Please don't harass people for ignoring/disliking the story

[Atelier-Bagur]

I don't care if people skip the story or do a level skip.

But if they start saying that the story is shit or something along the lines that they read a synopsis or watched a lore video then they deserve to be harassed, keep your opinions to yourself.

Please don't ever support harassment of any kind. I love the game's story and I personally don't care if they skip it and I will call people out who criticize the plot if they didn't go through it in the first place but hounding or harassing them is not the solution. Not only is it just bad taste but also still against ToS.

[Stormpeaks]

I don't care if people skip the story or do a level skip.

But if they start saying that the story is shit or something along the lines that they read a synopsis or watched a lore video then they deserve to be harassed, keep your opinions to yourself.

No one deserves to be harassed. If you think someone should be harassed because they say the story is shit, you need help.

[EgilTheStressedMage]

Do the same for people who invest in and do like the story.

[Lustre]

I dont blame anyone for not caring or skipping story after the train wreck that was EW

[Jeeqbit]

What I want to highlight is the alarming number of players who think it's okay to literally bully people for not being invested in the story.

People can't bully you for not being invested in the story if you don't tell people that you are not invested in the story. The people who have this problem are the people who go into chats where people like the story and talk about skipping or finding it boring. What do they expect? That itself doesn't usually get much response but when they continue pressing it they sometimes provoke a discussion that makes them unhappy.

When someone new talks about skipping, I do explain to them the importance of the story. It gives context to the fights and makes them better. It's not just a dragon, it's ______. It's not just a random npc, it's ______. It builds excitement for the next patch when you see _____ person in a trailer. But you wouldn't experience this excitement without knowing the story and I find many people who skip are not excited for the next patch the way people who followed the story are. The main purpose more than anything is to increase your excitement and enjoyment of the content you are doing.

I explain that it's a story-driven game where the story inspires the music, the mechanics, the bosses, the locations and the effects and there is no content without a story in this game, so it gets very boring just skipping constantly or trying to rush instead of soaking it in.

If, after explaining this, they still want to skip, that's fine, but it's important that they understand these things because there are people who skip who genuinely don't know that it's such a story-driven game, that the story impacts boss mechanics or that the story is so connected that even level 90 quests refer to lore from level 1-50 quests. I think that is why people try to explain it, because they don't want someone who skips to be unaware of what they are doing.

But again, if you do skip, the way to avoid feeling harassed is simply to not bring up the story.

[RukoBoshi]

I dont blame anyone for not caring or skipping story after the train wreck that was EW

This is a completely different issue considering this is about people not engaging with the story from the very beginning.

But i guess that fruit was hanging to low to let it pass.

[Jeeqbit]

I've also seen memes on popular FFXIV social media pages that depict story skipping as an unforgivable sin that must be shunned, which just enables harassment further. I don't follow any general FFXIV pages at all anymore because they're almost an inevitability.

I think you are probably misinterpreting these. There has always been a sarcasm in the FFXIV community, so if someone says "skipping is an unforgivable sin" it's probably sarcasm and the entire point the meme is making is that players hold the story in such high regard that it can make people who skip feel like they are committing a sin. It's not particularly meant to stir up some sort of debate, it's just art and art is usually based on common feelings and experiences.

When these memes visualize feelings and experiences, it puts a picture to something that is usually just a feeling or an experience. That's art and it's usually meant to be appreciated as art.

[GTK0HLK]

since the back and forth in the second page, I'll just post what I think and catch up later.

While I haven't really met anyone in game who kept getting into people's faces over story, or anyone who didn't have any/some interest in the story.[ be it good, bad, neutral, or their own opinion and lack of care for the story]
making it seem, to me at least, that it isn't wide spread, but an existing thing in the community.

To cut the main point short.
if there are people who misunderstand intentions. there are people who won't stop unless an official comes up, and holds them for a minute.
[most reasonable people will not care what others opinions are, but would freely converse and speculate/debate about things kindly. with a small chance that it goes sour. whilst those who want their own road won't listen and just cause problems]

They play as they play. If they Complain they don't know. just slap em with the, " if you played through the story you'd know" without being to jagged about it. if they want to converse, then converse<but exit as soon as it starts going sour>.

for me personally, I've had a few conversations in-game about things, story, Relics or upcoming things. if they haven't reached it. I don't mention it, if they don't bring it up, unless it's a recent topic of discussion, I don't put it on the table either.

the fact some people would do those variety things, only shows how they've yet to acclimate to their surroundings.

[but in the end, this is a cut and dry thread.]

[Cithaerias_pyropina]

Neat? Skip away I guess? Seems like a waste when story is like 80% of the game, but whatever.

I hope they eventually make it 100% of the game. I can't get enough of the MSQ.

[Bukachu]

Story is alright, but its not the level of story that it makes people "cry".

only people getting emotional are the same ones watching cheap soap operas and get emotional over that.