Quote Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams View Post
Yeah, you bet I am. There is no way I would subject anyone over the age of 16 to the horrifically boring experience that is modern day ARR. When I press "New Game" or create a character on any video game I expect and demand better than what the current state of FFXIV's intro experience is nowadays. You can watch a 10 minute video and get caught up with lore basics. The only thing you need to know to start Heavensward is dragons don't get along with Ishgard. Everything else you can be filled in on later.

The story and gameplay from that point on get progressively stronger, though Heavensward gameplay nowadays does still feel like an extended tutorial level with how easy those dungeons and trials have become. Even so, it's leagues better than ARR. As for Stormblood? When I played it at launch I mentally tuned out of the story until Yotsuyu stepped on Gosetsu's throat because at the time Alisae had far from proven herself and Lyse remains one of the most insufferable characters in the entire history of the game. The eastern segment was strong, the Ala Mhigan segment was atrocious. Thank goodness the Exarch spirited us away from Stormblood, a colorless expansion whose few good moments were once again too spaced out to be worth it.
And thus the curtain unveils itself lol

But on a serious note that's like... your opinion man. I personally didnt find ARR boring and I know a good number of people who enjoyed the experience of ARR knowing that it just gets better and better. Listen if it werent for ARR, then Heavensward wouldnt have hit the mark as good as it did, nor would any of the future expansions. The whole point of FFXIV's content is the journey of getting there, because thats literally 70% of its content. Just trimming that linear progression kinda would kill the fun out of the game, at least imo. Of course there's people who just dont care and would like to get to end game (which I would response that to being you wasting both your time and money if thats your way of thinking when it comes to gaming) but the game isnt designed for it to be fully skipped to end game.