Forcing players through MSQ content makes it un fun.

[BroodingFicus]

I don't have an issue with 3.0's MSQ. But I do with 2.0. Though, only the pre-50 stuff. Everything before 2.1 is such a drag, with 90% of the MSQ being mindnumbing filler. Not exactly this "But FFXIV is all about the story" that people tout. Though, I think 2.1-2.55 is fine. 3.0 is fine. These aren't filler heavy. The 1-49 MSQ is such a chore though and I would love nothing more than to skip it on my alts.

Alas...

Agreed. Still a heavy advocate of it should be an account bound thing between all characters. I'm on my third character I need to get through everything after 1-49 msq so that I can unlock Ishgard and I'm sorry there is nothing 'story' driven about making cross country treks to go get tea leaves or picking up boxes for people that are standing two feet from them anyway. I agree this gets better as it goes along (by Shiva patch its much better) but the first few patches after the original msq are 60% filler quests that are well below something the warrior of light, after all the stuff he/she has done, should have to deal with. Especially NPC's who send you on 30 menial task quests to 'prove' yourself or to show you are useful. I'm the warrior of light. I don't have anything to freakin' prove and how bout you go fight primal's if you think otherwise.

That said maybe new players won't mind...as much? But I think if they sit and try to go through all those patches like most will, it becomes painfully apparent that half of that nonsense was added to keep people from burning the new content in an hour and not to add anything significant to the story. I'm all for story and I love 3.0 and some of the later patches just before it but all those filler quests should be condensed and made optional. That way people who care about helping a certain annoying secretary do nursemaid level stuff can and the rest of us can go on with the important stuff. You know? Like saving the world?

A good point has also been made several times that while this is perhaps not deal breaking right now, but what happens down the road? With work etc I can get through all the filler stuff between original msq and Ishgard in eh, give or take a week if I have a weekend free to play. If not? Two at least. But now you also have 3.0 which is brilliant but eventually I feel like stuff will have to condense a bit. Maybe by 4.0 the post 50 patches should be reduced down? Cut out all non essential fetch this, run here quests. Not sure. I don't see as much of all this in the HW quests but we have yet to get patches so it remains to be seen if these will be padded as well or more focused like the 3.0 msq has been.