Info about the Chinese Cash Shop "Level Jumping Potions"

[Stanelis]

(b) is another matter entirely. Maybe if their questing system wasn't tied to progression but it is. Apparently just letting people go back and replay old story quests would require resetting a players progression all the way back to that point. Its also the reason the Journal can't take into account story choices when it replays cutscenes. I complete overhaul of the questing system would likely be a pretty major amount of work.

In order to make any given storyline optional you just have to modify the prerequisite from the first HW (or stormblood) quest.

More to the point (b) would undermine one of the things I most love about FF14's story: the sense of continuation and progression of narrative. My character has a history and it is recognised and impactful on the world. I walk into 4.0 with all that history behind me and the allies I have made along the way and it sets the tone for the story I will play. Changing this is something I would most definitely be against.

The jumping potion already does just that, so I don't really understand what your point is.

[Belhi]

In order to make any given storyline optional you just have to modify the prerequisite from the first HW (or stormblood) quest.

If that was true then replaying quests would be much simpler and wouldn't require the reset on progression of all other MSQ quests set after it.

The jumping potion already does just that, so I don't really understand what your point is.

No it doesn't because the people using the Jump Potion are choosing to opt out of the story progression. For them it would be like starting on the 5th chapter of the book. They might get a summary of the earlier 4 chapters but the book would just continue on as if you have already read the first 4. No effect on me since I wouldn't use the Jump Potion.

On the other hand if SE has to go out of their way to Streamline the MSQ as much as possible to allow people to rush through it, or design it so that it doesn't require previous knowledge it will effect me as a player which frankly bothers me a lot more.

[Stanelis]

If that was true then replaying quests would be much simpler and wouldn't require the reset on progression of all other MSQ quests set after it.



No it doesn't because the people using the Jump Potion are choosing to opt out of the story progression. For them it would be like starting on the 5th chapter of the book. They might get a summary of the earlier 4 chapters but the book would just continue on as if you have already read the first 4. No effect on me since I wouldn't use the Jump Potion.

On the other hand if SE has to go out of their way to Streamline the MSQ as much as possible to allow people to rush through it, or design it so that it doesn't require previous knowledge it will effect me as a player which frankly bothers me a lot more.

Nobody is asking SE to streamline stuff or to change how they are making quests (actually we could discuss this but that's beside the point). They could just make it so, as an option, the first story quest of the new expansions to be accessible before finishing the MSQ from the previous expansion. And to avoid people who d accidentally take that quest before finishing the previous storyline, they could just add a text disclaimer before you take it if you didn't complete the previous MSQ.

Concerning you're first point, I m puzzled because I don't really know what you're talking about. Nobody is asking to replay stuff or whatever (or that's another issue and beside the topic at hand).

There are no problems, only solutions. The only thing making SE "solving" that issue with boosting potion is pure greed and trying to monetize the tedious aspects of FFXIV. But if we learned something from microtransactions in video games, usually trying to get money out of the tedious aspects of a video game doesn't work. The most successful F2P games are always those in which players are happy to spend money on completely neutral or optional stuff on a gameplay standpoint (see league of legends, as an example).

[Jandor]

They could just make it so, as an option, the first story quest of the new expansions to be accessible before finishing the MSQ from the previous expansion. And to avoid people who d accidentally take that quest before finishing the previous storyline, they could just add a text disclaimer before you take it if you didn't complete the previous MSQ.

This is by far the best option IMHO.

[Belhi]

This is by far the best option IMHO.

It might not be that simple, either mechanically or technically.

Firstly, their quest system seems to be a linear progression. Remember Phasing is tied into that. Characters locations and dialog change depending where you are in a quest. They have already said in a previous Q&A regarding replaying older MSQ quests, that the only way they can currently do it is to completely reset all progression back to that point, effectively scrapping everything you had done including access to features and areas.

