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.

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Originally Posted by MistakeNot

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

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I totally agree , if Ive never done it then its new to me, Im a mentor in the nn and alot of newer players wouldnt even wana skip the story even if they dont like arr story I meant ha. I get the jump potion idea, but to get to 3.5 would take a few weeks at most its not as bad as it sounds really.

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Originally Posted by MistakeNot

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

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Some people don't like entering old instances where everyone else wipes the floor with everything (which will happen during the 2.1 to 2.55 content and 3.1 to 3.55 content). Not sure if you read my full post but I mentioned that. My proposal also still gates certain new content behind the old.

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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 twice and enjoyed old content both times.

Besides, low levels in FFXIV are far from a ghost town. There's active discussion in NN every day, low level dungeons and PotD are frequently run by both veterans and newbies and Limsa is an equally busy meeting place as Idyllshire. The only thing that really changes at max level is the ability to raid and having a better story (which requires ARR story to understand anyway) compared to the first 40-or-so levels.

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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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I think the argument for not gating it/using jump potions is so that new players can get to play with friends at endgame as quickly as possible.

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Originally Posted by bswpayton

I totally agree , if Ive never done it then its new to me, Im a mentor in the nn and alot of newer players wouldnt even wana skip the story even if they dont like arr primals. I get the jump potion idea, but to get to 3.5 would talk a few weeks at most its not as bad as it sounds really.

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You honestly think it would take a few weeks to go 1-50 playing through all of the main scenario quests, go through all of the 2.1 to 2.55 main scenario quests (I recall the 2.5 quests were 5+ hours alone), 50 to 60 through all of the Heavensward Main scenario quests, go through all of the 3.1 to 3.55 main scenario quests? That's completely ignoring Hildebrand, side trials, side quests, etc. I think an average player would be hard pressed to get through all of the main scenario quests alone in under 200 hours. 200 hours is five full weeks of a full-time job. Would take 10 weeks for a player who can invest 20 hours into a single game per week .

[QUOTE=The only thing that really changes at max level is the ability to raid and having a better story (which requires ARR story to understand anyway) compared to the first 40-or-so levels.[/QUOTE]

All new zones, new dungeons, new raids, new 24 man raids, underwater exploration, new town, etc. would be gated.

This isn't something new or unexpected.

The possible including of the Jump Potion will offer new players who decided to join day one of the expansion launch, or any point after it, the opportunity to dive right into the current content. The Jump potions right now boost you to level 50 and mark MSQ completed up to 2.55. When Stormblood launches it will boost to 60 and mark MSQ completed up to 3.55.

That said, normally when players join an MMO for the first time after its launch and for the intent to play for a specific expansion, they -USUALLY- start playing 2-3 months in advance of said expansion to prepare for it. Few are the MMO players who buy the expansion, wait until launch day, and jump in, expecting to be on equal footing with everyone else. In -all- MMOs you still have to play catch-up in level at LEAST.

Wonder how hard it'd be to detach some of the more fluff quests, and then keep that in mind for all future expansions. So if you join the game at like 5 expansions late instead of doing 200 quests its more like 50, and they're super EXP packed - the fluff quests could be kept just separated from being required. Also hope they can add more player tutorials, would help community experience with new people who come flying in at mach speed 9,000 if they know a little bit about their role and job (they've already added some which is awesome, but certain job specific mechanics are important too).

Hopefully their jump potion doesn't just complete the quests so you can't do them later, I think that'd be a big loss in possible enjoyment (SE spent a good amount of time making them good, not being able to experience it especially after you spent money would be a bit "Meh"). However, there NEEDs to be something done to ensure as time goes on the new players are not stuck behind a literal mountain of hours before they can do anything exciting with the majority of the player base.

Also agree that trying to tell new players that they need to pay 60 + 16 / month + 20 (guess for jump potion) is a good first time experience, that would feel like you just got gouged. I'm sure SE as a company wants money, but hopefully they can come up with some clever way to make money and not make it feel like a medical bill lol. When buying complete editions, the first one is free? Make Alt packages, dunno I'm sure they can do it - but they should be careful front loading the first time experience, a game that tries to tell me I NEED to buy 10 different things in the first second of looking at it is usually a game I avoid.

"Here are you $20 tissues, and your $40 trash can where you can throw them away, and for only $20 more you can also have shoes to walk across the glass field we placed before your car~ Enjoy~!!"

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Originally Posted by MistakeNot

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

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Well, congrats, but you're not everyone.

Look at Legion. Lots of new subs, and everyone is making use of the level boost. Why? Because they joined to play Legion. Not the old stuff. It's not isolated to WoW.

Everyone wants to debate. Nobody wants to look at a solution that I see no reason would not appease everyone:

"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."

Who has a problem with this? Why?

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Originally Posted by Shougun

Also agree that trying to tell new players that they need to pay 60 + 16 / month + 20 (guess for jump potion) is a good first time experience, that would feel like you just got gouged.

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To be fair, when I started, that happened to me. It's happened to quite a few players I know too.
$60 for the Game
$16 for the Subscription
$20 for Server Transfer to play with my friends

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

You honestly think it would take a few weeks to .

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What do mean I see people doing this very thing right now at least gettin to the hw part, I like to play games my way and I actually stayed in novice like 4 months. Your average player is in hw after about three weeks, and then hw story really isnt even that long. Like I said I like to play a certain way I love the msq but its really not even that much to do especially if your just leveling up one job at a time.

