Unlocking Content

[SirDiscoFrog]

Yes I would have, because 99% of the time people skip the cutscenes and could care less about the lore of a dungeon they just want to run it for the tomes or drops.

That is typically after one has beaten it already. Plus not a lot of endgame dungeons or trials have lore related CSes for a handful of Main Scenario dungeons and Coils. Most who are farming for tomes or gear are doing content they have done already before. No one would want to see Shiva gracefully spin into action for the 77th time, no matter how fabulous she is.

You guys are really focusing on the wrong part here its not about the story.

However you want content to be unlocked by leveling, some of which follows a linear narrative hence the below comment.

that would be boring. It would remove the stories behind those dungeons and trials.
Would you really want the Gilgamesh fight without the Hildibrand story?
Tam Tara hard without the story around Edda?
Shiva without meeting Iceheart?

Also in an attempt to validate your point you continue insulting the quality of FFXIV's story to which for many is what grabbed their attention in the first place. (And considering Edda, a minor character who shows up in the Main Scenario Quest only a couple times, was liked so much that SE expanded her story and made a dungeon that revolved around her to show what happens to her afterwards, I think theres a bit more than just 1% whose interested in the story)

For example one of the things you want unlocked is T5 and T9, which skipping over those skips over vital story that leads into the next coil. You'll be in T13 wondering "How the hell did I even get here? Didn't something happen to Bahamut during the Calamity....but if he is alive why didnt he just blow us up again....wait how am I even fighting him GAH." While yes many raiders skip over it for farming, there are plenty who do actually watch the cutscenes for their first time to see what is happening. One of the appealing things about the Coils is that the story does reveal tid bits of extra information on Bahamut, the Calamity, as well as how exactly everyone was saved. Plus Coil cut-scenes are not complained over, its mainly CT/ST/WoD and the last 2 2.0 Main Scenario 8 man dungeons that have people complaining about watching cut-scenes.

In terms of EXs and other trials that do not have much story attached to them, that reasoning is simple. Its more so a difficulty reasoning. If you cant handle mechanics in Garuda EX, you wont be able to handle Titan EX. If you cant handle Titan EX you wont be able to handle Ifirt EX. Once you beat the primary trio, you should be able to handle Levi EX and Moggle Mog EX, then Rahmu EX, etc. Without gates there would be less reason for doing content. Why even try 1st of 2nd Coils if you can skip to the Final one? Some do it for competition sake but it gives more reason. At least Coil wise its only T5 and T9 vs having to do them all one at a time to unlock the others.