Just want to walk around

So I'm almost the end of my thirty days that I got for buying the game. And there is a huge amount to like about FFXIV, but one thing that is really driving me nuts. The MSQ. I get the impression that it's a pretty polarizing thing. At least anecdotally, it seems like there are quite a few people who love it and quite a few who wind up leaving the game because it's just such a chore to get through it.

I'm basically a hard core roleplayer. I just want to be able to walk around the world and roleplay with people. But large parts of the world are locked off behind the MSQ for each expansion. I don't want to skip all the quests and have them done for me by buying a quest skip. I just literally want to be able to walk into those parts of the world.. Is there any way to do that?

I actually had put in my credit card to subscribe for a full six months up front. And then I had some conversations with people about the MSQ that prompted me to look ahead at what's to come. I'm part way through Heavensward. It is better than the ARR content for sure. But I see hundreds of quests ahead that must be done just to be able to walk around. That pretty effectively converts the MSQ into a burdensome chore instead of something that can be done and savored and enjoyed. And I'm tired of that chore. So I've canceled the upcoming subscription.

But because I do see a lot to like about the game outside of the MSQ, I just thought I'd ask before I throw in the towel and decide to become the latest person who gives up on the game because of the MSQ. Is there a way to simply walk around the world without slogging through hundreds of MSQ quests or completely skipping them?

No. When you start the game, players who start in Ul'dah and Gridania are restricted to exploring Aldenard while players who start in Limsa Lominsa are restricted to exploring Vylbrand. After the Lv15 Envoy MSQ quests you have access to all the ARR zones just by exploring.

With the exception of maybe the Dravanian Forelands from Coerthas Western Highlands, after you begin Heavensward there is no zone line you can cross without the MSQ sending you purposefully to that zone first.

Firstly, welcome to Eorzea!

Secondly, I think it would be best not to listen to people telling you about how the story is (as especially now there is a more than a few jaded players upset with the later story for personal reasons and are unfairly portraying the whole game in a negative light accordingly, or just exaggerate the length of the story and what needs to be done to get to the 'end'.).

Most of the filler in the storyline has actually be excised and a lot of things simplified (ARR's storyline especially had a lot of trimming going on of many of the filler and dull fetch quests it originally had). There is still a lot of questing though and that is unavoidable, however it's not as bad as it sounds.

FFXIV is a story-based game (as are all FF games), and most of the game's very content is based around the story as an ongoing journey which is gradually unlocked as the player goes along (the development team's reasoning for that was they didn't want to overburden the player but just gradually ease them into the game and everything it had to offer), and that particular point even lies at the heart of the narrative, that it's not the destination that is important, but the journey. And thus areas of the world are gradually opened up as you progress through the storyline, and that cannot be avoided I'm afraid.

There are story skip items available for sale on the Mogstation that will skip you through the story to a point and unlock their associated areas (usually to the beginning of the current expansion's story, in this case, the beginning of Endwalker's story), but due to the enormous amount of backstory that is revealed during the storyline, this is not something I recommend unless you truly do not care for the narrative. EW's story especially is the culmination of everything that had happened prior so if you're only just through HW you won't really understand most of what goes on in EW, who certain characters/villians are, why you're doing what you're doing and where you're going, referring to events that happened especially in the previous expansion that you haven't seen etc etc). And speaking as an RPer myself, part of role playing is understanding the world and it's people, that is told through the main scenario.

Incidentally, the main scenario quests are seperate from generic sidequests, the later that really don't add too much to the story (some have little bits of lore of that area, but most don't beyond the minor tales of the people who live there,) and can be identified by a different quest icon (main scenario quests have the 'Meteor' icon, sidequests just have a generic exclaimation mark inside a speech bubble), and sidequests can generally be ignored as they're more useful for levelling classes with (some sidequests you would want to do though, the ones that have a '+' sign on them, as these unlock or add something, flight in that area being one).

So when you get to a new area and suddenly have a hundred side quests become available, there is nothing wrong with ignoring them for now and only pressing on with the main scenario.

