After more than 1000 hours of gameplay, i'm running around Ishgard on my 3rd character counting my Aeither Currents, and looking at my level 60 MSQ I need to complete, and I stop for a minute to just think of my journey so far.... and that's when I realize... i'm just going through the motions. It's like i'm on a MSQ raft sailing down a stream with very little control over where i'm going... or more importantly, very little understanding of why i'm doing what i'm doing.
The issue for me is the storyline. And it would seem that I created a problem for myself that i'm now wondering if others are too creating that same problem as well for themselves.
Because the game is locked behind the story, or rather... because the story is locked up tight in the dungeons below... we don't have the freedom to explore the story independantly as a solo player. The story, it would seem, is presented to us in a group setting. And this is where I created the problem for myself.
Despite (random) people's encouragement for me to watch the story upon entering new dungeons I can't help thinking about the people waiting for me to do that so they can finally rush through that dungeon. Its difficult for me to enjoy the story when I know that I am watching it at someone elses expense. It's hard not to feel guilty (to some degree) when you know very well that you're holding up the production line. You're the reason why everyone is just standing there waiting, and waiting, and still waiting.
So I devised a plan. Just keeping clicking "skip" the story... nobody has to wait for me... and we all move on like happy campers. And later, when I level up a Paladin or something high enough, I can go back to those dungeons and solo them for the story I can enjoy on my own at noone elses expense.
It seemed like a great plan at the time. But now that I look back on it. I realize that's not working as well as I thought it would. 2 major problems. Spoilers, and confusion. Not only do I spend a bit of time here and there completely confused about why I should care about something i've been chasing for a half dozen MSQ's, but I now have answers to questions i've skipped through somewhere.
SE is obviously trying to have/keep FFXIV story based, and that's great. But I don't think locking the story to dungeons is the best way to guarantee we watch the story. In my case... it's the reason why I "didn't" watch the story.
Storyline (issue)
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10-31-2021, 03:13 AMmuzickmageStoryline (issue)
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10-31-2021, 03:55 AMIscah
I honestly don't know what you are meaning. There is very little story conveyed during dungeons when other people are waiting for you: only the openings to the three ARR four-man trials and long scenes during Toto-Rak and the Stone Vigil. A few scenes to be watched in climax dungeons like the Aetherochemical Facility.
You are fully free to watch end-of-dungeon cutscenes (everyone else will leave) and especially the vast majority of the story which is experienced solo.
Are you talking about skipping the dungeon cutscenes or are you talking about skipping everything? And if everything, who do you think you think is waiting for you while you are not in a party?
Also, we've all been the newbie. If you're fortunate enough to be paired with people who want you to take your time with the cutscenes, take it. -
10-31-2021, 08:04 AMmuzickmageLMAO. Really? You think that i'm that much of a moron that I would be concerned about who is waiting for me to read stuff when i'm NOT in a party? Who exactly do you talk to that has you thinking people are that stupid?Quote:
Originally Posted by Iscah
As for what story there is, or isn't, during dungeon cutsences... I wouldn't know. (as I explained) I mostly skip them so not to be annoying to those waiting. I can only assume that they would pertain to the story somehow. Outside of that I have no idea.
The only thing I know is.... dungeons are a major part of the MSQ. Cutscenes are a major part of dungeons. So it would seem that skipping cutsences would have you missing bits of pieces of the MSQ storyline.... at least to some degree.
If this isn't correct, then I don't know. -
10-31-2021, 08:20 AMItMeAren't there only, like, 2 dungeons with lengthy or story important cutscenes in them?Quote:
Originally Posted by muzickmage
Heck, the Vault doesn't even have their big cutscene until after the boss is dead.
Are there more problematic dungeons I'm just forgetting about? Because I'm pretty sure most of the cutscenes are just showing the camera flying through the dungeon, or showing the boss popping up and roaring. Nothing long enough to cause a problem and nothing important enough to worry about missing.
