(dev????) storyline choices, are we being railroaded?

I have a question regarding the storyline. Not anything spoilerish. But at several points in the game we are provided with choices regarding our characters's fate. Join the ls managing relations between the beastmen and city states, believe Urianger's words, which grand company to join, and so forth. Even in sections without a dialog box, we have situations involving choice. Legatus Darnus's speech To bring Urianger's head for example. Even the song Answers in the intro seems to denote the invoking of free will.

Is this freedom going to be included in the scenarios? Or is it something similar to

Doubtful. I imagine it'll be just like every other FF game where they give multiple answers and you are railroaded into a direction. I don't see them changing that now.

all of these events that have choices end up with the same result, much like earlier RPG's where it makes you have the feeling you are deciding, but it only changes some words, I do not suppose we will get a branch somewhere as an MMO isn't something you can go back and replay to find out what happens on the other path

This isn't Fallout, gtfo.

I want multiple endings :(

Go play a BioWare game where you make "choices" every five seconds and then get the same ending anyway.

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Originally Posted by Eruantien

I do not suppose we will get a branch somewhere as an MMO isn't something you can go back and replay to find out what happens on the other path

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All the same, FFXIV already have such a branch: choosing home city. 3 diffrent stories, you need 3 diffrent characters to actually see them all. While I do not support too much branching in MMOs, this may mean that FFXIV will give you some real choices that will be impossible to undo. I'd prefer however, to have as little of those as possible, especially since any additional character is bigger monthly fee. Or rather will be.

I agree with Haji, it's annoying to have to level up a bunch of characters just to see all the content and cool cut scenes the game has to offer.. The OP makes it sound like having a set path is a bad thing. "Railroading"? Might as well call it ramrodding.. jeez.

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Originally Posted by Haji

All the same, FFXIV already have such a branch: choosing home city. 3 diffrent stories, you need 3 diffrent characters to actually see them all. While I do not support too much branching in MMOs, this may mean that FFXIV will give you some real choices that will be impossible to undo. I'd prefer however, to have as little of those as possible, especially since any additional character is bigger monthly fee. Or rather will be.

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currently yes, but just like games like xi, further down the line we will get the option to change allegiance once the questlines are finished. Although they say they may not do it, it will be a matter of when not if.

i've always enjoyed the story in ffxi and all ff for that matter so i'm sure i'll enjoy this one in whatever direction they take it, but the one of 3things that will decide if i'm paying monthly for this game or not is missions like ffxi, cop,wotg, zilart, all the expansions, the story and missions were awsome an if there isn't this type of party play, tons of bosses, mini bosses, side farming, mini games and all that stuff in them then this game becomes like any mmo. it's one of the only few things it had that other mmo's didn't. it's what made me feel like i was playing a mmoRPG. very important. ty.

It's only up to rank 15 (dunno the new rank since it changed) where each city has their own questlines, the rest from there are the same (so the first 3 quests?)
It would only take about an hour or two of levelling to get high enough to do all of the city specific quests so personally I don't see the point in being allowed to change your allegiance for your starting nation.
The only thing that would be worth changing allegiance for would be the grand companies, but for your starting nation it's pointless in the long run. (unless if SE change it so the rest of the main scenario quests are different for each city, but as we stand from the 4th to last one each city does the same quest)

I imagine they will diversify again at some point. Possibly not though.

While I'm a fan to multi-branching story of FO (Yes Man, push that General Wait-and-see off the Dam!), I doubt SE will try that approach and I don't want them to. FF isn't exactly known to provide that kinda degree of freedom in their stories, and I doubt SE can actually pull that off.

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Originally Posted by weeble

i've always enjoyed the story in ffxi and all ff for that matter so i'm sure i'll enjoy this one in whatever direction they take it, but the one of 3things that will decide if i'm paying monthly for this game or not is missions like ffxi, cop,wotg, zilart, all the expansions, the story and missions were awsome an if there isn't this type of party play, tons of bosses, mini bosses, side farming, mini games and all that stuff in them then this game becomes like any mmo. it's one of the only few things it had that other mmo's didn't. it's what made me feel like i was playing a mmoRPG. very important. ty.

