Possible level/story jumps....really?

[Shurrikhan]

The community has pretty well proven that the leveling experience in this game offers little guarantee of learning even the main components of one's job; the game offers too little challenge or support (not difficulty reduction, actual support—as in effective learning tools) to provide a useful skill or experience baseline for a level-capped character. As such, I can't see eye to eye with a lot of the major fears I've seen mentioned so far. Now, It seems more than a bit inappropriate to me, in that you can choose to forgo hours of grinding for money, rather similar to if one were to buy a rare market-board collectable off the cash shop, which has closer connections to RMT than I would like. But, I doubt it's going to significantly adjust the percentage of players unfamiliar with their job at level cap. For as many will flounder through their first several encounters after a glimpse at their skills, as many or more will likely be encouraged to seek more thorough third-party help to make up for the levels skipped and will likely arrive at a place of decent play superior to that given by the less-than-optomizing experience of leveling.

[RiceisNice]

Now, It seems more than a bit inappropriate to me, in that you can choose to forgo hours of grinding for money, rather similar to if one were to buy a rare market-board collectable off the cash shop, which has closer connections to RMT than I would like.

The level cap itself is rather generous in regards to exp:time, and if anything it's more on forgoing the time spent on playing courier for 1-50 than an actual grind. But I digress, I still feel its a bit too soon to introduce a boost going into only a second expansion, and would be more in favor of trimming out the fat in the ARR quests.

[Komoritane]

The level cap itself is rather generous in regards to exp:time, and if anything it's more on forgoing the time spent on playing courier for 1-50 than an actual grind. But I digress, I still feel its a bit too soon to introduce a boost going into only a second expansion, and would be more in favor of trimming out the fat in the ARR quests.

ARR story quest reduction would be ideal, but I'm guessing that wouldn't make it to the top of the to-do list for the already resource-constrained dev team. Also, it would probably upset lore junkies if some quests just vanished.

[RiceisNice]

ARR story quest reduction would be ideal, but I'm guessing that wouldn't make it to the top of the to-do list for the already resource-constrained dev team. Also, it would probably upset lore junkies if some quests just vanished.

To be honest, there's quite a bit of fluff in those quests that it's ultimately pointless and adds nothing of value to the lore. Those are the quests I'd like to see prune out. It's not present in 3.0 or the later half of ARR for the most part, but it's atrociously apparentl in pre-50 and 2.1.

[TaranTatsuuchi]

I hate to be that guy, but I will GLADLY point my finger back at FFXI. People these days will disagree how things took too long, but the thing is, it's still kept your attention much longer than anything this game can ever offer. Even people I know that played this game went back to private servers of XI just because of how downhill this game is going. And believe me, I've made a few suggestions of my own. But I am only one voice. A minority that is drowned out by the casuals that want the most useless crap when the game is suffering on content.

I still recall raising a chocobo in ffxi fondly...

[Nestama]

ARR story quest reduction would be ideal, but I'm guessing that wouldn't make it to the top of the to-do list for the already resource-constrained dev team. Also, it would probably upset lore junkies if some quests just vanished.

Make them side-quests (chances are the level jump potion will level only one Class). If certain quests eventually affect the 2.55 ending quests, then slightly change the dialogue (a certain Highlander dies. If you do the side-quest after 2.55, then he dies to something else).

[Shurrikhan]

The level cap itself is rather generous in regards to exp:time, and if anything it's more on forgoing the time spent on playing courier for 1-50 than an actual grind. But I digress, I still feel its a bit too soon to introduce a boost going into only a second expansion, and would be more in favor of trimming out the fat in the ARR quests.

I feel the same way. Leveling was mostly okay, but the post-cap MSQ up 2.5 were littered with largely unnecessary and unsatisfying quests. Some trimming would probably improve the experience outright, while the trimmed now-sidequests could offer a bit more over-leveling for those players who would rather not FATE or dungeon what remains of their quest-less exp gaps until 60.

That said, even pre-50 I remember running playing with highly time-constrained family and friends and outleveling and feeling gated by them even then. That wasn't so bad though, apart from the teleporting about, and running to speak face to face with someone who *just* spoke with you on the phone, even when, finally, not delivering anything. The 2.1-2.5 MSQ, by comparison, nearly caused one to lose interest outright, despite highly enjoying the combat and aesthetics of the game. (Granted, this was back before they revised the 50 dungeons to give exp. He got half a level in total, rather than reaching 53 and then some as one would now. This *might* not have been an issue if done after that change, apart from him feeling like he was holding others back at some points, mostly for dungeons as a DPS queue.)

[ADVSS]

I dont know I'm too invested in the lore already to want story to go by the wayside, however i do agree that even job/class quests do a pitiful job of teaching one to play, for me dungeon experience was probably the best teacher to some degree, but thats only because as i grind dungeons i try to find faster and more efficient ways to clear them for more exp, whether its if im tanking, dpsing, or healing. Not everyone is like this though and very few dungeons actually force you to play optimally, and usually if it is a small dps/tank check.Im not sure what the branching story line means, it sounds like choose your own animus book to do and you get a stat boost for clearing all of it. Eliminating the warrior of light from story, and having control of thancred as a ninja doing x instance or whatever would be weird)but ok for soloplay, still dont like it) and side quests being goods exp? Not really a fan of those either, but whatever it took to get un level-locked to finish story(dungeons) if they made a conclusive end to 3.0 even if they gotta get up to 3.7 just for story patches, then fine im cool with that. Then, like i suggested have a new story focused on years after the events of ARR, and have the quests start at 15[60](if level cap is increased) And just have the new story be the focus, pushing lower levels higher up with exp and if level cap is increased having the 60s level about 1:7 ratio. Everyone following story should hit cap at a similar pace, and you can play with your friends. Or make story insignificant, so story gets as much attention to hildibrand, and since new players wanna know what the game is like for vets, you get to fate and dungeon for alt classes because theres no more story, and you get to grind tomes and raid the rest of time. So enthralling, so engaging,

Now I can understand story being a huge disuasion, but I feel like the veterans should still have something for their dedication and time invested in the game, that cant be written off with a potion or in game item. So Id think that sure skip story, no dont skip levels, and just have the new story take place of 2.x-3.x. Also keep all the dungeons and trialsfor 2x-3x locked behind that optional storyline as well.


Alternatively, i would like the new story to do this, and allow party and syncing in all instances, for several reasons:levelling a new job in 3.0 was about the first few days before i got to take it through the new story, in this case it gives you a chance to try out a new job and level it alongside your newbie friends-
Role learning: Lets face it, being a tank in the 2.x instances was terrible, even as a healer: the main goal is almost always to dps adds. Dunno how many times duty failed as a result of me tanking the mobs to have the npc keep trying to pathetically tank the big guy. In a party with friends a new healer or tank could learn their role alot better if instances catered to their role more than it currently does.The only downside to this approach with new story is "i wanna raids NAO" and if thats the mentality this catch up juice is supposed to cater to...hate to say it but i dont want them in my game