An option for characters to start at level 50, pre-heavensward, for FREE

[Avidria]

It's a fine idea, except when you consider how this game has a cycle of players coming and going. Current-content players will often un-sub when they've caught up with nothing more they really want to do, and re-sub at next patch to stay current.

Suggesting they dedicate an entire patch to previous content tweaks is ensuring those players stay un-subbed for even longer. It'd be another repeat of this pre-5.0 lull, right in the middle of the expansion, rather than at the end (or, if that patch is at the end, just makes the lull even worse).

With the dedicated patch cycle time frame they have, there's just no easy way to get major work done on old content like this, without taking it piecemeal as they have time/resources to spare. It's easy for us to say "Just hire enough people that they can all get it done in time." But that's a tough cost/benefit analysis to sell to the people in charge of the money.

Oh, I know it wouldn't be easy. What I'm saying really is that eventually, the cost of not doing it might end up being greater than the cost of getting it done. The more quests get added to the story, the more new players are going to have to get through to get to the end - and even if, imo, the story itself is the best part of the game, the sheer volume of it is eventually going to start turning away more players than it brings in.

At least, that's how I see it.

Imagine WoW but they care about the story.

Ooof. Lmao

[Valdima]

Free level 50? no. roulettes are unenjoyable enough without having people that don't know anything at all about their class.

Cut down/ re-work arr stuff to not be such a torturous slogfest? sure.

[Halivel]

Oh, I know it wouldn't be easy. What I'm saying really is that eventually, the cost of not doing it might end up being greater than the cost of getting it done. The more quests get added to the story, the more new players are going to have to get through to get to the end - and even if, imo, the story itself is the best part of the game, the sheer volume of it is eventually going to start turning away more players than it brings in.

At least, that's how I see it.

Actually, it's not the story that makes game boring for new players. The problem is, that while the real gameplay starts at 50 when you get most of features, in fact it starts at cap level. Because people do not do old content anymore, so new players have nothing to do at their 50 but roulettes and MSQ (except they found FC that does such content). Not because story is long.

SE tries to make a lot for keeping old content alive (yes, even recent grindy kupo event it such try), and yet old players are "meh" about it. And this, I'm afraid, inevitably, even if you will completely delete all old MSQ. Because if there will be instant access to end game content, there will be born another problems like "can't find a party because they don't accept new players" and such. So basically... it's not even "system" problem in its core, it's "community" problem, kind of.

[Kaedan]

I think that ARR's lvl 50 story quests need to be consolidated. Beyond that no, I don't think much needs to be done.

Agreed.

They should definitely revisit their "New Player Experience" and consolidate a lot of the ARR quest lines to make them a bit more palatable. But short of that, starting new players at 50 in HW I simply can't agree with at all. If people really want to, they can buy the potions.

[Daethir]

I think part of the problem here is people coming in with other MMOs in mind, thinking current endgame is the only thing that matters.

This game is more like a traditional rpg. The entire journey matters.

You wouldn't buy final fantasy 7 and request to only play the last disk, skipping everything else, would you?

I see this kind of response everytime someone complain about the MSQ in ARR and I just don't get it. Nobody is asking the dev to make it a less integral part of the game, they just ask to make ARR optionnal. It would still be there if you want to play it, and I don't see why it would matter to you if other players decided to skip it. This "you have to enjoy what I like" attitude is crazy to me, I play the story because it interest me but if some people decide to skip it and go raiding asap I don't see why anyone would be opposed to it, my personnal playing experience is exactly the same ...

[Reap00]

As time goes by, I believe that it’s getting harder and harder to get new players into the game. I believe the game’s quality skyrocketed ever since heavensward.

I know lots of people think jump potions should be purchased, but as time goes by I think jump potions shouldn’t be the only option for players to catch up. Starting level 50 from Heavensward makes the most sense to me so we get new characters without disrespecting existing players.
Upvote if you agree

Its harder and harder to get new players in the game, eh? Yoshi P at E3 just said 2 days ago the game currently has the most active subs it has EVER had.

[Kaedan]

I see this kind of response everytime someone complain about the MSQ in ARR and I just don't get it. Nobody is asking the dev to make it a less integral part of the game, they just ask to make ARR optionnal. It would still be there if you want to play it, and I don't see why it would matter to you if other players decided to skip it. This "you have to enjoy what I like" attitude is crazy to me, I play the story because it interest me but if some people decide to skip it and go raiding asap I don't see why anyone would be opposed to it, my personnal playing experience is exactly the same ...

ARR is optional, and HW for that matter (and soon to be SB). Anyone can level skip and skip the MSQ by using the appropriate potions.

[Seraphor]

ARR is optional, and HW for that matter (and soon to be SB). Anyone can level skip and skip the MSQ by using the appropriate potions.

Which cost money, and as the number of expansions increase, do the costs increase with them? or does the cost transfer over to the latest one? If so, shouldn't the first one eventually drop off the price treadmill?

I haven’t checked the current prices, but if it’s still $18 for ARR, and $25 for HW… does SB become $30?
Or does SB become $25, HW drop to $18, and ARR drop to $10?
If so, shouldn't ARR become free at 6.0?

[Seraphor]

Its harder and harder to get new players in the game, eh? Yoshi P at E3 just said 2 days ago the game currently has the most active subs it has EVER had.

1. "Active Subs" to SE is classified as any account that has logged in within the last 6 months.
2. I've seen plenty of players give up part way through ARR because they don't see any hope of reaching end game within a reasonable time frame, and wanted to play an MMO, not a single player game. (their words) These people would still be classed as "Active Subs" to SE.

[Kaedan]

Which cost money, and as the number of expansions increase, do the costs increase with them? or does the cost transfer over to the latest one? If so, shouldn't the first one eventually drop off the price treadmill?

I haven’t checked the current prices, but if it’s still $18 for ARR, and $25 for HW… does SB become $30?
Or does SB become $25, HW drop to $18, and ARR drop to $10?
If so, shouldn't ARR become free at 6.0?

Why should ARR skip become free when new players are getting previous expansions for free with each new expansion?