The new jobs / Ishgard city access - yes, again.

[Xenosan]

In order to access Ishgard, you will first need to complete the main scenario quest "Before the Dawn," which will be implemented in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Patch 2.55.

We’ll be adding three new jobs: dark knight, astrologian, and machinist, and they’ll start from level 30. The job quests for each of these three new jobs will be located in Ishgard. If you want to start leveling these jobs as soon as you enter Ishgard, you’ll be able to do so without progressing through the new main scenario story. You’ll have to be at least level 50 for the new main scenario. By accepting the first job quest, you’ll be able to level up along with the story.

Bet on it being gated.

But be hopeful for a surprise, maybe why not

[BroodingFicus]

It is documented. Though I will admit that while I was aware that all the MSQ for HW was locked behind the old stuff along with the new areas, dungeons, etc, I did not realize until about a week ago that I had to wait to do the new jobs as well. I honestly thought the only requirement was that you needed to be at least 30 of one of the existing classes and it seems a lot of other people thought the same.

I do understand the plight. Yes ffxiv is unfriendly to alts. I have never understood that and even less so now that they have released a new race, essentially saying you need to fantasia your existing character or make one of the very things they seem to hate and level from scratch. I had planned to do this but as an Au Ra Astrologian from 30 on. I'm not too pleased about having to be a White Mage through tons of story stuff I've done on three alts already. I never played healer because frankly I find the two existing healer classes boring and I don't enjoy the weapons etc. Just a personal preference. But the new one interests me and I decided it was time I made a healer. Only...I have to play the classes I /don't/ want in order to play it so it does sorta take a bit of the joy out of it all.

It probably wouldn't seem so much of a chore if the story wasn't padded to heck with 'I know you are the warrior of light who just fought a primal but can you please get me some tea?' quest lines that just don't fit. Also, frankly I hate our PC. From what I've seen he is a tool who mostly just stands around alternating between a wide eyed and vaguely angry expression, doing every little ridiculous thing he is asked to do instead of just telling the NPC's to go get their own dang mining tools. He is essentially just a gun everyone else uses and half the people holding it are more interesting than the MSQ portrays the PC to be. When it /does/ matter and he/she /should/ do something? Nope. Forget it. Nothin. Just stands there like a fish. Rper or not, I don't find the MSQ engaging enough to want to repeat it...ever. Let alone as place holder classes I don't intend to keep.

[BlueThunder]

Another thing comes to mind, actually..

A new tank/healer job would mean a lot more people playing those roles in the trials/dungeons from 30-50 for story and quest requirements, and would help a lot in speeding up those queues for a while. We always need more tanks/healers, so all the more reason it's kinda lame to restrict the jobs to those who have already done all of the trials/quests in this range, rather than take advantage of the rush on new jobs to keep the queues smooth for a bit longer. It's only going to take longer as fewer and fewer folks do the 1-50 dungeon/trials.

Excuse me but... Eh... HOW do you think people level up new classes/jobs? DUNGEONS/TRIALS! This point you just brought is completely moot. People that finished 2.55 and want to level up the new jobs will do so by Dungeons and trials because its the quickest way! So those queues will be fast anyways. (For DRKs and ASTs at least)

[Gumbercules]

I wouldn't be surprised if they already have something in mind to change it to where you can enter ishgard at lvl 30. (MSQ still gated behind 2.55) Would fit in too since that's around the lvl the MSQ sends you off to coerthas, don't really need to worry about lvl 30s doing content outta place in the new zones too since they would just get two shot.
On that note though, and i do think its a mistake to some extent, i do not think this will be the case at release. It might be something that gets patched in later on (hopefully soon) Still one can always get a surprise :P

As a current player i know that i can get 1-50 pretty fast just doing the MSQ with hunting log, FATEs, Guildhest first time bonus etc and be done withing a week or so then tack on another week to do the rest up to 2.55, but a new player isn't gonna know this, or will just consider having to wait 2-3 weeks to play a job they want unacceptable.

Not really for/against to be honest, more of an observation :P Mostly just got my attention cuz its currently being discussed in the MMO-C megathread XD

[Losian]

I would still love to get a simple dev response that very clearly defines, for everyone to see, exactly what is required.

Is Au'ra really the ONLY part of the expansion that's accessible without being level 50 and all main scenario quests up to 2.55 done? Because that still isn't 100% perfectly clear and hasn't been officially posted anywhere here on the forums by any SE representative, only mentioned offsite on an interview via after-the-fact correction. It really needs to be far more than clear! Most folks I know who are interested in the expansion, but don't have an active sub but are planning to return, were unaware of any of these requirements at all.. and that's a rather bad impression to leave on someone returning to the game. $40 just for a new race is steep when you expect to have access to the other stuff, too!

