Allow MSQ Fast Track To Latest Expansion

[MomoOG]

I have friends who would be interested in coming back for the new expansion but will not because they are so far behind on the MSQ that it would take quit a grind to catch back up. I really think this is a oversight in the expansion process of this game compared to other MMORPGs. A new expansion is bringing people back because they are interested in the content of that expansion but instead they get stuck in dead ghost towns of previous content and once they finally catch up everyone is in the new expansion content is done with it.

Yes I get that FF14 has a stronger emphasis on story compared to a lot of MMORPGs. I know someone without fail will show up in this thread and make a hyperbolic statement like "well if you don't like story content you should be playing a different MMO". However, even the biggest story enthusiasts have to agree that there is a large amount of filler dialogue crap that is not memorable and doesn't serve any purpose but to waste time.

In addition, the simple reality is that some people play MMORPGs for different reasons and some are not just that crazy about story content. It will not hurt your story loving experience if someone else wants to have a more abridged version to catch up to current content.

I think either the old story content needs to have a large amount of its fat trimmed off or they need to allow people to just skip a lot of it with a summary of events.

[Hitsuzen]

I think I read somewhere that Stormblood won't be gated by finishing the heavensward story

[Powercow]

I think I read somewhere that Stormblood won't be gated by finishing the heavensward story

Completion of Heavensward is required before entering the Stormblood areas. However, RDM and SAM will be available to anyone at level 50, presumably after finishing Praetorium (when most level 50 stuff unlocks.)

And they will (most likely, it's still not 100% official but I'd be shocked if they didn't) add a Story Jump potion that allows you to skip the MSQ through Heavensward, but it will not be available for Stormblood's launch. It's unknown if such a potion will even be available before the *next* expansion.

[Belhi]

I have friends who would be interested in coming back for the new expansion but will not because they are so far behind on the MSQ that it would take quit a grind to catch back up. I really think this is a oversight in the expansion process of this game compared to other MMORPGs. A new expansion is bringing people back because they are interested in the content of that expansion but instead they get stuck in dead ghost towns of previous content and once they finally catch up everyone is in the new expansion content is done with it.

I personally have no issue with this as long as the people which skip forward understand they aren't going to understand what is going on or any important nuance. For example, if they are wondering why they are hanging out with someone called Lyse who they don't know or what the hell happened to the other scions or why they are going to Ala Mhigo, that is on them. As long as they don't mess with the story I am playing.

They are already looking at adding a story jumping and level jumping potion. It just won't be coming at launch.

Yes I get that FF14 has a stronger emphasis on story compared to a lot of MMORPGs. I know someone without fail will show up in this thread and make a hyperbolic statement like "well if you don't like story content you should be playing a different MMO". However, even the biggest story enthusiasts have to agree that there is a large amount of filler dialogue crap that is not memorable and doesn't serve any purpose but to waste time.

This isn't entirely untrue but it is amazing how much information people dismiss as 'filler dialogue crap' and then complain later that they don't understand why something is the way it is when it was explained earlier in that dialog. That 'filler dialogue crap' is often fleshing out lore, establishing immersion and world building. There is also the fact there is very little of that in HW's MSQ so there wouldn't be much to trim.

In addition, the simple reality is that some people play MMORPGs for different reasons and some are not just that crazy about story content. It will not hurt your story loving experience if someone else wants to have a more abridged version to catch up to current content.

I think either the old story content needs to have a large amount of its fat trimmed off or they need to allow people to just skip a lot of it with a summary of events.

Again if they are happy to skip the story and accept that there are things that might confuse them. There is a lot that goes on and a lot of relationships that get build. That is pretty hard to abridge. As for a summary... I wouldn't be opposed to one but its pretty tricky to easily summarise without still missing details that might lead to confusion later and it means time they spend doing that instead of making us existing players content. The closest we get without resources getting taken away from development for existing players is the journal in the inn where you can rewatch cutscenes.

Still, for those who don't care about the story we will probably have a story skip potion at some point in 4.x. That's the earliest we will see it. They are not going to rush something like that for launch.

[SpiritMuse]

This isn't entirely untrue but it is amazing how much information people dismiss as 'filler dialogue crap' and then complain later that they don't understand why something is the way it is when it was explained earlier in that dialog. That 'filler dialogue crap' is often fleshing out lore, establishing immersion and world building.

