Jump Potion...again

[Voltyblast]

If they get rid the story requirements, we don't need a jump potion.

"B-b-but it's a Final Fantasy, it has to have a story, or else why are you even playing it?!"

Ok in all seriousness here, I don't think we should get rid of the story: even if I dislike it for various reasons I just don't think that removing a story from the game is a good choice: it helps guiding new players and gives some sort of context of your action, which is always nice. The problem is how this game locks content behind it which, in all honesty here, was done beyond badly, almost like an excuse.

Think of the usual single player RPG: there are locked session where you have to go further before unlocking the next one, but it's usually done for several design reasons such as guiding the player without making him get lost and balancing the difficulty through out the entire game (or would you like to get 1 shotted from a lvl 99 enemy?)

However an MMORPG has it differently: the game is about freedom and how you want to play said game. This also works for open world games really: would you still play GTA5 if to unlock, say, car driving you had to do 10 hours of story mode? I know the comparison is faulty but my point is pretty much that, if you want to make a MMORPG, a game about open world and free exploration, the first priority is to be free to play as you want. Locking EVERYTHING behind a story that some people might not even care, yet you must do, is just not healthy.

Besides 1.0 is just here to remind us that an MMORPG can't survive on story and plot alone!

But my opinion about this? They did it on purpose so that they'll sell the potion: why spend resources on overhauling a flawed content lock system when they can use said flaw at their advantage and use it to tire new players outs from the 500 quests they must do? Basically thanks to the MSQ, these new players either will leave because they don't like the story or simply don't like how the system work, or pay the potion so that they can FINALLY join their friends and play like they should've done from the beginning.

Sure, some will stay and attempt to follow all of it, but when we're in 5.0, with nearly 1000 quests to do that are mandatory, I can guarantee that even the most patient person in the world will give up and go for the detour.