[Xenosan]

If they were to dodge the 2.55 gate (but again, all evidence supports that they won't. All but 99.99% confirmed it's gated), they could have the unlock quest be outside the Ishgard gated zone.

What confuses me about the previous SE statement is it makes it sound like the new jobs only have job quests from level 50-60. That's disappointing. I was looking forward to 30,35,40,45,50 quests for lore and story.

We’ll be adding three new jobs: dark knight, astrologian, and machinist, and they’ll start from level 30. The job quests for each of these three new jobs will be located in Ishgard. If you want to start leveling these jobs as soon as you enter Ishgard, you’ll be able to do so without progressing through the new main scenario story. You’ll have to be at least level 50 for the new main scenario. By accepting the first job quest, you’ll be able to level up along with the story.

By 'story' I assume they are referring to 3.0 MSQ (meaning lvl50+). But the first half of the sentence refers to the jobs' first job quest. So in that context the first job quests for the new jobs is at lvl50, not lvl30. Is sad.

[Nanaho]

I wouldn't be surprised if they already have something in mind to change it to where you can enter ishgard at lvl 30. (MSQ still gated behind 2.55) Would fit in too since that's around the lvl the MSQ sends you off to coerthas,

MSQ Sends you to Coerthas, but if you actually read the story youll find out Ishgard is closed. if its all of a suddenly open to everyone without the pre req 2.55 story behind it, none of the story would make any sense. you would be going around killing primals and running around ishgard without any issue, but for some reason the characters in the MSQ are all saying it's closed. that's mixed signals right there if i ever saw it.

As a Lore standpoint, Ishgard being locked behind 2.55 makes a ton of sense, they would have to re write a massive chucnk of the story to make it work, otherwise it just makes no sense.

[BroodingFicus]

As a Lore standpoint, Ishgard being locked behind 2.55 makes a ton of sense, they would have to re write a massive chucnk of the story to make it work, otherwise it just makes no sense.

I understand locking the MSQ for 3.0 behind the gate. I even understand Ishgard itself being locked. But it would not have taken much thought to make the jobs available. Most of the other jobs (bard, warrior etc) were given to you by a single individual through some strange circumstances/coincidence. Why could the same not be done here? Even as a player who has a few characters high enough to access the new areas and the like, I still feel a bit displeased to have purchased an expansion where I cannot be the new classes on the character I want without progressing through the story again.

I also can't really get behind the 'its for lore' reasons wholly because...well we are about to see a huge invasion of Au Ra who are technically supposed to be the PC and therefore have apparently been running about doing all these amazing things with no one noticing horns, scales etc. So that right there technically blows all kinds of things out of the water as far as the MSQ goes. But sometimes its necessary because the MSQ is not the only aspect of the game that should matter in an MMO. We are there to make our own story as much as we are to be told one. Personally if I wanted to be locked down by one narrative all the time I would play a single player game that I don't pay a monthly subscription for. Yes most MMO's have an overarching plot but I have never been as restricted by one as I am in FFXIV. Dungeons etc are all caught up in it. Often times leveling I found myself levels above the dungeon I should have been doing but could not access it because I had not paid enough attention to the story. Unfortunately I had been too busy off having fun without it. At times it feels rather like a nagging parent telling you its time to come inside right in the middle of a really amazing game. Which FFXIV is on most occasions.

Love the game, will continue to play but I won't be advising people to join the game based upon anything HW is promising.

[Losian]

So we've still got over a few weeks til' early release.. and still there is not a single official dev post or announcement anywhere on the Heavensward site, the dev Q&As, nor the forums here.

If the *entirity* of the Heavensward expansion is gated behind level 50/2.55 completion, then please say so and just make it utterly and definitively clear. Everyone is assuming it, and you guys haven't denied it, but that leaves those who don't follow every game interview site still in the dark.

Besides Au'Ra, is the entire expansion pointless to own until 50/2.55, or not? And if so, is there not still time to adjust this before a great deal of people end up annoyed that they paid for something without clearly knowing the restrictions on the content? It should be stated on the Heavensward site and on the store pages.

[papichulo123]

dude just progress thru the story and once you get into ishgard the jobs will be available what is the problem man i doubt they will make getting the new jobs difficult