I tried but its not the game for me

[Lersayil]

... People keep saying how amazing the story is, just so many people keep saying that. I wish I could see why they say that, are they just parroting what other people say or do they really believe the story is great? ...

Its very difficult to believe they are not making the story frustrating on purpose to get you to buy a skip.

Can't talk for other people, but I honestly think FFXIV has a great story, both for an MMO and for a JRPG. A rollercoaster for sure, as the enjoyability can vary a lot between expansions, but overall I think the highs compensate for the lows. Hell, some of the highs I would rate among the greats of the whole franchise.

That said, I don't see the point about the skip potion. Its a hefty chunk of change for SE, sure, but I rarely see people enjoying the game without the story. Given the heavy investment into it, and the hours of content it provides, I doubt SE wants to actively push people to skip it.

Not gonna blame you for getting tired of ARR though. That was quite the low for me too back in the day before I reached the lead up quests to Heavensward.

[Jojoya]

The older FFs knew when to show and not tell. Unfortunately Square has a bad habit of having to spell everything out to a player anymore.

The older FF games weren't MMOs (other than FFXI and I've heard very mixed reactions to its story). You can't tell a story the same way in a MMO as you would in a normal single player game.

A single player game is generally released with its entire story ready to play in a single experience. That allows the story to flow better.

A MMO story is going to have lengthy interruptions while waiting on new content releases. That means not only including elements to explain the interruptions but then adding in reminders of what happened in the past when the new story segment gets released months later. You also have the issue of staff on the game being replaced over time and coming in with slightly different visions of how the story should be progressing.

As a result, you can have a good story in a MMO but will never measure up to the quality of story you get in a good single player game.

[Wavaryen]

MMO stories are pretty iffy. Like two games to me has a decent story. This and swotor class stories.


I do think though that this game story is a little bit overrated by the community. Don't get me wrong it makes me feel at times, and i want to see what happen...but I do worry about where the story can go. Because the story is mostly shock factor, and that can only carry you so far.

[Eien713]

But.. They played after ARR supposedly. Unless they're still talking about the post ARR filler.. but I'd be surprised if that wasn't skipped by the pot. So their feedback , that would be unique or at least important for changing development is that while they don't enjoy the story itself, they're also not enjoying the part where you have to walk back and forth and grab this and that and give it to that other person (which while valid isn't really unique as far as MMO's go, especially from someone who came from WoW)

So.. yeah. If we're going to be positive, we should also embrace criticism, especially when presented reasonably.
We may not agree, but as long as it's not all hyperbole, it's useful feedback.

But the OP said they skipped ARR at some point. To me, skipping ARR usually results is less immersion in the story and some parts not hitting their mark quite as well. The end of post-ARR story is one of the best parts in the game to me. And like you said, the fetch quests complaint isn't new as far as I know. I'm 100% with you that feedback and criticism are very important, but my only problem is when said feedback and criticism are ones that add nothing new. The fact that the devs tried to improve the ARR experience by removing some tedious fetch and unnecessary quests and that HW is part of the free trial is proof that the devs themselves are already aware of their game's weaknesses (and this is most definitely thanks to the players' feedback). The way I see it, it's pointless to repeat something that almost everyone already knows. You didn't like the story? Ok, cool. Move on.

The thing I noticed with WoW players, and if I'm wrong I apologize, is that a lot of them are too eager to get to the good parts and/or end-game, that this ruins the story experience because it reduces their patience. ARR's goal is to ease the players into the world bit by bit, and it focuses a lot on world-building, where we also get to become more familiar with the NPCs that will accompany us in our journey. It's no wonder this part will be a bit slow. But the payoff is so worth it.

[Atreides]

I think the biggest turnoff and main reason for people to not enjoy the story is the huge mountain of story they have ahead of themselves, playing the game, wanting to get to endgame but knowing there are hundred of hours ahead of them if they wanna play the story too is very overwhelming and burns some people out after a while.

I, like most people, enjoyed the story alot but I also played one expansion at a time and had time to let everything sink in. While new players can't cope with all the information they get thrown at them. After a while they just make no sense out of it, leading to less enjoyment. I've seen that in alot of streams, people rushing through the story, reading everything but still forgetting what happened 2 cut scenes before and making no sense of the current scene they watch due to that.

My advice is to just play the story like a single player RPG, MMO is the side and postgame.

[Roeshel]

Came here from WoW, bought the basic game, my 30 days is up today and I am taking a break.

