Quote Originally Posted by Bourne_Endeavor View Post
Sighs.
My crafter example may seem delusional at first glance, but in retrospect it's really not that far off. When you start inviting cash-bought elements into a game to skip ahead, it starts a trend. You can try to claim that it doesn't, but look at other games that implemented the same. Some games are even destroyed by it.

I personally don't want this game to turn into something where you can run and get your CC to skip content. Despite how "irrelevant" you determine that content to be. (By the way, all content is relevant, if there is a purpose for it being there. Story is relevant to a story-driven game. The content required is relevant to the story.)

But there are compromises. Instead of a cash shop item, or a pay-to-win item, you could resolve it in-game. They could, as others suggested, take most of the fetch quest bloat out of the MSQ. Anything that doesn't drive the main story. They could also give the player a choice once they reach a certain part in the MSQ. They could be asked to continue, or to skip ahead.

But honestly, what does the token "new player" have to look forward to with a new expansion? It's just more MSQ in new zones, with a couple of new jobs. No matter what they would do to try to resolve the issues, it would not please everyone. People would still get bored and quit. People will always get bored and quit, especially if they find something more entertaining.

The story really does drive this game, regardless if someone likes it or not. It opens new areas. It opens new privileges (chocobos, buying property, etc.) It opens new content. Even Alexander has a story. FFXIV is a story-driven game.

You accuse me of painting a doom and gloom picture with the RMT, but aren't you doing the exact same? You talk of sealing wax, and ships, filled to the brim with cabbages and kings abandoning FFXIV. If anything, subscriptions went up with the release of HW. I imagine they'll do the same with SB. The players that leave will more likely be the ones that get bored of repeated content. Or friends of those who complain how awful the MSQ is, while they're trying to get through it.