To Yoshida-san: 3 characters needed to fully experience the 7th Umbral Era storyline?

[Koku]

I would think it's like the GC weapons/armor are atm. Like somewhere down the line it'll all balance out? It just seems that way to me. The story will even it self out eventually before 2.0 is what I believe. We may not all get the same ending in our quests, but with each company a unique experience?...

[Ruinaru]

No, you're not. You're supposed to be able to play every class on a single character. No one, developer or other staff, ever actually said "you can do anything and everything in the game on a single character."

It may not have been explicitly stated, but the structure and the fact that you have to pay for extra characters very strongly suggests it to be true. I can't think of a reason someone new coming into the game (especially they've come from FFXI) wouldn't expect to be able to see everything there is to be seen.

I was kind of disappointed when I found out you couldn't switch nationalities to do each nation's storyline, but that was made okay by the fact that the story does what I mentioned inan earlier post: It diverges and converges. The stories are different, but they overlap at key points.

The point is, though, it's easy to think, "Hey, I can play any class I want on this one character! But wait, I have to pay to make another one? Must mean I can see everything important on one character."

[Jynx]

Must mean I can see everything important on one character."

Nope just means your choices have some consequences.

[Biggs]

Well, all the city stories in xi were different and it seemed to be ok with everyone. Of course you could finish all the story in one nation and then switch nations, but you lost a lot doing so, including rank. I seem to remember though that they only added the option to change allegiances in XI years after the game had been out, but I could be wrong. Don't let little things like this ruin what you feel about the choices you have made. I am glad there is some diversity in who gets to see what, thats life for ya.

[Kiote]

In a game like this where a player is expected to dedicate enough time to level this many classes on a single character, there is no excuse for any content that cannot be experienced on a single character. The city/race specific storyline model only works in MMOs where the user is expected to create multiple characters. It is unreasonable for this game to expect a user to have multiple characters when there is so much development available on a single one. The simple fact that it requires so much work for one character means that a character should have access to all of the content in the game. You can argue that players will inevitably see the same story just from a different perspective, but it is those very perspectives that players care about. Take XI for example. The three starting city story lines were all essentially the same, but each one had an individual flavor that, despite being repetitive, offered a genuinely enjoyable experience that effectively tripled the games story based content. By denying players the opportunity to view all three perspectives Yoshida has successfully alienated players while adding nothing to the game. Consequences should only occur as a result of specific contents resolution. A decision made by the player should never prevent them from experience the full range of content the game has to offer. A restriction like the one on GCs is even worse because there is such a simple solution to changing companies by imposing a company seal fee for breaking your contract or something to that effect.

Restricting players to a single GC has only been detrimental to this game, it has not enhanced it in any way.

[Venat]

They maybe "Switch" Nation options later. Still reguardless I want to do those cutscenes now.

[Alhanelem]

It may not have been explicitly stated, but the structure and the fact that you have to pay for extra characters very strongly suggests it to be true.

You have to pay for more characters because it makes them more money. That's about all there is to it. However, all vital content where you have to make a choice is designed such that similar items are avialable, similar or related storylines play out, and no one of the three paths is especially advantageous over one or the other. Thus, you might not be able to exactly experience all content, but the experience is roughly equivalent in all material regards. Or in short, distinct but equal. I think it makes things more interesting and creates talking points with other players when you all got a slightly different angle on the story.

Restricting players to a single GC has only been detrimental to this game, it has not enhanced it in any way.

I haven't seen anyone come up with a compelling reason as to why this is "detrimental" to the game. It absolutely does enhance it in many ways. Having to make decisions makes things more interesting. Having consequences for your choices makes your choices feel more important, even if the difference between one choice or another is nothing more than the cutscene you see. FFXIV isn't the first nor will it be the last RPG or MMO to have branching storyline or quest possibilities. This should be embraced, not complained about.

Having to make these kidns of decisions has made me think more like my character would, and I think it promotes roleplaying.

[Supergroovegear]

Welcome to single-character MMO:

You might be single player MMO, but I am not. That being saidnone of my characters will not join the Immortal Flames. One will not join any GCs one maybe two will see through the GC quests, the others will not advance very far. I have my own role play going on.

-You're supposed to be able to do everything on a single character

You are NOT supposed to be able to do everything as a single character (though this aspect is vastly kinder than FFXI). The third Maeltrom Quest requires me to form a party.

-There aren't supposed to be "missables"

I call these "lost and gone forever"'s. But I disagree. The Final Fantasy franchise has been full of lost and gone forever items if you do not capitalise on particular the opportunities. I see nothing wrong with this. Heck maybe I might learn something from a bad choice.

-Content you're deprived of on one character will cost you real money and large quantities of time if you want to experience it first-hand

I think you are making assumptions that people want to play the game like you do. Sorry to disappoint but I am not here to horde the entire experience. However if that's you good for you, I'm not stopping you. You might have to make another character do it though, there a choice you can make!

[Atlas]

I swear, I tried taking this thread seriously, but after the OP, most of the thing I read were like this.



Also: choices are good. Differences too.
And communication exists for a purpose, to let others know what you haven't experienced (and this is true in EVERYTHING in life).

Lastly, you CAN experience everything: you create another character, and take a different route.
Let the developers work on something that'd REALLY help this game and not stop on these things. As others have said, storyline is the same, just with different points of view, depending on the GC of choice.

Deal with it.

[Zeref]

All the fuss is likely due to the Legati' presence (THE most popular characters in the game) than anything else, IMO. If it were a regular quest with just Cid dropping the same info, don't think it would have the same impact and warrant this thread.

But that's not really a surprise is it? I mean from like the second or third quest in the main story, no matter the town, you learn that the zone (forgot the name) just north of grid was decimated by the empire and the next target is Gridania, the entire main story moves towards gridania, now each GC combines their story into this greater backdrop of danger hanging overhead but basically Each GC 's purpose is to expand on the local events that you learned of in the main quest, The Adder's Nest being responsible for guarding Gridan, even their leader returning from wilderness to guide her people in time of need when all should unite, etc.... it's still early on, but doubtless that eventually this will branch out further, Adders investigating into empire's approach, flame trying to deal with the beast tribes, maelstrom dealing with the sahagin, etc... if people want to experience a particular storyline and they didnt' know this, its time to re-roll, i don't want SE cutting my storyline off a year from now because some douche didn't think about a decision they were repeatedly warned was not changeable.