I don't quite understand how this would prevent either of your 2 major problems. The story that tells you why you should care and what not is all happening outside the dungeons, and I don't see this would prevent or discourage anyone from skipping anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by muzickmage
Maybe I'm just not understanding your solution. What do you mean by suggesting they stop "locking the story to dungeons?" -
10-31-2021, 09:28 AMmuzickmage
I'm confused as well. It seems that it's very important that the dungeons be part of the MSQ. Not just part of the game... but play a major role in the MSQ itself. So it only stands to reason (at least in my head) that if your skipping part of the dungeon experience (cutscenes) you're skipping part of the MSQ experience itself.
If I didn't skip the cutscenes then maybe i'd see for myself that they mean nothing to the story. But then... if they mean nothing to the story, then why is it so important to insert them into the MSQ?
Lol... you're all better off leaving me confused lol. I'm sure i'll be fine. -
10-31-2021, 09:29 AMIscahYou're talking to me, telling me that you're completely lost in the story because so much of the story is tied to the cutscenes that you're skipping.Quote:
Originally Posted by muzickmage
Very little story is tied to dungeon cutscenes and I cannot see how you would feel lost unless you are skipping cutscenes that happen outside of the dungeons.
Yes you are missing occasional pieces of the story from a few specific dungeons but not enough to have no understanding of what is going on.
So you're going to have to clarify. What do you think are you missing? -
10-31-2021, 09:47 AMmuzickmage
The part i'm researching right now... which I don't think happened in a dungeon scene.. is the Warrior of light's crystals go dark again. After killing each primal one of the crystals light up, until eventually she has all her crystals found and illuminating. Then they go dark again for some reason. I'm trying to track down that part of the story so far. I'm not sure how I messed that part of the story up... but I don't remember it.
Like I said... you're better off leaving me confused. I'll figure out these holes in my story thing and all will good again. In dungeons, not in dungeons... i'll work it out. -
10-31-2021, 10:07 AMIscahThey get darkened by Midgardsormr, regained during Heavensward... and that's that. They don't get darkened again. I think you're muddling multiple playthroughs.Quote:
Originally Posted by muzickmage
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10-31-2021, 12:31 PMmuzickmage
Being my own worst enemy lol. Yep... that much i'd believe. It'll all work out at some point so no sense me getting too stressed out about it.
I'll just keep moving forward here and see where I end up. -
11-03-2021, 09:45 PMNishira
I understand the feeling but uh.. How to put that. From my own pov I’d say I’d want you to watch it. Peacefully. Enjoying it. You assume it’s a hindrance to everyone, and to some it is, so I get the conclusion. But you overlook the many who are fine with it, who want you to immerse yourself the few seconds it takes (or the minutes, in a few rare cases). Who want you to have fun. Don’t be afraid to claim that little bit of ‘my fun’ space, it’s fine :) I know it’s hard to go against that internal feeling, so if you go NOPE I get it.
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11-05-2021, 10:27 AMTaleraRistain
There are few cutscenes when a party is waiting for you in a dungeon past things like Prae or ARR that are heavily story focused. That said, even if it's just the cutscene introducing the boss, don't skip the cutscenes. We understand, or we should, that when we use a random matching system to create our parties, we may have new people in the party. And if vets are too impatient to wait, that's on them. Enjoy your cutscenes.
Also, come ShB you can run MSQ dungeons with NPCs in the Trust system. So you won't have that pressure to skip any longer if you use those.
I'm personally of the opinion the forced grouping idea of the MSQ does more harm than good. Trusts were a good start there, but the main storyline should be designed in a way that it doesn't force grouping or has duties that scale to number of participants. Then duos and trios are an option without having to fill in with a random. Or expand the Trust system so NPCs fill in for the missing numbers. I love how story-focused the game is and I think it runs counter to that design to have even the possibility that someone else would pressure a player to skip the story because they want to finish the run.