New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[SerLuke]

OK, but as an individual you would still have the option to do a 100% clear of the MSQ if that is your thing.

Sigh

We are going around in the circles. We’ve explained countless times how that would ruin the interconnectedness plot wise everything has in the game.
As an individual you also have the choice to either use a skip potion or play, like you said, one of the countless other MMOs that don’t do story progression like a Final Fantasy game you have all these other MMOs that do story in the way you prefer, is it so wrong that we have this one?

[Skivvy]

Sigh

We are going around in the circles. We’ve explained countless times how that would ruin the interconnectedness plot wise everything has in the game.
As an individual you also have the choice to either use a skip potion or play, like you said, one of the countless other MMOs that don’t do story progression like a Final Fantasy game you have all these other MMOs that do story in the way you prefer, is it so wrong that we have this one?

Yes, going around in circles indeed. This is an MMO that happens to have a story/MSQ like many other games in the genre. Just because it has "Final Fantasy" slapped on the title does not mean that the MSQ is the core of the game. The MSQ is simply a small piece of the content.

To be that broken record, XI does not force 100% completion on you. Yes, each expansion more or less had its own individual story, but even then - you were never forced to complete the whole MSQ line if you didn't want to. They could take a page from their past and make the game more flexible.

And what of those people who DO want to read the story, but just don't want to at that precise moment? New players are joining the game for a multitude of reasons, and I'm pretty sure at least some were drawn in by the latest expansion trailer. To even think of setting foot in it, they're going to have a ton of back-story to clear out - whether they want to or not.

As someone brought up ages ago in this thread, it's a bit like the Marvel movies and Endgame. There has been a ton of hype for the movie, and so you have old and new fans going to see it. Some people will be avid fans and have watched all 10+ movies that are relevant to it. Some may have binged hours and hours of movies in a short time just so they could get caught up. Others really don't care all that much about the past stories, but wanted to check out the latest movie for fun anyway. Perhaps those new to the series will be totally hooked by Endgame, and now want to go back and play catch up.

Point is, there there is nothing wrong with letting people enjoy as much or as little of the story as they please, and in their own time frame. Simply saying "buy a story jump" doesn't work for me.

[PyurBlue]

Sigh

We are going around in the circles. We’ve explained countless times how that would ruin the interconnectedness plot wise everything has in the game.

It's not clear how this would happen at all. An option MSQ changes nothing for those invested in the story. Your playthrough will be literally identical no matter the state of the MSQ. It seems like you think an optional MSQ requires the removal of lore from the game, but that clearly isn't the case, after all story skip doesn't require SE to remove the story.

[Alucard135]

It's not clear how this would happen at all. An option MSQ changes nothing for those invested in the story. Your playthrough will be literally identical no matter the state of the MSQ. It seems like you think an optional MSQ requires the removal of lore from the game, but that clearly isn't the case, after all story skip doesn't require SE to remove the story.

I think they mean that you can accidentally do a side quest that previously required MSQ to unlock. Think of something like doing Omega raids before doing HW 3.5 MSQ.