New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[SturmChurro]

Playing with a friend of mine, returner from ARR content, I can already feel how demoralized he is trying to catch up in time. To actually reach relevant content he has to go through a backlog of slog, and I have a feeling he never will actually reach the content that he has paid for, and I have a feeling a lot of new players have the same point of view, and will also never likely reach content in time (without paying for a skip) to actually play the new expansion. I do not think a skip is a good thing, not only for the intimidating price, but because these players cannot go back and do the story any longer, I would assume (I have never actually used one).

They feel like they are just wasting time. I think there needs to be something in place, to alleviate this feeling. In WoW a new player has a boost, but can reach the relevant (expansion) content, and can go back and do older content at their own leisure. Granted, FF is very story based, and centered around your character (WoL). I think a way to go back and do the old story content (expansions) to catch up and do later would be a good way to get players to relevant content, and keep them playing the game, while being able to go back and do the story content when they want to, so they don't miss out, and can get the full context of the latest story arch.

The more expansions and story content, added just make this worse, and worse.

[Aristotle]

If you don't like the idea of a skip potion, what is it exactly you are proposing they do to fix this, if not allow players to skip content? Or is it just the fact that you have to pay for it?

[SturmChurro]

If you don't like the idea of a skip potion, what is it exactly you are proposing they do to fix this, if not allow players to skip content? Or is it just the fact that you have to pay for it?

You are missing the entire point. The problem with a skip potion, particularly for a new, or returning player is that you literally 'skip' all of that previous content without being able to go back and do it. Not only that it is completely unsustainable, and yes, the price. You are asking a new player to spend 30-50 dollars on an expansion then another 25 to skip content that they JUST paid for, just to be able to play relevant content with their friend, and if they don't they have to spend probably a hundred hours (if they actually want to do the content) getting to the latest expansion. I am not even thinking about a new player being power leveled through, I am thinking broadly, and to discount an opinion based on the idea I'm cheap, that is another problem.

[Jandor]

You are missing the entire point. The problem with a skip potion, particularly for a new, or returning player is that you literally 'skip' all of that previous content without being able to go back and do it.

They are sorting this out with Shadowbringers, it'll have a new game + feature so you can go back and redo the story without starting over.

[SturmChurro]

They are sorting this out with Shadowbringers, it'll have a new game + feature so you can go back and redo the story without starting over.

Does a new player receive a free skip potion or do they also have to pay 25 dollars to get to it?

However, if they did receive a free 'skip', I wouldn't want them to receive any rewards. In a perfect world I'd like it to be like them going through the content for the first time.

[RicaRuin]

Does a new player receive a free skip potion or do they also have to pay 25 dollars to get to it?

However, if they did receive a free 'skip', I wouldn't want them to receive any rewards. In a perfect world I'd like it to be like them going through the content for the first time.

Still gotta pay for it.

Also, need more than 25 dollars, as you'd need both the MSQ skip and the Level Boost.

[Bonbori]

Does a new player receive a free skip potion or do they also have to pay 25 dollars to get to it?

No and they shouldn't. I'm not a big fan of AAR myself, I feel it's padded out, poorly paced and kinda weak in terms of dungeon design, but it does at least serve as a tutorial to new players, introducing them to all types of content, core basics of their jobs and various mechanics reused throughout harder and better thought-out content in later expansions. A player who comes into the game and immediately pops a skip potion is doing themselves and everyone around them a disservice. By missing out on that tutorial and getting thrown into content they're completely unprepared for, they inconvenience other players they get matched with.

I believe I run into enough of such players as is. If I have to explain what a stack mechanic is in the final raid of the current expansion despite the fact that the mechanic has existed and been reused in one form of another since at least Syrcus Tower... a part of me feels like skip potions shouldn't be available to brand new accounts in the first place. Those tools by themselves do have a purpose and are entirely justifiable if one is trying to make an alt, but a new player who has no pre-existing experience with the game doing it kinda rubs me the wrong way.

That said, yes early content does have issues. However, no problem is ever solved by pretending it doesn't exist and skipping past it. What could be done is some parts of AAR being streamlined the way that Crystal Tower's introductory questline was in a recent patch, adding shortcuts and alternative paths that allow players the option to skip all the no longer necessary padding without missing out on the necessary learning experience and major plot points.

[SamSmoot]

They are sorting this out with Shadowbringers, it'll have a new game + feature so you can go back and redo the story without starting over.

Does the skip potion provide you with a suitable ilevel gear set to allow you to continue with the content? If you skip at level one and end up still equipped with level 1 gear and no gil, you're out of luck.

[Iscah]

Does the skip potion provide you with a suitable ilevel gear set to allow you to continue with the content? If you skip at level one and end up still equipped with level 1 gear and no gil, you're out of luck.

From boosting my alt to story Lv50, I received silver chocobo feathers (which can be traded for Ironworks gear) and a fair amount of Allagan pieces - 300,000 gil worth if I remember correctly, though I didn't need the money immmediately so I'm hoarding them to use for the Doman reconstruction quest hand-ins. Eventually.

[Aristotle]

You are missing the entire point. The problem with a skip potion, particularly for a new, or returning player is that you literally 'skip' all of that previous content without being able to go back and do it. Not only that it is completely unsustainable, and yes, the price. You are asking a new player to spend 30-50 dollars on an expansion then another 25 to skip content that they JUST paid for, just to be able to play relevant content with their friend, and if they don't they have to spend probably a hundred hours (if they actually want to do the content) getting to the latest expansion. I am not even thinking about a new player being power leveled through, I am thinking broadly, and to discount an opinion based on you passive-aggressively saying that I'm cheap, that is another problem.

If you had read the second paragraph I was already brain storming ideas to alleviate the issue.

I just wanted clarification. You even stated earlier in your reply that paying for the potion is a part of the issue you have with it, so where are you getting that I'm implying you are cheap? Never mind it. As others have said, what you described is already being implemented in the new story+ mode. Your friend can experience old content he skipped over as he pleases. You can help him clear old content quicker by unsyncing it with him as well. Good luck.