Forcing us to the entire story quest to unlock the new classes is just bad business

[Jahaudant]

Not sure how people are using "this is a Final Fantasy game!!!" as an excuse. Sure, it's an FF title, but it's an MMO. Having played FFXI I wouldn't have expected them to suddenly change their tune on content gating with XIV.


Final Fantasy XI, all content was separate.

Did not have to do base city missions to access Zilart content.
Did not have to do Zilart to access Promethia content.
Did not have to do Promethia to get to Whitegate and start the Aht Urghan arc.
...and so on until the end of time.

Since they've already created and ran a successful MMO with almost no heavily gated content, and since 99% of other MMOs also separate their lengthy "story" quest lines or, indeed, make them completely optional, I don't see why any new player wouldn't assume the same of FFXIV.

I've completed all the MSQs and I always made sure to be caught up so this issue has never really affected me but it's hard not to see the flaw in this design. I would be very hesitant to recommend XIV to someone brand new at this point in the games life unless they were looking for a traditional console style RPG game without the Massively Multiplayer Online bit because, frankly, that's basically what XIV is until the story is done.

[Parryacg]

-snip-

I'm going to play Ms angry for a second, don't take it personally

Nobody gives a flying turtle over Gilgamesh's head about FF11. What worked in FF11 does not work in FF14 and vice-versa.

Just because you and many other people don't like it doesn't mean everyone doesn't like it. I'm glad they did it, you want to know why?

So people can't just instantly start level 30 jobs without knowing how to play the game. Sadly, I'm proven time and again how bad some people are in the general populace on a daily basis.

Do I complain about it? No. It's life, I'll do the same thing you should; get over it.

[DreameR7g]

Snip.

I also feel the same way as you. To me, aside from the logical arguments I've put forth, it seems like people just don't want to work for it. They want it instantly given to them. Naturally, if they were already playing, it would be that way. And at the end of the day, I don't see any value in something which is just given to me.

[Chessala]

Are there still people complaining about this? Really, there is a limit to how lazy you can be. So you want the new shiny item but you don't want to make the effort to get it? No pity from me.

The time that some people waste whining would be used better to get through the oh so horrible quests.
Yes, I don't like gated content either if it makes no sense (why only be allowed to glamor after you reach level 50? Why only dye at 15?) but in this case, no, just no. You have returned after a long time? Make a new character and go through the game again. Re-learn how to play because god, no one wants a fresh returnee in the party that does not even know which their attacks are anymore at level 50+.

You won't find pity here so please do us all a favor and stop crying about it.

[Ferr]

Make a new character and go through the game again. Re-learn how to play because god, no one wants a fresh returnee in the party that does not even know which their attacks are anymore at level 50+.

You won't find pity here so please do us all a favor and stop crying about it.

Good luck learning to play doing the MSQ that consist in fetch questing and dungeons were everyone is rushing it. So much learning.

[DreameR7g]

Good luck learning to play doing the MSQ that consist in fetch questing and dungeons were everyone is rushing it. So much learning.

Very true but for some people, simply communication is all they need to not rush a dungeon. Heck, if someone was new and wanted to learn it, I'd be fine with it myself.

As far as learning a certain job, considering they dumb it down to the lowest common denominator, it shouldn't be too difficult for the average player.

[FallenArisen0990]

What a lot of people miss is, in fact, this a Final Fantasy Flagship Title made by SE. A company who is known to have heavy and very story driven games.

[MortalWare]

What a lot of people miss is, in fact, this a Final Fantasy Flagship Title made by SE. A company who is known to have heavy and very story driven games.

Not really sure why everyone is defending the FFXIV 'story'. It is mind numbingly boring with way too many pointless quests that just have you running back and forth between the same NPC's.. for no real reason.

Beast tribe is summoning a primal.. go kill it.
Another Beast Tribe is summoning another primal.. go kill it.
Oh.. another primal is on the way.. go kill it..

Riveting stuff.

It only starts to get any good right at the end but in no way is it a fun time getting there. I would also prefer the 'choice' of not having to do the MSQ if I don't want to.

Giving players a choice is always preferable than saying 'you will play it they way we TELL you to play or you can leave'.

[Jahaudant]

Nobody gives a flying turtle over Gilgamesh's head about FF11. What worked in FF11 does not work in FF14 and vice-versa.

I agree, which is exactly my point. But why can't you apply this logic to the other numbered FF titles? XIV is an MMO so what works in XIV doesn't really work in VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIII and so on. People are defending the choice of having such a heavy gate to new content by comparing it to other Final Fantasy Games. The problem is other Final Fantasy Games aren't MMOs, they are single player RPGs. The only other game in the series that is an MMO did not gate their content so heavily, and neither does the vast majority of non-related MMOs.

I think it's reasonable for new MMO players to set their expectations for XIV based on the fact that one; Square's previous MMO did X and Y, and two; the majority of other MMOs they have already played also did X and Y, so maybe XIV will also X and Y as well. Unfortunately when they find out this isn't the case forum warriors like your self will simply shut them down with hypocritical arguments like the one you just presented and one of my other favourites... "You should have gone back and read all the official posts for the past few months then you would have seen the warnings. Idiot!".

So people can't just instantly start level 30 jobs without knowing how to play the game. Sadly, I'm proven time and again how bad some people are in the general populace on a daily basis.

Do I complain about it? No. It's life, I'll do the same thing you should; get over it.

I don't suggest allowing new players to pick up level 30 jobs instantly. That's a bad idea, and I doubt anyone here is arguing that shit should be the case! Of course gating is required for some things, but in XIV we are talking potentially weeks of ridiculous fetch quests that often times don't even lend themselves to the fantastic story of the game. Prime examples just off the top of my head... "Excuse me Warrior of Light and savoir of our world, can you fetch me some cheese?" and the subsequent quest "What Do You Mean You Forgot The Wine?". Yes, these are actual MSQs, not sidequests.

These quests don't teach new players how to play and arguing that they do seems a little silly, doesn't it? There are better and infinitely more interesting ways to teach people how to play than forcing them to do 100 hours of mundane quests (albeit with an interesting story behind (some of) them).

Just because you and many other people don't like it doesn't mean everyone doesn't like it.

I don't actually dislike it personally but I had the pleasure of running through the main story quests bit by bit from 1.0 through each patch up until now. Just because I don't mind it personally doesn't mean I can't see the obvious flaw in this design decision.

I think the majority of people forget how long this stuff takes the average player to complete and this tedious, and often pointless, lengthiness is why I can't get on board with it.

[DreameR7g]

Snip

Well, if you strip it down to its basics, sure. Thats one way to describe the story. And I understand people wanting the choice of not having to do the MSQ. However, SE made it a prerequisite for now simply because in order to justify getting access to Ishgard, you have to understand the story. That is how they want their game to go.

As for giving players a choice, I have the viewpoint of not always giving players a choice. Sometimes, you will have no choice, especially if the developer doesn't see a point in allowing the player to have a choice, such as with the access of Ishgard. Players will then say "Oh but I don't want to do MSQ!" Fair enough, you don't want to but it is the developer's choice whether to make the MSQ a vital point of the game or not. Considering they made it a primary prerequisite, it is thus you have to do it if you want to get access to the content you want. That is how it goes with RPGs.