MSQ should NOT give EXP!

[TGZero]

I never liked the fact that you can level just by talking to NPCs.. I get zero satisfaction on gaining levels when doing the MSQ.. unlike in FF 11, leveling felt honorable. We felt pround getting each level.

EXP should be earned by combat and combat only.

Lol get a load of this fella! The "Warrior King" wants leveling to feel "honorable"!

Get outta here with that bs, boy!

1. Old fashioned grinding is a sure fire to lose players.

2. I don't think I can take anyone who calls his character "Lord" seriously.

Let's just call you "Raz". The Raz-ma-taz who ain't got no jazz!

[Voross]

Nothing I hate more than "You need to be level XX to continue the MSQ" messages. It was terrible in ARR, going back to it is a horrible idea. So bad in fact that I'm sure this post is just bait. Only thing I can agree on is that the xp gain shouldn't scale with [Road to 90] buffs, etc.

[Absurdity]

There is a big difference between mindless mob grinding for EXP and having to actually do more than run from MSQ to MSQ until max level.
I remember having to engage with other parts of the MMO before I return to walking from NPC A to NPC B to watch a cutscene rather fondly.

Big fate trains in Central Coerthas whenever Svara's Fall was up.
Actually seeing people outside in the world. Be that for fates, leve quests or even side quests (when was the last time you did any of those?).

When the game at least tried to make "the journey" about more than funneling you from single-player story segment to single-player story segment.

[LanceSummers]

Leveling is usually considered a core element of RPGs, I'm aware of this yet I still disagree. When I think RPG I think immersive experience above anything else. XP bars don't contribute to that and often take away from the illusion.

I'm not asking for levels to be taken away from games in which they are established despite by opinion though. That would only disappoint the existing fanbase that is in favor of them.

While I'm posting, and since I didn't clearly state it in my original post, I'm also very much against the idea of stripping the MSQ of XP and making the level grind any longer.

Levelling is one of my favorite staples of the RPG genre and I absolutely do not want it stripped away to appeal to ultracasuals who don't even play RPGs. There are already adventure games that have no levelling, like Breath of the Wild, if you want a non-levelling experience play that... But I just think levelling is one of the best part of RPGs. I would never go without it.

[VeyaAkemi]

There are already adventure games that have no levelling, like Breath of the Wild

I would argue that BotW/TotK do have a form of leveling in Shrines/heart and stamina upgrades, it is less impactful than direct stats, but they massively influence your ability to play the game, even your ability to do damage, more Stamina means more damage and all.

[Absurdity]

Levelling is really just what the first pen & paper RPGs came up with to simulate a character growing, learning new skills in life and becoming more proficient at them.
So you could absolutely replace increasing your level to an arbitrary number to gain more skills and make numbers go up with something else.

You can see attempts at it in games like Guild Wars 2, ESO or even Skyrim.
Reward abilities through quests (which XIV already does in a very limited capacity but those still come with a level requirement), through exploration, through challenges, through sheer repetition of whatever you want to get better at, etc.
Although you will probably never quite get rid of having to fill up a bar, whether that's called experience or something else, and it's very unlikely to see a fundamental change like that in XIV.

[ForsakenRoe]

I never liked the fact that you can level just by talking to NPCs.. I get zero satisfaction on gaining levels when doing the MSQ.. unlike in FF 11, leveling felt honorable. We felt pround getting each level.

EXP should be earned by combat and combat only.

We already tried this, with Eureka. The vast majority of players levelled via FateTrains because the FF11 style 'chain mobs' method was not rewarding compared to the effort it required of the players.

When Pagos first released, and FateTrains didn't work as well, many players did not say 'oh I guess we'll have to level by Chaining', they just said 'sod this until the next zone releases, and this one gets nerfed, because this isn't worth the effort/time currently'

If you are looking for 'you must kill thousands of mobs to level' gameplay, you might want to try a different MMO that was designed that way from the start, like RuneScape. Or FF11, since you make the comparison and it's still online

[CNitsah]

As much as I disagree with the no xp thing, I for the whole "less xp" thing. So you're just short of a few activities here and there, that a few fates and side quest would fill. I feel like one of the reason the overworld feels so empty is that, even when you come the first time, you can completely ignore it. No wonder people feel like the world is just a stage set for the MSQ, the games does everything in its power so you don't interact with it.

[AstreMcClain]

It's pretty standard for any MMORPG to give EXP for doing quests.

I liked the FF11 style and that's why I liked leveling in Eureka by just killing enemies and nothing else. I literally just killed enemeis. I didn't even do the challenge log or NMs until around level 12.

But I'm a minority. Most people hated the idea of that and went right for the most efficient method of the challenge log. Many avoided Eureka, while others only did it because the challenge log existed to speed it up.

It's just not popular among players for leveling to take ages like that.

YES. I HATE Leveling by just kills in MMO's, I also Hate De-Leveling because of getting K.O.'d or returning. I de-leveled about Seven Times in My Eureka run and quit before I even finished one relic.

It's good that some people like that BUT PLEASE keep FFXI IN FFXI. I'm not saying this to be hateful by any means but 99% of the time when people want more content like that, they just want FFXI - 2 or FFXI but with improved graphics (Which realistically most likely isn't going to happen- but I digress).

It's good to love a game so much you want more- that's called being a fan, but it starts to turn toxic when that's ALL you want the company to do. I wanted a Break from Open World Exploration so I was THRILLED when Manderville Relics were a thing. It was a breath of fresh air- One that I sorely needed in order to not feel relics becoming bland content that's just Slightly different. Like you said, Not everyone is into age-long leveling. I think the biggest issue people had with the Manderville Relics WERE that you either had ages of content to get through OR they were just Poetics. (I would like to point out that there's nothing Poetics are needed for in End Game and most likely will be capped unless SOMETHING was purchasable and when you get to endgame, poetics are no longer needed; So I can see why they did use poetics).

We don't need an Open World Exploration Zone Each Expansion, It takes up a lot of resources just to make a small fraction that makes FFXI players content when that time and resource could be better spent on Limited Jobs, or Rewards for Content already out etc etc. It's not a matter of Manpower, but Money and where it goes, creating the systems and making "New" exp types... That all takes time and money, a lot more than what one might think BECAUSE it's a different battle experience all-together. As long as they see people wanting OWE Content like FFXI, They're going to keep making it and not much else for End Game content.

[Gwenkatsu]

I also Hate De-Leveling because of getting K.O.'d or returning. I de-leveled about Seven Times in My Eureka run and quit before I even finished one relic.

And I thought I was the only person on this planet who avoids field operations, simply for this one "feature"