Main Scenario Restriction Bloodstorm - Very Very Bad idea.

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Originally Posted by Naunet

Very few of what you listed were blocked for real story reasons. Your second point is false as you are perfectly able to run out of the Shroud and into Thanalan regardless of MSQ completion. Access to retainers doesn't really make much sense being locked to helping the Scions with the MSQ, considering there's nothing in the lore that says they're only something the Warrior of Light can use - being of sufficient level suggests enough growth of influence/power. Personal mounts make zero sense, as I don't need a Grand Company's permission to use a mount that is not provided by the Grand Company (couerl, behemoth, ahriman, fat chocobos, the broom, etc). Not sure why you mentioned job crystals because there's clearly no actual lore motivation behind restricting that. Likewise plenty of "average joe" npcs can sail to and from the mainland to the Isles of Umbra without being a hero of the Scions - so why must we?

I've already discussed at length why I feel that the HW jobs do NOT necessitate being in Ishgard. It's not like we are unaware of Ishgard prior to HW - we interact with them through Coerthas. The 30-45 stories can easily be done outside of that (and in fact, DO take place outside of it).

Not a single time have I advocated removing story from the game. I've simply pointed out where limitations make no sense and where they can be reasonably lifted without affecting the MSQ at all.

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Yes, you may be able to run out of the Shroud or Thanalan, but you are LOCKED into the island La Noscea If you happened to start as a class there. You cannot take a boat, and you cannot take the airship. It tells you exactly WHY you can't, if you payed attention to the MSQ. Due to the hostilies of the Garlean empire travel was restricted, which is why you are granded the ability from the head of state dependant on your starting city.

You also may be able to learn those mounts pre-grand company but you can't use them. Because it is required by lore to have a license, which basically says you have been authorized and are knowledgeable to ride a chocobo (or other creature) in Eorzea.

As for retainers - Minfilia says and I quote "Naturally, your aid will not go unrewarded. We are fortunate enough to have a number of influential allies, and at word from me, they will gladly afford you certain privileges that might otherwise be denied you." "The right to employ retainers, for example. Are you familiar with them? They are individual's who may be relied upon to manage your assets and belongings on your behalf."
Tataru walks in, hands Minfilia papers, she signs them, and says "By way of a welcoming gift, I have taken the liberty of adding your name to the retainers' registry. As of now you are entitled to employ the services of a retainer."

You as a nobody, didn't have the clout to even have a retainer, let alone enough to talk to anyone about it.

I mentioned job crystals because it is a restriction of the MSQ. You are a nobody until you prove yourself time and again and those people who give you those said job crystals won't even consider you worthy to have them until you have made a name for yourself. Example, again from the Dark Knight story line: Your Darkside is basically your resentment at the people who ask you do dangerous stuff, with little to no reward or even a thank you, and by the point you've reached Ishgard in the MSQ you've got more than enough resentment built up.

As for Ishgard itself, again you must have not payed attention to the MSQ. Ishgard was pre-3.0 very xenophobic. NOBODY unless they were given permission or made a ward of a high house could even enter the city proper, even merchants.

So yes, all those limitations make perfect sense, even if you don't see it.

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Originally Posted by MrPresident

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I have a feeling that people who skip the story will actually try to be a decent player, since they're trying to get to the fun part ASAP. The argument has also shifted into letting dungeons and such be accessible when you meet the right level/ilevel, rather than have it locked behind a MSQ (so story skippers will still do the dungeon for experience). It takes away the pressure from raiders who do enjoy the story, but are in a static who want to do the end-game content ASAP. It also means SE won't have to do what they did with Gordias and release it two-four weeks after the expansion comes out... assuming that was the reason it was delayed.

For unlocking EX Trials, SE could change the dialogue for those who haven't beaten the Normal mode fight. SE could also change the dialogue in the story in case you're being asked to run through a dungeon you already have access to.

I like the lore in FFXIV, but it shouldn't limit (limit being gameplay progression) the game to a point where it makes the PS3 limitations look better in comparison.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Or at least happier here if you acknowledge that the current model works for a great many people playing this game and is related to why they chose FFXIV as their MMO of choice.

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Of course it works, but is it really so bad to give players (who just want to do the content/gameplay when they meet the level/ilevel) the option to do it before the MSQ requests them to enter? Is this really going to ruin/break the game?

