Can't Access 3.0 until you complete 2.0-2.55

[Snugglebutt]

This is a general annoyance to me, but my biggest issue is:

The MSQ's from 2.1 to 2.55 don't offer any XP. So there is nothing the player is gaining until 3.0. Right now you're earning access to dungeons and new parts of the game. When 3.0 comes out most of that stuff will be old news and not worth it.

The Astral Era quests not giving XP is not a big issue, they unlock a lot of content the new player may want to try from dungeons and trials, raids or such in the future...just like every few levels of the MSQ has done from the offset with Umbral Era and expansion MSQ will do. Don't forget a few of the Astral Era quests also give Materia grade IV which can net a new player a lot of Gil which alone makes them worth doing.

Every single dungeon in this game is locked behind some quest or another and most dungeons, trials and such plus game features are locked behind MSQ every few levels plus mounts, leves, airship travel and ability to visit Limsa or even gold saucer and more are all locked behind such quests and a level requirement in order to help gradually get the new players used to the world and the game features so they won't get overwhelmed by having everything open to them or dumped on them all at once.

Really all SE is doing is the same as they have always done and as said since my friend only just started playing and has no problem with this I at least know what a new players perspective is on the issue even if I do not know what every new players perception will be. The only people I see complaining about it are some veteran players here who may have forgot what it was like first time they played the game leveling their first character to 50 using MSQ to unlock most of the content in this game along the way.

I like the idea of them having to go through the story but how will this work when no one is doing old content anymore? all the main scenario content we do now for extra seals is it still gonna do that after 3.0?

Not sure what you mean since every expansion will probably bring a flood of new players which will play with each other doing that old content as they level up towards newer content as has always been the case, SE will also continue to incentivize veteran players to do the old content as well which will help. On top of the fact if they join an FC then the FC members will probably help speed things up for them.

The sheer amount of new players that I expect to start after the expansion hits will probably be enough to not even require veterans to help them since will be so many new players that they will have no problems grouping up and helping themselves. It is only the stragglers which tend to need some help from veterans or FC members, players that join when not lots of new players to play with but it will be no worse than what we have now as SE will continue to persuade veterans to do lower level content in order to gain things they can use at the higher levels and they can also join an FC to get help there too.