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Originally Posted by EtherialOne

I'm basically a hard core roleplayer. I just want to be able to walk around the world and roleplay with people. But large parts of the world are locked off behind the MSQ for each expansion. I don't want to skip all the quests and have them done for me by buying a quest skip. I just literally want to be able to walk into those parts of the world.. Is there any way to do that?

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There is not. You just have to do the MSQ or get a skip. If you skip you can replay it using New Game+ (but obviously being in those areas could spoil some things as you form guesses about the land).

In my opinion, the best thing about FFXIV is the quality of its players. And the responses here do really show that because people really tried to help. And I appreciate it.

The estimate that there are hundreds of quests yet to go is a result of my pulling up the list and adding them all up, not a disgruntled player. And whether the story is good or bad is kinda beside the point. Being unable to just walk into a room is a separate thing from unlocking quests. If I could walk into a room and still have quests themselves be locked, I think I'd enjoy it. But no matter how good it may be, the fact that I'm forced to do a massive, mandatory chore list just to be able to walk into the room has been a really big shadow over my 30 days for having bought the game. It takes what otherwise could be fun and spoils it. At the same time, I've never done a skip in any game. And I don't feel great about just skipping past everything either.

So it sounds like this isn't the game for me. And that should be okay. Different strokes for different folks. If I change my mind, I can always come back later. Thanks everybody. :-) Now I know.

I think the mindset that it's a chore is probably what's causing this disconnect - the story is a part of the game like everything else is a part of the game.

What connection would you have with places further along in the story? What connection would your character? Your character doesn't know why that place exists, what reason would they have for going there?

If it helps, a story skip wouldn't mean you can't play through the story at your own pace.

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Originally Posted by MilkieTea

I think the mindset that it's a chore is probably what's causing this disconnect - the story is a part of the game like everything else is a part of the game.

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Hence the saying different strokes for different folks. According to my spreadsheet, I have 562 quests to go just to catch up.

No thanks.

But if you like it that way, then go for it! I am glad for your happiness!

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Originally Posted by EtherialOne

Hence the saying different strokes for different folks. According to my spreadsheet, I have 562 quests to go just to catch up.

No thanks.

But if you like it that way, then go for it! I am glad for your happiness!

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Catch up to what? There's not much outside of lore and maybe occasional item or furniture you'd use for glam/decoration of apartment that's hidden behind the end game. Due to how game is constructed most Roleplayers tend to stick to three starting cities eventually going for player built venues in residential district (last of which requires enough progress in SB MSQ that you'd reach Kugane). There's nothing to really catch up to unless you're a hardcore raider that needs to do current tier Savages/Ultimates ASAP.

Just like you I still have loads of quests to do to reach our current endgame but I take my time. There's no rush and there's always something else I can do within the reach.

You can the enter housing areas Shirogane and Empyreum with insufficient MSQ progression if you are in an FC who has a home there, are a tenant in one of those houses or have someone on your friend list who has a house or apartment there.

And the housing areas are typically the event hubs exactly because they are easily accessible (and customisable).

But if the game is not for you, it's not for you. There are other options to RP.

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Originally Posted by Ilisidi

You can the enter housing areas Shirogane and Empyreum with insufficient MSQ progression if you are in an FC who has a home there, are a tenant in one of those houses or have someone on your friend list who has a house or apartment there.

And the housing areas are typically the event hubs exactly because they are easily accessible (and customisable).

But if the game is not for you, it's not for you. There are other options to RP.

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I am aware of that though it will still make it hard to move around them especially if you happen to do world jumping looking for Venues/Events.

There's no reason to subscribe for six months at a time unless you want to have a large number of characters. The reduced price per month is just the same price you pay month-to-month on an entry level sub, which gives you the full experience with a limit of 8 characters instead of 40. Alts don't share quest progress, so if you find a single pass through the MSQ daunting then you're unlikely to be creating that many extras.

