MSQ CS Torture, I have a Solution!

[Vidu]

My point in this post is that it can be improved by using the system that detects new players to lock or unlock the cut scenes. And people already leave when its th short MSQ cause they want the other one for more exp. People leave for what ever reason and if they are gonna leave, big deal, let them and they can suffer the 30 minutes penalty for being jerks. Frankly I don't care if people leave cause if they do there's always someone else willing to pop in and take their place. It wont matter but it will make a huge difference in the game play if when groups full of seasoned players can skip the cut scenes and end the torture of these long MSQ runs.

And people do these runs for the daily bonuses for leveling and for tombstones so telling people not to run them if they don't like it is salty and uncalled for. everyone has the right to run the MSQ or any other content they want to get the tombstones and exp they need for their character. And we also have the right not to be tormented with cut scenes when the group isn't full of seasoned players.

This solution takes the pressure of new players and old. And as i said, if someone leaves, good, don't need jerks like that anyhow and it wont phase those who remain and there will be a replacement popping in right after. Only one who gets effected is the player who left cause now hes gotta wait another 30 minutes before he can que again which is almost as long as hey would have waited had he not left and just run the darn thing int he first place.

So... your response is "People already leave because they want the shorter version, so lets give them some reasons to leave even more often and for even greater gain"? Yeah, sorry, no.

And I never said you dont have the right to run this - you do. Within the rules of the game, which are: You get a huge daily reward for doing this but in turn you're agreeing to spend some time watching this cutscenes. Calling those cutscenes "torture" is way out of line and the actual thing here thats uncalled for. If it feels like torture to you, suggesting that you avoid it isnt "salty" its friendly advice - people usually avoid "torture".

And its not about "someone" leaving - its about 4-5 people leaving, maybe the whole group, leaving the newbie alone and confused. The player who left wont even be effected in a negative way: They can spend 30 minutes doing something else and then fish for a run that only takes 15 minutes - they spend the same amount of time (plus queue, I'll give you that) but instead of 30 minutes of cutscenes they can do 30 minutes of crafting, gathering, FATEs, some other progress...

The only way this would work and would be fair is that cutting the cutscenes also cuts the reward by a signifcant portion. If you only spend a third of what its actually asked of you, you're also only entitled ot a third fo the reward. Cant have it all.

[Iscah]

Adding to "solo instances would be the best thing now"... even with the cutscenes locked, the story pacing is increasingly ruined as parties steamroll over what were supposed to be epic encounters. Lahabrea can't even get through his battle script before he's at 1HP and only protected by a "can't die until complete" setting.

[ForteNightshade]

That might be the case for 1 person or so, even if then, the person who leaves will suffer the penalty and have to take that "Chance" of hoping to not get someone new. Again, not everyone is going be new to it forever, there will have to be a change to it eventually.

Both dungeons will take you 30 minutes or longer. Therefore, it'd be worth taking the chance more often than not, especially when you may not be the one getting the penalty if someone else leaves first. Another problem is a system which detects if someone is new could easily be exploited by simply kicking that person.

Either way, you're given such a massive amount of EXP to compensate your time. Asking for ways to expedite defeats the intended purpose. In any hypothetical where you could skip cut scenes again would likely have the rewards sliced in half if not more.

[Kurando]

The solution is don't run the content when nothing is forcing you to do it (except once for each instance for the MSQ). People don't seem to understand that the current rewards equal the time spent, having skipped cutscenes will result in them being returned to the puny amount they used to offer, thus making runs of other content/duties etc more practical than doing these ones. Not to mention as some others have mentioned, the pressure on players that DO want to watch the scenes would make for an unfair experience. No one is "forced" to do anything, really gets old seeing this used time and time again.

[GoldenVoice]

People don't seem to understand that the current rewards equal the time spent,

No, it doesn't, it really doesn't. It's a headache. Its tediously long. And while the devs jobs is to PLAY games for a living most people have jobs that require them to measure their game play and rely on dailies to keep up with getting gear making certain quotas so as not to be left behind so to say that we can just NOT PLAY is not only insensitive but a really salty comment to make. Everyone has the right to get what they can to not only enjoy the game but to keep up with others and the daily roulettes are part of that. And if we are to be FORCED, YES FORCED, to endure the tedium of these cut scenes to get our rewards spending 30 to 45 minutes on a run that could take half that time id we could skip then we should get a bit more reward out of it. I myself have limited time to play and have to measure my game play. And i use the dailies to get what i can to keep up to gear up, buy items to hand in for seals to get crafting items that can only be gotten from the GCQM and to finish leveling classes i haven't maxed out yet with the exp bonus. And I and everyone else have a right to that. So your comment about DONT RUN THE CONTENT, is just a lot of salt to people who cant waste all day long playing.

[Vidu]

[...]Everyone has the right to get what they can to not only enjoy the game but to keep up with others and the daily roulettes are part of that.[...]

