Making the case for a new starting point in 7.0

[Eraden]

Can someone tell me exactly what the heck a "story skip" is? If it is bypassing one of the expansions, that is already possible through the Mog Station.

[Shurrikhan]

Can someone tell me exactly what the heck a "story skip" is? If it is bypassing one of the expansions, that is already possible through the Mog Station.

It's the same. The OP is just suggesting that players get a single <up to 7.0> story skip for free, starting instead at the new, post-Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc of the story while improving leveling access through means outside the main story. Allowing the 7.x story to be accessed earlier than level 90 would probably also be fitting and helpful for that endeavor.

[Jojoya]

You say its not endgame focused but we have 2 years between expansions which means there is two years of endgame. Maybe it isn't "endgame" focused but it certainly should be a priority

Define end game. I feel like your definition isn't going to match what most players actually do in FFXIV once they finish MSQ (not to mention that we never truly finish MSQ since it's expanded with every major content patch).

"End game" doesn't need to be a priority when the huge amount of old content remains relevant to players even after they reach level cap and the game itself emphasizes the journey through the story.

This isn't WOW where almost everything becomes obsolete as soon as the next expansion is released (sometimes even the next patch) and the story is meaningless since they're just going to retcon it over and over for convenience.

Trying to define how this game should be designed by how other games do things is a bad idea.

I'm certain YoshiP has something in mind for new players come 7.0 to help speed them up to date but I suspect it's not going to be a blanket story/level skip. Some of the changes we're going to start seeing in 6.1 and later patches may give us hints about what they have planned.

[Mapleine]

They can revamp ARR until it's blinding in its mediocrity but I will not be able to get any new players interested with a mandatory five JRPGs worth of story before multiplayer kicks in. It's too much.

If people solely want a single player game, they aren't going to settle for a mangled MMO version of one that has such outrageous demands. They will go play a single player game with better graphics, polish and more accessible gameplay.

[kaynide]

They can revamp ARR until it's blinding in its mediocrity but I will not be able to get any new players interested with a mandatory five JRPGs worth of story before multiplayer kicks in. It's too much.

If people solely want a single player game, they aren't going to settle for a mangled MMO version of one that has such outrageous demands. They will go play a single player game with better graphics, polish and more accessible gameplay.

The people who are only interested in the extreme niche of "newest endgame" are few, and honestly not worth developing around as they will just get bored of the game as soon as the next thing comes along.

Most people who do endgame are long-term players who are indeed interested in other content as well. Moreover, new players seeing "5 JRPGs worth of content" don't necessarily see that as a bad thing- indeed it's a bargain of content for the price of entry.

I would say the vast majority of players realize there's a huge amount of content unlocked at 50, and then every 10 levels..not to mention the huge side content that can be done mostly level-independent once unlocked. Again, I think the only people thinking "omg I have to burn through 5 games just to do this raid" are not the type to retain subscription and therefore not worth SE's time to cater for aside from offering the story skip.

[aveyond-dreams]

They can revamp ARR until it's blinding in its mediocrity but I will not be able to get any new players interested with a mandatory five JRPGs worth of story before multiplayer kicks in. It's too much.

If people solely want a single player game, they aren't going to settle for a mangled MMO version of one that has such outrageous demands. They will go play a single player game with better graphics, polish and more accessible gameplay.

Even single player gamers can't get into ARR in its current (pre-addition of Trusts) stage. There's no fun in the combat and the story takes too long to pick up. People just don't care about what's happening in totally-not-generic-starter-village-Gridania or pirate land. They want to fight the empire, and they want to go fight dragons in Ishgard. Also, they want to actually be able to fight and use their abilities, which isn't possible in current ARR instances. This is my opinion as someone who for the most part avoids multiplayer games except this one and FFXI. If the story is floundering and every fight is over in less than a minute, why should I buy your game in order to pay for a skip to when everything actually starts getting good? It's bad business.

An optional skip or Season 2 character creation for 7.0 solves the main barriers to entry: Want a good story? Start at the point where the writers finally figured out what they were doing and abandoned most filler quests/classic mmorpg garbage. Want to play with friends in the more recent (and objectively more engaging) fights? Start at 7.0. A single opportunity to start in Season 2 or to make a character for one would go a long way towards helping the current state of affairs. At any time they can go back and unlock the content they missed out on, maybe even add an in-game guide of questlines/raids not completed yet outside of the new game plus menu that is more obvious and handy.

[Anvaire]

Even single player gamers can't get into ARR in its current (pre-addition of Trusts) stage. There's no fun in the combat and the story takes too long to pick up. People just don't care about what's happening in totally-not-generic-starter-village-Gridania or pirate land. They want to fight the empire, and they want to go fight dragons in Ishgard. Also, they want to actually be able to fight and use their abilities, which isn't possible in current ARR instances. This is my opinion as someone who for the most part avoids multiplayer games except this one and FFXI. If the story is floundering and every fight is over in less than a minute, why should I buy your game in order to pay for a skip to when everything actually starts getting good? It's bad business.

An optional skip or Season 2 character creation for 7.0 solves the main barriers to entry: Want a good story? Start at the point where the writers finally figured out what they were doing and abandoned most filler quests/classic mmorpg garbage. Want to play with friends in the more recent (and objectively more engaging) fights? Start at 7.0. A single opportunity to start in Season 2 or to make a character for one would go a long way towards helping the current state of affairs. At any time they can go back and unlock the content they missed out on, maybe even add an in-game guide of questlines/raids not completed yet outside of the new game plus menu that is more obvious and handy.

I dont agree. There have been a raft of new players who enjoy the story of ARR but criticize certain points. It is by no means the best story, but it is decent and holds its own. The later chapters of Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers and Endwalker while they can and do hold on their own, do have a greater impact on those that played the whole narative and those that played only part. The bottom line is that FFXIV is a game built around narritive, sure if you arent interested you can just skip and play the content, but the cost is some of the resonance and hype those fights have because of where they were. Would EW trial 2 be such a powerful moment if it was divorced from the narative? Id say no.

That said, I do think there is a point where the subsequent levels of story make starting out a daunting task. But to look at it another way, it would be akin to skipping The fellowship of the Ring and then not knowing who anyone was and what was going on in the two Towers. Or perhaps skipping until the northern crator scene in FF7? Essentially the story is impactful and has weight by virtue of the path taken to walk there. I dont think skipping is something that should be granted for free. If a person takes the decision to story skip, then that is what the purchasable item is for. It is expensive currently because it essentially offers a poorer experience.

At the end of the day, this is an RPG with MMO aspects, if one doesnt like RPGs and Stories then perhaps, the game will not offer the best experience for them. Looking at ex wow player feedback, it certainly seems the story comes as a plesant surprise. For us veteran players looking back on ARR, of course its going to be a worse experence than current. Its the same as comparing Tales of Arise to Breath of Fire 1 - Breath of Fire 1 will always be a worst experience because its a product of its time. But that is differnet from being an enjoyable or valuable experience.

[Zaniel]

They can revamp ARR until it's blinding in its mediocrity but I will not be able to get any new players interested with a mandatory five JRPGs worth of story before multiplayer kicks in. It's too much.

If people solely want a single player game, they aren't going to settle for a mangled MMO version of one that has such outrageous demands. They will go play a single player game with better graphics, polish and more accessible gameplay.

Your statement is in direct conflict with reality, this game has seen explosive uptake in player numbers and the vast majority of those people are praising the fact it has a long and intricate story mode. Most WoW refugees are here because this ISN'T WoW with its emphasis on end game and grind and because it has a good story.

You're dreaming a false narrative almost as imaginative as Eorzea itself.