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I can't 'like' this enough so I am going to copy and paste it and say +1!!!

It's always a possibility that they will change the story quests past R/L20 to stay in your starting city-state rather than all converge on Ul'dah at some point in time. They've been in the changing mood for a while now.

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Originally Posted by weeble

i've always enjoyed the story in ffxi and all ff for that matter so i'm sure i'll enjoy this one in whatever direction they take it, but the one of 3things that will decide if i'm paying monthly for this game or not is missions like ffxi, cop,wotg, zilart, all the expansions, the story and missions were awsome an if there isn't this type of party play, tons of bosses, mini bosses, side farming, mini games and all that stuff in them then this game becomes like any mmo. it's one of the only few things it had that other mmo's didn't. it's what made me feel like i was playing a mmoRPG. very important. ty.

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Same here. Nobody believes me when I try to explain to them how XI has a plot beginning and an end like any FF title. I can't believe people would play a game without a plot that has a beginning and an end.

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Originally Posted by Seif

Same here. Nobody believes me when I try to explain to them how XI has a plot beginning and an end like any FF title. I can't believe people would play a game without a plot that has a beginning and an end.

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Like KMMOS? Some people are fine with having no story... for whatever reason.

I think the main story line ought to be a railroad. The coming of the Umbral Era-- it propels all our characters into the landscape for more content. Sort of like the pilot episode of a television series. Following that context, there could be any number of narrations and ho-ha's for any player-- Multiple exclusive decisions, morality, path companions and so forth in expansions or DLC/episodes-- Once the gameplay is running on it's own two feet, I think we can expect a lot from Square in that department.

I'm not implying they might use morality or character branching. Only that Square would have the perfect opportunity to prove how superficial some modern-day thinking of MMOs are. (Endless customization, voiced PCs, multiple exclusive decisions, etc. Those are great features, I agree, but don't make a MMO actually gratifying.)
Just my two cents.

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Originally Posted by RedHare

I think the main story line ought to be a railroad. The coming of the Umbral Era-- it propels all our characters into the landscape for more content. Sort of like the pilot episode of a television series. Following that context, there could be any number of narrations and ho-ha's for any player-- Multiple exclusive decisions, morality, path companions and so forth in expansions or DLC/episodes-- Once the gameplay is running on it's own two feet, I think we can expect a lot from Square in that department.

I'm not implying they might use morality or character branching. Only that Square would have the perfect opportunity to prove how superficial some modern-day thinking of MMOs are. (Endless customization, voiced PCs, multiple exclusive decisions, etc. Those are great features, I agree, but don't make a MMO actually gratifying.)
Just my two cents.

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I'd welcome this, if done right.


I was think something along the lines of Castlevania, or Toto Rak on a plotline scale. When actions and decisions in a task leads to boss A in the storyline, but different decisions would put you at odds with something else,leading to boss B or boss C.

most story quest have 2 path
the DoW/M path and DoL/H path
e.g.: mission r22
path 1: kill your enemy ( DoW/M path )
path 2: do your mission without fighting empire solder ( DoL/H path )

or mission r 30 where you can just fight the best or play with them...etc

I think they made it that way not to be like fallout ( where all your choose will change the outcome)
but to let people enjoy the story quest without need to level DoW/M ( for pepole who only have DoL/H )

Thanks, but no thanks.

While being able to choose your "path" in a game is a great feature, it is not one of the main selling points of the Final Fantasy franchise. Not even in the particular genre (JRPGs). To date, I have not been disappointed in a FF story (and I've played about 10 of the main ones), so I have high hopes for FFXIV.

Also, keep in mind that giving us a "set" storyline is easier for the dev team since they don't have to worry about making different paths and cut-scenes.

If anyone is looking for a more "sandbox" RPG, this is not the game.