Please Allow 50's to Enter Ishgard w/o having completed MSQ

[Alish]

I think we're all not thinking about this in the correct way, so here is the way I see it. I don't think a content-lock would have been put in place without some serious thought put behind it, so let me explain.

Everything we've done in this game has always been finely tuned, refined & catered toward players of a specific ilvl range. Everyone seems to forget that ilvl requirements have been a thing in this game for a really long time, and no one seemed to care about that.

We've also had 5 major content updates, all raising the bar at the same level cap of 50. Obviously there is going to be a HUGE gap in someone who is i130 versus someone who is a fresh 50 in i50-60 gear. So lets take this i50-60 geared individual, lets throw them in a 2.4/2.5 dungeon or what ever and now lets see how they deal with content not fully understanding their skill-set, rotations, or even simple mechanics. They can't even do Titan HM in that gear let alone stay alive due to lack of experience with said mechanics.

Now think of HW in the same light, do you really think a fresh 50 stepping foot into Ishgard / exploring new HW content with this skill-set & gear is a good idea? Most of them would be miserable if anything. I would presume HW has been catered & balanced around Steps of Faith ilvl requirements (which is around i90).

So how did SE decide to get around this? Sure content-gating is a thing, but for good reason. It has been said numerous times how SE plans to get around this. For one, main-scenario quest will yield a much higher exp gain than ever before. This means newer players will be stepping into HW content above the current level cap of 50. All the main-scenario quest are now also going to yield meaningful gear rewards as well, so when those new players do finish 2.55 main-scenario quest they will be more than ready & prepared to meet the challenges of HW.

This route also prolongs the lifespan of the current content that will now be obsolete to most of us by the time HW launches. I've had a hell of an experience on this game when 2.0 relaunched, I would hope that others get to have those experiences as well. A new 50 joining the game as it is now has an IMMENSE amount of content available to them as it is now. You should value the experience of newer players, they've not seen or played through the things we have. If we allow them to bypass all of that would you really want those players running the same dungeons & potentially raiding with you?

So what about the current level 50s that are returning after having quit? Honestly I don't think it will take long for them to power through main-scenario quests. Sure some may not make it by HW launch, but I also don't understand what the rush is. No real meaningful content will be available to us until 2 weeks / 4 weeks post HW launch. Everyone is going to have plenty of time to prepare and get ready for it. If they/anyone are so concerned about being that first level 60 on a new class, guess what, this wouldn't be a problem for them then would it?

Now what about the new jobs also being locked? Well for one all the new classes start at level 30 but require access to Ishgard to unlock them, meaning a player will have to be level 50 at the minimum to even access them, that being said do you expect someone completely unfamiliar to the game to be able to pick up and play a level 30 class? I wouldn't think so, and neither should any of you.

Anyway thats my two cents.

[Alacran]

To all those that want this to be a feature, why are you playing Final fantasy XIV? Seriously the franchise is known for it's story lines, people who are asking to cut that very thing out just seem to make absolutely no sense. So very many aspects of this game are amazing but in the end there is very few things that make it revolutionary ( save perhaps for it's amazing story line inclusion to a mmorpg ). Those those that pay monthly for this game purposely let the developers know in no uncertain terms, this is what we want, this is the setting, characters, story, graphics, environment. Wanting to skip this means your here spending money on what exactly? What keeps you in Erozea, Final Fantasy XIV, if not the way it is meant to be played?

My simple mind can only surmise, if one wants to be able skip through gated content, achieve end game status/ perks for themselves with little to no effort, then truly your not here to play FFXIV, not really.

There are many other games out there with better graphics (debatable), combat systems (debatable), story line (heh, who am I kidding WoW's attempt still makes me laugh, yeah i'm biased this one is the best imo), at this point it really seems like people are just jumping on to the band wagon so many of us have been leading for years... and upset they don't have better seats. Yeah the popularity of this game is soaring, it's obvious people are clamoring to get in to. Starting as everyone else does is not a punishment, the new jobs are not new roles that currently do not exist when you choose your first class, in fact you need those new classes to make the most of the new jobs, as they are intrinsically tied to each other via cross class skills. Using the fact that many want to play as an Astrologian, Dark Knight, or Machinist is less than a weak argument. You don't run before you walk, you don't get to be something more advanced before you learn basics, something the MSQ inherently teaches you.

