ARR needs two simple fixes until an actual revamp

[Lanadra]

The only further adjustments I think that ARR needs after very recently pushing four players through it is:

Adjust the 1-15 stories to be a bit more compelling. Not sure how, but the path to those dungeons just isn't quite enticing enough.

...

and that's it. The only other problem my players ran into? Toxic players who want to rush through everything and yell at new players for not having good enough gear/tanking to the wall in their first time/whatever excuse. It's to the point that they almost want to refuse to do content because of these players. The game isn't really the problem. The players are.

The storytelling with those first few dungeons is a bit more environmental, your literal reason for going there aside anyway. Specifically about a bit of a rivalry between you, a party of adventurers including Avere and Edda(!!), Alianne and her grandpa and another party of adventurers led by Dolorous Bear.

In Sastasha you're able to accomplish what the others couldn't, in fact I'm pretty sure you blaze through it before the others can even attempt it, to the point where Dolorous Bear's party was still in Limsa to pick up the job. In Tam-Tara you learn that Alianne and her grandpa only just managed to get back out with their heads still attached, as well as learning after you're done and back in Gridania that Avere got decapitated in Tam-Tara, resulting in the break up of their party and Edda being left standing in the Adventurers Guild with Avere's decapitated head. Finally in Copperbell you learn that Dolorous Bear's party, determined not to be beaten by you again rushed in and got themselves killed at the hands of the giants in the mines.

The story is there, it just takes a bit more of an attentive approach as you actually have to take note of all of them outside of the dungeon as well as talk to them all. Alianne and her grandpa also appear again later, with Alianne joining the Crystal Braves in the post 2.0 story. The matter of Edda in turn becomes relevant again in Tam-Tara Hard and finally the Palace of the Dead.

Also fun fact, outside of Sastasha (Hard) is a party who is composed almost exactly the same as Edda's party (they even look the same), Hyur Gladiator and Conjurer, Lalafell THM and Elezen Archer, only in this party the Conjurer has a personality the opposite of Edda, standing her ground and not allowing herself to be blamed for the Gladiator's mistakes.

[PeekayTom]

The storytelling with those first few dungeons is a bit more environmental, your literal reason for going there aside anyway. Specifically about a bit of a rivalry between you, a party of adventurers including Avere and Edda(!!), Alianne and her grandpa and another party of adventurers led by Dolorous Bear.

In Sastasha you're able to accomplish what the others couldn't, in fact I'm pretty sure you blaze through it before the others can even attempt it, to the point where Dolorous Bear's party was still in Limsa to pick up the job. In Tam-Tara you learn that Alianne and her grandpa only just managed to get back out with their heads still attached, as well as learning after you're done and back in Gridania that Avere got decapitated in Tam-Tara, resulting in the break up of their party and Edda being left standing in the Adventurers Guild with Avere's decapitated head. Finally in Copperbell you learn that Dolorous Bear's party, determined not to be beaten by you again rushed in and got themselves killed at the hands of the giants in the mines.

The story is there, it just takes a bit more of an attentive approach as you actually have to take note of all of them outside of the dungeon as well as talk to them all. Alianne and her grandpa also appear again later, with Alianne joining the Crystal Braves in the post 2.0 story. The matter of Edda in turn becomes relevant again in Tam-Tara Hard and finally the Palace of the Dead.

Also fun fact, outside of Sastasha (Hard) is a party who is composed almost exactly the same as Edda's party (they even look the same), Hyur Gladiator and Conjurer, Lalafell THM and Elezen Archer, only in this party the Conjurer has a personality the opposite of Edda, standing her ground and not allowing herself to be blamed for the Gladiator's mistakes.

Ah, my apologies, but I meant everything before the dungeons. Your starting city-state's stories, and such.