If you're enjoying the story and want to continue, do it. There's good stuff ahead, and your friends can join you at your own level to complete dungeons or side content. They may even have their own need to play the content you're on, like collecting glamour or filling out the weekly "duty bingo" card.

If you just want to be at endgame and explore, then buying a skip will let you do that, while abandoning the game completely will not.

It's entirely up to you, but I wouldn't base my opinions on what some internet people think over my own taste and that of friends who like similar games to me. Don't fret about the exact number of quests, just play it and keep going for as long as you enjoy playing it. (Stormblood is a bit of a low point though.)

been in this game sence 2.0 and have walked and riden almost everywhere this is a fun game and worth your time.

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Originally Posted by EtherialOne

According to my spreadsheet, I have 562 quests to go just to catch up.

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This perspective is probably your main issue here. You're thinking of it in terms of spreadsheets and checklists rather than as a game. Would you be doing the same if it was an off-line, single player RPG? From the sound of it you're turning the main story into a chore rather than just sitting back and enjoying the ride.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

There's no reason to subscribe for six months at a time unless you want to have a large number of characters.

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I was going to pay up for the six months because I was super impressed by the game. Of course, at the time I also thought I was pretty much done with MSQ grinding. I didn't know I had months worth to go and how much simple ability to walk around was blocked behind it.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

It's entirely up to you, but I wouldn't base my opinions on what some internet people think over my own taste and that of friends who like similar games to me.

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This is totally good advice. And it's advice I've been given several times. And . . . it supports the opposite conclusion that people seem to think it does. ARR was atrocious. But people told me the conclusion was worth it so keep going. Treat it as an introduction to how to play the game. So I took their word for it. I spent a month working diligently to get past it to the good part. And it did start getting a little bit interesting around the end of 2.5. But ARR and post-ARR overall taught my own independent judgment that this was far from being worth the slog.

I have people telling me that it's just that my experience was soured by ARR and I'll really like it if I keep going. Of course I won't find out about that unless I hand over more money to the same people who created the lousy start. The 30 days were barely enough to get past the ARR stuff. And I discover that instead of being just about done with the MSQ stuff, I've actually got an enormous mountain to climb before I can even just walk around freely.

Every single person telling me how great it is so far has been playing the game for years. The MSQ was much shorter when they started. What they had to deal with was slowly added additional content. And, if I were dealing with that, I imagine I would be okay with it too.

But I'm getting greeted by this massive thing that the people telling me it's worth it have never experienced. I have not enjoyed it so far. And it's a blockade what I do enjoy--exploring a large world and meeting and interacting with people. In FFXIV, walking around and admiring the decor while talking to people seems to be endgame content.

So I decided I'd buy a story skip. I hate that idea. I actually do like stories in games, provided I can play through them at my own pace or at least they aren't so massive and mandatory. My problem here is not the story--it's the fact that the story is used to block so much basic stuff. But I learned about New World+. I can go back and experience it all again at my own pace. Perfect. The ability to do it at my own pace without the content locks. That's exactly what I want. In fact it's more than I want because it's a lot more than just walking around and saying hi.

(continued)

But then I discover that you don't level up at all by story skipping. And the MSQ is the main way of leveling up. In fact, it looks like I wouldn't even be able to skip all the way to the latest expansion because I'm not at level 80. So it looks like I'm going to have to buy a level skip too. So I decide I'll buy both.

And then, people who know me point out I'm going to regret it because I won't know what's going on. They're right. That's the kind of player that I am. At one time in my distant past, I was the lore master for an ancient game. You don't get that role if you dislike stories and lore. Without it, all the other stuff at the end is likely to feel hollow and unenjoyable. That's why I've never used a skip in any game before.

So now I've got no way forward. Both the skip and playing through are bad options. So I come here hoping somebody will have an idea to let me move forward. They don't.

