New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

That's like saying someone doesn't like game of thrones because they started watching in the second season. That's just silly.

Not all players are in it primarily for the story, and that's fine. Like I've said before, the MSQ only matters on patch days. Unless you're new, then you can't escape it even if you know there's better stuff ahead.

While I'm happy to say the story's great in this game, it doesn't naturally follow that I want everyone to be strapped to a chair to watch every single cutscene in order to be initiated. That's like some bizarre cult initiation ritual there. Nor do I want them to feel like they need to teleport and skip everywhere just to get into the game. Nor do I find a purchased skip potion a viable solution to a poor experience; that's just as bad as a pay to win XP boost from lesser publishers.

As for why I accuse people that demand every new player go through ARR of gatekeeping, look no further: telling people to play something else, right as quoted.

Additionally, I find a delicious layer of irony in the fact that two posters from 2011 are pushing for new players to be able to start at a later chapter than a bunch of 2015s and 2016s.

I think they should have to go through the story

[van_arn]

I think they should have to go through the story

Ok. Doesn't mean you're right. Or aren't trying to gatekeep the game behind cutscenes and bland fetch quests.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Ok. Doesn't mean you're right. Or aren't trying to gatekeep the game behind cutscenes and bland fetch quests.

Do you gatekeep a singleplayer game through the story? I think most games are kept in check through story. Heck, even dark souls is.


Saying because it's an mmo with 3 expansions worth of content means you shouldn't have to play the game is rather silly. You say they have to do a bunch of meaningless stuff to get to the game, however they are playing what basically amounts to 3 games. Thats not worthless, its content they haven't done yet.

Sure, the post ARR story could be shortened, that's about it. ARR sets you up as a hero. You are a nobody before the end of it.

[van_arn]

Do you gatekeep a singleplayer game through the story? I think most games are kept in check through story. Heck, even dark souls is.

The entire point is this is not a single player game. It is a social game, Final Fantasy or no, and the MSQ causes friction between players at different points of that gigantic MSQ. Don't even try to tell me you haven't seen players burn out in 2.x.

Furthermore, it's not uncommon for a single-player game that offers expansions to permit a player to start at the beginning of the expansion with an appropriately-geared character, though not optimal.

So yes, demanding a player sink 150+ hours into banal fedexing fetch quests to get to the current expansion is gatekeeping. Keeping the "us" of players that have played the game away from the filthy "them" that might want to just start.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

The entire point is this is not a single player game. It is a social game, Final Fantasy or no, and the MSQ causes friction between players at different points of that gigantic MSQ.

Furthermore, it's not uncommon for a single-player game that offers expansions to permit a player to start at the beginning of the expansion with an appropriately-geared character, though not optimal.

So yes, demanding a player sink 150+ hours into banal fedexing fetch quests to get to the current expansion is gatekeeping. Keeping the "us" of players that have played the game away from the filthy "them" that might want to just start.

See, you are just bitter at the game. Your very calling the entirety of the base game and 2 expansions "banal fedexing fetch quests" is ridiculous. Thats like saying getting to the final episode of Game of Thrones is sitting through "hours of meaningless, utter crap to get to the finale" They may as well just start releasing everything as one quest, one episode, one hour of content, so we can bypass all the "getting through the crap" to get to the end and see the resolution.


Its not keeping people who have played the game away from people who want to start, its allowing players to enjoy their time through the game and expansions. If not every player wants to go through the story, they can either skip all the cutscenes or get a skip potion. Cutting the game up into an incoherent mess by destroying the story is not the way to go.

[van_arn]

See, you are just bitter at the game. Your very calling the entirety of the base game and 2 expansions "banal fedexing fetch quests" is ridiculous. Thats like saying getting to the final episode of Game of Thrones is sitting through "hours of meaningless, utter crap to get to the finale" They may as well just start releasing everything as one quest, one episode, one hour of content, so we can bypass all the "getting through the crap" to get to the end and see the resolution.


Its not keeping people who have played the game away from people who want to start, its allowing players to enjoy their time through the game and expansions. If not every player wants to go through the story, they can either skip all the cutscenes or get a skip potion. Cutting the game up into an incoherent mess by destroying the story is not the way to go.

Now you're going too far, unlocking everything is too much.

I merely want to get people to the gate, be that anywhere beyond ARR and before Stormblood. I listed Heavensward as an example, because the common adage is "just get past 2.x, Heavensward is better." Why not just start players at the good part?

That's plenty of time, no matter where the new starting point is placed, for a new player to enjoy their first time through. With NG+, those wanting to get greater context have a powerful tool at their disposal-- more than anyone that skipped 1.x ever had.

There's no incoherency introduced, since this is exactly what happened when everyone started skipping 1.0. The plot remains exactly the same, just the starting point on the timeline is later. People simply joined mid-season, and cliffs notes were easy to obtain to give them the essentials. In the case of 2.0, those cliffs notes were the ARR trailer. "You were a cool dude but look at this sick Heavensward trailer" is enough to provide context for anyone starting in heavensward.

I don't want people to stop paying attention to the story, I want the active portion to be shortened to a reasonable length so the temptation to just start skipping every cutscene to get to the part "where it gets better" is lessened.

[Physic]

See, you are just bitter at the game. Your very calling the entirety of the base game and 2 expansions "banal fedexing fetch quests" is ridiculous. Thats like saying getting to the final episode of Game of Thrones is sitting through "hours of meaningless, utter crap to get to the finale" They may as well just start releasing everything as one quest, one episode, one hour of content, so we can bypass all the "getting through the crap" to get to the end and see the resolution.


Its not keeping people who have played the game away from people who want to start, its allowing players to enjoy their time through the game and expansions. If not every player wants to go through the story, they can either skip all the cutscenes or get a skip potion. Cutting the game up into an incoherent mess by destroying the story is not the way to go.

what are you even talking about, no one is suggesting getting rid of MSQ. no one.

the suggestion is a way for players who dont want to do main story, or want to do it on thier own terms, to have a method of doing that. This would be totally OPTIONAL. The player would have to choose to do it.

These players dont want to do msq, they dont need you protecting them from themselves.

[AxlStream]

Do you gatekeep a singleplayer game through the story? I think most games are kept in check through story. Heck, even dark souls is.


Saying because it's an mmo with 3 expansions worth of content means you shouldn't have to play the game is rather silly. You say they have to do a bunch of meaningless stuff to get to the game, however they are playing what basically amounts to 3 games. Thats not worthless, its content they haven't done yet.

Sure, the post ARR story could be shortened, that's about it. ARR sets you up as a hero. You are a nobody before the end of it.

Except !$ is not a story game. It's an MMO. Story is a prominent feature yes, but it's not what keeps the appeal of the game going months on end through content draughts.

[Physic]

Do you gatekeep a singleplayer game through the story? I think most games are kept in check through story. Heck, even dark souls is.


Saying because it's an mmo with 3 expansions worth of content means you shouldn't have to play the game is rather silly. You say they have to do a bunch of meaningless stuff to get to the game, however they are playing what basically amounts to 3 games. Thats not worthless, its content they haven't done yet.

Sure, the post ARR story could be shortened, that's about it. ARR sets you up as a hero. You are a nobody before the end of it.

did you play the game today?

were you doing main story?


your implying the only thing that matters in this game is main story.

also, why is the person who skipped every piece of cutscene and dialog ok, but a newb opting out bad?

what exactly is the downside of people skipping msq?