MSQ

[Krotoan]

Again, there’s just as much focus on the lore in other mmos. The developers just aren’t self absorbed and don’t force it on you.

.. so.. other MMO's are also about the story but.. they don't make you watch the story.

I think this is the point that Vidu is trying to make. FFXIV is so much about the story that you HAVE to watch it to get anywhere in the game.

[SaberMaxwell]

There's no problem in skipping cutscenes, but there's no sympathy if you do so and don't understand the plot.

[Nims]

.. so.. other MMO's are also about the story but.. they don't make you watch the story.

I think this is the point that Vidu is trying to make. FFXIV is so much about the story that you HAVE to watch it to get anywhere in the game.

That literally doesn’t make sense lmao.

The other developers don’t force you to play how they want you to play. THATS the difference, just because a story is force doesn’t mean it’s more driven than another mmo.

[Vidu]

Again, there’s just as much focus on the lore in other mmos. The developers just aren’t self absorbed and don’t force it on you. I suggest you actually play other mmos before trying to compare them with how much lore they have or how “focused” they are.

I'm sorry if I worded my post badly, but to me it seems like you missed my point - you're still using this negative expression about the story/lore being "forced on you" when you talk about the story. I can only assume that what you mean by that includes things like the heavy story-locks we have and maybe even that lore is expanded on during the MSQ (and not just hidden in the lorebooks or similar).
But here is the thing: thats what Final Fantasy is about. Its mainly about being told a story, so its no surprise that this MMO is also saying "Hey, great you're here to listen to this epic story I want to tell you!"

I'm not trying to compare how much lore this game has to others (as in quantity or quality), I'm just trying to compare how much of a "spotlight" the game shines on its lore. By your account, FFXIV does this more (and going by your expression to much for your taste) than others - but thats excatly what some people want! They want all this lore and story presented to them while going through the game. They want it "forced" on them, because it doesnt feel forced to them.
I'm here because I want to enjoy a Final Fantasy story, so it doesnt feel forced onto me because thats what I want from this game. And I'm happy that everything is strongly connected to this mainstory. I'm happy that when I visit a dungeon I know excatly why I'm at this place right now, what history it has and what role it plays for the current story because I was told all that by an NPC in a bunch of textboxes giving me that background instead of just telling me "Go get item X out of the dungeon".

Focussing on getting the story and lore across to the player is what Final Fantasy does - I'm sorry if it feels to you as if its being forced onto you. You seem to prefer to just have the lore somewhat in the game without it being presented to you in a clear way while you play through the story? Thats okay, it appears there are many games who do that just fine! But Final Fantasy isnt that. Its always been about "shoving the story in your face" - and thats what people like and mean whan they say this game has a story-focus. You can like that or not, but please understand that people who say dont mean that there is no lore/story at all in other games. They're just saying they prefer the way its presented to them in FFXIV. By them being "forced" to see and play through it.

[Fayt1203]

I really wish people would stop with this "iTs A sToRy BaSeD mMmOoOOOO" yeah so are ALL MMOS They're mmoRPGS, every single one has lore, every single one has a reason for why you're doing whatever it is you're doing. Have you people never played any other mmo?

Also people may not openly complain when someone does small pulls but in voice comms and irl, a lot of people do.

what people usually means (or could mean i cant speak for others) when they say it´is story driven game is that nothing unlocks unless u go through the main Msq, unlike how wow was (cant say how it is today been long time since i played it) u could do everything without doing nearly any quest´s. and while wow has story and lore it was more heavier on lore then story in my opinion and the story was more center what was happening in the world and not that much around your character while its the other way around with Ffxiv.

but that it's just my opinion on it

[FedoraTheExplorer]

WoW has a story?

FFXIV is the only MMO that actually makes me interested in its story.

[Nims]

I\\'m sorry if I worded my post badly, but to me it seems like you missed my point - you\\'re still using this negative expression about the story/lore being "forced on you" when you talk about the story. I can only assume that what you mean by that includes things like the heavy story-locks we have and maybe even that lore is expanded on during the MSQ (and not just hidden in the lorebooks or similar).
But here is the thing: thats what Final Fantasy is about. Its mainly about being told a story, so its no surprise that this MMO is also saying "Hey, great you\\'re here to listen to this epic story I want to tell you!"

I\\'m not trying to compare how much lore this game has to others (as in quantity or quality), I\\'m just trying to compare how much of a "spotlight" the game shines on its lore. By your account, FFXIV does this more (and going by your expression to much for your taste) than others - but thats excatly what some people want! They want all this lore and story presented to them while going through the game. They want it "forced" on them, because it doesnt feel forced to them.
I\\'m here because I want to enjoy a Final Fantasy story, so it doesnt feel forced onto me because thats what I want from this game. And I\\'m happy that everything is strongly connected to this mainstory. I\\'m happy that when I visit a dungeon I know excatly why I\\'m at this place right now, what history it has and what role it plays for the current story because I was told all that by an NPC in a bunch of textboxes giving me that background instead of just telling me "Go get item X out of the dungeon".

.

You’re arguing a point that I’m not arguing. I literally don’t care how FF games are.

Claim: FFXIV is a story based mmorpg
My point: EVERY MMORPG IS STORY BASED. Quests being optional in other mmos doesn’t mean there’s no lore. The quests just aren’t mandatory.

Counter point: Yeah well it’s a FF game!