I just started hw story recently in total Ive maybe spend three days on it and Im half way done with the 94 quest of the main hw story. SE said they are giving exp boast as well to make it even easier to level, where the problem with old content comes in is with challenging content like the primals , or the raids thats where the ghost town is not the leveling dungeons. The actual zones an areas arent dead if anything now that Im in hw the hw areas are alot more dead than arr areas, the same thing will happen with storm blood areas you will still catch more people hanging out in lomisa than anywhere else.

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

Everyone wants to debate. Nobody wants to look at a solution that I see no reason would not appease everyone:

"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 ?

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SE came up with their own solution tho its two paths, one is you can do the msq like people are doing it now and the other is you can buy a jump potion and skip up to 3.55. And Im sure after that it will be for each expansion after storm blood.

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Originally Posted by Vexander

To be fair, when I started, that happened to me. It's happened to quite a few players I know too.
$60 for the Game
$16 for the Subscription
$20 for Server Transfer to play with my friends

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And how did that make you feel? Although question, why did you have to transfer-- OH, you're on Balmung XD. You had to squeeze through the tight gates lol.

Imo, that'd be a very dissuasive experience in buying/playing the game, especially if the friend isn't selling it extremely hard. Although I don't have a very good suggestion on how to fix the server transfer issue without them perhaps switching to realmless servers.. But yeah getting a to do list worth of purchases is very "ugh, really?" to me. I don't think I'm alone on that, but who knows.

Said I don't have a good solution for the server thing because if they made it too cheap (or even one time offer, like I think potions should be considered - WoW does that one) then everyone who wanted to could transfer to the already full servers and make them more explosively full than they are, people thought Aether had problems before? Welcome to the real void!

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

"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."

Who has a problem with this? Why?

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Square has a problem with this, because it would require re-coding how their MSQ system flags content, and they would lose money from story skip/level boost potions that they would earn otherwise. There's your answer.

I don't like the box art.
That red background does not go well with the PS4 blue frame.
http://i.imgur.com/Mq0TN21.jpg

I think the jump potion on release puts you at 60 (at least one of them does) so you have to do a few Heavensward quests before you can do Stormblood.

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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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FF14 is designed so that older content remains relevant beyond its debut which is different to, say, WoW where early/mid level zones are neglected completely and there's no reason for high level places to head there. Plus if people pick a server that is very quiet then naturally it's going to feel dead.

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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 remember the ghost towns from FFXI when I got into it. Everyone was in some other part of the game I had no access to. I don't wish to see this game suffer that same fate. So far though SE has done a good job at keeping content scattered so you always see people even in the starter towns.

long as you have access to the job i think ill work, the gripe i feel ppl had with HW was that you had to do everything in 2.x series to even get access to the new jobs which quite frankly was a bad call. If you could get access to the jobs from 30 for example you could do the rest o the story on you pref job, but instead if you wanted to really sink your teeth into drk for example you had to clear 10+ hours of msq after lvl cap and then ahve access to said jobs. I mean alot of ppl opt in to play mmos after an xpac delivers based on jobs/classes offered for said xpac. (even with the new ones being lvl 50 for example, you will have access to them considerably faster than HW ones as a new player for example.)

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Originally Posted by Shougun

And how did that make you feel?

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At the time? Relieved that there was finally a step to buying and playing the game that was relatively, "Easy." I had all kinds of issues finding links and e-mails and stuff, it was just a nightmare getting the game. I was also miffed that I had to wait so many hours to transfer a character to Balmung.

There was a whole lot of frustration all around, but shelling out an additional $20 was nothing.

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

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."

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I know i'm probably wrong, but the way I interpreted that is you only need HW quests for early access. Let's hope that's the case and all of Stormblood is accessible at "official" launch.

Can't remember if it's been mentioned here or not, but in regards to the jump potions, I believe the devs have said that they won't be giving people free potions with the purchase of the expansion. Or any future expansions really. So if people want them, they're gonna have to fork over the money.

Also, if they implement it like they did in China, there will be two potions. One for skipping through the story (ARR and HW), and the other to get a job to level 60. I wanna say they would be like $20 each. I know they mentioned it, I just have a horrid memory.

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Originally Posted by AnaviAnael

I know i'm probably wrong, but the way I interpreted that is you only need HW quests for early access. Let's hope that's the case and all of Stormblood is accessible at "official" launch.

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Let's hope that's not the case so Early Access isn't filled with a bunch of flakes who can't keep up with pretty basic story progression.

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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 seperated
1 potion to jump story an 1 potion to jump level

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Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

Everyone wants to debate. Nobody wants to look at a solution that I see no reason would not appease everyone:

"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."

Who has a problem with this? Why?

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FFXIV's trials, raids, and dungeons are all linked to the story. This is very different than other MMO's where the dungeon is just another dungeon to dive into. Your character in FFXIV has a reason to be at each of these locations.

Allowing a character, that is still progressing through the storyline, access to some of these instances would feel pretty awkward and subtract from the quality of the experience.

The story jump potion is a full story skip (rather than a partial one). "Okay, your character has now experienced all of this; *shows summary*". It still keeps the integrity of the rule; if your character doesn't have a reason to be here or experience the content, you can't do it.