Gating the whole expansion

[RogueDarkus]

Don't mind about the story being gated. Just disappointed that I can't access the new jobs until I do the storyline. Not complaining, just left a bit disappointed. But I guess that's what I get for leveling to 50 at the game release and then stop playing until like a week ago, lol. At least I get to learn my class again. :P

[Shai]

I'm not trying to be insensitive because I understand how frustrating this must be. New threads regarding this pop up every hour, so its obviously affecting a good number of people. However, we (the players) have known for at least 3 months that Ishgard and everything beyond it would be gated by the final "Before the Fall" story quest. It was widely available information and as you say "Who would want to pay for an expansion they can't play?" Well, hopefully no one would do that. If you bought the expansion thinking you'd be able to play in the new areas, then you are suffering from not gaining a bit of information about the product before you purchased it. Because the information is out there, and because you've had 3 months (or more) to get ready for this "gated" content, the fault solely lies on you.

You're very welcome to think this is a bad design. You are completely correct to think that people should NOT buy this expansion if they are NOT ready to play it. However, no matter how many of these threads appear, the game is designed the way its designed and it's not some closely guarded secret. Please do research before you purchase products, rather than blame the developers for your failure to do so.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude. I get it's distressing, but please take some personal responsibility here.

[Takfloyd]

There is absolutely no valid reason for the complaint made by this thread and others.

Do you people expect to be able to jump straight to the final dungeon in single-player FF games if you want to, and get pissy when you have to actually play the story to get there?

"b...but wow did it"

Shut up. This isn't soulless garbage like WoW where the "story" consists of boring text dumps in quests that you don't read. if you don't care about story, play a different game. People are so entitled it's disgusting. And besides, the lockout serves more reasons than just story ones. Forcing you to play through the main story also ensures that Heavensward players don't get stuck playing with clueless people who can't even play their job.

[Eye_Gore]

Wait, so what everyone is saying is that there is a story to the game?

[Arixtotle]

Ehhhh, I don't play this game for the story. I've skipped almost all story, and hey, I still like the game. It is a pretty lame decision to lock all new things behind the MSQ. I would say the main content of this expansion is the new race, new fights, new zones, and some new story. People play MMOs for many different reasons.

This game is not made to suit your play style then. Personally, the biggest draw for me for the expansion is the story. Which is the direction the devs go. This game is made for people who care about sorry and that makes it unique. I'd rather it not end up like all the others thank you very much. There are many games that suit your play style. Let us have a game that suits ours.

[Skivvy]

This game is not made to suit your play style then. Personally, the biggest draw for me for the expansion is the story. Which is the direction the devs go. This game is made for people who care about sorry and that makes it unique. I'd rather it not end up like all the others thank you very much. There are many games that suit your play style. Let us have a game that suits ours.

LOL, thanks for the laugh after a hellish day at work. I'm sorry, but this game is not created solely for those who love the FF story-telling. The story is simply one part of this game. If you fail to understand that people are drawn to different aspects of a game, then I just don't know what to say.

[Adire]

LOL, thanks for the laugh after a hellish day at work. I'm sorry, but this game is not created solely for those who love the FF story-telling. The story is simply one part of this game. If you fail to understand that people are drawn to different aspects of a game, then I just don't know what to say.

I second this. Don't care for the story, love just about every other aspect of the game.

I don't ever expect to get very interested in an MMO's story. When it happens, great. If it doesn't oh well, wasn't expecting it. I play MMOs to be part of a living world and for all of that aspect's perks and for gameplay. I play single player games expecting a good story and good gameplay. One person's reasons for playing this game aren't more important and superior to anyone else's reasons, so this notion that "if you don't like the story, you don't need to be here" needs to go.

[Seig345]

[...] For those not interested in the story - and that's a demographic large enough that SE shouldn't be spitting in their faces [...]

LOL, thanks for the laugh after a hellish day at work. I'm sorry, but this game is not created solely for those who love the FF story-telling. The story is simply one part of this game. If you fail to understand that people are drawn to different aspects of a game, then I just don't know what to say.

Again, people are free to be drawn to the game for whatever content they prefer most, but it's quite clear that the game's focus, determined by the people who created the game, is the story. SE isn't spitting in the faces of those who don't care about story by making a game that focuses on story. That simply means they aren't in the intended demographic for the game. Seeing as how content gated behind story has been a part of the game since ARR launched, and that they STILL decided to gate content from the very beginning of Heavensward, it seems clear that SE feels they're making enough money to continue to cater to the demographics they've been catering to since launch.

2.x content is most certainly not irrelevant, assuming that story is part of what you play Final Fantasy XIV for.

[Alipoprocks]

I actually feel a little bit bad for people that quit this game and decided to come back for this expansion. But only a little. It will be difficult to progress in the old content probably for the next 3 weeks because people that are current with the game are enjoying the rewards of sticking with it.

But really, I would expect that the people who quit before and are behind now will quit again anyway, even if they were caught up.