I've already uninstalled the game, unregistered my payment info, and dropped all of the few FFXIV Discord servers I had joined. I guess I should probably just quit reading, go feel disappointed, and stop reading my topic. But I keep hoping some surprise solution will appear or someone will post saying that something is in the works. Or maybe even somebody sending me a DM with a ton of spoilers. Even if they spoiled every story and subplot in the game, at least I'd know if there is a payoff coming.

One thing I will say though is that the people who say that the problem is my seeing the MSQ as a job or a slog or a chore are absolutely right. If I had come for the story or because I was a hard core FFXIV fan, I'd probably still be as happy as I was a week ago. If I had experienced some incredible story that was artfully told and kept me at the edge of my seat, I'd probably like that too. But none of that has happened.

So what I'm left with is that I came over here most of all to play with old friends from another game. I came to meet other people and play with them. Asking my friends to bore themselves by syncing down to my level all the time is no solution to that. It only affects their gameplay for the negative. And asking me to not go where people are actually at because I have to slog through the (mostly) single player MSQ defeats the point of being in MMORPG at all.

I'm happy that other folks enjoy it. A lot of people must enjoy it or there wouldn't be the constant queues. But I don't. I just feel like the whole thing is a shame because FFXIV seemed so incredible. And I feel like I've gone from that to my hopes getting crushed. The stuff I came here to do is largely blocked behind Mount MSQ and I'm not up for mountain climbing.

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Originally Posted by Brightamethyst

This perspective is probably your main issue here. You're thinking of it in terms of spreadsheets and checklists rather than as a game. Would you be doing the same if it was an off-line, single player RPG? From the sound of it you're turning the main story into a chore rather than just sitting back and enjoying the ride.

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You are absolutely right. I would not feel remotely the same if it were an off-line, single player RPG. Problem is, it's not an off-line, single player RPG.

Hey, sometimes people just don't like things everyone else likes. For their own personal reasons.

I thought the entire Matrix series of movies sucked, because I personally cannot take "Ted Theodore Logan" seriously in a lead role, and the CG didn't save the series, IMHO. Ditto "John Wick". I also think superhero movies (most any superhero movie except the Nolan Batmans) are kinda silly. I don't know or care when the next MCU blockbuster is coming out.

I don't like BTS or any K-pop at all. And I have tried. I try any music I am unfamiliar with.

I don't have any want or need at all for things like Tik-Tok, or any social media to be honest. I use social media as a tool to retrieve information, but as for posting all the banal details of my life online, nah, that's for the birds.

When it comes to games, I don't play anything popular, really, except FFXIV. Can't really stand WoW anymore, don't like first-person-shooters, and I don't care for any of the existing "trend" games like Among Us or PUBG or whatever people play these days.

Some people don't like chocolate cake or cake at all. Go figure.

My point is that you don't need to explain yourself or feel some sort of guilt because you don't like this game. Subjectivity is a thing and reasonably intelligent people grasp that concept; virtually no one will hold it against you if you don't like FFXIV. I've never had someone hold it against me that I don't like Spiderman XII: The Revenge of Alternate Woke Spiderman or Star Wars XVIII: The Mandalorian Obi Wan Luke Origin Story Whatever -- even though it seems virtually everyone else does.

I'll just note in closing that you really shouldn't naturally feel guilt for not liking something "everyone else" does. If you are feeling genuinely "crushed" then you need to really examine what's going on here. Possibly if you are having a properly difficult time accepting that you just don't like this game, a friend or family member could help you with the pain. You come off as genuinely upset and feeling tangible loss because you don't care (or think you will care) for this game.

Good luck in the future.

You said you're an RP'er.

So here's a lore reason for the blocks (with as little spoilers as possible as I don't know where exactly you are in the MSQ):

All of the places you can't go to have a reason for you to not be able to just go there. Some are isolationist. Some are enemy territories. Some are just too expensive for us to go to on our own dime. Some have no ability to walk to them.

You can walk pretty much anywhere within the three starting areas and nearby lands. May be dangerous as you have navigate through enemies much higher level than you (another game reason for the blocks).

