The new jobs / Ishgard city access - yes, again.

[Losian]

Also, it just occurred to me..

If Ishgard is gated off from having to finish 2.55 and such.. doesn't that mean the entire expansion is essentially inaccessible until you've done all of it?

Wouldn't it be really nice to make this extremely clear? A returning player who was already 50 and did some of the post 2.0 content is going to be a little surprised when they suddenly have to spend days running all this old content, which fewer and fewer people will be running anyways, so that they can actually play any of the expansion they paid for.. it just doesn't make any sense to gate off so much content, essentially the whole expansion, like that.

[Dante_V]

Also, it just occurred to me..

If Ishgard is gated off from having to finish 2.55 and such.. doesn't that mean the entire expansion is essentially inaccessible until you've done all of it?

Wouldn't it be really nice to make this extremely clear? A returning player who was already 50 and did some of the post 2.0 content is going to be a little surprised when they suddenly have to spend days running all this old content, which fewer and fewer people will be running anyways, so that they can actually play any of the expansion they paid for.. it just doesn't make any sense to gate off so much content, essentially the whole expansion, like that.

It's already been made very clear. You will need to complete the Steps of Faith and finish the 2.55 story line before you are able to access the content in the expansion.

[Losian]

It's already been made very clear. You will need to complete the Steps of Faith and finish the 2.55 story line before you are able to access the content in the expansion.

I don't think it has been made "very clear." Or clear at all. One correction on one interview on one third party site says that, nothing else. The XX and XXI Dev letters state that the new *Main story* requires completion of the previous *main story.* That doesn't mean "you cannot touch any Heavensward content without finishing all of the previous main story." I'm not trying to be rude, but you've added nothing to the discussion here.

[Gravastar]

I have to agree with Losian here. Locking the new expansion this way effectively prevents the new and returning players from accessing any new content. Yes, of course you can grind your way through the main quest on one of the 'vanilla' jobs... but not everyone has the time to do it. People see cool new jobs, people get the expansion... and then realize it'll be only available to them once they finish a massive chunk of existing content. Why is it necessary to lock all access to Ishgard before one finishes main questline, honestly, evades me.

[Dante_V]

I have to agree with Losian here. Locking the new expansion this way effectively prevents the new and returning players from accessing any new content.

I think that is kind of the point behind doing it.

[Madsamurai]

Also, it just occurred to me..

If Ishgard is gated off from having to finish 2.55 and such.. doesn't that mean the entire expansion is essentially inaccessible until you've done all of it?

Wouldn't it be really nice to make this extremely clear? A returning player who was already 50 and did some of the post 2.0 content is going to be a little surprised when they suddenly have to spend days running all this old content, which fewer and fewer people will be running anyways, so that they can actually play any of the expansion they paid for.. it just doesn't make any sense to gate off so much content, essentially the whole expansion, like that.

You won't be alone. There are still lots of people who aren't done till 2.55 therefore you will not have problem in DF. And once expansion hits with even more new people into the fray, it is impossible for you not to be able to find a grp in DF to finish up ARR story till HW. Like i said in another thread, the developers just needs to create incentives for vet players to revisit the old content so there will not ever be problem for newbies to look for a group. By doing it like this, they are preserving the old content and making it relevant to future expansions.

Sure it will become extremely tedious for newcomers later on when more expansion hits but one thing for sure, there will never be the issue of not being able to find a group in DF to finish old content to advance in main story. Plus xp earned to get through old content will be doubled or tripled depending on how old the content is to be less of a grind. If you can't live with that, then the FF MMO isn't really for you because it has been like this since FF11. It seems hardcore and a drag to get through it all but i feel it is for the better.