Allow MSQ Fast Track To Latest Expansion

[Zojha]

It would make far more sense to just let people skip forward in the story if they don't want to do it.

Especially if you can profit off it. In fact, if you're planning that, it makes sense to make the MSQ even more extensive at the cost of side-quests - which is exactly what SE is gonna do.

F: In Heavensward, there were a lot of instances where I had to sidetrack from the main quests to gain experience points because I was lacking levels. How will it be this time?

Y: This time, the ratio of sub quests will be lowered and main quests raised. We want to balance it so that you do the main quests, a little bit of side quests and the dungeons that will be available during the quests.

F: So you’re changing the numbers?

Y: The overall number won’t change. For example, if the overall number of quests were to be 500, previously there were 300 main quests and 200 sub quests. Just an example, but this time it would be 350 and 150. The idea behind it is that you gain levels by going through the story. It might have happened because it was the first expansion, but in Heavensward, the first dungeon gave too little experience points, so we had to make adjustments later. This time we have that as a reference, so this time you won’t need to stop with the main quests.

https://gamerescape.com/2016/11/15/f...-fan-festival/

SE is a system provider. First they create a demand, then they offer the solution extra :3

[TaleraRistain]

I agree with the OP. New players are going to see this shiny little expansion and then have this massive wall to getting into the shiny new content. I absolutely adore FFXIV's story-focused setup. It is unique among all the various MMOs that I've played in that it has a set story that everyone has to follow, and has deviations where you can lose yourself. This is very true to the Final Fantasy brand and I would not want to lose it.

That said, it's an MMO and single-player tenets need to be balanced with MMO needs. A story-jump potion is a happy medium. There are some people who just don't care about the story. I have friends now who play who have never watched a single cutscene. At least a jump potion would present the story so the player could be brought up to speed, rather than speeding through the MSQ and skipping cutscenes and having no opportunity to appreciate what is going on.

[Daranion]

Then wait for 4.3 or so to come out for your jump potion. No jump potions on launch and Heavenward story is necessary confirmed

[Jandor]

Said for a while now that if you level past the MSQ you should have the option of skipping ahead.
i.e. Get to level 50, decide you're bored of 2.X MSQ, go straight to the first 3.X quest giver and skip 'A Realm Reborn'.

But, they've already decided to sell that functionality rather than build it into the game, and a lot of players seem happy to pay for something that costs nothing to provide, so... *shrug*

[Lexia]

But, they've already decided to sell that functionality rather than build it into the game, and a lot of players seem happy to pay for something that costs nothing to provide, so... *shrug*

As you said why give away something for free when people are willing to pay for it. That just bad business practice. Also if it cost SE nothing to provide feature and again people are willing to pay for it that 100% profit. SE might do some stuff poorly but marketing is not one of them.

[Jandor]

As you said why give away something for free when people are willing to pay for it. That just bad business practice. Also if it cost SE nothing to provide feature and again people are willing to pay for it that 100% profit. SE might do some stuff poorly but marketing is not one of them.

I'm not having a go at SE, I'm having a go at us, the customers.

[Tsubaki75]

I agree with the OP. New players are going to see this shiny little expansion and then have this massive wall to getting into the shiny new content.

All content should be shiny and fresh to a new player. I just don't want there to be an even bigger gap with players that never learn how to play their jobs properly. I'm not talking about min/maxing.

[TaleraRistain]

All content should be shiny and fresh to a new player. I just don't want there to be an even bigger gap with players that never learn how to play their jobs properly. I'm not talking about min/maxing.

The ARR and HW content isn't the shiny content they're going to be seeing in the commercials. If they see trailers/commercials for SB and all the exciting things happening there and then find out that they have the base game and a full expansion of required content to go through to get to the new hotness, they may decide it's just not worth it. They may be willing if they could jump in and either level quickly or jump to a certain level (both options in other MMOs) but there is a good chance they will balk at the requirements of going through the MSQ. It's FF's uniqueness that bites it in the butt here, since other MMOs do allow this sort of easy segue into the latest content.

[Lexia]

The ARR and HW content isn't the shiny content they're going to be seeing in the commercials. If they see trailers/commercials for SB and all the exciting things happening there and then find out that they have the base game and a full expansion of required content to go through to get to the new hotness, they may decide it's just not worth it. They may be willing if they could jump in and either level quickly or jump to a certain level (both options in other MMOs) but there is a good chance they will balk at the requirements of going through the MSQ. It's FF's uniqueness that bites it in the butt here, since other MMOs do allow this sort of easy segue into the latest content.

The average MMO player. (At least the players I see coming to XIV)

[Zojha]

The average MMO player. (At least the players I see coming to XIV)

Well, if people wanted to put in a lot of effort over a long time in order to get rewarded with goodies later, they wouldn't join an MMO, they'd join the catholic church and work towards paradise.