New player here. The end of the ARR's MSQ really ticked me off. I found the entirety of the MSQ to be tedious in the extreme. Like I was getting half the story other MMO's provide but artificially stretched out 10 fold by injecting worthless quest step after worthless quest step. Go here, talk to alphinaud. Next step, go there and talk to alphinaud again (nothing of value done by me in between). Repeat x10. Part of good writing is focusing on the essential (Checkov's Gun) and things that move the story or character growth forward, but SE did not employ "good writing" and it felt intentional.

Then the ending which was blatantly telegraphed except for the part that the Warrior of Light runs like a coward! Really? Not one attempt at bloodshed on my part? Oh hell no! But hey, the destroyer of all that is big bad and evil is totally outmatched by an unarmed merchant and his handful of guards.

And then that same little twit shows up in HW and says, "guess what? Everyone's OK. Queen's OK, except for destroying her dreams of equality. You're OK, except for ruining your reputation. And I got to kill a rival. And moar powah for me! ALL GOOD!" Little snot should not have made it out of that room alive.

Found out there was a MSQ-skip you could buy the next day for HW and oh happy day! Still debating about buying it for Stormblood