Did you take into consideration the EXP buff going on right now in wow until the next expansion drops? You have rested exp, 100% bonus exp and if you're a monk 50% monk exp plus heirlooms?
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Except you're wrong. The story isn't the pull for this game. The title is. Also, I accept that FFXIV is what it is but, it needs to change. What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today. The only people who will continue playing are whales and hardcore fans. No new player is going to drop $60 on a game and then another $60 when they find out the game is locked behind a massive story. My friends quit because they couldn't jump into dungeons right away. Sure they are just a few people but they are the average mmo players. People like that don't stick around if they can't do what they want to do and are told they have to do it this way unless they are a massive fan of the franchise already.
The exp is already such that a fresh character can hit 80 on a single class almost without needing to do a single extra dungeon or roulette, and will definitely do so without any level up walls if they do roulettes every day with MSQ experience. I think the exp situation is just fine, only thing I'd say is maybe beef up the ARR beast tribes just a bit, because your leveling options are pretty scant pre-50 unless you just wanna PotD all day.
And it's a Final Fantasy, the story is important. If you don't care about the story, unironically go play another MMO. I understand that it can be daunting starting out, but the story is kinda the core of the entire experience. And you can skip it if you don't mind paying a bit extra. The game has issues that could use fixing, I'm not saying it's perfect. But aside from ARR's length (which is getting help next month), I don't think the story is one of them right now.
The player who managed to do 1-50 in 3h 56m 25s /played in the Shadowlands Alpha, also speedleveled a warrior from 20-120 with the Winds of Wisdom (100% bonus exp) buff. Total duration was 12h 29m 23s. This is with full preperation for speed leveling, including heirlooms, enchants, XP potions, and any other items that could help him while leveling (war drums, mount speed increase items etc.).
It'd be a bit faster as a monk, but keep in mind that the +50% monk exp buff changes to a +mastery buff upon reaching lvl 90. It also goes down to +20% upon reaching lvl 85, but only once you relog after reaching that level.
Oh really? You got anything to back that up other than anecdotal evidence?
I find it hard to believe that "What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today" when in 5.0 there are more concurrent players than any other time since it relaunched. It just seems that this game is going from strength to strength because it fills a particular niche.
Copying WoW is what got so many of it's clone children killed.