Can't Access 3.0 until you complete 2.0-2.55

[Alberel]

A new player will be starting at level 1. They will do the 2.0 story to level to 50, at which point they will only have to do the 2.1-2.5 story to unlock 3.0 (and those parts of the story do not take long at all).

Going forward a new player starting in 4.0 will do the 3.0 story to level to 60, exactly as we are about to.

The story is only really gating things if a player is lazy and doesn't use the story to level. If you just follow the story you will unlock everything as you would reach the right level to do it anyway. What point is there to having 3.0 be accessible without completing the 2.x story when the only people that won't have completed it will be sub-50 and unable to do anything in the 3.0 areas anyway?

[Reynhart]

What point is there to having 3.0 be accessible without completing the 2.x story when the only people that won't have completed it will be sub-50 and unable to do anything in the 3.0 areas anyway?

What point is there to bring those people in 3.0 when they will still be inexperienced and underleveld for everything, and still have plenty on content to do in ARR ?
Apart from throwing the lore out of the window ?

[Adelard]

Heard that they auto level new characters in WoW, so you can play the new expansion. Hope SE never ever go down that route.

[DracotheDragon]

Heard that they auto level new characters in WoW, so you can play the new expansion. Hope SE never ever go down that route.

they didn't do it with FFXI i bought the version with ALL the expantions including its new one, and i have to start from level 1 (dungeons in that game are a major pain in the butt due to no body playing the game D: )

so i would highly doubt they would do it to FFXIV besides i would say 2.0 to 2.55
skipping all cutscenes would take 3 days watching all cutscenes (as you should) i would say about a week and a half if you do nothing else

[Ilitsa]

Heard that they auto level new characters in WoW, so you can play the new expansion. Hope SE never ever go down that route.

10 years of expansions makes it make some sense, SOME, also you get one free boosted character when you buy the Warlords expansion (Level 90-100), and if you wish to boost any character after that, it's 60.00 each, they don't just auto-boost any newly made character.

That being said, it's one of the things that made me leave that game, and I, too hope SE doesn't do it ever XD

[Adelard]

10 years of expansions makes it make some sense, SOME, also you get one free boosted character when you buy the Warlords expansion (Level 90-100), and if you wish to boost any character after that, it's 60.00 each, they don't just auto-boost any newly made character.

That being said, it's one of the things that made me leave that game, and I, too hope SE doesn't do it ever XD

Yeah it's just a really bad idea, as some people have worked hard to level their characters and a new player could just boost and skip all the old content. What were they thinking? I don't think they considered how it would affect current subscribers.

[TruebladeNuke]

I personally don't have any problems with this. In fact, that's probably because I kinda expected this to happen, given the way the main story is going. How odd would it be to try starting directly in 3.0 content with no understanding (nor even going through) of the main story content from 2.0?

My only question is if we'll be able to march into the new fields anyway, with just the main story content locked out to those players, and still be able to explore the new fields anyway. I could see it being like an old school game for the lower leveled and geared players where wandering into a new zone results in being overkilled by monsters that you suddenly find to be way beyond you at the time.

But eh, all we can do is speculate right now.

[BLaCKnBLu3B3RRY]

hello. i m sorry, but i only skimmed through here. maybe someone can answer me this?

what all can players NOT access in 3.0 before complete the main-scenario in 2.0? like i understand not being able to access main-scenario content. but can't we at least visit some areas? or do a sub-quest?

[DracotheDragon]

hello. i m sorry, but i only skimmed through here. maybe someone can answer me this?

what all can players NOT access in 3.0 before complete the main-scenario in 2.0? like i understand not being able to access main-scenario content. but can't we at least visit some areas? or do a sub-quest?

Without completing the main story quests you will be unable to:
Enter ishgaurd
gain accsess to flying mounts (conformed long ago to be a MSQ)
Gain possible accsess to the 3 new classes (machinist guild is located within ishgard but the other 2 locations are unknown)
possibly locked out of Coreathas western highlands and thus Dravania (due to the flying mount mechanic)
enter alexander ((this follows the assumption it is like The bidding coil of bahamut which unlocked after 2.0's MSQ)
Gain accsess to be able to do any side missions that are attached to heavenward from characters relating or with information relating to 'current' events

[BLaCKnBLu3B3RRY]

Without completing the main story quests you will be unable to:
Enter ishgaurd
gain accsess to flying mounts (conformed long ago to be a MSQ)
Gain possible accsess to the 3 new classes (machinist guild is located within ishgard but the other 2 locations are unknown)
possibly locked out of Coreathas western highlands and thus Dravania (due to the flying mount mechanic)
enter alexander ((this follows the assumption it is like The bidding coil of bahamut which unlocked after 2.0's MSQ)
Gain accsess to be able to do any side missions that are attached to heavenward from characters relating or with information relating to 'current' events

this sounds like pretty much everything in 3.0. surely there has to be accessible content that has nothing to do with the main-scenario, right? is there ANYTHING a player can do in 3.0 without fully progressing 2.0? please give me a reason to buy HW and continue playing this game ^_^