It's amazing how often I see that in even single player games. People posting "I finished the game but it left so many things unexplained" and then every single question they have is answered in game.

[Niwashi]

it is amazing how much information people dismiss as 'filler dialogue crap' and then complain later that they don't understand why something is the way it is when it was explained earlier in that dialog.
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Again if they are happy to skip the story and accept that there are things that might confuse them.

It's amazing the number of times I've seen players say "Oh, I don't like the story in this game at all, so I just skip past all the dialog and cutscenes." If they're skipping past it, then clearly they don't even know what the story is, so how could they possibly decide whether they do or don't like it?

Anyway, if a story jump potion were ever to be added (which I hope it never is), there shouldn't be any story summary. You play through the story and find out what the story is about, or you skip it and don't. Any summary that actually covers the plotline is going to be just as long as that plotline it's replacing, since there's hardly any filler there to begin with.

[Belhi]

It's amazing the number of times I've seen players say "Oh, I don't like the story in this game at all, so I just skip past all the dialog and cutscenes." If they're skipping past it, then clearly they don't even know what the story is, so how could they possibly decide whether they do or don't like it?

Anyway, if a story jump potion were ever to be added (which I hope it never is), there shouldn't be any story summary. You play through the story and find out what the story is about, or you skip it and don't. Any summary that actually covers the plotline is going to be just as long as that plotline it's replacing, since there's hardly any filler there to begin with.

As long as it doesn't impact my play experience I don't mind a summary. Something like a 'story so far' thing on the website or something that allowed you to read up summaries in chapters to get up to date would probably be a useful refresher for existing players as well as new players who skip. Such a summary wouldn't eat much into the developers time or cost a great deal. There are actually fanmade summaries already (for example The Lore Train on gamer escape or Ethys Asher's ARR abridged series). However I don't want them to bend over backwards or spend a great deal of resources accomplishing it. I certainly don't want them to draw out my current player investment in the story to accommodate others. If they want to jump in the deep end let them.

I very much doubt people are going to sign up for a subscription MMO because it now provides the option to pay extra to skip a huge chunk of it. Skipping portions of the story isn't a major problem, charging people extra to do it is though.

I am not really sold on the model they are offering. Frankly I don't really see a need for a lvl Jump potion at this point for example. I also think that it would make more sense to include a story jump potion if it was introduced with an expansion set as part of its cost rather than selling it separately as for the most part only people buying an expansion would need it.

I can however see an argument for charging for a story job potion outside of an expansion set. The existing concept of a story Jump potion is to jump you to the start of the current expansion. Currently the existing story structure does act as a blocking mechanism for a lot of RMT and bots since it actually requires a degree of playing and money investment to access the higher areas. This is probably why they chose to include HW with the expansion set rather than the base ARR game.

Content patches have stayed roughly the same size and been delivered at roughly the same rate for the entirety of the games life after relaunch, both before and after the cash shop, and despite the shops ever growing size. More money for SE means more money for SE, nothing more, nothing less. No one is doing us a favour by using the mogstation.

This isn't entirely true. As a rule trying new stuff is almost always more resource consuming than sticking to what you already are doing. In addition to that we are getting some pretty major and costly infrastructure upgrades. Note that the EU datacentre didn't become a thing until the cash shop became a thing. They even outright stated that the cash shop revenue payed for a good deal of the cost of building the EU datacentre.

Content release quantity is more limited by the availability of staff with the right skill set and experience to be hired rather than the funds involved. SE has been hiring for a while now for FF14.

[Niwashi]

I also think that it would make more sense to include a story jump potion if it was introduced with an expansion set as part of its cost rather than selling it separately as for the most part only people buying an expansion would need it.

I don't think it should ever be sold along with any part of the game itself. If it ever is sold, it would have to be separate, to avoid giving the impression it comes with the game as part of how the game is played. It's definitely not how the game is played and never will be, because it's only a way of avoiding playing the game.

[dragonseth07]

I don't think it should ever be sold along with any part of the game itself. If it ever is sold, it would have to be separate, to avoid giving the impression it comes with the game as part of how the game is played. It's definitely not how the game is played and never will be, because it's only a way of avoiding playing the game.

Like it or not, this game will eventually follow the model of others before it. Bundling boosts with the new expac is common for a reason on MMO's once they're so many years old.

[Lexia]

Unless your friends only play like one day a week they could come back now and easily have the MSQ finished by the time SB launches.