That’s completely irrelevant to the fact that other mmorpgs are story based and story driven. I’ve played mmos with more lore than XIV.

It doesn’t matter if the lore is beyond raids. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in Easter eggs in game. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in books or on the forums. Or the story is forced on you or not. Plus liking mandatory quests =/= story driven.

My entire point is: ALL. MMORPGS. ARE. STORY. DRIVEN.


It’s in the name.

[Fayt1203]

You’re arguing a point that I’m not arguing. I literally don’t care how FF games are.

Claim: FFXIV is a story based mmorpg
My point: EVERY MMORPG IS STORY BASED. Quests being optional in other mmos doesn’t mean there’s no lore. The quests just aren’t mandatory.

Counter point: Yeah well it’s a FF game!

That’s completely irrelevant to the fact that other mmorpgs are story based and story driven. I’ve played mmos with more lore than XIV.

It doesn’t matter if the lore is beyond raids. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in Easter eggs in game. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in books or on the forums. Or the story is forced on you or not. Plus liking mandatory quests =/= story driven.

My entire point is: ALL. MMORPGS. ARE. STORY. DRIVEN.


It’s in the name.

Wait i thought MMORPGS stand for massively multiplayer online role-playing game not massively online story driving game :P :P to say that all MMOrpgs are story driven it stretching it there are MMORPGS out there with barely any story in it

[Krotoan]

That literally doesn’t make sense lmao.

The other developers don’t force you to play how they want you to play. THATS the difference, just because a story is force doesn’t mean it’s more driven than another mmo.

Sure they do, but since you like that playstyle you don't notice. Developers force you to move from map to map, developers force you to make new characters to experience other paths, developers force you to grind the same things over and over again to RNG weapons and stats. There are games out there that have variables on all of this. Loot-based shooter MMO, Exploration based Space-sim MMO.
Calling FFXIV "story based" is appropriate, because all the major advertisments tout the story first and foremost.

[Vidu]

You’re arguing a point that I’m not arguing. I literally don’t care how FF games are.

Claim: FFXIV is a story based mmorpg
My point: EVERY MMORPG IS STORY BASED. Quests being optional in other mmos doesn’t mean there’s no lore. The quests just aren’t mandatory.

Counter point: Yeah well it’s a FF game!

That’s completely irrelevant to the fact that other mmorpgs are story based and story driven. I’ve played mmos with more lore than XIV.

It doesn’t matter if the lore is beyond raids. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in Easter eggs in game. It doesn’t matter if the lore is in books or on the forums.

My entire point is: ALL. MMORPGS. ARE. STORY. DRIVEN.


It’s in the name.

Well, I think thats the problem here - you dont care about how other FF games are and I dont care that much for other MMOs.

The thing is: People are coming to this game with two different bachgrounds and two different type of expectations (to generalise a little bit).
We have the people who played lots of MMOs before and want a new one - and expect this one to be like the other ones they've played. From what I gather at least some other MMOs have a less of "this game is going to tell you 50+ hour story thats required to unlock everything within it"-focus.
We also have people who come with more of a Final Fantasy background: They've played almost every game in the series and they know that playing a Final Fantasy game means that they're gonna get this 50-hour-long-story thats gonna unlock everything else the game has to offer along the way. They come here because they want to be told that 50-hour-long-story, its the main selling point for them so its no trouble that they have to do it, because its what they've signed up for!

Saying that you dont care that this is a Final Fantasy game doesnt mean it doesnt matter that its a Final Fantasy game - FFXIV is both. Its an MMO, but its also a game within a series that has an over 30 year long history of RPGs that heavly revolve around telling a story and that have the story as selling point.

You also seem to confuse lore and story - lore is the background and history of the world and it can be revealed in different ways. Story is the tale you're being told or part of while you play the game. You can have very little lore and still tell a long story. And you can have lots and lots of lore and tell almost no story.
The lore behind Coil isnt the same as the story we experience within it.

And no one is saying that other MMOs dont have a story or lore or a motivation for you to go down into those mines to retrive [item X]. The difference is simply in the amount thats being presented or "forced" on to you.

Personally, I respect the devs for saying "We want to make this a game that appeals to people who want to be told an FF-style story, so we'll put a lot of ressources into that and make sure we tell a long story thats tied closely to everything that happens in the world, lets the player take part in those events and makes them the hero."
I want a Final Fantasy game first, an MMO second.
And I have the feeling that a lot of the people who complain about "to much story" want an MMO first and maybe a Final Fantasy game second (if they even care about FF at all).

For me its obvious that this is a Final Fantasy game, with everything that comes with that - a WHM with white and red robes, Chocobos, Cid and yes, a heavy focus on the story.
That doesnt mean that other MMOs dont have story or lore, it just means that they focus less on telling those to the player.

I'm sorry if a Final Fantasy game isnt what someone wanted - but just because this is also an MMO doesnt mean its not Final Fantasy anymore. And just because this game says "Hey, we think out story is one of the most important parts!" doesnt mean that a game who might say "We think our raids and mechanics are more important!" doesnt has any story.
(And why is it so important to you to convince me that other MMOs have stories aswell when your original point was "Yeah, other games have stories but they dont force you to play through them!"? Why does it matter so much to you to make sure everyone knows that other games have lore and story aswell? No one here is saying that FFXIV is the only MMO that provied you with a story, we're just saying that FFXIV puts a lot of emphasis on this story - and you can like that or not, but its what you get from a Final Fantasy game...)