Story Quests/Returning player

I'm a returning player who's been gone for about 2 years. I only managed to reach level 50 before quitting. I had no interest in the story quest, as most MMO story's are pretty sub-par at best. Anyway about a week ago I bought the Havensward expansion thinking I would enjoy the new content. Sadly for some reason the devs decided that everyone should be forced to do the idk 40-60 hours of story quests in order to unlock the new content.

Now I know a lot of people really enjoyed the story quests and maybe even most people do. But not everyone does. I don't think the story should be forced on to people who aren't interested. Please understand that like most adults I work for a living and only have maybe 2-4 hours a day to play this game. That means it will take me at least a month to access the content I payed to play the day I bought it.

Anyways I apologize for the rant I'm just very frustrated. I hope that the developers read this and maybe add a skip option for the main story.

The thing is, the new city accessed in the expansion (Ishgard) is a city that has been sealed off from the outside world for years and the circumstances behind you being allowed in are explained in that storyline. This is a Final Fantasy game first - FF games are always about story, and hence, that sets them apart from most other MMOs. The storyline explains the extreme circumstances why the player is allowed into Ishgard, a city that has been closed off to the outside world for years.

Also, apart from the new Jobs and a few minor things like the Diadem, there isn't really anything else added in the new areas which are any different to what you already have in the existing areas. I'm not trying to be nasty here, but don't treat this game like any other MMO, as it is not. The main story is an important part of the game's content, as pretty much everything in the game is directly connected to the storyline, even FATEs often are explained by lore given in the main scenario.

Really SE already boosted the amount of exp you get for doing the patch storyline quests to make it easier to level and go through that story - hell, it should be noted that even once you get to Ishgard, most if not all of the new content is locked behind the expansion's story completion, or at the very least sidequests, such as flight, the new trials and raids etc.

It's fair enough if you don't like the storyline and just want to play the game as a game. But because the story is a major part of this game, then I'm afraid it might not be the game for you.

I'm one of those people who greatly enjoy and appreciate the story in this game, since it is seriously REALLY good. But if you don't like it... A simple solution is to just skip through cutscenes and quick click through the conversations if you really do hate it. It cuts down the time it takes, and it doesn't take valuable resources that could be used somewhere else.

I personally don't think Yoshi plans on ever making this a thing. I just don't see how it could be done, considering most content IS very intertwined with what goes on in the story.

I don't really understand why people like the story so much and for the record I've read all the story dialog and I just don't like it...sorry?. I've spent the last 2 days playing the game as a glorified errand boy. People keep telling me that if you don't like the story don't play the game. Just because to you the game isn't worth more then the story dose not mean that other people can't enjoy the game for it's other accomplishments I.e combat/dungeons/environment/music. Just because you think the story is important or good does not mean everyone has to think so. You don't lose anything by allowing other people who don't enjoy the story to skip it.

My point is, lets agree to disagree.

Because we do like the story? I'm sorry if that sounded nasty, but it's true. As I mentioned the storyline is an important aspect of the game, it always was (I mean, even the shutdown of the original version of FFXIV and it's replacement with ARR was directly tied into the story, aka the Calamity!). even dungeons/raids etc are not just mindless content you just do, there is always a lore/story reason why you're being allowed into that mysterious ancient ruin or chunk of the Lesser Moon or Garlean fortress or giant Goblin Primal-weapon. Not because "you can", it's because it's worldbuilding.

Everything exists for a lore reason that actually helps flesh out the world and everything in it, rather than just giving an excuse for players to enter "random cave/generic ancient ruin #17 and beat up some random monsters to get mad lootz!" It's entirely fine if the later is what you prefer. The trouble is, as mentioned story-based gameplay is the underlying design concept of this game and will be something that SE will not be changing. As its the fundamental aspect of the game.

But as you said, lets agree to disagree.