As a new player, I really don't want jump potions.

[NolLacnala]

5.0 will be SO MUCH content to get through that you wont see your friend in your content level for like 3 months lol.

It takes 4-5 days of casual play to reach 50
It takes 3-4 days of casual play to then reach 60

If it's taking you longer to level than a casual player, I recommend reevaluating your free time.

Then again, it's fairly well known where Balmung's free time goes.

[Shougun]

It takes 4-5 days of casual play to reach 50
It takes 3-4 days of casual play to then reach 60

If it's taking you longer to level than a casual player, I recommend reevaluating your free time.

Then again, it's fairly well known where Balmung's free time goes.

O.o;

First I don't RP, and assuming everyone who is in Balmung does is wrong (I've actually been here since the creation of Balmung via the Fabul/Besaid merge). But I love the stereotyping, must be great to paint everyone the same.

Second assuming an actual casual person, valued by time and not skill - then you're expecting them to purely and only do main story content so they can actually do the content they want to do (play with their friends, or play the content that caught their eye - like the new expansion features/areas in the media that got them to go buy it)... and do it quickly when they're brand new and don't know much.

With an average of ~6 1/2 hours a week and starting from ground zero it would easily take them a month to get through two expansions of content. That is a lot of time spent on stuff they might not have wanted to do "but they need to go through it like everyone else" - well no they don't not with a jump potion, many won't want to spend the next 25+ cumulative hours of their game time spread over a month or more not doing what they wanted to do. There is a good chance they just wont play if that's the outlook. (Play with the friend who talked about how great the new 5.0/6.0 whatever job is and whatever new system). Especially as there are a lot of BS points that are "okay" in the moment but in hindsight when you're in a rush would be pretty awful to have to try and trudge through "go get me soup hero and teleport back to the place you were just at 3 seconds ago, 12 more times" = omg, charge back to SE.

I wasn't going for a mathematically perfect example of time for a casual to take but it's still a lot, and likely not what they wanted to do. People who were direly interested in ARR/HW content would likely have already joined in, and so new people are joining in because of a friend wanting to play with or because of new media - everything in the way of that will become a chore.

[savageink]

O.o;

First I don't RP, and assuming everyone who is in Balmung does is wrong (I've actually been here since the creation of Balmung via the Fabul/Besaid merge). But I love the stereotyping, must be great to paint everyone the same.

Now now...lol! eRPing on Balmung is like Raiding on Gilgamesh, or DRGs standing in fire, or Lala potato jokes.

On topic: I do see the need for some sort of boost but I really think 50 should be the max. That's when PVP starts. some people just like PVP. But personally I think if you don't play it all the way through at least once, you miss out on a ton of in game culture. Auto-boost for people who already played it, sure why not.

[Shougun]

Now now...lol! eRPing on Balmung is like Raiding on Gilgamesh, or DRGs standing in fire, or Lala potato jokes.

Normally I think its funny but because it followed the "You need to reevaluate" thing, commonly used as an insult like "reevaluating your life" it appeared as 0% funny and just insulting/incorrect.

As a joke sure - Balmung is a bunch of ERPing Au Ras and Cats, but of course that is not true (stereotype and massive simplification of a very large population, which most people would or should realize).

Also perhaps back when I played WoW outside of an RP realm I had this idea of RPers but changed now that I have played in Balmung. That there is generally an assumption against RPers that you either play the game or you RP; however, in my experience being on Balmung most RPers do both (so again to me it followed from something likely to be pointed/not intended to be nice, to something that was based on a stack of stereotypes and I was less than amused).

[savageink]

Normally I think its funny but because it followed the "You need to reevaluate" thing, commonly used as an insult like "reevaluating your life" it appeared as 0% funny and just insulting/incorrect.

As a joke sure - Balmung is a bunch of ERPing Au Ras and Cats, but of course that is not true (stereotype and massive simplification of a very large population, which most people would or should realize).

