New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[Ursa_Vonfiebryd]

Right now theres a ton of people in the same boat as your friend. At the very least people are running that MSQ content and Party Finder is what a lot us who are on top of things do when we get bored. It could be much much worse. I've been level 70 in Neverwinter for like 3 years and have never even gotten close to endgame because ilvl there is a lot harder to attain than in FF. I understand its a slog but its a much nerfed slog. If your friend concentrates purely on leveling (while doing msq) then about 2/3 of the content is soloable once they hit 70, even in base 290 gear. Their buff is the earring. New content is what keeps this place running and if they seriously only concerned with making expac then buy a skip after it comes out. Otherwise be a good friend and help them unsync the crap out of it. They can all the grindy things like anima or relics once the path is cleared. It feels massive but really its just prioritizing. Good luck in any case.

[Shougun]

The current job/story skip potions already fulfill most of what you appear to want. What's still missing?

I really don't see how you think that- since I've stated already skip potion doesn't introduce you to the game as an entity (who or what you are, or where you're starting), nor introduce combat to you (even if it's just cursory), requires significant investment to someone who may already be an edge case sell (want to get them to invest in the game, like going witcher 3 and THEN going witcher 1), as an aside its new content for everyone who cares to do extra quests, and it also is an opportunity to introduce the game in a different style for people with a different preference (to me the first hour or so wasn't as good as it should have been and one of the lower beginnings I've had in MMOs I thought were interesting, although obviously it improves and that is an opinion lol).

It (skip potion) tosses you to later points in the game and that's about all it does that was what "I want". While it also does things I don't really want. So how is that most of what I wanted? Skip potion is like a meteor coming in on top of a house, an accelerated start is like a meteor with 5 parachutes (still hits the ground hard, probably broke the chimney), and normal start is like a long scenic highway (which is good when you want that).

I don't like destroying the house, I know the scenic highway is great if you wanted to do that (it's how I've played the game), but some don't want that while they could still find a lot of value out of the game if you gave them a hot intro (and may even go back with new game+ after they decided it was worth it, rather than being tested up front).

Also I already said I don't think each expansion needs a fast start, just after a certain canyon worth of MSQ gates there should probably be one (is what I've said).

[Penthea]

You didn't answer my question. What would the max lvl msq of old expacs being optional(not the old expac lvling stuff) hurt?

Oh I don't know, the way the game is designed to make you progress through it? It would change how the game feels just as much as inserting a msq into WoW would.

At this point you're just asking for WoW. Go play WoW if you want a lvling experience like WoW. Don't go to a game made by a completely different company on the other side of the planet and be annoyed that it's somehow not the same thing.

I didn't ask for WoW to change its lvling experience to be more like FFXIV. If I had I would have been very rightly told to buzz off.

[GrindShack]

[Miles064]

Oh I don't know, the way the game is designed to make you progress through it? It would change how the game feels just as much as inserting a msq into WoW would.

At this point you're just asking for WoW. Go play WoW if you want a lvling experience like WoW. Don't go to a game made by a completely different company on the other side of the planet and be annoyed that it's somehow not the same thing.

I didn't ask for WoW to change its lvling experience to be more like FFXIV. If I had I would have been very rightly told to buzz off.

If I wanted the lvling experience like WoW id say for it all to be optional yes? Have I demanded FF14 do everything WoW does? No. I don't remember demanding anything really. The fact that you keep going back to the "go back to WoW" thing makes it seem like you don't have anything to really say. I already said I like the game enough to pay for it. Turning FF14 into a WoW clone also does nothing for me as I'm not currently playing WoW because I don't enjoy it. Some random player skipping some of the story doesn't do anything to you and yet you feel the need to make sure everyone does it just like you did it in the past. Even with max lvl of previous expac msq being optional the lvling in FF14 wouldn't be the same as WoW. Not even close.

[Physic]

Oh I don't know, the way the game is designed to make you progress through it? It would change how the game feels just as much as inserting a msq into WoW would.

At this point you're just asking for WoW. Go play WoW if you want a lvling experience like WoW. Don't go to a game made by a completely different company on the other side of the planet and be annoyed that it's somehow not the same thing.

I didn't ask for WoW to change its lvling experience to be more like FFXIV. If I had I would have been very rightly told to buzz off.

so, if they actually do decide to let new players opt out of old msq in shadow bringers, will you be upset?

[Estariel]

Some random player skipping some of the story already has an option: skip potion/book.

They don´t want to spend money, so let´s make it the problem of all the players, who love the MSQ and make it optional (alt-players for the story and new players, who came here, because there is a story)

Maybe you should try and get involved into the story. I can´t count how many times I wanted to hug a NPC and tell them "It will get better, I promise (I hope)". I wanted to save all the beloved NPCs, who died. And it felt good to beat the bad guy, because she/he earned it, because of the story.

I played WOW for some years and Rift for 5 Years and can´t remember a single bit of story, because it was so not tied to the game, it just didn´t matter.

So yes, you want to change this game into another not so MMO!RPG!

[Vahlnir]

so, if they actually do decide to let new players opt out of old msq in shadow bringers, will you be upset?

I don't really see the issue with it as jump potions and story skips do this already, not to mention the people who don't care about the story skip cutscenes and the like anyway. Allowing people to essentially skip parts of the story without a pay wall wouldn't be making FF XIV like WoW. It'd just let people who would probably pay to skip anyway do so more on their terms, maybe without the free gear and achievements. I just don't see them changing how the system currently works anytime soon.

[Ronduwil]

My sweet summer child. You don't have a single job, or a class above 21.

You haven't seen the winter.

We are talking about the New Player Experience, right? In what world is there a level minimum to be classified as a new player? I don't get the point you're trying to make. Why do I need to be a veteran player to gain insight on the new player experience? If anything, it's the other way around.

[Vahlnir]

We are talking about the New Player Experience, right? In what world is there a level minimum to be classified as a new player? I don't get the point you're trying to make. Why do I need to be a veteran player to gain insight on the new player experience? If anything, it's the other way around.

Yeah, I don't think levels should dictate who can be considered a new player or not, especially with the existence of jump potions and story skips. Time and experience through various pieces of content is usually a better gauge of player experience.