There is also the fact that someone freshly finished with ARR would get eaten alive the moment they stepped into Coerthas Western Highlands. The first quest of an expansion would have to hand out and entire fresh set of gear for them to actually be able to progress any further. The same will be true for anyone just finishing HW MSQ.

This also doesn't change the fact that this will be an ever growing problem. A lot of Sprouts I have seen quit do so once they reach HW. The reason is, is they want to play with others and they are by that point tired of slogging through what is basically a single player game till you reach endgame. Sure you can run dungeons with them but pretty much 90% of their play time is doing MSQ solo and as one said to me while I was trying to encourage them along "I didn't really get an MMO to play by myself".

The moment Stormblood comes out, even if they can skip patches, it will effectively cause the same issue. They have to play for probably months before they can really engage in the content that the rest of the player base is playing. A lot just lose interest and quit.

This is a problem. It is driving away new players.

[Jandor]

This is a problem. It is driving away new players.

Making access to Ishgard a level 50 quest, and access to Ala Mhigo a level 60 quest, would solve the "I didn't really get an MMO to play by myself" problem.

If they get bored with single player progression and decide they'd rather skip it then you or anyone else can come along and run them through dungeons, take them through palace, run FATEs with them, buy or craft them gear to wear, grind out the xp to take them past the story together basically.

As for replaying it later, "A Minstrels Ballad: A Realm Reborn" (and 'Minstrels Ballad: Heavensward'), same cutscenes, same dialogue, same objectives, different (if any) rewards, and crucially, technically different quests. No resetting anything required.

[Belhi]

Making access to Ishgard a level 50 quest, and access to Ala Mhigo a level 60 quest, would solve the "I didn't really get an MMO to play by myself" problem.

If they get bored with single player progression and decide they'd rather skip it then you or anyone else can come along and run them through dungeons, take them through palace, run FATEs with them, buy or craft them gear to wear, grind out the xp to take them past the story together basically.

As for replaying it later, "A Minstrels Ballad: A Realm Reborn" (and 'Minstrels Ballad: Heavensward'), same cutscenes, same dialogue, same objectives, different (if any) rewards, and crucially, technically different quests. No resetting anything required.

Just breaking the MSQ into separate quest chains might be a fix if it is technically possible but it likewise has its problems. People wanting to skip will need gear to handle the skip. Is it just handed out in the first quest or are they expected to go buy it from somewhere? Are people given any direction?

What about unlocked stuff. Case in point is the SMN questline which requires you go to the Great Gubul Library. Access to that only becomes available late in HW. Do they just remove that unlock? If that do that if will fundamentally effect the logic and the nature of the questflow through the first visit to Idylshire. Do they rebuild the questline to accommodate that?

It isn't actually that simple a solution. There is potentially a hell of a lot of reworking of the existing set up, let alone the actual system, just to accomidate such a split.

More over there is a technical system issue here. The reason I bring up replaying is because fundamentally the mechanics which would govern the split/skip of story are the same that effect the ability to replay quests. Yoshi P was asked this at the last Fanfest and he said that the system that controls how the quests are tracked complete or uncompleted and the related lock outs cannot allow for such a set up without completely resetting all that progression.

So yes. Resetting things is required.

i will be blunt, even if you play with your friend, when you do the main quest, you do it alone, even if they are here, it's a solo experience. we love or hate it, but that the point.
if you join a game for play with friend, if they help you to do dungeon, isn't playing with them?

How much of time have you actually spent playing the MSQ in the last say, 8 months? Now ask yourself how much time have you been playing FF14. Clearly the MSQ isn't all that you do with your time playing FF14. Infact it is a very small part of Endgame. Plus having max lvl character rush you though low level content doesn't really give the same appeal as doing things with your FC mates at max level.

I did say the levelling isn't the problem. Its the months of grinding through the MSQ that is what usually breaks people. If people just had to grind to 60 and could skip all the MSQ then it probably wouldn't be an issue.