Also perhaps back when I played WoW outside of an RP realm I had this idea of RPers but changed now that I have played in Balmung. That there is generally an assumption against RPers that you either play the game or you RP; however, in my experience being on Balmung most RPers do both (so again to me it followed from something likely to be pointed/not intended to be nice, to something that was based on a stack of stereotypes and I was less than amused).

Point taken...but I still laughed. Sorry...

[Shougun]

Point taken...but I still laughed. Sorry...

You are forbidden to laugh! ! It's fine though lol, maybe they thought they were being funny too. Casual text sucks to get across personal emotives.

Regardless of all that fun though, what do people suggest (that are against potions) SE does when we get to say 7.0 or 8.0? Also how plausible for that solution?

For example I think it could be great if they strip out all the nonsense in the MSQ and just let people power through it super easily, perhaps giving free teleports back. But that is a lot of work to make sure everything flows together.. do we think SE would do that? And even if you did that which would probably work great for 4.0 to maybe 6.0, even if you strip it down at a certain point it can't be boiled down anymore and you're still stacking stuff, I suppose that just questions how long the game will last lol.

I personally see potions as the easiest solution to the problem and I do believe it is a problem that may start small (say for example making people do ARR to get into HW, not that big of an issue) and will definitely continually grow until it is out of hand. Having to do 2.0 through 7.0 to do 8.0 would be a massive deterrent, to the point I'd call it an unacceptable deterrent and a financially unsound decision.

As for when the right moment to add the potion I'm unsure, but considering at least using ESA's average gamer online (6 1/2 hours a week) I'm concerned that players would have to a month upwards to get past content they weren't interested in to play content they were interested in (assuming they didn't join for ARR but joined for whatever is currently being put into the media and talked about by friends).

At least that's how I see it, potion is the easiest most likely to be implemented solution to a problem that will grow in scale - easy doesn't mean it's the best or without con, just means I think it will be most likely to be used.

[savageink]

Yes. It will be a bigger problem with each expansion. I do think it depends on player preference. I think any pvp or character/job option should be availiable with a jump to 50. I also think that pvp advancement should not be linked to msq just level (if it is, I'm not aware beyond the lvl 50 req.) I'll use my wife as an example. She loves PvP but hates dungeons and raids most of the time. She wanted to try the pvp in ffxiv, but I don't think has played enough to get to 50 yet and has unsubbed multiple times because she got bored with the PvPless 50 grind. And once she hits 50 (by leveling or potion...whatever) will probably live in the PvP duty finder, levelling that way. So, any msq requirrements would probably piss her off.

[MomomiMomi]

Regardless of all that fun though, what do people suggest (that are against potions) SE does when we get to say 7.0 or 8.0? Also how plausible for that solution?

I'm against the potions but I'm not going to throw a tantrum if they add them. That said...

I don't know exactly how plausible, but I'd like to see them cut out all the side junk from the MSQ and just keep it focused on the main story. Could also possibly offer teleports to your next destination or something to cut out all the walking. For example, some cutscenes ask you to go to another location just to see another cutscene. It should just take you there.

Also, the MSQ alone should give enough exp to get you to 60. No hitting level 28, 36, and 48 and then having to grind. The quests should give enough exp to let you do the next quest.

[Dualgunner]

It takes 4-5 days of casual play to reach 50
It takes 3-4 days of casual play to then reach 60

If it's taking you longer to level than a casual player, I recommend reevaluating your free time.

Then again, it's fairly well known where Balmung's free time goes.

Je-sus, that last part was fairly pointed.

[MomomiMomi]

It takes 4-5 days of casual play to reach 50
It takes 3-4 days of casual play to then reach 60

If it's taking you longer to level than a casual player, I recommend reevaluating your free time.

Then again, it's fairly well known where Balmung's free time goes.

Tell me your secret. I've raised 6 characters, so going through the MSQ is down to a science. It takes more than a week of playing constantly to get through it all.