You dont need the story.

[ZedxKayn]

Why would it be insulting? I've been told I'm missing out because I don't eat mushrooms, but they are only saying that because they are somehow able to stomach the unfathomably bad flavour and smell combined with the rubbery texture, and don't understand how differently I experience it.

The only reason there is to be upset about that would be because a part of you agrees that you are missing out. It's not polite to tell someone who is dieting that they are missing out on all the treats. They know! Perhaps OP should examine why he gets so offended when people suggest that the story he chose to skip isn't boring.

Yes being pitied or snubbed for choices that affect no one but myself is insulting, and I personally find it extremely irritating when people try to sell me something I have always known I won't enjoy. Or when they act like I just don't know better.

[Penthea]

I'm sorry people, but if someone thinks the story is boring during ARR, the next 100+ hours isn't going to necessarily change that opinion.

True but that doesn't make a person correct when they say:

I mean it is a snoozefest. even shadowbringers. I skipped everything. every cutscene.

If they said something like "I didn't like ARR so I didn't bother with the rest" then fine, that's perfectly valid. But no OP went on to criticise additional story content that they actively avoided experiencing. This is like saying "I only watched a few episodes of season 1 of Scrubs and I didn't like it so I skipped the rest. I also really dislike season 3 even though I didn't watch it.".

Not having interest in the story is fine. Saying something is bad when you have no experience of it is not.

"The game isn't for you", "go play WoW", etc. are constants if a player chooses to dislike the story, and be public about it.

Personally I save my "go play WoW" comments for players who appear to be highly offended that the game even has a story. If they skip the story but don't mind that the game has a story then I'm cool with that. If they say the story should be removed or moved to a completely different part of the game then I tell them to go play something else. Stories are one of the core features of every FF rpg. Asking for that core to be removed or to become a very secondary feature is like asking for shooting to not be a major feature for Call of Duty.

[Divinemights]

What are you on about? WoW lore is awesome! Like that new cinematic where Baduin shanks the big blue woman right in the chest parts and then Sylvanas is conflicted about it!

Also, is anyone else bothered about the one where Anduin is kept prisoner in that little circle? Did they let him out to use the restroom or like give him a poop bucket??

Are you making an early April Fool joke?

[Nayout]

Imagine playing a Story Driven MMORPG and not playing something that is the main content of the game lul
If I want to play another type of game I'm going to play Wow, if I want something much more focused on PVP I'm going to BDO or even GW2.

[Raim]

I feel the opposite. I think they should make all cutscenes unskippable the first time you see them. And then quiz you at the end of each patch and if you fail the quiz you have to rewatch it all.

[Nin_Ocho]

That's some yikes right there

[Naoki34]

I dislike when people in this game give you so much trouble and say how they feel bad for you for skipping the story or say all these mean things.

I dislike the story because i find it incredibly boring. I mean it is a snoozefest. even shadowbringers. I skipped everything. every cutscene.

I enjoy the gameplay and MMO atmosphere. People need to stop with this "omg youre skipping story in a FF game HOW DARE YOU, im going after you and your family!!"

I enjoy the games gameplay, design, music, zones. every MMO aspect of it. I dont need the story and i am having a blast without falling asleep.

Please let people play how they want and stop insulting them for not liking the story.

Ok, you don't need the story, but why do you need to tell us?

Do you need reassurance or something?

[SavishSalacious]

I dislike when people in this game give you so much trouble and say how they feel bad for you for skipping the story or say all these mean things.

I dislike the story because i find it incredibly boring. I mean it is a snoozefest. even shadowbringers. I skipped everything. every cutscene.

I enjoy the gameplay and MMO atmosphere. People need to stop with this "omg youre skipping story in a FF game HOW DARE YOU, im going after you and your family!!"

I enjoy the games gameplay, design, music, zones. every MMO aspect of it. I dont need the story and i am having a blast without falling asleep.

Please let people play how they want and stop insulting them for not liking the story.

Lets go over this point by point:

1. Yes you do need the story. Its how the game progresses, dungeons are locked behind it. This is a story heavy game. This isn't wow. You are a central figure in the story.
2. If you don't like people being "mean" (like grow up) to you for skipping the story then don't skip the story. The story is CENTRAL to you understanding what's going on. thats like skipping 3 seasons of a tv show an expecting them to tell you whos who and whats what.
3. "I dislike the story because I find it incredibly boring. I mean it is a snoozefest. even shadowbringers. I skipped everything. every cutscene." Then you need to go play wow. Buh Bye.
4. Again the story is central to this game.
5. Skipping story is bad. Why? because when the new expansion comes out you have no idea whats going on. You stated you skip the cutscenes and bla bla bla - but your essentially skipping 90% of the game.

At the end of the day THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR YOU if you don't like the story. Its one thing if you made a toon and you used a skip potion, its another if you are a brand new player and you skip everything. The game, through class quests and story - in some cases - legit help you understand your character, your role in the world and the play style of said job/class.

[linayar]

Which I thought interesting since I was clear that the importance to the story wouldn't be changed, just some people could smoothly and logically get into the thick of it easier.

Once the story is optional or broken up like WoW, they don't have to care about it as much, and that's a slippery slope I'm not willing to risk just because someone can't afford to go through the story (even if they have to skip every cutscene and mash through every dialog box and/or pay to boost the earlier MSQ).

And the prime example of this is WoW. It's such a convoluted mess with how the story quests are so disconnected and certain quests just disappear or no longer require certain other quests on a much more frequent basis than FFXIV.

[Shougun]

Once the story is optional or broken up like WoW, they don't have to care about it as much, and that's a slippery slope I'm not willing to risk just because someone can't afford to go through the story (even if they have to skip every cutscene and mash through every dialog box and/or pay to boost the earlier MSQ).

And the prime example of this is WoW. It's such a convoluted mess with how the story quests are so disconnected and certain quests just disappear or no longer require certain other quests on a much more frequent basis than FFXIV.

I don't think WoW is a prime example, the story even in the old days was always all over the place (before level up characters (skip potions), or the alternate start). WoW's story was originally less retconned and weirdly anime (and not in the good way), but that's separate from the whole MSQ not important bit of WoW. WoW has always been a bit 'story smory' (OOH FANCY CUTSCENE, and then immediately back into 'story smory').

There is a potential they see story as not important after a bunch of people prove it (that's a big if, but we're assuming under your concern that SE sees that it makes sense not to care), but I doubt SE would do that (I assume they would always keep story as something they put a lot of effort into and bind to game, if some people skip some of that (like via an alternate start), which technically they already can it's just very heavy handed method (potions and or literally skipping scene after scene), then I think "if they want sure, game is still fine for me").

It's fine you think it's a risk but I don't think it's one and I don't think WoW is a good example of that (of an alternate start messing up the story) either since it's delivery has been pretty consistent in terms of "whatever if you do, whatever if you don't- we only partially pay attention to our own story anyways" - there wasn't really a sudden change past the retcon(ss). If anything you might argue they cared a bit more on presentation later with some fancy cutcscenes, even if it's still a bit wildly placed. I also think it's helpful SE sees why you say no, since then they could see "well if we just don't do that (disconnect the importance of story), they'll actually be fine" lol.