Quality of Life Improvements and MSQ Gating for New Players

[DreadRabbit]

Here's the thing: regardless if you enjoy the MSQ or not, that doesn't change the fact that the game is designed around it. I'm A-Okay with the MSQ becoming optional, but making the MSQ optional isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Games are like spider webs: changing one thing is absolutely going to end up affecting a bunch of other things you may not have considered.

Let's take unlocking mounts for example. At level 20 you reach a point in the MSQ where grand companies are explained to you. This leads you to joining one and unlocking the quest "My Little Chocobo" to get your first mount.

So let's say the MSQ is now optional. A player reaches level 20. So what happens?

- Do they receive a pop up explaining grand companies are a thing and encourage the player to go join one?
- Are grand companies optional now? (not going to lie, I'd be okay with this).
- If they are optional now, then not only do you need to redesign the Chocobo quest so that it's not tied to one (thus creating yet another sidequest line), but there's also features like housing that require certain GC ranks. Do we remove those restrictions from housing or keep them in place? Would that affect PvP in any way?
- Do we let people join grand companies as soon as they enter the game since they're no longer gated by the MSQ? Or do we still gate this behind a side quest line not tied to the MSQ?
- Do we forgo a sidequest completely and just grant players a Chocobo the moment they ding 20 (by having a Moogle come deliver it or it just appearing in your inventory?)?
- Are free companies still going to be linked to grand companies or no?

That's just one example of all the questions you have to answer if you make the MSQ optional.

As for what I think are the most likely solutions we could get (or should get) to help fix this issue:

1. Adjust the exp gained from MSQ be all you need to reach 1-50, 50-60. There's no reason for players to have to veer off to do other things if they're aiming to burn through the MSQ.

2. Offer a free Main Scenario Skip potion with every purchase of an FFXIV expansion. Frankly I thought it was dumb that Stormblood didn't offer this to begin with. Do it via a redeemable code on Mogstation so that people who don't want to use it can give it to a friend/someone who does.

What should be done but is (unfortunately) very unlikely:

1. Edit down some of the fetch quests from the MSQ. Especially post ARR.

2. Implement a different gating option so that folks who don't want to play the MSQ don't have to. This would require far more effort though, which is why I don't really see it happening.