Quality of Life Improvements and MSQ Gating for New Players

[Okamimaru]

Mobile device sorry. In short you claim making the story optional ruins it for others, why is that? If people want to play the story they can do just that. No one is asking to get rid of story all together just make it so it is not a barrier to play the game for those that are not interested in the story and are into other aspects like raiding for example.

Other than taking all the lore (which the story is built upon) and throwing it out the window... unless you can explain how a lalafel can gain access to a city like ishgard without jacking up the lore... or access to half the things we get access to because we've proven ourselves to be a great hero to the people... why should the dragons not just kill you right out? How/why would you enter occupied empire territory? Would access be pre or post 4.1? Sorry but things in the world actually change based on the msq... perhaps this just isn't the game for you....

[Awha]

It would also be nice if they gave one free story and leveling potion with the purchase of new expansion but going based off the backlash the community had with jump potions I am sure the community rage. Though if you do not mind me asking what do those that want it to be optional without the use of a potion take away from those that enjoy the story. While I did use a potion it does not change how the game has no inbetween option for those that want to enjoy the story but also play with their friends. Only option players like us have is to either find ignore doing current content with friends, use potion to skip the content ,speed blitz the story, or just not play the game.

[Colt47]

The MSQ was great for the first few months of the games life and that was actually the point the game got the most praise. The issue is that the game doesn't move time forward for newer players and has no concept of time locked content. I'm not saying that FFXIV should pull the World of Warcraft cataclysm lever and nuke the old world to oblivion, but it should be offering the main scenario quests that are no longer current as more of a memoria type thing. Have crystals near old battle sites that players can visit and if they want to do the MSQ, they can "relive" the moment.

Now unfortunately this doesn't solve the leveling conundrum. Without those MSQs it is rough leveling 1-60 to get to current content. I don't believe those players even have PoTD unlocked; so it's all fates, side quests, beastmen dailies, and the dungeon roulette.

[Awha]

I did use a potion to play with my friends then made an alt during road to 60 to play the story at my own pace. Though let us be real should an mmo that seems to do things to cater to as many players possible wants promote an option that alienates future players.

[LaylaTsarra]

It would also be nice if they gave one free story and leveling potion with the purchase of new expansion but going based off the backlash the community had with jump potions I am sure the community rage. Though if you do not mind me asking what do those that want it to be optional without the use of a potion take away from those that enjoy the story. While I did use a potion it does not change how the game has no inbetween option for those that want to enjoy the story but also play with their friends. Only option players like us have is to either find ignore doing current content with friends, use potion to skip the content ,speed blitz the story, or just not play the game.

You might want to push for a free potion with a new expansion. I suspect you'd have a better chance at that then expecting the development team to go back and redo the main and side story quest line. I think it's also pretty naive to think they'd give up the money they will make from selling the skip potions by redoing story at this point for those who want to go straight to end game.

Personally I've bought a number of skip potions for a couple of my alts because I had already done the story a number of times and didn't want to do it again. it's pretty efficient for the most part although there are still things like unlocking dungeons that you have to do, level in GC and a number of other things.

[Okamimaru]

Buy a story skip, power through it, or find a different game... that's your options... they won't make it optional because it would take too much work to redo the whole games system... plus they make money off people for whom the story is too hard... they have no incentive to do what you're asking...

[Rokke]

As stated, if you don't want to play the storyline, there's the jump pot. It was people complaining about having to do the MSQ that they made the Jump pot in the first place, and story-defenders were against it then and still are. I'm sure the story writers and the staff they employ to ensure lore consistency, and the localization team would be heartbroken to hear about people putting down hard on their work, which is what you're all doing when you ask to not play the story.

If you don't like the story, and the story is getting in the way of getting your friends into the game, you are playing the wrong game. If you really want to skip the story, there's the jump pot you asked for. Stop trying to wreck the story for everyone else who actually want to experience it and like all the lore that goes with it.

Im not asking them to nuke the story, Im asking to condense 2.0-2.x's fluff. There are several bits that exist solely to slow you down. They've since learned to trim the fat- HW & SB are great in that they significantly streamlined msq.

[Paladinleeds]

plus they make money off people for whom the story is too hard... they have no incentive to do what you're asking...

Exactly, and with how they're showing they want to nickle and dime us for every little penny they can get out of us, this isn't happening. Unless you can somehow get about 500 big name news outlets at the same time on this saying how Square Enix is bad if they don't fix this (which most won't out of fear of losing their rapport with SE), it isn't happening. We're already largely ignored. We're definitely going to be ignored on this as this affects their bottom line. Now, if big media news outlets kick up enough of a stink that not fixing it would seriously affect their bottom line through poor perception of the company, then that'd be the only way we have. Take the fight to the media outlets for this.

[Awha]

Buy a story skip, power through it, or find a different game... that's your options... they won't make it optional because it would take too much work to redo the whole games system... plus they make money off people for whom the story is too hard... they have no incentive to do what you're asking...

Please know that while I would like for changes to be made I know that SE will not do anything since they are making money off the current system. I do believe that the current system will not be able to sustain itself in the long run, but at this point it simply conjecture. If I may pose one hypothetical situation. Say SE had a magical switch that made it so all story content is optional, all classes and zones are unlocked from the first moment a character logs in. How would that detract from the story for those that wish to complete it? I saw the examples you mentioned before, but if someone is not interested in the story one would assume they would care about the lore of the world. My question is how a player that does not care about story impact the enjoyment of a player that does enjoy the story?

From a business aspect my view is naive and I do not expect them to do anything regarding the current system since clearly it must be profitable, now the question is how many expansions can they go without doing a restructure of the ARR quests at the very least. Only time will tell. Though I am truly interested in knowing if SE did flip the magical switch how would that have any impact on a player that happens to enjoy the story.

[Okamimaru]

I saw the examples you mentioned before, but if someone is not interested in the story one would assume they would care about the lore of the world. I am truly interested in knowing if SE did flip the magical switch how would that have any impact on a player that happens to enjoy the story.

Try completing castrum and praetorum now with people running it cuz they HAVE to complete it... now try the same dungeons when it's not needed except for those who choose the story.... you will never get past that point... and NO you can't return the cs skip option in those dungeons because the people doing it would be doing it for the story and would watch the cs... so there's one example of how removing the mandatory story quest would effect people who choose the msq....