Why does this game still cater to exploiters and cheaters?

[Eight]

You want to end PL then find a way to let people of different levels play with each other simple. It's gotten to the point where there are so many 50's that any new player who asks for help alot of the time are ignored unless they want a 50 plowing through whatever it is they are doing.For many new players the choice of running around playing by yourself or getting PL to join everyone isn't a hard decision. This game isn't terribly exciting by yourself.

[Preypacer]

You want to end PL then find a way to let people of different levels play with each other simple. It's gotten to the point where there are so many 50's that any new player who asks for help alot of the time are ignored unless they want a 50 plowing through whatever it is they are doing.For many new players the choice of running around playing by yourself or getting PL to join everyone isn't a hard decision. This game isn't terribly exciting by yourself.

So that's the excuse for PL'ing now, then?

What was it, then, when no one was level 50 yet?

Many people PL because for some reason they believe that MMOs are a race to the end-game. It's not just in XIV. It's in every MMO. Meanwhile, they can't figure out why they're bored and spend all their time repeating the same few dungeons over and over again while they wait for new content to come out.

Remind them that there's 50 (or more, depending on the MMO) levels of content that they raced past, and they say "yeah but that's just useless filler to slow you down. MMOs are all about end-game", or some other self-validating response. And that's not me making assumptions. I've seen many people defending PL'ing with that exact argument.

And every single time, without fail, you see the same people at end game complaining about not enough to do, the game not having enough content, the devs being too slow to add new stuff, etc.

Here's what I'm waiting for, and you can call this a prediction if you like.

2.0 launches and everyone who was in a race to get all the classes/jobs to 50 before it does will blast straight to all the end-game content, get through it and be in the same exact position they are now. Then you'll start seeing the complaints by all the level 50s, bored out of their minds, wondering why they don't have more to do. Oh sure they could go through all the lower level content, but they'll be so grossly out-leveled for it that it won't bring them any challenge, nor any reward that's even as good as what they already have. They'll be right back in the same situation they are now, and they'll blame SE for it, calling 2.0 a failure.

Anytime someone comes back and suggests that they not PL through everything and experience more of the content, they'll become horribly offended and indignant. You'll see further self-validating utterances as "just because you suck at leveling...", while the point and wisdom of the suggestion given to them flies completely over their head. They'll be too busy blaming SE for their own self-defeating gameplay choices.

"But they can make alts" you might say. Sure. They can make alts, with which they proceed to do exactly the same thing... skipping past most of the content to get the Alt to level 50 as fast as possible...

Again, call it a prediction.

For myself? I intend to have at least one, maybe 2 jobs to 50 by 2.0. I'm deliberately keeping most of my classes/jobs for after 2.0 so I can experience all the content, from level 1 up, at the intended challenge level instead of leaving myself with only high level/end-game content to do, then wondering why I'm so bored after I've blown through it all.

It absolutely is the players' choice on how quickly they level their characters. However, when they predictably find themselves in the same situation every time - bored out of their minds waiting for new high-end content to be added - they don't figure it out. It's like they can't help themselves, they get into a MMO and everything else disappears except "getting level 50 and completing end-game content as fast as possible".

Now, I personally don't care if people PL. If they want to trivialize the experience of playing a MMO and skip past all the content in some race toward a finish line that doesn't exist other than for their own ego... that's their business. I'm just waiting to be blown away the day someone comes out and, instead of blaming SE for their own choices and playstyle, says "you know, I've realized that by PL'ing past everything, I'm really screwing over my own long-term enjoyment". I just hope I'm sitting down when/if it happens.

[Ingolf]

So that's the excuse for PL'ing now, then?

What was it, then, when no one was level 50 yet?

Many people PL because for some reason they believe that MMOs are a race to the end-game. It's not just in XIV. It's in every MMO. Meanwhile, they can't figure out why they're bored and spend all their time repeating the same few dungeons over and over again while they wait for new content to come out.

Remind them that there's 50 (or more, depending on the MMO) levels of content that they raced past, and they say "yeah but that's just useless filler to slow you down. MMOs are all about end-game", or some other self-validating response. And that's not me making assumptions. I've seen many people defending PL'ing with that exact argument.

And every single time, without fail, you see the same people at end game complaining about not enough to do, the game not having enough content, the devs being too slow to add new stuff, etc.

Here's what I'm waiting for, and you can call this a prediction if you like.

2.0 launches and everyone who was in a race to get all the classes/jobs to 50 before it does will blast straight to all the end-game content, get through it and be in the same exact position they are now. Then you'll start seeing the complaints by all the level 50s, bored out of their minds, wondering why they don't have more to do. Oh sure they could go through all the lower level content, but they'll be so grossly out-leveled for it that it won't bring them any challenge, nor any reward that's even as good as what they already have. They'll be right back in the same situation they are now, and they'll blame SE for it, calling 2.0 a failure.

Anytime someone comes back and suggests that they not PL through everything and experience more of the content, they'll become horribly offended and indignant. You'll see further self-validating utterances as "just because you suck at leveling...", while the point and wisdom of the suggestion given to them flies completely over their head. They'll be too busy blaming SE for their own self-defeating gameplay choices.

"But they can make alts" you might say. Sure. They can make alts, with which they proceed to do exactly the same thing... skipping past most of the content to get the Alt to level 50 as fast as possible...

Again, call it a prediction.

For myself? I intend to have at least one, maybe 2 jobs to 50 by 2.0. I'm deliberately keeping most of my classes/jobs for after 2.0 so I can experience all the content, from level 1 up, at the intended challenge level instead of leaving myself with only high level/end-game content to do, then wondering why I'm so bored after I've blown through it all.

It absolutely is the players' choice on how quickly they level their characters. However, when they predictably find themselves in the same situation every time - bored out of their minds waiting for new high-end content to be added - they don't figure it out. It's like they can't help themselves, they get into a MMO and everything else disappears except "getting level 50 and completing end-game content as fast as possible".

Now, I personally don't care if people PL. If they want to trivialize the experience of playing a MMO and skip past all the content in some race toward a finish line that doesn't exist other than for their own ego... that's their business. I'm just waiting to be blown away the day someone comes out and, instead of blaming SE for their own choices and playstyle, says "you know, I've realized that by PL'ing past everything, I'm really screwing over my own long-term enjoyment". I just hope I'm sitting down when/if it happens.

Endlessly grinding mobs =/= new content. No matter which way you slice it, Grinding on mobs at 20 is the exact same as grinding on mobs at 40, with some slightly new abilities thrown into the mix.

I have no problem with people who want to be PL'd, I don't personally do it (apart from on classes I need to get to a certain level, and I don't enjoy at all).

If there was more interesting low level content, then people would feel more inclined to do things at a lower level. If there was a level sync system, then people would be more inclined to party up with a friend, instead of PLing them. You can blame players to a certain extent, but it all comes down to how much content there is, and as it stands, most of the content is for level 50 players.