Appears more likely than not that new Stormblood areas gated by 3.5 Completion

http://imgur.com/gallery/kOIU2

"In order to access the content added in Stormblood during early access, players will need to complete certain Heavensward quests. However, as long as you have a Disciple of War or Magic class / job that is level 50, you will be able to acquire the new job, red mage, regardless of quest progression as the quest to unlock red mage will be in a 2.0 area."

I think for the vast majority of us posting on the FFXIV forums this is likely a non-issue. However, I think this is getting to be a bit too much for a new player. We have had the luxury of tackling various main story scenario fetch quests over a 4 year period. Don't get me wrong. The story is great. However, you have to imagine the experience is not going to be the same playing it via catch-up. The people who join a new player in duty finder will wipe the floor with everything, effectively lowering all stakes and diminishing the sense of accomplishment for the new player. This is nothing new for old content in an MMO. What is new is gating new content behind the old content. The new player will have to churn through in all liklihood 200+ hours of old content to be able to play the current MMO content (which as I have illustrated above is more preferable to the old content that everyone wipes the floor with).

I agree the old content is an important and necessary part of the new content. However, if it were up to me: Give everyone who purchases the expansion access to the new areas. Give everyone who purchases the expansion access to the new dungeons and raids (upon reaching the appropriate level). Take out all cutscenes in the dungeons / raids for players who have not played through the story. Gate the new players from the trials. Gate the new players from the valuable daily roulettes until they do finish the story (providing some incentive to play through the 200+ hours of old content). In my opinion; that is how it should be. Give the new player the opportunity to play up-to-date content in between the hours they will trudge through the old content.

The story is great. It's worth playing through. But we all have to admit: 200+ hours is a bit much.

They will be selling jump potions for this.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

They will be selling jump potions for this.

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To jump through the story to access the new content or to jump to a higher level?

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

To jump through the story to access the new content or to jump to a higher level?

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Both as 1 item, "if" they add them thou rumor is its 1 class to MAX lv50 & all of MSQ's to 2.55's end

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

To jump through the story to access the new content or to jump to a higher level?

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If they follow the same format as they have in other markets, there will be two separate potions; one to catch up on the story, one to catch up on leveling.

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Originally Posted by The_NPC

Both as 1 item, "if" they add them thou rumor is its 1 class to MAX lv50 & all of MSQ's to 2.55's end

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Even with that i feel like that's a lot to ask for a new player. Pay extra money. Play through all of heavensward.

Personally - I still think what I proposed is more reasonable and will draw-in / maintain more new players. I also don't see any downside to what I proposed.

Why would new players want to skip all the old content? It is not like the new content is better than the old, and for a new player it is all new to them anyway.

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Originally Posted by MistakeNot

Why would new players want to skip all the old content? It is not like the new content is better than the old, and for a new player it is all new to them anyway.

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Clearly, you've never joined an MMO multiple expacs deep. At some point, it gets boring going through a ghost town MMO while you wait to hit the content people are playing.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

They will be selling jump potions for this.

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Wasn't it said that jump potions likely wouldn't be available until after Stormblood's release?

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Originally Posted by dragonseth07

Clearly, you've never joined an MMO multiple expacs deep. At some point, it gets boring going through a ghost town MMO while you wait to hit the content people are playing.

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I have done that - and I was not waiting to hit the latest content. Instead I was enjoying the old content.