It's a bit out of context but seriously just listen to the lyrics of the opening... " Look to those who walked before to leads those who walk after..."
It's just a game i know, but seriously some of these request would simply, idiotically, change this game and not in the way people who want to keep playing Final Fantasy XIV would enjoy.

[Nestama]

Now what about the new jobs also being locked? Well for one all the new classes start at level 30, that being said do you expect someone completely unfamiliar to the game to be able to pick up and play a level 30 class? I wouldn't think so, and neither should any of you.

A bit confused about this. Are you implying they get to start on the level 30 Job on the get go, or after they get a class to 30 and 15?
What's so wrong about giving newbies more job options to play when they hit level 30?

[Alish]

A bit confused about this. Are you implying they get to start on the level 30 Job on the get go, or after they get a class to 30 and 15?

All the new classes start at level 30 outright. But you are required to have access to HW to access them.

[Samcaesar]

Snip

Some folks might want to play as an Au Ra through their first run through Eorzea. Alternatively they've got the extra money to buy it now, but might not in the future so they're buying it while they can.

I mean, IMHO WoW did this stuff better, as long as you had actually bought the expansion you could go to Outlands or Northrend, you couldn't do stuff there, but you could. Considering WoW is even less DoH/DoL based than FFXIV, there isn't a proper excuse. Story based or not, there's alternative things SE could do to allow DoH/DoL into Ishgard but they chose not too.

Oh and don't say "If you like WoW better the doors that way" It's condescending and doesn't properly answer the issue. WoW can do some things better just as FFXIV does a lot of things better.

[Madruck]

To the OP: Look at it like this, I can understand your frustration....but this does 2 things that help the community as whole. First, now the in-game market is going to be strongly top base as it should be....why you ask? Because now gil sellers will have to grind a toon all the way to 50 to gain access to the new crafting materials by doing the MSQ.....is it a fix....by far no, but it surely is one heck of a roadblock that I can truly see! Second, I do not want to relive my days in WoW in where once you got to level 58 there was a influx of bad tanks in-game with players going as a Death Knight that had no clue how to tank....if you were there like I was as I know some of you were....you remember those times and it stunk!!!! Lastly, there are plenty of games out there for people with solely interested in just crafting: Minecraft, DayZ, and numerous others.....Final Fantasy is a story based game as it has been since FF1 in 1987. If you only play the game for crafting.....maybe you should look at other multiplayer games out there that its sole focus is that which may better suit you, but whatever you choose.....good luck to you.

[Gyson]

I feel sorry for new players who have to go through the entire main quest just to get into the expansion.

Yes, how horrible it must be for a new player to try out FFXIV, find themselves thinking "this game fun enough to subscribe to and continue playing" and then having loads of untouched content ahead of them to enjoy. Clearly the core game is trash and the only game worth playing rests beyond the borders of Ishgard.

[Higashikata]

Oh no!

Story requirements in a story based franchise!

In other news, water still wet.

[Raist]

With that philosophy then no one should be able to raid any content or do any dungeons until they have finished all the raids and dungeons up to HW.

Depends on what those raids are built around. If they are standalone and specific to Ishgard lore, then not so much---those with access to Ishgard should be able to access them once they meet the Heavensward requirements. But... if it is an extension of something like the Allaghan stories (CT/ST/WoD line...stories around Cid, G'raha, Nero--remember there are loose ends there), then yes... they should run that older content first before unlocking new content along that path.

[Nestama]

All the new classes start at level 30 outright. But you are required to have access to HW to access them.

Has SE stated you still need X class at 30 and 15 to play as the new Jobs? or will they be the only Jobs in the game where you can just walk into a building and instantly have a level 30 tanking, healing and/or DPS Job?