New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[Iscah]

I ground for days and days to get the main story done to get my first level 70. I was feeling good about myself until my friends let me know how much extra stuff there was to catch up on to be able to do the fun stuff with them. If anybody would to ask my humble opinion I would tell them that Final Fantasy XIV is only for extreme hardcore gamers. That casual gamers should avoid this title at all costs because the hours required to grind out to enjoy the fun contest are more than a casual player is willing to put in.

The mindset of "grinding to max level where the fun content begins" is not what's intended by the writers of the game - and not how all players see the experience.

I enjoyed the entire journey of the game - the story, the locations, the characters - because I wasn't seeing it as an obstacle to be ground through. As far as I'm concerned, the story is the game, and the endgame raids are bonus content at the end - the sort I rarely bother clearing in a single-player RPG.

Also, define "casual" and "hardcore", because people use those terms in two very different ways: the amount of time that people will put into the game, and the difficulty of the content they're willing to challenge.

I spend a lot of time playing, but I'd never call myself a "hardcore" player.

The FFXIV story is tremendously interconnected, I can think of dialog from back in The Praetorium that is being addressed in the upcoming expansion.

Indeed! There are all sorts of things that get set up ages in advance, and replaying the story (if you care about it) is incredibly worthwhile. You catch onto details that seemed unimportant at the time, but now you know what they're leading up to.

[Skivvy]

The mindset of "grinding to max level where the fun content begins" is not what's intended by the writers of the game - and not how all players see the experience.

I enjoyed the entire journey of the game - the story, the locations, the characters - because I wasn't seeing it as an obstacle to be ground through. .

But this highlights the issue that this thread was created to discuss. Not all new players are going to want to sit through hundred+ hours of story in order to be able to play with their friends.

I'm glad you and plenty of others have enjoyed the long path that is XIV's story, but that doesn't mean everyone else should as well if that isn't their preference. This is an MMO, and MMOs cast that net far and wide to bring in all sorts of players. Some like story, some don't. Some are hyped by what they've seen in new trailers and want to jump in, others are content to take their time doing other things along the way. Some added flexibility would not hurt.

I am personally one of those people that like to level and do other non-story things first as they tend to interest me more. Then when I'm content with what I've done, I like to go back and take my time with the story. I can't be alone out there, but XIV doesn't really give you a choice.

[Physic]

But this highlights the issue that this thread was created to discuss. Not all new players are going to want to sit through hundred+ hours of story in order to be able to play with their friends.

I'm glad you and plenty of others have enjoyed the long path that is XIV's story, but that doesn't mean everyone else should as well if that isn't their preference. This is an MMO, and MMOs cast that net far and wide to bring in all sorts of players. Some like story, some don't. Some are hyped by what they've seen in new trailers and want to jump in, others are content to take their time doing other things along the way. Some added flexibility would not hurt.

I am personally one of those people that like to level and do other non-story things first as they tend to interest me more. Then when I'm content with what I've done, I like to go back and take my time with the story. I can't be alone out there, but XIV doesn't really give you a choice.

i like the story the first time through, but i have a friend who is similar to you, he skipped every thing, but said he would probably do story on its own terms if it wasnt in the way of what he wanted to do at that moment

[MistakeNot]

But this highlights the issue that this thread was created to discuss. Not all new players are going to want to sit through hundred+ hours of story in order to be able to play with their friends.

But they don't have to do that. That is the beauty of synced dungeons - people can play with their friends even if their characters have vastly different levels.

[Reap00]

But they don't have to do that. That is the beauty of synced dungeons - people can play with their friends even if their characters have vastly different levels.

Your point makes 100% sense which is why the trolls in this thread will ignore it. This thread is one long troll. This is a FF game and story will always be the main focus. If they don't like that they have other options.

[Skivvy]

Your point makes 100% sense which is why the trolls in this thread will ignore it. This thread is one long troll. This is a FF game and story will always be the main focus. If they don't like that they have other options.

So what makes us trolls? Because we don't agree? This is an MMO with a FF title slapped on it. Story is only a small portion of what content is available in this game. XI is also a FF MMO, and yet they don't force 100% completion on you.

But they don't have to do that. That is the beauty of synced dungeons - people can play with their friends even if their characters have vastly different levels.

Friends can run dungeons and trials with them, but those only make up the tiniest fraction of the MSQ. I would say what you are describing is more just the general leveling up process. Dungeons/POTD are things you do to level, and friends can definitely come around to help you out there. Most of the MSQ is spent running around all over talking to various NPCs, with solo instances dotted here and there as well. It's not exactly something you drag your friends to.

[MistakeNot]

Friends can run dungeons and trials with them, but those only make up the tiniest fraction of the MSQ. I would say what you are describing is more just the general leveling up process. Dungeons/POTD are things you do to level, and friends can definitely come around to help you out there. Most of the MSQ is spent running around all over talking to various NPCs, with solo instances dotted here and there as well. It's not exactly something you drag your friends to.

Most of the game is made for solo-play, true. But that is true for all of the game - it doesn't stop being a mostly solo-game just because you happen to reach level cap, or reach some particular point in the MSQ.
The so-called endgame is mostly just boring filler stuff to keep people busy until the next patch.

[Physic]

But they don't have to do that. That is the beauty of synced dungeons - people can play with their friends even if their characters have vastly different levels.

you cant even do dungeons until you do story. You could be extremely overlevel from leveling roulette, fates, sidequests, potd, or be on a prefered server and you d still have to do 100s of quests to access a dungeon you have the level to do.

Also playing with friends tends to increase your level, creating even more quests to catch up to your own level.