I do agree with the others that part of the problem is you're turning a game into a checklist of things to do. Now, for some all of that is the fun in games. Doing everything there is to do and needing a spreadsheet so you can keep up with what you've done. But conversely, in a 10 year old game that's getting pretty regular content updates, that's a lot of items on a checklist to complete. And the sheer amount may make completing it seem like a chore.

I do think a bulk of your problem is something that I can easily understand: you thought you were almost caught up and then found out that you're not. That's always disheartening.

So I do feel that the not subbing more is the right decision in the moment. You can always come back in a few months and play some more and see if the time away has helped.

Here's the thing though the zones we have in the current expansion isn't where most of the population hang out in. Most just afk around the Aethrite plaza in Limsa or the Quicksands in Ul'dah. Rare are those who hang out in the housing wards or the two zones in Endwalker that again has mostly afk people in it.

The story does generally get better once you reach Ishgard. As in you get to go inside it. Stormblood is a toss up. A lot love Shadowbringers. Part of what makes the story good us the journey you have along the way. You get to know a lot of npcs and go through a lot things with many of them. You can edit your post to get around the character limit btw. I will never understand people who don't enjoy helping a friend get through dungeons as for me it's fun and exciting to see how they react. Also a lot of the zones starting even in Heavensward you can't walk or swim from one end to the other and need to unlock flying in those zones. This isn't a game that is meant to be rushed to the end. That's part of what separates it from other MMOs. Along with what a lot of people coming from other MMOs have trouble wrapping their head around.

I don't know what else to say except maybe go watch Jocat's video on why it took him over 300hrs to finally enjoy this game. Maybe unlock the sight seeing logs and try and do all of ARR which can be done without flight if you want to do something and enjoy the scenery. Or take up fishing as again trying for that fish you can see some stunning vistas.

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Originally Posted by EtherialOne

Every single person telling me how great it is so far has been playing the game for years. The MSQ was much shorter when they started. What they had to deal with was slowly added additional content. And, if I were dealing with that, I imagine I would be okay with it too.

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You're right. Personally, I tell any new players that the story is great but there is a lot of it now compared to when I started it. I tell them that it blocks content and that sidequests will be a bit much to handle now for most people going through the MSQ.

Everyone who plays the game knows this is a problem (and expresses it to the developers), but there isn't an easy solution because each expansion's story strongly benefits from building on the characters in the previous ones. But we expect something will have to happen eventually.

As I explained as well, being in the story areas could spoil future story events by giving you an impression of why they might exist.

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But then I discover that you don't level up at all by story skipping. And the MSQ is the main way of leveling up. In fact, it looks like I wouldn't even be able to skip all the way to the latest expansion because I'm not at level 80. So it looks like I'm going to have to buy a level skip too. So I decide I'll buy both.

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Sorry, I forgot to mention that. It is annoying, but because there are multiple classes they probably don't want to decide which one to level for you. Although you can level up quite well farming dungeons and roulettes. You can skip cutscenes instead of buying a story skip, but it gets boring without the cutscenes to make it fun.

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One thing I will say though is that the people who say that the problem is my seeing the MSQ as a job or a slog or a chore are absolutely right.

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That is a common problem. If you see the story as an obstacle to get to the "real game" then it's difficult to enjoy the story. If you skip dialogue that isn't voiced then it reduces your immersion and your connection to the characters and the story. The story has become very long and that is a problem, but it doesn't change that seeing it as an obstacle makes it difficult to soak it in and enjoy it at a normal pace instead of rushing.

If I started the game today, having never played it before, I'd love how much story there is to do. I actually got mad when the story ran out on me for the first time. I just wanted to keep going. Of course I'd think that being that I joined the game FOR the story, as that's why I play RPGs. Even as an MMO, it's a Final Fantasy game, and story has always been the focus after all.

