Please Allow 50's to Enter Ishgard w/o having completed MSQ

[Alberel]

This will be an undeniable problem 7 years down the line. Imagine a new player having to spend a year doing 1000 story quests before they get into the latest expansion? There would be no new players in the latest expansion at all.

I doubt this is how it will play out. I would expect the first two or three expansions to be part of the continuous story but we will reach a conclusion eventually and further expansions would not need to be story gated. There are also plenty of things SE can do to ease the time it would take to progress through all that story content. It's not a big deal.

new player won't be happy to do 100quest when they reach level 50 to enter the expansion, cause 2.1 to 2.55 is 100quests. end of story, that's the problem people see. no matter if it's mmo, ff , story driven etc. if they wan't a succesfull expansion with new comer. they failed with that decision.

Are you a new player? No? Then please don't pretend you now what new players think of having a host of content available when they start the game. This argument is getting really old considering not a single actual new player has said it. We've already identified that most of the people complaining about this are actually just complaining because their crafting alts and mules can't get free access to Ishgard.

[Velhart]

I highly doubt every expansion will need to have the previous one completed if they just do it for this one and just make the 2.0 story needed for every expansion needed for expansion after Heavensward it will be fine they can make it branch off to other far away places like Razat Han for example it seams like it will be the equivalent of Arth a rugan in ffxi.

I am putting my doubts on that. FFXIV seems pretty focused on a linear, set story line. I won't say they won't cut if off after Heavensward ends, but the game is heavily focused on the progression of not only your character, but the people around you as well. Would be awkward if a certain character who is not suppose to be present anymore appears in another story line. Sure it can be worked around as such, but I think the developers want to focus heavily on balancing the traditional FF aspects of the game. I think accessibility makes it balance out with the MMO perspective.

[Reynhart]

I woulnd't see it as a lot of things to do, or too much things to do, but as a lack of choice. I'm pretty confident that many... including from the silent majority that doesn't come to forums, would choose to skip the story at least for a while to get to the new content. There's bound to be plenty of returning players, not just new who haven't finished up to latest story point and aren't too fussy about it and would just prefer to see the new things, even if it meant being unable to continue the main story until it's finished up to 2.55.

If they didn't do the story, past 2.0, for example, 2.1 through 2.55 is new content to them

[Dererk]

I am putting my doubts on that. FFXIV seems pretty focused on a linear, set story line. I won't say they won't cut if off after Heavensward ends, but the game is heavily focused on the progression of not only your character, but the people around you as well. Would be awkward if a certain character who is not suppose to be present anymore appears in another story line. Sure it can be worked around as such, but I think the developers want to focus heavily on balancing the traditional FF aspects of the game. I think accessibility makes it balance out with the MMO perspective.

I don't know if you miss understood me or if I gave a bad example but what I mean is they may work it so that yes you will need the 2.0 story completed for every expansion.

But they may also make expansions that have absolutely nothing to do with Eorzea the war the Accians. But instead have us go to some place where this stuff has no influence at all.

[Malevicton]

Alright, let's assume they did remove the lock. How would that go for the new players that everyone's so gungho to protect?

1) lvl 1 character goes to ishgrad
2) gets eaten by lvl 52 dragon
3) goes back to lvl 1 area to level up
4) does the main story because it's the fastest way to level
5) comes back at level 50 or 51, having likely completed the story anyways while leveling whether they cared or not

So... why would a lvl 1 wanna go to ishgard again?

[Gilraen]

So... why would a lvl 1 wanna go to ishgard again?

One of the more plausible arguments is to unlock the Extra Jobs. Beyond knowing that they will require Ishgard access we know little else about how to get the Extra Jobs. For all we know they could well require you to have unlocked a Job prior on top of needing Ishgard access, and may well even need for the story to be progressed even further...

Raubahn is so the Dark Knight trainer, calling it now (as I have been since I finished 2.#).

We just don't know. What we DO know is that after Heavensward a goodly amount of existing content will be made easier/more rewarding, whether people wanted it or not (like all the people that were whining at Relic being made easier to get in Heavensward, no matter how much of a necessity it will be going in. Best in Slot {after Novus} till Mythic {maybe}!).

[berries]

If they didn't do the story, past 2.0, for example, 2.1 through 2.55 is new content to them

Sure, the 2.1-2.55 is techinacally new stuff for those who haven't done it, but it's really not, the expansion is all what's new and shiny. There's the allure of new areas, this time bigger with flying mounts, new enemies and generally things to discover and ton of that stuff has nothing to do with the main story.

[Velhart]

Raubahn is so the Dark Knight trainer, calling it now (as I have been since I finished 2.#).

Actually about your theory there.

They already stated the Dark Knights are already an established group of fighters who have been in Ishgard for many years. Highly doubtful Raubahn is a trainer especially since if he was close to anything, it would be Warrior, despite him being a Gladiator. DRK's also don't exactly use anger or rage as their power like he does. They simply channel darkness and chaos to overwhelm foes.

Sure, the 2.1-2.55 is techinacally new stuff for those who haven't done it, but it's really not, the expansion is all what's new and shiny. There's the allure of new areas, this time bigger with flying mounts, new enemies and generally things to discover and ton of that stuff has nothing to do with the main story.

If that was the case, I would imagine people in that mindset would go ahead and buy ARR first and finish it before expansion hits. Not really anything stopping them in a general sense. People with MMO knowledge should know anyways you need to do old content in some fashion before you can engage in expansion content.

[Reynhart]

Sure, the 2.1-2.55 is techinacally new stuff for those who haven't done it, but it's really not, the expansion is all what's new and shiny. There's the allure of new areas, this time bigger with flying mounts, new enemies and generally things to discover and ton of that stuff has nothing to do with the main story.

I can assure you, my wife just finished the MSQ, 2.5 was pretty new and shiny for her. Even coil would be new and shiny since she didn't enter it even once.

Same thing...for us, flying mounts, new jobs, new zones, these are big deals.
But talk to someone who doesn't play and tell him "Wow, we're having new jobs, new zones, and we'll finally be able to fly !"
His answer will probably be something like "Ooook, it's...great...i guess"

[Ranzan]

Locking new jobs that start at lvl 30 behind a lvl 50 story wall is not good design. if ppl are interested in the new classes they have to level another class to 50 just to get the story(just skip CS) out the way. thats the only problem i see. As for not doing the story at all. Just dont watch the CS skip them ur not missing much really.