New Player Experience Sucks! - Impending Expansion Problems

[Physic]

Going to ask those that want msq optional/changed are you wanting it to remain as it is now where its 1 long questline with potential pruning or you asking for it like Tera where once you hit new level new msq pops up regardless of where you at?

Asking for msq to be completely optional is asking for a huge change to a lot of different things i've outlined some in a previous post but i'll reiterate you are asking for
-All zones become freely accessible, HW and SB have clear gating with where you can go, ARR is actually the most open about this
- All dungeons/trials get a secondary unlock quest if they were part of the msq, more npcs more dialogue more translations etc etc
-toto rak/stone vigil have default 2nd boss intro cutscene
- Quest gates removed and replaced with level gates, every single side quest in the game changed and any msq quests with triggers attached changed too
-Aether currents modified to new system, Sea of Clouds having new way to traverse between Ok'Zundu and Camp Cloudtop/ The Fringes having alternate pathway between bridge sides
-Grand Companies/retainers unlock changed
-Tutorials altered to new triggers
-Npcs spawning changed, the tomestones/side quest people
- Expansion unlocks changed, the job quests etc
- add in a gameplay gate randomly, stuff like will of the moon etc etc

This is a lot to ask for and would probably take away from something else in the expansion this was done in and this is why i'm most against it being made optional i'd rather have something else going forward than something a lot of players currently playing would not benefit from.

if your asking for pruning i can see where that could be in ARR, HW and SB though i don't think you can do much they are much shorter and i never really hear complaints anymore about their leveling process (HW had the worst leveling on launch now not so much). This would require far less work and with the writers of ffxiv seem to know whats going to roughly happen beyond 5.X series having them look at older content to streamline is not going to affect much.

If your asking for it to be like Tera then [SPOILERS]

You could get stuff like Gauis being ready to unleash ultima weapon/ thancred being possessed while meeting Gauis in the Burn and Thancred being unconscious.

Minfilia being at the waking sands/rising stones and on the 1st all at the same time.

Yotsuyu being both Tsukiyomi and stuck on that island in the ruby sea

Raubahn having 2 arms or 1 at the same time

and more :P

Story would be a mess and the current accepted theory of ARR content is in 1 time bubble while HW content is in another time bubble would be thrown out the window since the above stuff would break their own time bubbles XD This route i never ever want ffxiv to take it would cheapen everything that happens.

it wouldnt require most of what you are talking about. They already have a means to unlock content associated with story without doing that.

scenario skip +New game plus is all you would need.

however, after looking at their store, i guess they wont do it. It actually says that its targeting new players who are daunted for the exact reasons

From A Realm Reborn to Heavensward to Stormblood, FINAL FANTASY XIV is a game rich with stories and adventure. By the same token, this can prove daunting for new players who wish to catch up with friends already playing the game, or those who simply wish to jump into the latest challenges the game has to offer.

so basically they understand the flaws their system creates, and are selling the answer. I feel thats kind of ehhh for a game with a box price and a subscription fee, but oh well.

I think they are losing more than they gain, after all someone staying two months longer is worth more than a story skip, not to mention those whose friends tell them not to start unless they also get scenario skip. But its up to them.