Main Scenario Restriction Bloodstorm - Very Very Bad idea.

[DamianFatale]

The problem is we can't have noobs holding us back in high level content. All that time spent before heavensward is useful for learning the things that just can't only be taught. I'm thankful I didn't go straight into heavensward without playing a realm reborn, as much as I wanted to skip ahead.

[Reynhart]

Jobs outside the expansion area, must have beaten 2.0 (not 2.55) in order to unlock (people will cry foul, but logistically it makes the most sense as you can't have the job until 30 (if it starts at 30), and locking it behind level 50 allows the story to be structured around you actually being the WoL. People forget that the class quest story has MSQ implications).

Considering Rogue and Ninja aren't gated behind 2.2, they could probably open every job without any MSQ restrictions unrelated to the real level of the quest. (i.e gating a lvl 35 behing Brayflox's Longstop completion is legit, gating it behind defeating Ultima Weapon makes no sense.)

If you tried to do that in 11 it would still take hundreds of hours (and still worth it, man some good stories there).

Well, in XI, ZM is gated by the Rank 5 mission. As for CoP, since it's the direct sequel to ZM, not gating it maks the story...pretty weird.

And in XIV, with Duty Roulette, lots of solo quests, and the unsync mode, you can't really be blocked in your progression. And they should make 4-man new (and shorter) versions of Meridianum and Praetorium and add them to the lvl 50 roulette.

[TarynH]

The story drives this game for you. Not everyone feels the same. If they're skipping every cutscene, the story drives nothing.

Whether someone decides to skip the story or not, is a choice. It does not negate the fact that FFXIV is a story-driven game. Your character, despite your friend wanting to roleplay otherwise, is the central focus of a story; an on-going story. It is their journey, and you are asked to fill that role. Regardless of you ignoring it, or skipping it, or sticking your fingers in your ears when someone mentions it; there will continue to be a story to drive that character onward. That is the simple definition of a story-driven game. Now whether or not that motivates you to continue playing, is irrelevant. It will never supersede the game itself being story-driven.

[Beckett]

This idea that you need to skip all the old content to get to the new content has always seemed backwards to me. If a friend of yours is watching a currently airing TV show and they're super hyped about it and recommend it, you don't just start by watching the latest episode, you go back and start from episode 1.

[Xiao_]

"people don't like the parts of the game that i like, therefore they shouldn't play"
what a childish mentality. personally, i love the plot but why should i hold it against someone, or try to hold someone back if they don't?

[Reynhart]

"people don't like the parts of the game that i like, therefore they shouldn't play"
what a childish mentality. personally, i love the plot but why should i hold it against someone, or try to hold someone back if they don't?

They can just rush the plot while skipping every CS...the problem is that those people would probably burn through everything and complains one month after that the game lacks content.

If you decide to skip the content, you have no right to complain about the lack of it.

[TarynH]

"people don't like the parts of the game that i like, therefore they shouldn't play"
what a childish mentality. personally, i love the plot but why should i hold it against someone, or try to hold someone back if they don't?

Because there are better ways to resolve the issues, rather than selling a jumping potion. It sets a bad precedent.

[Balipu]

Not this nonesense again.

1. We do not know currently if the new jobs will be gated or not.
2. The new areas will have high level enemies and quests anyway so you won't be able to do anything at all if you just waltz into Gyr Abania after you finish up the Gridania starting experience.
3. We have enough bad players. I don't want DF to be filled with people who are even more clueless than the ones now.
4. No matter how empty your FC is you really don't want to fill it with people who want to skip big chunks of the game. You want people who want to play it.
5. The title is Stormblood.
6. You might not even like the new jobs or care about them.

[Lambdafish]

Considering Rogue and Ninja aren't gated behind 2.2, they could probably open every job without any MSQ restrictions unrelated to the real level of the quest. (i.e gating a lvl 35 behing Brayflox's Longstop completion is legit, gating it behind defeating Ultima Weapon makes no sense.)

Rogue was also a class that started at lvl 1. It was also part of ARR, so there were no new zones (essentially they added a new base class, rather than an expansion job). If you ever played through the DRK questline, the plot is very dependent on your previous actions as the WoL, which is a freedom allowed by restriction, whereas if you started at say lvl 30, the advanced job would simply treat you as an adventurer. This extra freedom is worth it if all you need to do is finish 2.0 (which is not hard).

We should be designing the game for existing players, as well as new players, and the idea of an expansion is a continuation of the core, and my idea is a compromise that allows everyone to be happy.

[Evergrey]

Conclusion: This game is not for everyone. Those that enjoy a heavy storydriven game this is a good choice. For those that want to rush for the endgame it's not. But don't worry, there are plenty of games out there that might suit their desires.