ARR needs two simple fixes until an actual revamp

[Shurrikhan]

Thing with an MMO as time goes on parts become obsolete and serve no real purpose in terms of raw gameplay that would alter the core experience if they just did an large exposition dump. While a sandwich would not be much a sandwich without the bread.

Sure it is reductive but personally I think it would be better use or dev time to have the lore writers to make a quick abridged scroll and if people want to go back they can use NG+ though I do not think they should try to keep fixing it.

Wouldn't it make more sense to do any of this abridging after the conclusion of the Hydaelyn arc, leading directly to that new arc with a sort of two-pronged focus? (Hell, that could be massive in terms of bringing in new players, as they could go straight to the newest expansion alongside everyone else, albeit it on an adjusted path of discourse and NPC interactions, while the previous Arc is available via Echo for leveling other jobs).

In the meantime, though, we need only make more of the much less relevant arcs (Haukke Manor, much of the Company of Heroes, etc.) optional and improve the early combat experience, much of which could have more universal implications.

[Awha]

Wouldn't it make more sense to do any of this abridging after the conclusion of the Hydaelyn arc, leading directly to that new arc with a sort of two-pronged focus? (Hell, that could be massive in terms of bringing in new players, as they could go straight to the newest expansion alongside everyone else, albeit it on an adjusted path of discourse and NPC interactions, while the previous Arc is available via Echo for leveling other jobs).

In the meantime, though, we need only make more of the much less relevant arcs (Haukke Manor, much of the Company of Heroes, etc.) optional and improve the early combat experience, much of which could have more universal implications.

Yes, but to be fair I do already think they are going to already do this going forward with 7.0 akin to a soft reboot or new arc after a hiatus. So with that in mind my suggestion—while unlikely—is based around less of a slog since I feel 90% of ARR could largely be seen as optional or text scroll fulfills the same purpose of ARR. From a gameplay POV I cannot say ARR has any real meaningful moments that are tied to gameplay. Sure adjustments to jobs and making the less story relevant arcs as optional would help but just speaking from personal experiences as someone who has tried FFXIV many times prior to story skips I could never get into HW due to the long slog of ARR and even after the rework of the storyline the massive experience gains coupled with a preferred world only make it worse due to the nature of our content and how it syncs you down. Going large chunks of levels without getting new skills due to them being story gated is not a great feeling either.

The structure of FFXIV puts SE in a weird spot I get this much, but personally I did enjoy my time with the game from HW on, and from an anecdotal POV many of those I have referred have felt the same way. Pretty much whenever I ask a friend to join I gift them a story skip. I have still been able to follow the story beats and do not feel like I have messed out in anything by not experiencing ARR. Granted, I have gone back with NG+ And I do still feel the same like I did not miss out on anything, through maybe that will change with endwalker I am not sure.