What other MMO has done this, and why does SE think it's a good idea?

[Natsuno]

Do you have a link and/or quote for an interview that they will start in other cities, cause we know that at the very least the machinist guild is in Ishgard. Just wondering for my own curiosity, i enjoy the MSQ

If Ishgard is just a bridge away from a level 30-35 area, I see no problems with the possiblity of all three starting in Ishgard (assuming Lv30 unlock/starting level). They could quite easily gate the Ishgard exits to new areas ala White Tiger Gate in Gridania.

Do not forget also they are adding a mercenary system to help with low level dungeons..

I think that's a completely different thing? The way I understood it is you go in there solo with a squad of NPCs.

It's possible that Ishgard access may be gated via "Before the Dawn" quest purely for people that have pre-ordered. This link is in the preorder section after all.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...82#post2836382
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/a...2&d=1426329252

Once 3.0 hits, it may turn out that Before the Dawn is uncoupled from the whole ARR main story, so that fresh level 50s (or restiction barring access to Isgard are eased so lv30s seeking a new job) can gain access much easier.

[Snugglebutt]

I think that's a completely different thing? The way I understood it is you go in there solo with a squad of NPCs.

Not sure what you mean by completely different thing, the other person was talking about new players being left behind stuck on old low level content, the mercenary system is designed for the sole purpose of helping with low level content like dungeons along side the fact there is a lot of other elements which makes worrying about new players and old content less worry worthy.

It's possible that Ishgard access may be gated via "Before the Dawn" quest purely for people that have pre-ordered. This link is in the preorder section after all.

Once 3.0 hits, it may turn out that Before the Dawn is uncoupled from the whole ARR main story, so that fresh level 50s (or restiction barring access to Isgard are eased so lv30s seeking a new job) can gain access much easier.

I have no idea where you go that idea, it will be gated for all both prior and after launch of 3.0. There is no evidence it will be limited to anything related to pre-orders even in the links you provided. What we currently know is Ishgard is gained access through completion of the main quest, we know this quest will happen after completion of previous main story quest line related to Leviathan and Shiva which highly references Ishgard. We know the new jobs require being level 30+ in one of the current classes, we do not know where the new job quest lines will start but logically we do know it will start in a location that is safe for level 30 class characters to be.

I personally have not see evidence that Ishgard is just a safe bridge distance from Coerthas so I have no idea if that is the case or not but since we do know the quest itself required for unlocking the new zones is level 50+ then there would be no point putting a level 30 job starter NPC behind that locked content.

What makes more sense to me is you level your character or current class to 30, at that stage you can start the new jobs, that new job NPC quest line will need to start in a zone fitting for a level 30 character to be and we know you cannot gain access to the new expansion locations until after level 50 so logically that job NPC will be located outside of Ishgard. What will then probably happen is you will level that job from 30-50 going back and forth to that NPC to gain skills and more including continuing with MSQ as that job but after hit 50 and gained access to Ishgard that job NPC may tell you to go to Ishgard to finish your training where learn the skills between level 50-60. There may well be a guild relating to that job in Ishgard but it would be extremely unlikely you would start the job quest line there when we know the location will be gated behind being level 50+.

[Callinon]

Not sure what you mean by completely different thing, the other person was talking about new players being left behind stuck on old low level content, the mercenary system is designed for the sole purpose of helping with low level content like dungeons along side the fact there is a lot of other elements which makes worrying about new players and old content less worry worthy.

Er, you sure about that? The only type of "mercenary" system I've heard SE talk about is one that helps players without FC airships get to the FC airship areas.

My major concern for gating expansion content behind story completion isn't necessarily how it affects Heavensward, but rather how it affects expansion #5 six or so years down the line.

Think about it this way:

FFXIV is a steady success and keeps releasing new content and new expansions as the years go on. Someone decides they want to pick the game up because a job in expansion 5 caught their eye. Now do they have to go through ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the story content between 2.0 and 6.5 just to get to where the job they actually want to play lives? That's not entirely reasonable.

Now it's possible that job unlocks and things like that would be available in Realm Reborn zones, and that could be a way around this exact problem, but you still run into the problem of such a player needing probable years to catch up to where their friends are playing in the new stuff. Player turnover at that point would be a massive issue as new players can't replace old players quickly enough.

