New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[Nyvara]

I must say that im sad to listen to your friends power struggle to keep up, ive been there when i was a returner but then we must remind us that this is a straight linear forward game where you pick up everything in time and patience, sadly this isnt a sandbox game, but we getting New Game+ like some already mentioned so thats always something to look forward to oki

Along these lines I have brought a few friends over who all had the same opinions. While they liked the game they disliked the " forced story progression" Or "Linear forward game" as you put it. They just want to kill stuff get better to kill more stuff. Which this game really doesn't have. You have to at least complete the story ( or skip it) once. I'm in the process of looking for a good Korean style MMO for them. I wish they did not preorder SHB I tried to warn them off but some folks don't listen.

Guess the point is this game is what it is there are some core elements like the story that they will not change it's what makes FF. Sure they could make it more of a sandbox, but then you may as well be playing another game.

I only think New player experience sucks if you're desperate to get to the end game or really hate reading :P

[Jimmymagic]

OK, so there are valid reasons to skip ARR and not. I have played ARR 37 times ok that's right 37 times...I have Absolutely enjoyed all content. I have mastered ARR to the point I can clear it in about two weeks. I have used the skip potion twice now because I just love the HW story and content. To each there own.

As far as catching up, there is way to much pressure put on noobies to make them fell like they have to be level70 to enjoy the game. Not True. Plenty of people just do crafting and are still in ARR for the last 6-8months. Also, not everyone can get the same play time per day or week because of life stuff.

I get the op "friend" wants to feel currently relevant when ShB comes out. FF games have always been about story first and then game play second. With FFxiv you get the best of both worlds if you want or you can just grind away.

IMO I f you are playing for the very first time don't skip even if it takes a month or two to get to SB. BTW with road to 60 boost on preferred worlds, accessories that increase exp, and duty finder scaling you can level stupid fast in this game in comparison to other MMO's.

One last thing if you feel that content is a waste of time don't do it there is so, so, much to do in this game its ridiculous. If there isn't anything you like play something else.

[SerLuke]

I think this is one thing that separates the MMO fans from the Final Fantasy fans. This game is heavily storybased everything that happens in the game happens for a reason, I remember one time I was running Xelphtol with someone and they were all “why is the boss summoning Garuda?” And that's the entire point of why you are going there in the story... skipping the story only does a disservice to the game if someone doesn’t want a game that is deeply connected to its story this isn’t the game for them.

[Brightmore]

Hmmm... we've got all sort of gamers here. So opinions will be an open fire.
I personally don't like this "jump straight to the end stuff". One of things that made me leave WoW was that "How did I get here? How to follow the story progression without markers/lead?"
I enjoy to savor the journey, going right to the end would make stuff get cold fast.
But, that is my POV.
By the replies, I shall say that you were used to a X content and way of adm it while here the progression values it all. Just a question to adapt, you will get there.

[Noitems]

I think this is one thing that separates the MMO fans from the Final Fantasy fans. This game is heavily storybased everything that happens in the game happens for a reason, I remember one time I was running Xelphtol with someone and they were all “why is the boss summoning Garuda?” And that's the entire point of why you are going there in the story... skipping the story only does a disservice to the game if someone doesn’t want a game that is deeply connected to its story this isn’t the game for them.

I can agree to this to an extent. I didn't care about ARR's story until Praetorium (which at the time found it to be coolest thing) and then dipped out of the story and didn't start paying attention until we were actually inside the Dusk Vigil.

People can play this game without giving a lick of the story, however I've seen more cases where when people do that and ask those questions they actually become far more interested in the story of the game itself.

XIV is the odd one out in terms of MMO's as the story is so insanely fleshed out compared to others, and between the fanservice to other FF games or how it incorporates it's own lore into the world I've seen many people start caring about it and FF as a whole (myself included). HW is def the biggest turning point for most people as when people search up XIV it's regarded as having an insanely good story (which it does).

[Bonbori]

I want people to be able to get to relevent, fun (arguably, apparently), content without having to spend dozens, or a hundred hours on ARR-SB to get to it

FF14 tries to keep most of its content relevant and populated even long past its expiration date. Between roulettes, WTs, relics (except SB), mount farming and such, and various revival communities that try to keep even things like Rival Wings and Diadem possible to do by organising expeditions, anyone is able to find a group for anything in the game, and pretty much everything in the game will reward them with tomestones, glamours, mounts, minions, etc.

So I disagree with the idea that only the latest expansion matters and everything that came before it is a waste of time.

I came in towards the middle of Stormblood's patch cycle slightly over a year ago so I had to run through all of AAR, HW and Stormblood to catch up. But I did (and then did it all over, including most of the game's side content, on an alt, and by now both of them have almost nothing left to do except farming the last couple of dogs). So why exactly should any new player coming into the game last year, today, or a few years from now, not be expected to have the same experience? In fact, I just made another alt last week to accompany a returning friend through the whole game, and she even insisted on starting over from level one. I don't know if she'll reach Shadowbringers by the time it's released, but that doesn't really matter - it will be around for at least the next 2 years and even afterwards all its content will still be accessible (with various catch-up mechanics such as tomestone gear and the Echo making them easier to unlock and complete) whenever she gets around to it.

[RareItems]

There should be a optional lvl 50 boost and ARR MSQ Skip for free available to any new player.

[Raelsar]

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.

It's a quirk with how the game is structured, in that the game is structured in a way that you HAVE to complete the story first (by yourself or using the skip potion) before progressing further. As many have noted, the "New Game Plus" feature being added for Shadowbringers does address this problem by allowing players to replay through story content... though we've yet to see the actual details of the system.

But quite honestly, the only real issue arises when you feel rush your way through to the endgame. It feels like you have a HUGE amount of stuff to do to reach the "meat" of the game, particularly from an MMORPG perspective (which is generally considered the endgame, with leveling frequently being treated as a formality).

This is why FFXIV is different. First and foremost, it's a Final Fantasy game; for many people, the story IS the "meat" of the game.

FFXIV is also structured so that people can't really "miss out" on content, the roulette system brings both veterans and new players together for the random leveling dungeons. Being able to level all classes/jobs on one character gives older players AMPLE reason to hop into the leveling roulette, and trial roulette contains no shortage of story content. We now have roulettes for Normal Raids and Alliance Raids, opening up that content as well.

There's still a lot to work through, yes... but the path is wide open.

[Vahlnir]

I think that if they remove some of the pointless fetch quests like "Hey, go across the world to talk to this person then come back" then that might help. Those eat up a lot of time when added up. Otherwise it's an FF game...and the focus is largely on the story as a result. Just how it is.

[Deceptus]

A heavy story based gameplay designed to take years to roll out and complete.

People whining that they can't speed through it.

Hmmmm.

Yes there is absolutely some fluff or fat that can be trimmed (Go to this end of the world, then that one, then this one and return to me). But overall, the story is crafted the way it is for a reason.