Main Scenario Restriction Bloodstorm - Very Very Bad idea.

[Nestama]

Well, judging from the number of 'likes' on the OP compared to the first-page posts disagreeing with it, people overwhelmingly do not want to see new players skipping over the story or leveling process. We should all thank OP for starting this topic, so the devs can see exactly how the community feels about the matter.

New players can still skip cutscenes. OP was over the top with their 'MSQ already rewarded' comment, however story should not take priority over pay to play gameplay. If people want to wander around dangerous Stormblood zones, then they shouldn't be denied access (story dungeons and endgame zones can be locked off, though. Raids should be available to do the moment a player gains access to {endgame zone} or max level though. This way they won't feel compelled to skip through the story ASAP just to get to what they pay their sub for). They paid for the expansion, they have a right to actually see what's behind door number 3.

[silentwindfr]

New players can still skip cutscenes. OP was over the top with their 'MSQ already rewarded' comment, however story should not take priority over pay to play gameplay. If people want to wander around dangerous Stormblood zones, then they shouldn't be denied access (story dungeons and endgame zones can be locked off, though. Raids should be available to do the moment a player gains access to {endgame zone} or max level though. This way they won't feel compelled to skip through the story ASAP just to get to what they pay their sub for). They paid for the expansion, they have a right to actually see what's behind door number 3.

simply a big no, the game is a story one based, the raiding come after.... seriously.... new player that want everything now without work for it need to learn patient and dedication.

[Nestama]

simply a big no, the game is a story one based, the raiding come after.... seriously.... new player that want everything now without work for it need to learn patient and dedication.

This is a pay to play Massive Multiplayer Online game. Gameplay should always come first. The second someone hits level cap, they should be allowed to gain access to endgame raids/Trials (as chances are the MSQ will have nothing to do with it).

[Reynhart]

This is a pay to play Massive Multiplayer Online game. Gameplay should always come first. The second someone hits level cap, they should be allowed to gain access to endgame raids/Trials (as chances are the MSQ will have nothing to do with it).

Gameplay =/= Endgame.
Every content is part of the gamepay. Besides, to have access to the "endgame" you also need a minimum gear requirement, that you probably won't have "the second you hit the level cap", and unlocking requirement. The second you hit lvl 60, you won't have access to Creator or City Of Mhach.

Without doing the content, you'll also won't have access to most daily roulettes, anyway, so you're just hindering yourself in the end.

My ~300d playtime consists of maybe 200h of "story" and 291,5d of "no story".
So no, the base foundation of this game is not the story.

Consdering that without this, you wouldn't have access to anything, yes it is. Being the base never meant that it would take most of your playtime to do it. And, in fact, I really doubt the story took you 200h, considering each patch gives, at best 2h of MSQ, dungeons included. (And I doubt 2.0 and 3.0 gives 180h of story combined.)

[Neophyte]

Consdering that without this, you wouldn't have access to anything, yes it is. Being the base never meant that it would take most of your playtime to do it. And, in fact, I reallydoubt the story took you 200h, considering each patch gives, at best 2h of MSQ, dungeons included. (And I doubt 2.0 and 3.0 gives 180h of story combined.)

Yes, because they set it so. But they think about setting it to "not needed", that's why we are discussing here.
Feel free to quote my former post (#460) and try to find any real argument please.

Why is it better to have to

• do MSQ with every character you'll ever create,
• but be able to skip cutscenes and dialogues if not interested in story or doing it with an alternate character and
• learn your class in a slow pace, unless you do Palace of the Dead.
  Which also enables you to get access to all skills once and to do all your leveling either in 1. endgame content environment (i.e. content where you need to know lvl 60 abilities) or 2. single player like content.
  Therefore roulettes and every optional dungeons are not needed in the slightest anymore for reaching the specific levels to continue MSQ, anyway. You still need about the same time, maybe.. But you don't need to do those story pieces anymore, if you don't want to.
  In this content unexperienced players can already play at lvl. 60 together with veterans, any problems so far?
  If you need the roulettes afterwards, you can still unlock them, but while playing through the level up part, you don't need them at all anymore.

instead of being able to

• create one or two characters for endgame (weekly cap, so people like me could create a 2nd alternate without going through MSQ a 3rd time)
• create another character for enjoying the story, if you want to.

And pleeeease... get a feeling for the actual time you need for that stuff. I'm at 25h+ and I have beaten Titan NM yesterday. With skipping every single cutscene, doing only the sidequests to reach the required level to continue and knowing every single shortcut there is. My only "timewaste" which is not related to MSQ is leveling my GLD with leveling roulette (because he gets 150% bonus because of lower level anyway).
So.. you can doubt as much as you want, you're just plain wrong. An average new player needs the 168h at least.

It's 184 MSQ for ARR 2.0.
It's 100 MSQ for 7'th astral era (2.0-2.55)
It's 94 MSQ for HW.
It's 20+ required dungeons.


Sooooo... if you do every MSQ quest within 5 minutes on average and do every dungeon in 15 minutes without queue-time it's already 36,5 hours. 2.0 MSQ cutscenes are ~4h, 3.0 MSQ is 6h. 2.1-2.55 MSQ is 7h cutscenes.
So much to your 40h sprouts in Idyllshire. rofl rofl rofl...

And just to make sure: 5 minutes per MSQ is like the most over-the-top minimization there ever was. Make it 10-15 min. (which is way more realistic) or even 20 mins (because you have to level and do sidequests (unlock mount, retainer + ventures, flying, XP), class/job quests and optional dungeons/PotD to reach certain level requirements; also you need at least a bit of 2nd class leveling for cross class skills and jobs) and you look at 60-125h to reach end-game plus 17h cutscenes alone.

My average time per MSQ right now is 14,x minutes with skipping everything.

[Nestama]

Every content is part of the gamepay. Besides, to have access to the "endgame" you also need a minimum gear requirement, that you probably won't have "the second you hit the level cap", and unlocking requirement. The second you hit lvl 60, you won't have access to Creator or City Of Mhach.

Sure, but at least you'd be able to unlock it prior to the completion of the MSQ and start gearing up for it before finishing the MSQ (unless SE lock dungeons unrelated to the MSQ behind 'defeat X.0 final boss.' Did we really need to beat 'final boss' to unlock Neverreap? or the Botanical Garden? or Pharos Sirius Hard? etc). Completing Gordias and Midas to unlock Creator (and Savage) is quicker than finishing ARR and HW. Likewise with Void Ark to unlock the Weeping City.

[Neophyte]

simply a big no, the game is a story one based, the raiding come after.... seriously.... new player that want everything now without work for it need to learn patient and dedication.

My ~300d playtime consists of maybe 200h of "story" and 291,5d of "no story".
So no, the base foundation of this game is not the story.
The (good) story is just one FF14 specific feature, no more no less.

Also, maybe, it's not the best argument to say "before you can play the contents you like, you have to work and learn patience and dedication."
Like doing the story is in any way some kind of unique esoteric personality building experience.

On the other hand, some people even seem to think that atma farming is some kind of worthwhile experience which builds character, lol.