[Natsuno]

Not sure what you mean by completely different thing, the other person was talking about new players being left behind stuck on old low level content, the mercenary system is designed for the sole purpose of helping with low level content like dungeons along side the fact there is a lot of other elements which makes worrying about new players and old content less worry worthy.

The Grand Company system that was spoken of in a live letter (iirc), where you take a squad squad of GC members into a dungeon to level them up. The other that I know of is the ability to go in there at you current level (not level or ilvl synced). This has NOT been confirmed though, they only said they are not ruling it out.

I have no idea where you go that idea, it will be gated for all both prior and after launch of 3.0. There is no evidence it will be limited to anything related to pre-orders even in the links you provided.

In the link I gave it doesn't say anywhere that it would extend beyond 3.0 either. Is schrodinger's cat dead or alive? Has someone from SE expicitly said it would? Can you provide a link to that? Everyone else is busy jumping to their own conclusions and basing it as fact, getting their own ideas on what may or may not happen. There isn't alot of information to go on at this point in time.

I personally have not see evidence that Ishgard is just a safe bridge distance from Coerthas

http://www.finalfantasy.net/wp-conte...hgard-city.jpg

Is this not it?

Er, you sure about that? The only type of "mercenary" system I've heard SE talk about is one that helps players without FC airships get to the FC airship areas.

Ohhh... that merc system. Well that is completely different.

[Felis]

I personally have not see evidence that Ishgard is just a safe bridge distance from Coerthas so I have no idea if that is the case or not but since we do know the quest itself required for unlocking the new zones is level 50+ then there would be no point putting a level 30 job starter NPC behind that locked content.

I think that we get zoned to the other end of the bridge instead of walking the whole bridge. So yes, it is a safe bridge distance away from Central Highlands ^^
But I also believe that the job NPCs will be outside in Central Highlands, not in Ishgard

I see a bridge, I will concede that is evidence there is a maybe bridge connected to Ishgard...I do not see any evidence that bridge does not connect to another zone in between the current Coerthas and the bridge itself though which is why I said I see no evidence you can simply cross a bridge and end up in Ishgard from the current Coerthas zone. I think it is possible there may well be a new expansion zone in between the current Coerthas zone and that bridge.

The bridge begin behind the Gate of Judgement and I doubt they make a whole new zone with only the bridge in it ^^
It will be more like the bridge between La Noscea and Limsa Lominsa, where the players just skip the whole bridge by passing the zone line.

[DoubleT]

you realize that when Rise of the Zilart came out that rank 5 in the story missions was as far as you could get at that time right? So by that stance, it is about the same as this game... Also kind of dumb to say xi didnt lock expansions behind content an then proceed to list several instances on where they in fact did lock expansions behind content.

[Tiggy]

you realize that when Rise of the Zilart came out that rank 5 in the story missions was as far as you could get at that time right? So by that stance, it is about the same as this game... Also kind of dumb to say xi didnt lock expansions behind content an then proceed to list several instances on where they in fact did lock expansions behind content.

It gave me a great laugh too. Not even sure if the OP realized it or not.

[Noxifer]

Like others have said before, 2.55 story quests are level 50, and access to new jobs requires you to be level 30. It simply makes no sense to say "you have to be level 30 in a class to unlock this job... but wait, you need to be level 50 to even get to where that job npc is standing. But you still only need to be level 30 to unlock it."

(...Then again, on the other hand, they locked level 30 glamour prism recipes behind being level 50, too... Not just 'get one class to 50 to unlock glamour', but actually 'you have to be level 50 to read this book which contains level 30 recipes'. So... Meh. I guess it's possible, just... makes no sense.)

[MageBlack]

I'm actually glad its "locked behind story mode" When I played other MMO's i could just go anywhere and i missed out on a lot of content because of it and had no clue what was going on lore wise.

[Kumabear76]

Can I just point out something I find interesting?

Yoshida said that in order to go into Ishgard we had to complete a storyline quest in 2.55, yes?

So... why are we assuming that said quest is at the END of the storyline? Couldn't such a storyline quest be interjected at any point?

Also, in FFXI, there were plenty of expansion areas that were gated by level. Aht Urghan, for example.