I remember when I was told....

[Ryuko]

The story for Coil didn't really get super important or revealing until Final Coil, and even then... I wouldn't say you learned anything super amazing until T12 (where that cutscene is from). Actually... to clarify... if you played 1.0, then T9 and the ending cutscene was definitely something you would find relevant. I knew a lot of players who started in ARR who didn't really understand the importance of that cutscene, and were left with more questions than answers...

The story IS relevant (because, well, the whole world was reborn after Bahamut's rampage...), but the main scenario never really focused on that. The fact that the opening video (and introduction to the game) left the viewer wondering what happened... is why some people who haven't done Coil will be upset that they never saw it.

I personally felt like they would eventually nerf mechanics and add echo before releasing Heavensward (just to allow people to finish the story), but releasing this video sort of shows me otherwise... Maybe they want to preserve the difficulty. After all, mechanics in T5 and T9 were never altered -- just more 'forgiving' because you were given echo. Many people are still at the T5 and T9 wall, even now.

As a person who enjoys raiding, I've always empathized with the players who don't have the time or skill to do Coil... because they want to know the resolution to the opening sequence of the game, but they need to be carried or pay for it (ugh) to get the win. I've always been a supporter of 'easier' storymode versions (with no gear or less gear) to let people know the story. I think they're going in a good direction with Alexander's two modes.