So who is NOT getting Heavensward?!

[Twilite]

Sure, I'll still log in on the 19th at 2 AM. SE can't block me or those without the expansion from doing that, as early access only applies to getting into Ishgard proper. I'll continue to craft and level up (slowly) with out the expansion. If I find out that crafting/gathering specializations are gated behind the expansion, which they shouldn't as the guilds are in ARR areas. Then I'll just put my hands up and call it the day and move on.

I'm at a point in videogaming that if expansion/dlc don't add anything substantially different and new to the game, I see at as not worth it.

Everything is gated behind the expansion. Even lvl60/Au Ra creation, though both of them ONLY require the expansion, and not MSQ completion.

[Airget]

Everything is gated behind the expansion. Even lvl60/Au Ra creation, though both of them ONLY require the expansion, and not MSQ completion.

Ya and before anyone chimes in, lv cap restrictions have always been a restriction on MMO's in which expansions have increased a level limit. So don't say that SE is being unfair to not allow people in 2.0 to level up to 60 without 3.0 because a lot of expansion pack MMOs do that.

[Lemuria]

Ya and before anyone chimes in, lv cap restrictions have always been a restriction on MMO's in which expansions have increased a level limit. So don't say that SE is being unfair to not allow people in 2.0 to level up to 60 without 3.0 because a lot of expansion pack MMOs do that.

No, we can still say it's unfair, because it is. I've played a lot of MMO's and none of them have had level restrictions gated behind the expansion. Their reasoning is that level 50 dungeons might become more efficient for experience, which tells me that the higher level dungeons probably won't be giving us all that much or they'll be twice as long for roughly the same gains.

Honestly, the whole XP shenanigans regarding level 60 has really coloured my expectations of the expansion. I'm a strong advocate that expansions should do precisely what they intend, that is to expand on the world, not restrict it. I'm fine with areas you can't access immediately, I'm fine with content that's otherwise unplayable without having the expansion. But when you give everyone access to something (like levelling to 50), then you should do precisely that. A level playing field for all. That means giving ARR players an equal means to hit level 60 through existing content.

Honestly, this stinks of holding players to ransom. It's practically forcing them to get the expansion just to continue their jobs. That's something I can never support, and it's a decision which needs to be reversed before we get in too deep for them to change it. For full disclosure's sake, I do have pre-order access and have already purchased the expansion. This doesn't affect me, but I'll be damned before I support SE screwing over ARR players.

[Colorful]

No, we can still say it's unfair, because it is. I've played a lot of MMO's and none of them have had level restrictions gated behind the expansion..

Which P2P MMOs have you played that don't gate the new level cap behind an expansion?

[Lemuria]

Which P2P MMOs have you played that don't gate the new level cap behind an expansion?

Let me reverse that question by asking you which MMO's you've played which have? Seriously, I've never heard of a game which raises the level cap past it's current level then decides not to allow people in the earlier areas to level up. Experience is experience, no matter where it's earned. There's literally no reason why the level 50 dungeons shouldn't provide experience other than out of spite for not buying the expansion.

Now, if the entire level 60 had been gated off through an Ishgard quest, maybe it would be different. Incidentally, FFXI didn't gate level rises behind expansions either. Once the level cap was raised, the quest was available to anyone, expansion or not. The expansions added plenty of nice areas to get XP faster, sure, but you could still earn XP at the maximum level in earlier zones.

[Colorful]

Let me reverse that question by asking you which MMO's you've played which have?

World of Warcraft and Star Wars the Old Republic. Only P2P MMOs I've played, and SWTOR is F2P now but I've heard it still requires you to pay for the expansion in order to level up. FFXIV is heavily inspired by WoW, and follows the same model. The expansion content is all that really matters once it's out, 2.x content is dated at that point. It's not the endgame, it doesn't lose all of its value but it's not the main game anymore. Most efforts will be spent on 3.x patches, which will be available to expansion owners only.

[Reinha]

Let me reverse that question by asking you which MMO's you've played which have?

World of Warcraft. The level cap raise is mentioned in the list of things you get with the expansion.

Edit. Basically ARR is now over and no new content is going to be added to it, if it follows WoW's model. Patches will be for people who bought Heavensward even if stuff is located in the old world. Personally I think 2 years worth of content is pretty good for any game and well worth the money.

[Rynia]

Now, if the entire level 60 had been gated off through an Ishgard quest, maybe it would be different. Incidentally, FFXI didn't gate level rises behind expansions either. Once the level cap was raised, the quest was available to anyone, expansion or not. The expansions added plenty of nice areas to get XP faster, sure, but you could still earn XP at the maximum level in earlier zones.

If we could get exp in ARR zones to get to 50, people would steamroll WP and AK HM for exp, because people will always take the easiest route to something. If you have a good group, you can completely 100% clear AK HM in about 15-20 minutes. They kinda want people to actually do all the new content they're adding ...

[TitaniaZero]

Let me reverse that question by asking you which MMO's you've played which have? Seriously, I've never heard of a game which raises the level cap past it's current level then decides not to allow people in the earlier areas to level up. Experience is experience, no matter where it's earned. There's literally no reason why the level 50 dungeons shouldn't provide experience other than out of spite for not buying the expansion.

Now, if the entire level 60 had been gated off through an Ishgard quest, maybe it would be different. Incidentally, FFXI didn't gate level rises behind expansions either. Once the level cap was raised, the quest was available to anyone, expansion or not. The expansions added plenty of nice areas to get XP faster, sure, but you could still earn XP at the maximum level in earlier zones.

WoW. Every Expac. With the select few massive wide changes. Like during MoP's run Pandas were available without the expac, but you couldn't get to 90 and you couldn't play Monk either. This trend has been reflected by its earliest with not being able to level to the next level cap, and so on till the current one. WoD having nothing but the level cap gave everything save its zones, and the level.

[Lemuria]

WoW. Every Expac.

Two major differences here. Firstly, in WoW the cap is a hard cap. You literally don't even unlock the ability to level past your cap without the expansion. Secondly, in WoW, once the level cap is 'earned' by getting the expansion, you can still earn experience in earlier areas. It's not like all of your new levels had to be earned in expansion areas only.