Problem with Duty forced into Expansion Content...

[TaleraRistain]

I've played a number of MMOs over the past 17 years. It's been my experience that the Final Fantasy MMOs are fairly unique in that they have a story-based progression. Most MMOs use level as the main factor for whether a player can access an expansion. Some MMOs have a ceiling where you need to segue into group content, but most do not have compulsory group content for completing a set storyline.

I do agree with the OP that consideration needs to be put into the system for new expansions. No matter how fast someone may get through content to unlock HW now, the current progression path is still fairly daunting for newer players. And the game needs influxes of new blood to remain competitive in the marketplace.

[Whiteprincess]

Ya, I hate that part of the game. While I did complete it, I have many alts in the game. There should be a system in place that shows if you have unlocked it on a character and the rest of your alts have it unlocked. I tend to like lvling different jobs and alts. When I finish everything on my main job I get bored because there is nothing to do. Thats why I just end up lvling on alts with friends. I've only suffered of running MSQ 2x this expac, queue times have been really bad that I gave up playing on the rest of my alts for now.

[Defias]

I will admit. As the MSQ treats the storyline as its just you. I would not be opposed to the MSQ being a Solo experience. Therefore having a Solo mode of all Trials & Dungeons, perhaps for a small reward of Gil, Seals, and 1 piece of gear.
Completion unlocks the group version which grants you access to significantly more gear, mechanically challenging encounters, & etc.

The solo version could per-say be a training mode. Maybe it'd help more people learn mechanics and cool off the tempers over bad players.
Folks who only want story would thus only get their story and not be forced into content they dislike.

[ZerokoRival]

I will admit. As the MSQ treats the storyline as its just you. I would not be opposed to the MSQ being a Solo experience. Therefore having a Solo mode of all Trials & Dungeons, perhaps for a small reward of Gil, Seals, and 1 piece of gear.
Completion unlocks the group version which grants you access to significantly more gear, mechanically challenging encounters, & etc.

The solo version could per-say be a training mode. Maybe it'd help more people learn mechanics and cool off the tempers over bad players.
Folks who only want story would thus only get their story and not be forced into content they dislike.

I agree with you. the MSQs are some of the best I've experienced in modern MMOs, but the sheer wall of things to get to the later parts if you don't have help from an FC or friends can be very frustrating. This is especially true for a DPS who's normal queues while better than 2.1/2.2's nap needing grind are made even worse by these duties.

[ddwarbird]

The people who want gated content simply want it for the sake of their ego, so they can go "look at me, look how good I am". Thats really the only objection I'm hearing. The game treats you like a single player, you are the warrior of light, nobody else in the story so why can't we have a solo mode to make it easier to get the requirements WITHOUT have to do group content.

I understand the model FFXIV is trying to use however most other MMO's have shown that if you gate content from new and returning players, you are only hurting your own profit margin and reducing the popularity of the game as a whole.

What the elitist/arrogant people forget is that the game NEEDS the returning and casual players to actually function so that content is able to be done. You are NOT a special snowflake, its just that simple. The game needs to be more accessible for returning or new players so you can get the expansion (£30 btw) and not feel cheated in content.

Oh and since I've seen the trailer for Heavensward which gives away the STORY btw, since you see it. I don't see why you cannot just skip ahead to the expansion content. Yes, the trailer, that was avaliable from Square Enix to market the game and gives away the main aspects of the story. They need to do that to MARKET the game. Its amazing some people do not understand how marketing works. Profit over story.

[MistakeNot]

The people who want gated content simply want it for the sake of their ego, so they can go "look at me, look how good I am". Thats really the only objection I'm hearing. The game treats you like a single player, you are the warrior of light, nobody else in the story so why can't we have a solo mode to make it easier to get the requirements WITHOUT have to do group content.

I understand the model FFXIV is trying to use however most other MMO's have shown that if you gate content from new and returning players, you are only hurting your own profit margin and reducing the popularity of the game as a whole.

What the elitist/arrogant people forget is that the game NEEDS the returning and casual players to actually function so that content is able to be done. You are NOT a special snowflake, its just that simple. The game needs to be more accessible for returning or new players so you can get the expansion (£30 btw) and not feel cheated in content.

Oh and since I've seen the trailer for Heavensward which gives away the STORY btw, since you see it. I don't see why you cannot just skip ahead to the expansion content. Yes, the trailer, that was avaliable from Square Enix to market the game and gives away the main aspects of the story. They need to do that to MARKET the game. Its amazing some people do not understand how marketing works. Profit over story.

Since no great skill is needed to get through all the content needed to open up the 3.0 content I do not see how it can be a question of ego - you don't need to be all that good to do it and it gives no special bragging rights.

There is lots, and lots, of gated content in this game. I'd say that something like 98+% of the quests and other content in the game are gated in some way.
With that in mind there is nothing noteworthy about the 3.0 content being gated behind certain other quests.

With the various rewards in place for the Duty roulettes it is usually not all that hard to find a group even for older content. If you can join a good FC/LS it is even easier.

Like it or not, this game is built around much of the content requiring a group to get through, so if you do not like doing group content, then I am afraid this is simply not the right game for you.

[lolipuncher]

waaaaaaaa why am i forced to play with other people in a massively multiplayer online role playing game??? waaaaaaaaa

[Sweetkins]

I just wanted to say I perfectly reflect the OP's frustration in this. While I've cleared the content now, initially when I bought HW after a years abscence from the game I took another three months leave from it after first logging in and realizing the amount of quests I had to go through to get to the content I paid for.

Other than that, it wasn't that I feared duties would be spoiled in any way, it's the fact that JUST the MSQs themselves took me ages to do throwing gil on countless TPs, grinding through text and cutscenes which I skipped because of the shakespearian anime stereotypes.

Only thing I ever looked forward to were the end rewards of any quest that had those. I love good stories, the side stories can be engaging while the background lore is absolutely wonderful - the main story itself however, was quite awful. But here I am, still playing the game because I love it despite it's flaw. It can only get better from here, if they take heed to all your feedback.

[Kurogaea]

Heavens forbid an mmo make you play with other people

Its the fact that you have no option to choose is the problem, and that's the whole point of RPGS. Whats the point of being an MMO RPG if your missing a major part of it?

[Synrin]

LOL what is this thread??? OP?!

First of all, the primals, people que for daily roulettes, and I get the most random of primals every day. Moogleking, Leviathan, and even HYDRA. And then I help people clearing it for the first time.
Second of all, this is an MMO and you will have to team up with players. Too bad this game is multiplayer, right?!
And thirdly, I couldn't help but laugh when you mention WoW. There is nothing you can do gear-wise without a group. Not even leveling wise. Unless you want to spend 2 months doing quests, but that is perfectly fine.

I personally see nothing wrong with the game or the progression or the main story (and Heavensward) for that matter. I took leveling slowly and I managed to get into and through Heavensward rather quickly, in a week or two. And I consider myself a casual. Your last sentence killed the entire credibility of your post, sorry.

EDIT I as a healer get 15-20 min ques since the new patch hit, but I like to think it is the lack of tanks which is a whole different issue