has an *awful* quest chain for one aether current that stalls the MSQ for a good hour and a half, and it's not even an entertaining or plot relevant diversion.

A failsafe at the end of the (non-current) expansion that would unlock the same progress the player would unlock if they'd just skipped to the current expansion isn't a bad idea, especially if people are wanting to encourage players not to just skip to the current expansion.

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Not really? The Aethercurrent quests are all streamlined to be in same direction & progress of your MSQ the moment they are available. Aethercurrent quests may have some sidestory in them, but it's not required to do them after unlocking the initial aethercurrent quest. That's up to you whether you want to continue after starting the initial quest chain. If you do them regardless, it means you got hooked into the plot, that means the game's doing its job well.

As you progress through the MSQ, most aether currents are also in the same area as your MSQ requirement or in the direction of another aether current sidequest, so they're usually linked together.

It's only feels tedious if you actively try to hunt for aethercurrents before / after completing all your MSQ in the zone because you're essentially doubling or tripling the amount of time it takes for you to retrace your steps and grab those aethercurrents.

The only sidequest currents that take more than a couple of minutes are the two that require optional dungeons (Dusk Vigil and Shisui of the Violet Tides). And that's only really a big slowdown if you're a DPS and have to wait in the queue.