Why punish players who just want to play DoL DoH?

[Gooner_iBluAirJGR]

I am torn on this topic.

On the one hand, this game shouldn't have expansion content gated because it severely inhibits people whose sole focus in the game isn't combat.

On the other hand, like many people have said, combat is the primary focus of the game.

I am a crafter myself. But I do the combat content as well.

I've got the same thoughts as this guy. I'm a combat heavy player and I craft casually but I can see the other side of the argument. It'd be nice if crafters could just up and go to ishgard—I don't really see the problem with it.

[Caraway]

It is saddening that I am not at all surprised to see some of the responses to this person's comments. So many of you people just don't -get it- and jump to name calling (Farmville, really?) and belittling. Just because they enjoy a style of gameplay that is different from your own makes them no less a valid viewpoint.

I absolutely, 100% agree with them by the way and I can't stand crafting in this game. Why? Because it's a second-class citizen. And that's why this request will never see any traction. Yoshi's flat out said that crafting isn't important and will never account to anything compared to combat. Personally, I think this is wrong and horrible for a game's economy (yes, this is a thing and is necessary). But then, it isn't surprising seeing as a lot of vocal people are so incensed at the idea of their "hard earned" dungeon drop gear being even -met- (not surpassed, -met-) by crafted equipment.

So, OP, while I totally agree with you and would love to see it happen it never will because when you're a crafter in FFXIV your job is to a) make people pretty, and b) get people caught up to the current patch of gear grind.

(NB: Yes, I am aware of the i110 crafted situation. I am also aware that Yoshi has come on record to say that the power level of that gear was not intended and that it will never happen again if he can help it.)

[MilesSaintboroguh]

What would they really have to sacrifice?
They could remove all the locks on content that is locked behind the main quest and they would solve it.

Personally I think the main quest is rubbish and I would love if they made it optional.

Apparently the dev team is a bit small and they already plan stuff out almost years in advance (like how the Au Ra were conceptualized by 2.1), so they have to plan things out carefully while also adhering to the lore; stuff like the lore is the reason why Square refuses to lift the GC restrictions for Frontlines and is also the reason why 3.0 is blocked off until you clear all of 2.0. If they start to try and make things to get crafters to be pushed ahead, then the resources have to be diverted from somewhere because everyone's already working on something beforehand.

Let's say they do allow crafters to get to 3.0 without completing the main story. Could people who are still struggling with the Steps of Faith decide to just skip the fight by going through the crafting route and then switching back to a battle class after? Would the story still hold up if people decide to skip said trial as their personal cheat sheet? If crafting is easier than doing the main story quest, then Square is going to block it off or at least make it very difficult to do so since they want players to go through the proper channels. It's not as simple as people seem to think.

I get that people don't like the story and they don't have to, but considering that the majority of the game revolves around said story, avoiding it through other means is only going to frustrate you in the long run since the main focus of the game is going to be about the story and the combat it brings. That is why people are saying that others should play a different game that would cater to their likes; as much as people want to, FF14 can't please everybody and trying to appeal to everybody makes a boring, bland game that nobody likes.

[Fyce]

"We are are war with the dragons and our defenses are currently being crushed... but I see that you have a nice Lucis tool to cut some flowers. Here, the gates to Ishgard are open for you."

[StouterTaru]

(NB: Yes, I am aware of the i110 crafted situation. I am always aware that Yoshi has come on record to say that the power level of that gear was not intended and that it will never happen again if he can help it.)

I don't remember ever seeing this. There were some pieces of 110 crafted gear that were slightly higher damage than 130 when pentamelded, at a cost to HP (dangerous for progression).

The 110 crafted accessories let you sacrifice a little damage for a lot of HP and were OP vs the 130 accessories, but came out a full minor patch after the 130 gear/FCoB.

[Dererk]

While it may be nice if they could have another way it won't ever happen I'm actually in favor of the lock out since it will limit rmt activity in the new zones some may say it won't stop them but by locking the expansion behind the story they have set up a road block that will impede their progress and hopefully get them out of this game actually I hope they add new crystals and shards to the new zones that will be needed for level 50-60 crafting that can only be gathered in those zones so to add another road block for them.

[Whiteroom]

(NB: Yes, I am aware of the i110 crafted situation. I am also aware that Yoshi has come on record to say that the power level of that gear was not intended and that it will never happen again if he can help it.)

tbh, I'm very happy about this as I think it will cut out a large portion of why people buy gil. If they don't need to spend 30 mil for bis, a lot who would buy gil, won't. Means less spam in my book.

[Allistar]

What I don't understand is, why can't we get access to the expansion areas and jobs and anything else that doesn't relate to the main story...I mean you should be able to roam around anywhere but just not be able to do the main story and its related quests. Think about when you first started 1.0 or even ARR, you were able to go anywhere and do anything, why shouldn't it be possible with HW.

[Zebyxus]

After reading the OP I find it a bit hard to think of an alternative means for DoH/DoL to progress into the content without having a DoW/DoM first progressed through it. Levelling via Levequests required players to be already of a sufficient level to do the area's leves, and generally players were issued a battle leve to unlock the area's leves.

Yes, the game is combat centric, show me a final fantasy title that isn't, it may seem daunting to go through the story to unlock the ability to do the new stuff, but it's easier to do it and get it done, then you have no real reason to touch it again.

[Allistar]

While it may be nice if they could have another way it won't ever happen I'm actually in favor of the lock out since it will limit rmt activity in the new zones some may say it won't stop them but by locking the expansion behind the story they have set up a road block that will impede their progress and hopefully get them out of this game actually I hope they add new crystals and shards to the new zones that will be needed for level 50-60 crafting that can only be gathered in those zones so to add another road block for them.

I disagree, its an excuse that was used for the whole freindlist crap and look what has happened with that, we can't share items across our accounts, but, we get daily spams of friends request from the rmt...so lockouts like this that punish legitimate players do not work.