Length MSQ from all the expansions - it is getting insane

[caffe_macchiato]

Since I am a veteran MMO player, played them since 2001.
I hate this hand-holding that this game has.
Also, the number of hours you have to spend to play through the ALL msq is just insane.
I am the type of player who likes to have tons of alts and does not like the idea of having all classes on one character.
I like playing every class on different characters like in all other games out there.
It feels like SE is forcing me to pay story skip since it takes me more than 30 days to complete msq on single character. Mostly because I hate it, and I hate it because it is not voiced and there are too many fetch quests. The old republic has all quests voiced, maybe because the number of them is so much smaller than FFXIV.

110 hours of cutscenes.

Many people "love" this game because you can do nothing but let the story auto-play while idling, going AFK or playing other games. It's like "Netflix and chill" but with yourself and you have to do it for 110 hours. And with that, the FFXIV MSQ is a great advertisement for other games that people play instead. Isn't that what Yoshida wants anyway?

[Saraide]

MMO players will find something bad in everything. Not being forced to play 203984572039587 different characters to be able to do everything? Uhm that's bad actually sweaty.

[Deceptus]

Trying to go through what is going on 9 years worth of story in a short time is a pretty bad idea. Can some still be trimmed? Sure, but the story is one of the main selling points of the game.

If you don't like it, maybe the game isn't for you.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Trying to go through what is going on 9 years worth of story in a short time is a pretty bad idea. Can some still be trimmed? Sure, but the story is one of the main selling points of the game.

If you don't like it, maybe the game isn't for you.

The impression I got from their initial post is that they're apparently trying to essentially speed run alt's into endgame content.

[Simple_Barghest]

The impression I got from their initial post is that they're apparently trying to essentially speed run alt's into endgame content.

Alts are another thing this game really... REALLY doesn't like you investing in.
Sometimes it feels like the other character slots are more obligatory "this is an MMO so obviously they have to have these options" than something that functions. I appreciate being able to get all the things on one character, but conversely it seems like they should've just left it at that. Let you make the one character that you can get all the things on, and don't bother with having other character slots.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

I dont see the point of having an Alt anyway. Other then RP (Not Erp, thats a seperate thing you weirdos)
Like you can do everything on 1 character, you dont need to have multiple characters for multiple Professions. So other then RP: just simply being in a different skin, what is the point?

[CStrife912]

I am all for say one alt on a service account can get access to a story skip for free at the most. I think they also need to go through their MSQ and trim another 15/20% of the quests or do what they did in 5.3 and take some and move them to side quests if applicable. In regards to voice acting I mean the more they do the better however I bet people going on about how much cutscenes etc they have… just cause you want voice acted scenes doesn’t mean you’ll like to go through over 100 hours worth haha.

I know it’s 2023 and times have changed but man people’s attention spans have dropped if they somehow just can’t read and be engaged that way….if that’s the case books are going to die off/s

[Musashidon]

30 days to do the main story makes sense when you consider people watching and reading the storyline, but why if you skip it? the story is like 2 days at most per expansion if you are skipping cutscenes and honestly you can go even fast if you just put up a PF for all content til 80 and ask for someone to carry your alts for free first time bonus which people are always happy to do, as the only parts that actually take a lot of time are cutscenes and side quest.

having multiple charactes myself (which i made simply for the free like 10mil you get from doing every quest from lvl 1-90) i really only take like 8 hours an expansion if just steam roll it or 20 if i choose to do all the quests.

[Simple_Barghest]

I dont see the point of having an Alt anyway. Other then RP (Not Erp, thats a seperate thing you weirdos)
Like you can do everything on 1 character, you dont need to have multiple characters for multiple Professions. So other then RP: just simply being in a different skin, what is the point?

No benefit to having multiple character slots. Hell, you own a House on one character and your alts are blocked from also having houses, but CAN'T access or benefit from the House on your main character. Also can't readily send mail between characters on one account, mounts and minions on one character will not track to another.
I used to like setting up alt characters in other MMOs just to explore other character concepts (as you mentioned, RP), but here even if you want other WoLs for RP purposes it's all just. The story flows the same no matter what character you try and set up, there's genuinely no difference. You slog through the same story, the Scions have the exact same responses, and your race, sex, and job combos don't impact anything at all.

Edit: Clarifying on the House sentence: I agree with limiting houses to 1-per-Account. But in exchange, letting all the characters ON a given account access that house and the benefits of it should've been rolled with it. Right now it just contributes to the thing I mentioned before of "this game is clearly meant for you to focus hard on one particular character, and the other slots are obligatory."

[SannaR]

I dont see the point of having an Alt anyway. Other then RP (Not Erp, thats a seperate thing you weirdos)
Like you can do everything on 1 character, you dont need to have multiple characters for multiple Professions. So other then RP: just simply being in a different skin, what is the point?

Doing splits in raiding is the only other thing I see the most. That and attending weddings if they're not being held on your home server. Then some people like Atelier like to run an alt through the story as a refresher. Or to do it as another race as see any nods to that race or if they're not touching side content how some CSes look like without certain boxes checked off.

I got the impression that they weren't trying to speed run an alt unless they're posting on an alt that hasn't caught up and are just trying to speed run what they might have left of ShB and all of 60-6.3 which unless that is how you enjoy stuff I wouldn't suggest people to do. Now I don't know how DQ10 was with its story, but if it's anything like all the others then I'm kind of glad they didn't open it up to anyone outside of Japan. As that series tends to be worse when it comes to story heavy. To the point they try to add another game's worth of story after you defeat the bad guy who had been pestering you the whole time. Think FF VI if the world of Ruin story wise as as long if not longer than the World of Balance took to get through and that's practically most Dragon Quest games.

Edit: I mention Dragon Qest to show that Square Enix loves to make games heavy with story. That the company's biggest two franchises tend to be the ones that like to cram a mega ton of story into your head.