Just returned, unskippable cutscenes?!

I just returned to FFXIV after a six month break and happened to get the Praetorium as a raid to do. That is when I figured out that raids now have unskippable cutscenes. I'm currently working on easily 10+ minutes of cutscenes and have never wanted to quit a game more.

The only two dungeons affected by this are Praetorium and Castrum Meridianum. None of the other duties (or raids) have forced cutscenes but these two. The change was implemented in 4.2, and there are no plans to remove them at this time.

It says on here that youve got at least 1 class to level 70. Just dont run the main scenario roulette(or either of the two dungeons it ques - praetorium or castrum meridianum), and youll have no issue. If you DO decide to run it(either for the exp or the tomes) plan to spend an hour.

Bumping this with good reason. It's really bad because this even effects you if you run with a pre-made group and underman it. Running it right now with 3 FC friends and we're being forced to watch EVERY cutscene in CM right now, despite this being an alt character for me that I'm doing this on. Why should we be punished despite undermanning it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RyuDragnier

Why should we be punished despite undermanning it?

---

Funny that content in the game is considered punishment. People who see those cutscenes as punishment are why I never got to watch the cutscenes and be in all the fights before this was implemented. And I've been playing on and off since launch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doozer

Funny that content in the game is considered punishment. People who see those cutscenes as punishment are why I never got to watch the cutscenes and be in all the fights before this was implemented. And I've been playing on and off since launch.

---

I never considered them punishment, but OMG are they bad design for a group dungeon. As a solo instance none of this would have been an issue. Youd be going at your own pace, clearing reading and watching in turn(split the final boss off for a suitably epic trial with a full party and youd be set). But a dungeon with 30+ mins of cutscenes in a group with 7 other people? People who might not all read at the same speed, people who could be on a PS3 or a top of the line PC, who might be running for the first for the fortieth time, who might be story obsessed or have skipped every cutscene since level one? Thats too many variables for this level of gameplay interference. So while im sorry you never got the experience you wanted from these, this was still a poorly designed "fix".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doozer

Funny that content in the game is considered punishment. People who see those cutscenes as punishment are why I never got to watch the cutscenes and be in all the fights before this was implemented. And I've been playing on and off since launch.

---

While punishment may be the wrong word, it's incredibly inconvenient you're forced to watch them even if you unsync it. People doing so have actively chosen to avoid the cutscenes and aren't trying to impact anyone else.

I recently ran castrum twice and the duration of the duty is grossly overestimated. First time it took us 35 minutes and second run i was too slow to see the timer when we finished but it was less. so 35 minutes for a dungeon ong? i've had regular 4 man duties take longer

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlinzulu

I recently ran castrum twice and the duration of the duty is grossly overestimated. First time it took us 35 minutes and second run i was too slow to see the timer when we finished but it was less. so 35 minutes for a dungeon ong? i've had regular 4 man duties take longer

---

Most Dungeons Im in take 11-14 minute completion. Longer dungeons with slower groups take 16-20 minutes.

I had to rush my alts to finish this before it happened.

Of course I still have to be forced to do it for my friends when they get to that point so I feel your pain ;).

I also stopped doing MSQ entirely because of this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlinzulu

I recently ran castrum twice and the duration of the duty is grossly overestimated. First time it took us 35 minutes and second run i was too slow to see the timer when we finished but it was less. so 35 minutes for a dungeon ong? i've had regular 4 man duties take longer

---

I agree with you. Most of my Castrum Meridianum runs take 20-30 minutes, even with the forced cutscenes. Most of my 51-59, 61-69, and 70 dungeons take more than 20 minutes because I've been grouped with DPS who decided not to use their multi-enemy AOE attacks during big pulls nowadays.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zyneste

Most Dungeons Im in take 11-14 minute completion. Longer dungeons with slower groups take 16-20 minutes.

---

That should usually be the case in most dungeon runs. Unfortunately for me, I tend to be grouped with bad tanks, healers, and/or dps no matter which role I take. So if the 4-man dungeon run takes longer than a Castrum cutscene run, I start doubting myself whether the slower group I'm in is salvageable or not.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlinzulu

I recently ran castrum twice and the duration of the duty is grossly overestimated. First time it took us 35 minutes and second run i was too slow to see the timer when we finished but it was less. so 35 minutes for a dungeon ong? i've had regular 4 man duties take longer

---

Castrum is bad(you can do most of the 24 man alliance raids in less then 35 mins if the groups are good). Most of the cutscenes are completely pointless and add nothing but a delay. But the real problem is Praetorium. In my first reply on this thread i said that if you que for MSQ roulette to plan to spend an hour, and its not because you might get Castrum.