Suggestion [remove Aether Currents as a catch up mechanic]

As title suggests, the aether currents where added with heavensward as a way to slow down the player to force them to quest at slower pace to allow SE to make more content. This is fine while the content is new, but the moment the expansion ends it is simply a barrier to entry.

As a new payer to FF14, with nearly 45K hours in video games [50% of that is in MMOs], I have rarely seen a game that implements such a mechanic as to purposefully CRIPPLE the player. ARR is already a long and boring slog. Few players already survive the horrible ARR, Even I, a player of WoW who is used to rep grinding found ARR and currents tedious to where I almost quit.

- You are at a moment where many WoW players are moving to your game, you should Capitalize on this momentum by increasing accessibility not decreasing it.

- currents are fine for the time that the content is in the heart of the expansion, but the moment it’s not, they should be added by default to all players similarly as the ones done in the post ARR after ‘the ultimate weapon’.

This is my 5 cents, take it how one will, if you agree let me know, if you disagree let me know why…. I will appreciate the discussion

I wouldn't mind MSQ completion of x.5 unlocking all currents in a given expansion, but I don't think unlocking all zones for flying is a good idea after completing the ultimate weapon. Just because you can fly in ARR doesn't mean you should be able to fly in Stormblood, for example, but if you complete 4.5 I'd be fine with them just giving you the currents you missed in Stormblood to catch you up.

The game does have a lot of momentum blockers, and flight is one of them when playing multiple expansions in a row.

The current design really isnt that bad, compared to how they were originally in 3.0 before the change. Could reduce the exploration ones to maybe 5 instead of 10 but other than that I dont really think a change is necessary. Flying was never meant for the 2.0 zones so the bandaid fix was to just give us flying after completing the base game.

Also to say that because more WoW players are playing the game as a reason to change it is kinda silly. Most likely a troll post to egg people on but still silly.

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Originally Posted by van_arn

I wouldn't mind MSQ completion of x.5 unlocking all currents in a given expansion, but I don't think unlocking all zones for flying is a good idea after completing the ultimate weapon. Just because you can fly in ARR doesn't mean you should be able to fly in Stormblood, for example, but if you complete 4.5 I'd be fine with them just giving you the currents you missed in Stormblood to catch you up.

The game does have a lot of momentum blockers, and flight is one of them when playing multiple expansions in a row.

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I feel similar, but earlier than that... I think completion of the base expansion MSQ should unlock flight in all areas of that expansion. so once your done with 3.0 MSQ, 4.0 MSQ, etc.

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Originally Posted by Rowde

I feel similar, but earlier than that... I think completion of the base expansion MSQ should unlock flight in all areas of that expansion. so once your done with 3.0 MSQ, 4.0 MSQ, etc.

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Yeah, that would work to assist with questing through x.1-x.5

Hey, so ye, poorly explained by my part. They would unlock after you completed the story of X zone. Let’s say you finished the ‘red sea’ msq. You would gain all the ether currents, aka you would be able to quest without having to waste time or be frustrated in finding the paths.

Because yes, I do agree that you should not unlock areas where you have not been yet, would not make sense.

Regarding the idea to reduce them to 5 instead of 10, would be fine if you moved them all to locations where the msg takes you naturally anyway. That idea is somewhat similar to my proposal above

The mechanic is just fine the way it is. I don't support their removal or making them any easier than they are already.

Aether Currents don't take much effort at all. Press the aether compass while on the way to each quest task and it will tell you if one is nearby. Pickup all blue quests that you see and do them when the main story takes you near to their objective. Once you finish the story events in that area, you will then be able to fly.

It's only tedious if you decide to be lazy and not pick them up while questing, because then you have to go back and get the aether currents for 18 areas and of course it's tedious doing it all in one go.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

Aether Currents don't take much effort at all. Press the aether compass while on the way to each quest task and it will tell you if one is nearby. Pickup all blue quests that you see and do them when the main story takes you near to their objective. Once you finish the story events in that area, you will then be able to fly.

It's only tedious if you decide to be lazy and not pick them up while questing, because then you have to go back and get the aether currents for 18 areas and of course it's tedious doing it all in one go.

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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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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.

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Changing them to be strictly MSQ and exploration I think would be best, remove the side quest chains since side quests arent needed other than padding/alt leveling.