I've been having a hard time getting new players to stick out the early game.

Even starting a new character myself to play through with them. It is terribly painful.


1. Main Story Progression: Heavensward and Stormblood are vastly more modernized as far as questing as concerned. But ARR mixes what feels like side quests into the mandatory main story line boring new players to death. Constant back and forth doesn't help either.

2. Classes availability: All 7 new classes are locked behind level or main story progression. Friends almost always choose a class that is not available at the beginning so they start with immediate disappointment and settling for something they don't want. For example, there is only one healer skill rebalance destroy it.

3. The skill balances from the last two expansions have destroyed early gameplay. Many skills were removed from early game to make room for those in late game. Classes like conjurer are so terribly boring people are quitting the game over it.



Potions of advancement are currently the best (only?) way I can deal with it. Even this is not a smooth transition though and most quit rather than deal with complicated process required to finally play Good content with the class they want (with a completed tool kit)

Does the product team know about any of this? What will be done in 5.0 to address it? Help me help you, SquareEnix