Main Scenario Restriction Bloodstorm - Very Very Bad idea.

[Lewtskie]

I'm not saying that the only type of player who gets deterred by a gate is the obnoxious kind - But they are the majority. Proof of that is how every game that tries to be inclusive has to deal much more with toxicity than the ones who don't. Nowadays, one of the MMOs with the most mature, less toxic community of all is LotRO. Even it being F2P it has a pretty swell community. And it got to that by catering to a more mature audience, with a higher level of difficulty and lots of gating. And that is a generational thing, yes. People from the younger generations tend to be less amicable online, and are more about the instant reward and gratification - You can refer to a number of studies in that regard, I'm sure you've stumbled about those conversations in the last few years.

There are some white sheeps among those left stranded? Maybe. but they are a minority. And if they hate so much the story... why are they playing FFXIV, anyhow? They'd be happier on other games.

Unfortunately how this game's base design is it will always draw in that younger crowd with short attention and even shorter patience, primarily because how accessible it needs to be for it's actual target audience. There's a bit of me that wishes XIV could remold itself into something that can establish itself in the state Lotro is in, or even how XI used to be in terms of community(not elements). But at the same time I just find refreshing how chill it can be hop on and be able to do stuff. Thus far the only element now not in line with that design, or atleast will fall out of it, is the MSQ. Because as the years pass and the expansions release that does become a longer tunnel to walk through, be it enjoyable one, before someone can reach their friends.

I entered XI late and the peopleI came to know who those who had been playing for a long time. Leveling in that game is what the MSQ is here, though potentially far more enjoyable. It took me months before I could reach 75 and start doing content right alongside them, because they had things they were doing and didn't always have time to just shoot the shit with me leveling. MSQ is much quicker by comparison, but that is certainly how productive you are. In this very thread it did take someone months before they caught up and it can be disheartening. God knows how frustrated I felt trying to catch up to people in XI, even with everything new and enjoyable to me, cause in the end I wanted to hang out with them up there at cap.

So it may not be about hating the story, just it taking a backseat to what's important for them. And I mentioned earlier though briefly, I wasn't much one for the story in HW. To me it started strong, and ended on a damn good note, but everything in between I just was not involved in at all. Just hated certain things that killed it for me. But the lore of this game is fantastic; the history, people and races, politics... kinda(what exists of that anyway) so while the story isn't big for me, I still play it because I enjoy other parts. Obviously you only grow to know the lore going through stories and quests, other bits can be just as attractive. So maybe a potion isn't the right answer, but means of greater condensing does need to be looked at.

[greenlites6]

I love having to do the main story quest. However, I'm not at all a fan of very many of those quests being pointless right-click marathons around the world where you spend a lot of time and gil, learn nothing, and are rewarded with 4800xp and no gil for 12 minutes of your time. I definitely think that a lot of those fluff quests could be condensed, so those of us who are new to the game aren't disheartened to have to keep trucking through to be able to enjoy the game with friends who've been playing a while.

[Nayout]

pep.

The same old problem, what is the reason to be at max level? here all content is alive(ok Diadema no kek).

[Chalbee]

I definitely think that a lot of those fluff quests could be condensed, so those of us who are new to the game aren't disheartened to have to keep trucking through to be able to enjoy the game with friends who've been playing a while.

^This. I don't think it should be that controversial to say that 284 quests is a bit much, especially when a good chunk of those are pretty meaningless. Anyone who starts this game now is staring up a mountain with regard to that MSQ. It's not like the ARR MSQ needs to be totally optional, but it can be condensed to make it more accessible to new players. Doing all the new quests patch-by-patch, it seems like a lot less, but imagine starting a new character today and looking ahead at the ~400 quests in the MSQ up to 3.4. The mind reels. At some point you either have to trim it down, make a shortcut, or just accept that there won't be many new players willing to put up with that.

[Airget]

I agree, it's not so much that the main story is worth skipping, it's the fact that someone coming in from 4.0 wanting to enjoy the new content, getting burned out because they are burning through content they don't want to do and by the time they get to 4.0 they just grow disdain for the story anyway.

I don't see an issue with allowing players to skip X content but being able to go back to it later, let them fill in the blanks when they get their fill of 4.0 and want to relive the older content. You would get more people enjoying the story if they have the ability to enjoy it at their own pace than to say "nope have to run through all this if you want to get to 4.0" cause guess what,I bet 75% of those people will just escape, skip CS. Yes. and not know the narrative because they just want to get to 4.0.

The game will be better off allowing the person to play what they want and enjoying the older content at a later time at their own pace.

[bswpayton]

Another way that a person would be at a major disadvantage if there was a jump potion , you would literally start with 0 gil if would be hard to keep up with gear and other things in game that are important starting with no gil at all

[Catwho]

Dynamis required completion of the base game's MSQ

Dynamis also required level 65. Let's not sugar coat this. And 65 in XI back in the day was a helluva lot harder than 60 in XIV is.

[KitingGenbu]

Another way that a person would be at a major disadvantage if there was a jump potion , you would literally start with 0 gil if would be hard to keep up with gear and other things in game that are important starting with no gil at all

Chinese version gets like 100k gil or something like that on the Lv50 jump potions. Gil has no real value atm anyway. But if they really want money, they can easily spam Palace of the Dead until materia and that new hair deflate.

Lets get something straight for some people. Jump potions wont put you at the end game. You're still going to have to level and that can be accomplished via an assortment of ways that may or may not teach you how to properly play your class. You honestly do not learn how to maximize your playstyle until cap anyway, so learning how to properly play your class at 60 isn't that much of a stretch. Even people playing brd from 1-50 had to "get used to" how cast times worked with WM (or in my case, just quit the job since its a weak version of blm without mch's utility).

Dynamis also required level 65. Let's not sugar coat this. And 65 in XI back in the day was a helluva lot harder than 60 in XIV is.

65 and the clearing of the tier 5 missions.

[bswpayton]

how does gil have no value atm ?

[Blood-Aki]

how does gil have no value atm ?

It's mainly used for fashion, you don't really need for anything progression wise in this game, at least not in large quantities, unless you are crafting, you can get by without gill for the most part.