I don't understand some people's mentality. The "I had to do the story so everyone should have to do the story" is incredibly short sighted. If a new player hops in the game but doesn't want to go through months of story just to play with their friends he might quit. That player then goes on to play something else. The player convinces his friends to come play with him. Now the game is losing players and the grind to replenish those players is deterring new blood. It's a situation that can snowball pretty fast. What does it matter if someone wants to do the story? Why should any of you dictate how another person can enjoy a GAME or spend THEIR money? Keeping in mind that the chance of you meeting said person and being able to discriminate them are very remote. What does it matter really so long as SE has money coming in to develop the story you love so much?

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Originally Posted by Nestama

It also means SE won't have to do what they did with Gordias and release it two-four weeks after the expansion comes out... assuming that was the reason it was delayed.

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The reason for gordias being delayed was to allow players to enjoy the levelling content and new jobs at a leisurely pace, without those interested in the world first race being screwed into speed running this content to get to endgame as fast as possible, which is even worse if they wanted to play/learn one of the new jobs.

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Originally Posted by Nestama

This is also a very reasonable response. Just let people who don't really care about the story be allowed to do content when they're the right level/ilevel (even the dungeons that would usually require you to do the story to unlock them). Including end-game content that has nothing to do with the Main Story.

This way, even raiders who like the story, but are pressured by their static to 'hurry up' to the hardcore raid, can always go back and do they story quests when their static isn't raiding that day/hour.

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I like this idea, but let take it 1step more.. Im fine with this BUT i feel that you MUST have finished the story on ONE charter be for you can just "skip" all this on a 2nd/Alt. SE alrdy said they wont EVERONE to do it all one time be for they let you just "Fly" over it (Opening up flying).

So do the same for story/alts. Make ppl do it all one time on there 1sy play. then let THEM pick if they want to do it all over on a alt.

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Originally Posted by Gravton

I don't understand some people's mentality. The "I had to do the story so everyone should have to do the story" is incredibly short sighted. If a new player hops in the game but doesn't want to go through months of story just to play with their friends he might quit. That player then goes on to play something else. The player convinces his friends to come play with him. Now the game is losing players and the grind to replenish those players is deterring new blood.

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Well isnt this the friends fault too? I mean if I want someone I know to play the game with me I should tell that person about the many story quests that will await them. And if the only way that they can have fun is by running end game dungeons for days end than as a good friend you will help them with the older stuff and make it faster.

Well it matters because the question remains if SE will even put that much money in the story again if they had to take money and time into their hands to change the ARR and HW story to make it fit for those. The HW story had way less "filler" in it and that might be nice if you have to catch up but as someone that enjoyed the story I felt that it was over way to fast in each 3.x patch.

I am just not sure if someone that plays through the story again because they want to level their alt is really a good way to judge if its to bad or not because that person already knows the story while its completely new for someone that never played it before and when I was part of a FC I had more than enough new people that were quite fast in reaching the HW story quests (only took them some weeks) and some of them got bored quite fast too with the end game and stopped playing..

It would be kinda interesting to know how many people truly stopped playing because of the story and how many stopped for other reasons or even stopped because they good bored after reaching end game content..its not like Savage is for everyone and if you are not into gathering and crafting I am not sure if there is much left to do in the game to keep you playing all the time.

@Nestama: I am not really sure how someone is more interested in becoming decent just because they jumped over the story? I mean I had some people that did not care about the story and skipped them (thus probably being the ones that might skip them completely if they have the chance) and I can say for a certain that a lot of them did not play their class very well or even had no idea to play their class. I know that this is only my experience and that can be quite different to ours but I just wanted to write that those exist too.

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Originally Posted by Alleo

And if the only way that they can have fun is by running end game dungeons for days end than as a good friend you will help them with the older stuff and make it faster.

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You can't help players much with the MSQ. You can only help with the dungeons and trials, but those are probably the least time consuming part of it. You can't talk to Minfilia in your friends stead, you can't help with story battles (You even have to disband the group for them) and playing chocobo porter with a 2-seater becomes obsolete from 20 onward (Until HW).

They will have to do it on their own.

I just don't support SE spending millions of dollars to create dialogue with story skipping elements, testing the skipping, and spending countless man hours to make it so people can skip multiple pieces of content. When that money can be used to improve current and future game modes

lot of back and forth here but still no confirmation anything has even been said like the OP suggested. I have yet to see any proof of Yoshi saying stormblood will require all of ARR and HW to be completed before starting stormblood. If its out there someone link it.

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Originally Posted by Nestama

I have a feeling that people who skip the story will actually try to be a decent player, since they're trying to get to the fun part ASAP.

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The fun part? It is the quests and leveling which is the fun part. The so-called endgame is mostly a boring grind to fill out time until more content gets added. Well, that is my opinion anyway - one which I am sure not everyone shares.