Forcing players through MSQ content makes it un fun.

[Subucnimorning]

For an MMO so heavily rooted in it story elements, having people just skip content straight to the next expac is an utter travesty.

I think they could make the ARR MSQ shorter though there are a lot of filler quests that don't add anything to the story, I get why they don't want you to skip right to HW because the story is what FF games are all about.

[karateorangutang]

Ok, let's say I buy the argument that its the fetch quests that make the game bad. Do you even realize what you would be asking of the developers to change it at this point?

Your asking for a complete and utter rewrite of all the quest storyline in a game that is finished for no other reason that to do a few fetch quests. There is story elements in a lot of them and you would have to re-code everything and make sure all those cut-scenes happen in the places where the new quests were given and finished etc.

I don't see this happening.

[Makeda]

So you're one of the people who are upset because this game actually has a plot ergo plot requirements to get to certain checkpoint? Man it's REALLY gonna suck come 4.0 when you have to do 2.0 AND 3.0's content to get to 4.0 isn't it. lol

Actually yes it will. Imagine the burden on new players when that day arrives.

Eventually this will strangle the game's ability to grow. Not yet, but it will only take one more expansion for that moment to be there.

The wiki on this game claims it had 4 million players around this time last year. 5 million now (*). WoW by contrast is now down to between 5 and 6 million. This game is actually on track to be WoW's replacement. But that will only occur if it is accessible enough. It is, right now. But it won't be within 1 expansion unless a very quick way for new players to catch up arrives.

(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_..._subscriptions

[Yesui]

If people don't want to play through the main storyline, why would they pick up a Final Fantasy title?

[MsCroc]

So you're one of the people who are upset because this game actually has a plot ergo plot requirements to get to certain checkpoint? Man it's REALLY gonna suck come 4.0 when you have to do 2.0 AND 3.0's content to get to 4.0 isn't it. lol

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...

[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.

[Vickii]

So far, 1-50, the story has been great, but the actual quests not so much. Like for every big moment, there's at least 20 quests where you have to pick up 8 things off the floor or kill 3 of x. You have a MSQ which is to make stew. Kill 3 hyppogrpyhs. Put them on the stew pot. examine the stew pot. take them off the stew pot.

That isn't story. It's filler

[Subucnimorning]

So far, 1-50, the story has been great, but the actual quests not so much. Like for every big moment, there's at least 20 quests where you have to pick up 8 things off the floor or kill 3 of x. You have a MSQ which is to make stew. Kill 3 hyppogrpyhs. Put them on the stew pot. examine the stew pot. take them off the stew pot.

That isn't story. It's filler

Exactly.

This is the type of thing I think can be taken out of the game and the major story progressing quests left in with a much larger exp bonus to compensate.

[TheJokersWild]

My gripe personally isn't that I have to play all the quests, I could deal with that. For me what is annoying is that I not only have to have a lvl50 but finish all the MSQ. I had stopped playing a few months after initial launch bc i didnt find it as fun and had a 46 pally and read that all i needed was a 50 so thought ok, bought xpac and subed then started and my fault here for not doing more research, to find out i have to do 80+ quests to unlock MCN or DRK. I would be fine with all the quests but i would have enjoyed having the newer classes to play with. I will ride this out because i payed like 50$ for all of this and dont want to waste money, but feel it could have been done differently to welcome new and old players along with those who have been there since the beginning. Heres to hoping theres a MCN buff before i get him leveled up.

[DragonHunterG]

it took me about 80 hours from the very beginning of 2.0 to get into Ishgard 3.0

I skipped all story scenes (for the most part) and played as a GLD/PLD for faster queues for dungeons and other things and a few FATEs to help with leveling.

Overall, 80 hours isn't terrible but yea at times it's a real drudge no doubt about it.