Main Scenario Restriction Bloodstorm - Very Very Bad idea.

[Morningstar1337]

I'm not surprised since it looks like the current story is setting up 4.0. Now had the expansion its own isolated story then I can see it only needing 2.x finished. However if it didn't need you to finish any main story or just 2.0, then at what ilevel would the gear start and end at? 3.0 picked it up right after 2.x with a i115 overlap. If 4.0 didn't need 3.0 main story then would the starting equipment and content be back to lv 50 with i150 and be the same level progression as 3.0? Otherwise imagine it not needing 3.0 or 2.0 main story finished but a average of i275 gear on a lv 60 job to access it. If anything that is another way of saying do main story to unlock content that'll get you gear needed to access the content.

My Speculation states an i230 overlap. But this is based on a precedent that like others can be broken easily and already had evidence against it

The dungeons form 50-60 started at i55, then i60, and increasing by 10 from there until i100 by S.X's end (Keeper of the Lake and the Amdapoor Keep/Wanderer's Palace HM) at that time you could get i130 gear best. When HW started there were normal i115 gear while the Dusk Vigil drops i110 gear continuing the pattern of a i10 upgrade per dungeon until the Vault, which has I think i138 gear and is thus an upgrade to everyone at that point.

However the pace of the ilevel upgrade in 2.X dungeons meant that their gear didn't supass the ilevel of the Augmented Ironworks gear and are equal tot Soldiery gear, for comparison's sake that was 2.5. In 3.5 the latest Dungeons now drop gear exceeding the 3rd Tomestone tier. While 3.5's dungeons still won't be able to surpass the equivalent to the Ironworks gear (Shire weapons) by the time this pattern continues then its likely that i270-275 is as you suggested the entry level into Stormblood. Which also menas that any adavntage (In this case not needing gear for the first 6 levels of the expansion) will not happen this time around.

The other precedents I mentioned were how the outdated tome gear was redistributed. The Darklight Gear were direcvt drops in certain dungeons, while tokens for the AF 1.5 gear were given in dungeosn drops in the 3 dungoens afters. Likewise the Soldiery gear were not gotten from Hunt selas. In HW's so far botht he Yasha gear and the AF2 gear are gotten from hunt selas as the dungeons int he respective patches outpaced the gear, making dungeon drops non viable, and I suspect the Eikonic gear will go the same route once Stomeblood released.

The only precedent that might still stand is the 50 Job quest handing out the i90 gear for those that have them, as theya re artifact gear, and to give them a head start in the endgame now that the expansion is out (Plus having the higher tome gear be MSQ rewards), but they might turn around and break that as well by wither giving out the Eikonic gear (to give access to most of the dungeons) or no gear at all (something that seems likely)

[bswpayton]

the thread continues ha

[Allistar]

Why do some people think that you have to be lvl 60 to play or enjoy the expansion...I honestly think that s a bad precedent that they started with HW...any expansion should be fully accessible to anyone willing to purchase it. The expansion should have content for all levels not just level cap.

[Morningstar1337]

Why do some people think that you have to be lvl 60 to play or enjoy the expansion...I honestly think that s a bad precedent that they started with HW...any expansion should be fully accessible to anyone willing to purchase it. The expansion should have content for all levels not just level cap.

MSQ obviously. :P

[Welsper59]

Why do some people think that you have to be lvl 60 to play or enjoy the expansion...I honestly think that s a bad precedent that they started with HW...any expansion should be fully accessible to anyone willing to purchase it. The expansion should have content for all levels not just level cap.

Because the general mentality is that endgame is the only enjoyable part of the game, or at least the only part of the game that "anyone" should focus on getting to. It's like bolstering an army to help you do your thing. XIV is a fairly good example of an MMORPG that isn't only focused on that, but because it's a rarity to find a game doing it, people don't understand the potential enjoyment behind the difference.