I really love the professions, in ARR anyways, people say they changed things a lot in the future expansions. I could do nothing but the professions they are so perfect. Had every gathering and crafting profession to 50 and a million gil. It was fun.

But I just cant stand the main story quest. People keep saying how amazing the story is, just so many people keep saying that. I wish I could see why they say that, are they just parroting what other people say or do they really believe the story is great? To me its just suckfest of crap.

Gave up half way through ARR and bought the story skip from the store then just ground out the levels in Fates. Started next expansion story quest and just more of the same. Port to this place talk to a guy port another place talk to a guy, enough already.
Its very difficult to believe they are not making the story frustrating on purpose to get you to buy a skip.

Well I really like the game better than WoW otherwise. So maybe I will just take a break and come back once in awhile and try to get through the story quest. I know I have the option to buy more story skips but that feels like I am just paying a company for crap product.

Sorry for the rant. I know this is going to trigger some people, and I am sorry, because I really do love the game aside from that.

Good luck in your travels.

Isn't WoW the same type of game when it comes to the story? Go to X person, talk maybe kills some mobs then go to Y person and so on.

[Bearded]

It's a shame that you did not enjoy the storyline however you have got to admit that at least it has a cohesive storyline when compared to the other game you had played previously. Yes the quests do tell you to go to place A, speak to person B and sometimes kill number C of mod D but so does the other game.

Still you have to go with what you enjoy.

[TeraRamis]

The older FF games weren't MMOs (other than FFXI and I've heard very mixed reactions to its story). You can't tell a story the same way in a MMO as you would in a normal single player game.

To a point, yes. However, 99 percent of the time, FFXIV's plot delivery vehicle of choice is the "conversation." The conversation - by its very nature (at least how its handled in FFXIV) - pauses any action. The characters sit down or stand, typically in a rough circle, and chat. And chat. And chat.

While this may be at least in part reflective of the real world (I'm not sure that most people rattle on in quite the same way that the key players in this arc seem to), it's a methodology that's pretty much absent in just about every other form of entertainment. Oh, yes, characters in books, movies, TV, etc. all talk to one another, but they generally do it while on the move - shooting at bad guys; getting ready to jump out of a plane; sneaking through sewers; walking to their next magic class, etc. This is not only more interesting for the reader/viewer/consumer, it also allows scenes and settings to contribute to the narrative, and the plot to progress at a far faster clip than simply sitting down for a 10+ minute pow-wow every time some little detail floats to the surface. It's showing and not telling.

FFXIV tells. There are action scenes, yes, but even when they occur, we have to have a good little chit chat afterwards just to make sure everyone absorbed things properly. I understand that this game is - at times - telling a very heavy and complicated story. But there's absolutely no justification for unfolding events in this manner. When we're in a cutscene, we might as well be playing one of those single-player games. And, given that, we don't require these ludicrous breaks every so often to 'talk shop' with the class. People aren't accustomed to that approach, and, what's more, it's dull; it is unambiguously lazy delivery. And it's hard to blame people for decoupling from it.

[Snorky]

It's not lazy delivery at all, I totally disagree. How do some folks sit through a movie for 2 hours? This isn't fallout (whatever number) or fast and furious 206. The story is fine and if you don't like it that's fine too. But just know many people love this game for it's story, ARR was fine as far as I am concerned, massively multiplayer online roleplaying games are stories not first person shooters where it is all about action. If there is not enough action for whoever's taste maybe you are playing the wrong game. WoW has the same fetch and carry quests and so do all MMOs it's normal.

[TeraRamis]

It's not lazy delivery at all, I totally disagree. How do some folks sit through a movie for 2 hours? This isn't fallout (whatever number) or fast and furious 206. The story is fine and if you don't like it that's fine too. But just know many people love this game for it's story, ARR was fine as far as I am concerned, massively multiplayer online roleplaying games are stories not first person shooters where it is all about action. If there is not enough action for whoever's taste maybe you are playing the wrong game. WoW has the same fetch and carry quests and so do all MMOs it's normal.

Kay, well, you're free to disagree. But people seem to just casually gloss over the fact that about half the media this company has ever released has been about one step short of garbage. And FFXIV, as much as I might like a lot of what it has to offer, is one of their weaker story efforts.

By the way, while we're talking movies, I seem to recall them struggling to do one of those at some point...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUXVOfdGE4o