As a new player that really likes this game ...

[Moonlite]

Because a lot of this community really does like the Final Fantasy lore. A lot of us have played most of the FF games. This is not a WoW clone and those who want that aren't going to find it here.

What has that got to do with being able to do other stuff outside the lock of MSQ? Were you locked out of any zones in 2.0 because of MSQ? And no one said the MSQ had to be removed. You know it can exsist and still let other players play in a style they more enjoy. People can already pay to skip it. What the hell is the difference if you can do X dungeon or zone because of lore.

I have finished all the FF games up to 13 and it is nothing to be proud of. It has not me appreciate literature or art more. The way they portray jrpg in Mahoujin Guru Guru is exactly how most FF series feel. The push back is the MSQ protectionist society can't see its a little silly and would be more enjoyable if it wasn't shoved down some players throats.

[Paladinleeds]

snip

The zones being locked out have lore reasons behind them. I'll give Ishgard as an example.
SPOILER ALERT:

Lore-wise, Ishgard is an extremely reclusive nation. They despise outsiders, possibly to the point they would kill us on sight if they could. But by progressing through the Main Scenario and helping House Fortremps and Haurchefaunt, you get them to learn that not all outsiders are bad. So you're made the "ward" of Fortemps. This gives you a pass to enter Ishgard. Over time, you show Ishgard as a whole that outsiders are not so bad, and Aymeric helps create an alliance between Ishgard and the other city states

That is why stuff works the way it is. In the ARR zones, the story was not written around it.
Now, could they move the AST/DRK/MCH job quests to outside of Ishgard? Potentially. But the DRK storyline seems to require access to Ishgard to even start the storyline to unlock the job. So that makes things a bit more confusing.

[Moonlite]

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You are missing the point. It doesn't need to be. We are playing in a magical world. You are telling me they couldn't think of a way to allow players to explore every zone in HW's?

What about stupid lore when you are a fugitive but every npc treats you the same. It is just when it is convenient for the dev team and lore police to use it. Oh yeah now it can be monetized to fix it. That doesn't seem suspicious at all.

[WhiteArchmage]

What about stupid lore when you are a fugitive but every npc treats you the same. It is just when it is convenient for the dev team and lore police to use it. Oh yeah now it can be monetized to fix it. That doesn't seem suspicious at all.

I can answer that! No one believes you're a fugitive in Limsa Lominsa or Gridania, since Merlwyb and Kan-E-Senna were there and know your character well enough to KNOW the acusations against you are false; in Ul'Dah, the Flames also believe in your innocence (because, duh) and the Brass Blades are so scared of you that they don't dare to even try and arrest you. It's all there if you speak to the NPCs

[SaitoHikari]

I can answer that! No one believes you're a fugitive in Limsa Lominsa or Gridania, since Merlwyb and Kan-E-Senna were there and know your character well enough to KNOW the acusations against you are false; in Ul'Dah, the Flames also believe in your innocence (because, duh) and the Brass Blades are so scared of you that they don't dare to even try and arrest you. It's all there if you speak to the NPCs

Yeah, if you thought to go to Mor Dhona to speak to the NPCs during that phase, you run into Crystal Braves that briefly consider trying to apprehend you, but essentially shit their pants at the thought. The one closest to the Aetheryte especially talks as if he's about to have a heart attack.

[Moonlite]

I can answer that! No one believes you're a fugitive in Limsa Lominsa or Gridania, since Merlwyb and Kan-E-Senna were there and know your character well enough to KNOW the acusations against you are false; in Ul'Dah, the Flames also believe in your innocence (because, duh) and the Brass Blades are so scared of you that they don't dare to even try and arrest you. It's all there if you speak to the NPCs

You don't see it? It is easy for them to leave it that way so it is. Imagine if every NPC in Uldah wouldn't sell you anything. If you couldn't use the the teleport crystal. All you see is some bluecoats wandering around and a few new speech bubbles. Seriously if the story was as solid as you all think it is would that type of excuse fly. It was literally a non-event event. It devalues that whole section and the some of the plot. You are on the run, but not really.

But I seriously understand that people can't see the plot holes the size of a transformers movie because it would undermine their praise of the MSQ. It has become very clear that a percentage of the population is very stubborn

[Paladinleeds]

You don't see it? It is easy for them to leave it that way so it is. Imagine if every NPC in Uldah wouldn't sell you anything. If you couldn't use the the teleport crystal. All you see is some bluecoats wandering around and a few new speech bubbles. Seriously if the story was as solid as you all think it is would that type of excuse fly. It was literally a non-event event. It devalues that whole section and the some of the plot. You are on the run, but not really.

But I seriously understand that people can't see the plot holes the size of a transformers movie because it would undermine their praise of the MSQ. It has become very clear that a percentage of the population is very stubborn

Do I agree that the story has plot holes? Certainly. It's far from perfect. But FFXIV is for the most part a story driven game. Thrust it into the background and make it all fluff, and dungeons are just unlocked at the level, etc. You get rid of the reason I play the game. Following the story and seeing things come together and duty being a part of that story, is what entertains me in this game. Every dungeon I did in WoW, felt like it was there for the sake of being there. Being story driven, I felt like all the dungeons etc had a real purpose in FFXIV.

Primal fights being important as part of our main overarching role as a Scion of the Seventh Dawn

This is also very important to me. If you took all of it out of the MSQ, you get rid of the reason I play FFXIV. Even the farming bit feels worth it, as it feels like memories of those previous encounters.

I don't want things being removed from the MSQ. Sure, patch up the plot holes, but don't get rid of one of the things that sets apart FFXIV from other games.

[Moonlite]

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Isn't the MSQ enough to stand on its own? Separate from dungeons and adding new CS to areas as you get to them. I am not saying MSQ should be removed. I just want the option to play in a more open style. Imagine if you couldn't get mogmail unless you have done every mogmail quest and then they add more to it. Or a game where we all admit maybe it has some plot holes and cliches add a few more in and let more people be happy.

I think you're being a little too judgy. It's not exactly a good thing- even for the sake of the plot- to lock your players out of content (Like a major city) for a really long time in an MMO, that shit just wouldn't fly and would only piss off more people than it would make the few like you who NEED the lockout happy.

Yet they did it with 3.0 and 4.0 content and the player base defends it. I do believe the whole issue is that SE chooses to lock players out of content because of MSQ. Also other MMO's have this thing called phasing. Maybe if SE wants us to put such blind devotion in the MSQ they should learn to use it.

[Greedalox]

Snip

I think you're being a little too judgy. It's not exactly a good thing- even for the sake of the plot- to lock your players out of content (Like a major city) for a really long time in an MMO, that shit just wouldn't fly and would only piss off more people than it would make the few like you who NEED the lockout happy. Single player games are a different story, you can steer a story away from certain areas- but this is a themepark MMO, and coming from someone who's been to Disneyland 4 times and still hasn't ridden the Matterhorn because it's always unavailable when I go- it would be annoying above all else.

[Paladinleeds]

snip

Going to assume you meant to quote me there, since she was advocating for getting rid of it like you want. But I think one thing worth remembering is, this is a Final Fantasy game, a series known for story, and being locked out of content until you do what is required to unlock it. Is is known for locking things behind story progress. As a result, it pulls in a higher amount of people who like that. The reason Final Fantasy gets away with it, is because I believe it is a story-driven MMO and its franchise is associated with that, and thus why it flies here and not elsewhere.