A serious discussion about abridging the story quest 1-50 (discouraging new players)

[Madjames]

You'll be thanking SE later when you notice the lack of RMT in the new zones.

I'm already seeing the RMT in the new zones?

So I guess I should thank SE for not getting rid of them. The MSQ does not keep them out. My friends saw them on day one EA in the new zones.

[Temjiu]

I'm already seeing the RMT in the new zones?

So I guess I should thank SE for not getting rid of them. The MSQ does not keep them out. My friends saw them on day one EA in the new zones.

same here. putting the new content behind a wall of leveling isn't a huge issue for an industry that is notorious for grinding via bots or groups of low-paid workers in countries with "looser" legal internet standards. And I'd honestly take a few whispers to get to the new content if I could skip the fluff....Im having to see it already as a grind out those hours of quest at lvl 50 so i can unlock the new content....

[Madjames]

same here. putting the new content behind a wall of leveling isn't a huge issue for an industry that is notorious for grinding via bots or groups of low-paid workers in countries with "looser" legal internet standards. And I'd honestly take a few whispers to get to the new content if I could skip the fluff....Im having to see it already as a grind out those hours of quest at lvl 50 so i can unlock the new content....

Yep lets take where I was for example.

I started at 11:00 AM PST on day one EA. I was on the quest Fireworks and Fish do not mix.

I was off of the game for 2 hours from when I started till when I finished, that is a rough estimate.

I did not get finished with the MSQ until 7:30 AM PST the NEXT MORNING! You want to know how much exp I got when I started that quest till I finished? I got 491k EXP.......Now you tell me that its worth it when my friends were getting 48k exp compared to my 4800 exp..

This is bullcrap and I hope this MSQ becomes optional.

[Temjiu]

deleted wrong thread.

[Temjiu]

Yep lets take where I was for example.

I started at 11:00 AM PST on day one EA. I was on the quest Fireworks and Fish do not mix.

I was off of the game for 2 hours from when I started till when I finished, that is a rough estimate.

I did not get finished with the MSQ until 7:30 AM PST the NEXT MORNING! You want to know how much exp I got when I started that quest till I finished? I got 491k EXP.......Now you tell me that its worth it when my friends were getting 48k exp compared to my 4800 exp..

This is bullcrap and I hope this MSQ becomes optional.

ouch. that's what, 6.5 hours? and on the note of the exp, i was actually suprised that we were getting so little exp for lvl 50 quests...

Here's how I see it. They can do a group of things to help out new players, and also help out old players who may just be excited to see the new content. if they made the only requirement to get the quest for Ishgard lvl 50, then players could get in Ishgard, unlock the new classes, get the lvl 50 quests there (that have exp that's worth it), and get started on their journey. they can make all the quest material post 50 that involves the lvl 50 dungeons and trials optional. put them as quest chains that you can unlock (similar to the quest chains in ishgard), and then they are option if you want to do them. There are probably many people that would still do them to unlock older dungeons, or just for fun. if they bumped up the exp, people may do them as optional exp for leveling. the way they eek out exp in the expansion personally feels like i rented a premium hotel room in vegas, and the dinner menu was water and bread. a little extra at the start couldn't hurt...

[Havenae]

Not really wanting to jump into the "whether or not the 60+ lvl 50 main story quests are a problem or not" argument. They are, we know they are, they're a deterrent to new and returning players alike. It isn't a big problem right now. But eventually it will be, especially after any more expansions. White knighting never helps. Not to mention that MANY MMO gamers (the main audience this title is aimed at) DO NOT care about the story. Bioware learned that the hard way, SE doesn't need to.

Instead here's what I think I would do if there were no limitations...

If this has already been suggested then awesome. If not, then lets see where it leads.

Consider for the majority of leveling 1-50, you only get a main story quest like, every 5 levels or so? What if, instead of dropping the quest line or making it not a requirement, they spread all those level 50 quests out to enhance the leveling process? I mean, leveling is already a bitch once you've done your first job, especially considering you have very few quests left to suppliment exp on the 2nd let alone having nothing but fates, leves and god foribid if you're on a dps job, dungeons for the 3rd and on. Why not have the first job level primary via the storyline? then that saves at least a big chunk of optional quests for a second job.

Of course it would take quite a bit of work, content would have to be rescaled to be appropriate for the level change but why not do this instead of requiring new players to be stuck at the 50 range of the main story for weeks? (and YES it can take weeks. I did it. I left sometime around 2.1 and came back just before 2.5 and while I have a large portion of time to dedicate late at night to playing it still took me the better part of 3 weeks to complete the story til the time I could enter Heavensward content.

IMAGINE being a new player in the next expansion and not only having to work through all of 2.0's post launch content but all of 3.0's inevitable post launch content before even seeing any part of the expansion that drew you in.

Aside from redistributing the main story, which i think would actually be best for the game overall. They could at the very least cut down on the bloat. There are A LOT of quest scenarios in the main story that aren't even necessary to progress the storyline. Even removing or making many of those optional would go a long way to reducing the tedium of running through 1-50. and in the event that this happens.. PLEASE for godsake label those optional quests AS OPTIONAL.

[LegendWait]

If you cant even muster the patience to clear (and learn how the game works) in the 2.0-2.55 content, your gonna suck at 3.0, be bad at your class and be carried by everyone.

The game needs its training wheels, deal with it

[LegendWait]

I'm already seeing the RMT in the new zones?

So I guess I should thank SE for not getting rid of them. The MSQ does not keep them out. My friends saw them on day one EA in the new zones.

Still theres like 6 times less RMT bots, just keep your contribution to the player base and report em!

[Havenae]

If you cant even muster the patience to clear (and learn how the game works) in the 2.0-2.55 content, your gonna suck at 3.0, be bad at your class and be carried by everyone.

The game needs its training wheels, deal with it

The game won't need training wheels when it can't retain new players, which is paramount in keeping MMOs going over long term in today's mmo market.

[Dante_V]

I honestly think the people who are saying "make the main story quest optional" are ruining the chance for the people who want to have the story condensed from having their voices heard because to be quite honest having the entire MSQ completely optional is not only unrealistic at this point, it just isn't a good idea in general and the funds needed to go thru and rework the way the entire game is delivered to appease a very small portion of people would be absurd.


Meanwhile condensing the story line post 50 is a reasonable request. Its just a shame that these peoples voices are being diluted by nonsensical and rhetorical ideas that will never be implemented. The MSQ will NEVER be completely optional, NEVER. Continuing to talk about it for 60 more pages is a waste of time and completely diluting the initial intent of the thread. The people who just want the MSQ condensed are now having to back track across the "MSQ optional" argument to even make their claims heard at this point. You have to play the game to get to other parts of the game, crazy concept I know but this has been the way of every single Final Fantasy game in the history of the series. Wanting the post 50 story condensed is reasonable, wanting the entire MSQ to be completely optional is absurd.

And lets be real here, Square is gaining more users on this game than ever before so they are obviously doing something right. The alarmist rhetoric of losing subs and the game failing is chicken little nonsense. If people are going to leave the game because the producer won't dilute it into mundane "instant gratification" entitlement idealism then so be it, you won't be missed.