No wonder new players aren't that impressed

[Sephr]

Having recently done 1-20 again on a new character I was going to post some feedback in another section but I guess I'll just drop a few bits I found in here incase it does get read:

- The help is very inconsistent, you start with no option to turn the help tips off (could be done when you select between controller and keyboard options), and you're then given a whole load of tips on basic controls. However, once you reach the city they pretty much disappear, there really need to be some about quest markers and things.

- Quests themselves are so spread out it's pretty ridiculous to expect a level 5 to wander around the city trying to find them. They're also pretty mundane and I don't think the exp reward really is enough to justify the run all the way to wherever they want you to go, kill whatever they want you to kill for some mundane reason and then run back (I'm pretty sure the xp reward at the end is smaller than what you get for killing the enemies, so it doesn't justify the movement time at all). It also probably doesn't need to be said, but these quests really don't cut it in comparison to even the most basic chains that FFXI had in a similar context. At least those ones had some cutscenes and quirkiness rather than pretty boring and easy standard-mmo-format quests like these. I'm sure this is going to get sorted in 2.0, though.

- The missions you get to start with are extremely slow-starting and if anything feel like the side-missions that Yoshida talked about adding in the future to compliment what we have now. Doing emotes and escorting a couple of kids/a fisherman aren't my idea of a final fantasy-esque adventure. They certainly don't leave me hooked and wanting to know more.

-Leve quests are horrible (Although obviously they dont improve as you go up levels, I really noticed it when I was trying to think about how a new player would feel). These quests should be treated more as an avenue for repeatable events that people can do at once without fighting for claims. Being as this game has multiple classes on one character it NEEDS repeatable content that isn't quite so boring the first time around, let alone the subsequent times.
My idea for these would be something in a similar vein to guild wars 2's event system but more controlled by the player. For example, you could follow quests to your first aetherite, then be able to access it to see the leves going on currently by others or initiate one for yourself. Let's say you pick up a new leve quest to protect a hamlet further out in the plains, so you run there to find the hamlet being attacked and it's your job to aid the hamlet in any way possible and fill up a 'quest bar' in the process. This could take the form of fighting the monsters, healing the citizens, mending armour, cleaning up wreckage... It's up to you.
Now, the next person shows up at the aetherite, and checks the list of currently occuring events. He sees that you're defending the hamlet and accepts a leve of his own to help. He then runs up to the hamlet and starts getting stuck in without needing to party up, but is able to take on the same monsters and get credit. This kind of thing can help develop more community spirit and camaraderie and would help to keep the world feeling alive without people stepping on each other's toes. Add to this kind of thing difficulty scaling and level-sync and you could have some really great fun with friends in a huge variety of different types of events (garlean invasions, garlean camp sieges, massive world boss battles in higher levels)

I realise a lot of this stuff is goin to be sorted out for 2.0, and it's probably all been said here already but I thought adding my own bits of feedback can't hurt.

[Venat]

Beginning Mission should be longer. Something like a good 10-30mins of Solo gameplay. Then let the player be put into a world of other players.

[Elexia]

Why do you believe a company who couldnt make even an average MMO after 5+ years of designing an engine + an MMO will be able to make an above average game + engine after 1.5 -2 years?

Let's see:

SE created FFXI and FMO, both great MMOs unless you personally didn't like them. It's quite easy to believe considering the only reason FFXIV was a flop after 3 years of development was because they tried too hard to make it different from FFXI, which they've admitted was a mistake because it lacked a lot of basic features as well as a solid foundation, e.g "The original design path of FFXIV was a mistake.."

[Pyretta_Blaze]

Beginning Mission should be longer. Something like a good 10-30mins of Solo gameplay. Then let the player be put into a world of other players.

I sort of think that the beginning part of the game should lead you to an interesting quest chain that doubles as a tutorial.

[Pyretta_Blaze]

- The help is very inconsistent, you start with no option to turn the help tips off (could be done when you select between controller and keyboard options), and you're then given a whole load of tips on basic controls. However, once you reach the city they pretty much disappear, there really need to be some about quest markers and things.

While I agree in general with your post, when I recently started a new character it did tell me right out to talk to the people with ? in their heads and wouldn't let me proceed without doing so. At least that is how I remember it. Now you have me doubting myself and half considering doing it again.

[Elexia]

Yeah I'm not seeing any inconsistencies with the help, just people trying to compare it to other game's tutorials. The second you pick your control layout for the proper tips you're told to utilize the controls, then you're pushed towards NPCs that start the mission.

After the first mission you're told to read your journal (this is probably the problem, people seem to not like reading) which even give you a nifty [map] button that tells you EXACTLY where to go.

I think this just shows that people expect MMOs to be played for them in some ways.

[Murugan]

Level 1-10 leves give 100-250 bonus EXP.

And I don't see the problem with /sit

It doesn't work? You regain the same amount of MP for standing still.

Also guildleves from 1-10 are just extensions of a tutorial to ease people into the "incredibly complicated" gameplay. Killing random mobs several levels higher than you will level you 1-10 much faster, and is very easy.

[Sephr]

Yeah I'm not seeing any inconsistencies with the help, just people trying to compare it to other game's tutorials. The second you pick your control layout for the proper tips you're told to utilize the controls, then you're pushed towards NPCs that start the mission.

After the first mission you're told to read your journal (this is probably the problem, people seem to not like reading) which even give you a nifty [map] button that tells you EXACTLY where to go.

I think this just shows that people expect MMOs to be played for them in some ways.

I wouldn't say it shows that all. What I would say is that when new players enter the game they're going to be overwhelmed by the total lack of instruction after the first 10 minutes despite heavy (and somewhat patronising) instructions before that regarding how to use an analogue stick and click on things. I probably wasn't very clear on what I mean by consistency and exaggerated on that particular point, but it goes from excessive hand-holding to pretty much releasing you into the world. As I said, 2.0 and beyond will probably be better because you'll be guided through content more efficiently and you'll pick things up as you go, but right now you might do that first mission and get sent to the aetherite after, but that's pretty much it. The guild leve tutorial is pretty easy to miss if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm not expecting the game to play itself for me, I didn't have any troubles personally and as I said that was a *new character* that I created to try out new things post-1.20. I was more trying to think about how new players and how they'd approach it, especially if they don't seek out extra information on the web (which is a large portion of the general MMO playerbase of other games).

[Renshi]

It could be enough that the tutorial introduces the Lodestone, since there's written everything that makes the game, personally =)

[MStowastiqVahlshdeh]

I've made a new character to see the changes at the starting levels and I'm pretty impressed myself, it's quite the change from alpha and even release. They'll focus on it with 2.0, but for now the changes they ARE making is doing a lot of good and I've yet to actually hear someone say they're not impressed with the beginning, what usually get's under people's skin is the lack of content after you do all that's available.

I happen to take my time playing but did create new characters to try out the intro tutorials just in case as well. I am impressed and will be even more impressed when they bring male miqo's in 2.0 . I am glad that I am not endgame already, the complaints in most mmo's come from people who rush to the endgame and I cannot fathom why such a path would be enjoyable, then again this is the pattern I usually follow. I just take my time to enjoy each and every bit of an incredible game.

The ffxi beginning was incredible for me but xiv is even more impressive.