Games like WoW, with how they do their story, heavily pad the max level content (including expansion continued leveling) with story. You don't get to the "good stuff" until you hit max level, thus giving the impression that leveling is only that and serves little to no possible purpose. They could have given us Coil as a leveling dungeon, with all the neat rewards and story, and people would still look at it as though it were a chore and pointless to do because it's not endgame. That's just how we generally look at MMORPGs. Nothing matters until you hit max level content.

[Niwashi]

Why do some people think that you have to be lvl 60 to play or enjoy the expansion...I honestly think that s a bad precedent that they started with HW...any expansion should be fully accessible to anyone willing to purchase it. The expansion should have content for all levels not just level cap.

It's certainly valid to have the bulk of the new content be at level cap, but I agree that it shouldn't be all of it. For a game that involves leveling multiple classes, it's pretty short on leveling content, and an expansion provides a great excuse for adding more. They could put in a few new side stories that span the 20's through 40's (but not 50, there's too much of a glut of content there already). Unlock the new jobs at 30 or better yet start them as level 1, unlockable at 10, the same as other classes. That would provide plenty for new players even without a new race (which was the only thing for new players with the last expansion).

MSQ obviously. :P

That's a valid reason for locking the continuation of the MSQ (and everything that goes along with that, from dungeons to regions), but not for locking everything.

[Morningstar1337]

That's a valid reason for locking the continuation of the MSQ (and everything that goes along with that, from dungeons to regions), but not for locking everything.

I should clarify. I agree that it shouldn't be a reason to lock everything, but as Welsper mentioned, it was ingraned into the collective consiousness that Leveling is nothing more than a boring tedious slog. And that everything not at the Level cap would be similar. I feel that they should do new Leveling dungeons in future expansions to help people catch up to the Level cap. Or maybe when they do Standalong xpacs start from 50 and then work you way up while simultaneously offer content in parallel for those that hit the current cap.

Such an expansion would be similar to what we have now. say the level cap was 110 there could be 2 different storyliens for Level 100 players to reach 110 and a separate story line assessable for Level 50 players to reach 60-70 (for those that don't have Heavensward, Stormblood or 5.0, or for Leveling alts). Two parallel MSQs. With Dungeons, Zones, quests, and even Raids accommodating them. And both updating over time with new dungeons and gear and such. Of couse such an endeavor woulod require more people that what the devs would have after 5.0 or even what they have now. But two Parallel "endgames" would be interesting to work with IMO

BTW it was a little late, but they did add the palace of the Dead content that does not need a Level 60 to access (or the expansions beyond the last 10 floors)

[Dzian]

The Main Scenario wouldn't be half as bad if they simply cut the chaff from it. something like 45 quests between titan and garuda for example and what? maybe 4 of those are actually connected to the core plot. the rest are junk.

That's what puts a few of my friends off. by the time they've done all the junk they've forgotten whats going on in the actual plot.

It's also a big part of why I don't level a second character, not so much doing the story. just thought of doing all the junk that comes between the story's plot points.

[Zari]

I think all they need to do is trim down the ARR post 2.0 storyline fluff quests a bit, because there are far too many pointless fetch quests there.
And also make the new Stormblood jobs available before getting to the expansion story. And POSSIBLY doing that whole skipping HW story thing with a "here is what happened" review afterwards for people who only care about getting to endgame asap, though those types of people probably wouldnt stick for long in this game ANYWAYS.
It is a bit too late to do that for the Heavensward jobs but doesn't mean they can't do it for future ones.

[CGMidlander]

They could accelerate leveling speed considerably to help remedy the issue IMO. The ability to unsync stuff trivialises story instances, so that is fine I think.

As for stuff that can be removed, I think unlocking aether currents could be removed. It's annoying to run around the HW areas without flying. The errands in 2.x can be toned down too. (Like the quest that had you pick up scion corpses, the soldier morale chores in Northern Thanalan, picking up armor scales for that Doman guy...etc.)