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Originally Posted by Breakbeat

I'll just note in closing that you really shouldn't naturally feel guilt for not liking something "everyone else" does. If you are feeling genuinely "crushed" then you need to really examine what's going on here. Possibly if you are having a properly difficult time accepting that you just don't like this game, a friend or family member could help you with the pain. You come off as genuinely upset and feeling tangible loss because you don't care (or think you will care) for this game.

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I've been wondering why I've had a pretty extremely disproportional emotional response to a game too. After all, it's just a silly game like any other. And I don't normally get more than mildly annoyed at games. But this one has thrown me for a real emotional loop. And I think I finally figured out why last night. I'm not going to say a whole lot about it except to say that I did read quite a few spoilers. And there are things in the MSQ ahead that have happened to me in my real life right down to the point where some parts of it are basically verbatim. I think it's hitting way too close to home. And basically what I'm doing is the "flight" part of a "fight or flight" reflex.

Having realized this, I do actually feel a lot better. Maybe I'll even make it back to the game at some point. And I'll try to keep an open mind about actually doing the MSQ at some point if I do. But it may be a "never do" for me because some things should be handled in therapy (and, in my case, have been handled there and continue to be handled there), but not relived in MMORPGs. If I'm going to play a game, the purpose is to have fun. Better to focus on the fun parts and not retraumatize oneself.

With that, I'm going to not say anything more in this thread. But I will acknowledge again that FFXIV does have one of the best player bases I've ever seen in an MMORPG. I wouldn't have dared to say as much as I have in an open forum on any other game. And when/if I do make it back, that's going to be a big part of why and of what I'll focus on instead of the MSQ. Thank you all.

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Originally Posted by EtherialOne

I've been wondering why I've had a pretty extremely disproportional emotional response to a game too. After all, it's just a silly game like any other. And I don't normally get more than mildly annoyed at games. But this one has thrown me for a real emotional loop. And I think I finally figured out why last night. I'm not going to say a whole lot about it except to say that I did read quite a few spoilers. And there are things in the MSQ ahead that have happened to me in my real life right down to the point where some parts of it are basically verbatim. I think it's hitting way too close to home. And basically what I'm doing is the "flight" part of a "fight or flight" reflex.

Having realized this, I do actually feel a lot better. Maybe I'll even make it back to the game at some point. And I'll try to keep an open mind about actually doing the MSQ at some point if I do. But it may be a "never do" for me because some things should be handled in therapy (and, in my case, have been handled there and continue to be handled there), but not relived in MMORPGs. If I'm going to play a game, the purpose is to have fun. Better to focus on the fun parts and not retraumatize oneself.

With that, I'm going to not say anything more in this thread. But I will acknowledge again that FFXIV does have one of the best player bases I've ever seen in an MMORPG. I wouldn't have dared to say as much as I have in an open forum on any other game. And when/if I do make it back, that's going to be a big part of why and of what I'll focus on instead of the MSQ. Thank you all.

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We look forward to your possible return, Warrior of Light.

I feel like there was also a clash here between the expectations of the OP and the expectations of the genre. The OP seems to be looking for an open-world sandbox style of game. I think of something like Minecraft where you can jump right in, go anywhere you want, and just freely explore or do things with other people on the server as you please.

FFXIV, on the other hand, is an MMORPG. Yes, it contains those open-world and social interaction elements of an MMO, but it's also just as much an RPG at its heart (many even refer to it as an RPGMMO given how core the RPG part is). And I'm very hard-pressed to think of any RPG where you can just boot it up, make a new character, and have complete freedom to explore the entire world right from the start. That's just not how RPG's work. You usually start with a very limited portion of the world available to you, and then as you progress further through the story, more and more of that world opens up. There are sometimes towns underwater, entire villages and caves to explore on islands...but you can't get them to until you gain access to a boat, airship, etc..

So if the OP at some point down the road decides to give FFXIV another look, I'd highly encourage you to take into account that it's an MMORPG. You will eventually have a ton of freedom to explore and create social opportunities of your own, but there's also a story at the core of the game, and like any other RPG, playing through that story is what ultimately opens up the world.