The Problem with ARR Progression

[LalaRu]

They are redo'ing the arr quest line so you might want to wait and see what they have planned. Your wishes might be included in the revamp.

Maybe keep out the lore duty unlocks is excessive, 'tho.

I expect a huge cut in "go there talk then go back" or "kill 10 rats" fillers. To avoid any miss on the little or near-none lore involved, them can become just regular quests.

[Jojoya]

I'm guessing you used a skip potion since all 3 of those HMs had to be completed before you could even accept the quest to kill Leviathan in the level 50 MSQ. It's a non-issue by the time it's required for the level 60 MSQ unless you skip.

It's not a big deal. They're roughly the same if not easier in difficulty than all the other 8 man Normal trials that are also part of the MSQ.

As for why SE didn't build them directly into the level 50 MSQ in the first place, I don't know. Certainly it would have been easy enough to insert the same side quest lore into the MSQ.

[RyuSaarva]

I'm guessing you used a skip potion since all 3 of those HMs had to be completed before you could even accept the quest to kill Leviathan in the level 50 MSQ. It's a non-issue by the time it's required for the level 60 MSQ unless you skip.

It's not a big deal. They're roughly the same if not easier in difficulty than all the other 8 man Normal trials that are also part of the MSQ.

As for why SE didn't build them directly into the level 50 MSQ in the first place, I don't know. Certainly it would have been easy enough to insert the same side quest lore into the MSQ.

because the original 3 hard modes used to be actually hard optional fights and not a joke difficulty like they are now.

[Mahoukenshi]

I'm guessing you used a skip potion since all 3 of those HMs had to be completed before you could even accept the quest to kill Leviathan in the level 50 MSQ. It's a non-issue by the time it's required for the level 60 MSQ unless you skip.

It's not a big deal. They're roughly the same if not easier in difficulty than all the other 8 man Normal trials that are also part of the MSQ.

As for why SE didn't build them directly into the level 50 MSQ in the first place, I don't know. Certainly it would have been easy enough to insert the same side quest lore into the MSQ.

Ifrit,Titan and Garuda Hard were not required for Whorleater Hard (according to wiki near the end of Patch 2.2), but way later to start "Good Intentions" (beginning of Patch 2.5)

[HyperiusUltima]

I'm guessing you used a skip potion since all 3 of those HMs had to be completed before you could even accept the quest to kill Leviathan in the level 50 MSQ. It's a non-issue by the time it's required for the level 60 MSQ unless you skip.

I've never used a skip potion since I've been here since 2.4. Also, as said above, Leviathan/Good King Moggle Mog XII/Ramuh/Shiva were all accessible up until you hit the MSQ "Good Intentions", which requires you to have done those 3 HMs for continuity's sake later on in HW. I've only just had a gripe with it since I've tried an alt and it feels like they shoved their foot in the door when you're trying to move on to the next MSQ.

[TaleraRistain]

I just ran through post ARR to HW with an alt and I didn't take long to get into those at all. I'm a healer, though. Was it a DPS queue issue?

[MistakeNot]

I've never used a skip potion since I've been here since 2.4. Also, as said above, Leviathan/Good King Moggle Mog XII/Ramuh/Shiva were all accessible up until you hit the MSQ "Good Intentions", which requires you to have done those 3 HMs for continuity's sake later on in HW. I've only just had a gripe with it since I've tried an alt and it feels like they shoved their foot in the door when you're trying to move on to the next MSQ.

I am not so sure it is for the sake of continuity, although I suppose it could be. The requirement to do those to proceed with the 2.x MSQ was added long before the relevant HW quest was added.

But anyway I am pretty sure you are expected to have done the HM trials long before the 2.x MSQ requires them - you can unlock them much earlier, and they are required for several other things as well. Skipping all the optional stuff and concentrating on just the MSQ is not really how you are supposed to play, even though it certainly is possible to do it that way.

[Iscah]

I am not so sure it is for the sake of continuity, although I suppose it could be. The requirement to do those to proceed with the 2.x MSQ was added long before the relevant HW quest was added.

It's definitely for continuity, but far more immediate than the 3.X quest you're thinking of.

The hard mode unlock quests involve all the core Scions - specific NPCs programmed to sit at a table at the Waking Sands, and have to remain there until you complete the quest associated with them. But the characters those NPCs represent should not be at the Waking Sands by that point. There will be new instances of the NPCs at the Rising Stones, where the characters currently are, but the old version will be stuck in place as well.

[Rhus]

Those red Chocos were cancer lol they were killing everyone when that raid first came out cause it was a thousand of them running around summoning meteors everywhere. Hopefully SE strays always from that path

I got the first few achievements for ressing outside a party thans to the carnage that was Red Chocobo Ex.
I just camped out there while queueing for duties and threw people resses for a few days. Good fun.

[ADarklore]

I am not so sure it is for the sake of continuity, although I suppose it could be. The requirement to do those to proceed with the 2.x MSQ was added long before the relevant HW quest was added.

But anyway I am pretty sure you are expected to have done the HM trials long before the 2.x MSQ requires them - you can unlock them much earlier, and they are required for several other things as well. Skipping all the optional stuff and concentrating on just the MSQ is not really how you are supposed to play, even though it certainly is possible to do it that way.

This is most certainly how I play, because when it comes to Aether Currents, it makes doing those side quests SO MUCH EASIER when you can fly! So if you just focus on MSQ and those blue+ side quests along with seeking out Aether Currents with compass, you can unlock all the Aether Currents pretty quickly... then go back and finish side quests.