I wanted to reply to this aswell, since this seems like a very weird and twisted idea to me... Paying your monthly sub grants you excatly one "right": Access to the servers and the game. And thats that. Not more, on occassion even less (bans, maintance etc.). Your're only "right" as far as enjoyment of the game goes is that you have a right not to be harrassed or griefed by other people. Other than that its really up to you to find enjoyment and fun within the game - the game doesnt has to enertain you. It aims to, obviously, but if it fails theres not contract broken.

So... you have the right to access the game and play it within the rules set by the game - some of those rules benefit you ("You get a reward for daily roulettes") some of those rules benefit other people ("You have to watch the cutscenes"). You can choose to accept those rules - or not. Of course you can give feedback in regards to those "rules", but you may need to understand that some of them are in place to protect or help other people, even if its an inconvenice to you.

Your only rights are access to the server and whats stated in the ToS, though - and I really dont think that the mandatory Cutscenes in the MSQ- roulette violate any part of the ToS...

You might be forced to watch the cutscenes - but you're by no means forced to run the MSQ roulette. You have the right not to do that - and if it hurts your overall enjoyment of the game, you're probably better off not queueing for it anymore and looking for a different source of exp instead.

[Tlamila]

I have a question. Who exactly is forcing you to run MSQ roulette? Have you ever thought of, I don't know, just not doing it? And leaving it to people who enjoy it?
It's not even some endgame thing that gives you a shiny mount or BiS gear you need to have.

[GoldenVoice]

I have a question. Who exactly is forcing you to run MSQ roulette? Have you ever thought of, I don't know, just not doing it? And leaving it to people who enjoy it?
It's not even some endgame thing that gives you a shiny mount or BiS gear you need to have.

as I have stated before, its not a matter of forcing me or anyone else to run the msq its that I and others like me who have jobs and or family have a very limited amount of time to play. the daily roulette, including the MSQ, is one of the few ways i can make the most of my limited time to get as much exp for the classes I'm still leveling and to get the tombstones i need to keep up with my FC gear wise when I run with my 80 to get the bonus tombstones. I also use poetics i get to buy items to hand in for seals to buy crafting materials and other things i can only get from the QM. I have a right like everyone else to be able to do what ever i can to keep up and advance int he game but when they Lock the cut scenes and make something last 3 times as long as it needs to for no good reason, such as when the group is entirely made up of seasoned players and it becomes meaningless for the CS to be locked, then that becomes a tedious exercise and a waste of what little time I and anyone else like me has in the game to play. So save the salt for your diner plate. I have a right to do the MSQ like anyone else and a i have a reasonable grievance with this practice of locking the cut scenes.

[Vidu]

as I have stated before, its not a matter of forcing me or anyone else to run the msq its that I and others like me who have jobs and or family have a very limited amount of time to play. the daily roulette, including the MSQ, is one of the few ways i can make the most of my limited time to get as much exp for the classes I'm still leveling and to get the tombstones i need to keep up with my FC gear wise when I run with my 80 to get the bonus tombstones. I also use poetics i get to buy items to hand in for seals to buy crafting materials and other things i can only get from the QM. I have a right like everyone else to be able to do what ever i can to keep up and advance int he game but when they Lock the cut scenes and make something last 3 times as long as it needs to for no good reason, such as when the group is entirely made up of seasoned players and it becomes meaningless for the CS to be locked, then that becomes a tedious exercise and a waste of what little time I and anyone else like me has in the game to play. So save the salt for your diner plate. I have a right to do the MSQ like anyone else and a i have a reasonable grievance with this practice of locking the cut scenes.

So... you're saying the MSQ is the best use of your limited time, while also saying that the reward doesnt properly reflect the time it takes - which would imply that there are better, more exp-efficient ways to gain exp. Why arent you pursing those, then? I'm not sure what those ways would be, since I'm not in any rush to level up, but if you know of a place that gives you a better time/exp-ratio, why not go there?

While you obviously have a right to do the MSQ, you should also ask yourself: Are you really the target-audience for this content? The MSQ isnt really meant to be for people who are in a rush or on limited time - its first (and mostly!) meant as a way to ensure that new people can watch their cutscenes in peace. Thats the main purpose. Anything that could endager that purpose needs to be kept out because that would go against the very idea and reason behind that roulette. Any way of skipping cutscenes would endager that purpose:
- Vote to skip cutscenes: New person gets out-voted or presured into voting "yes"
- Only play cutscenes with new person present: New person gets kicked or people leave to fish for a better run

There is a good reason that those runs take so long and thats to ensure that new people - even if no new person is present in your current run - get to enjoy the climax of ARR without being left alone somewhere, confused, missing the fights and just getting to watch cutscenes without context.

If the MSQ roulette feels like a waste of your limited time, then... dont do it? I'm not saying you're not allowed to, I'd just strongly suggest that you find a better use for your time - or maybe just one where you feel the time/exp-ratio is better. There are many, many ways in this game to level up and seeing how this expansion is gonna last about 1,5 more years I dont see the need in rushing everything to 80 right now - fair enough, you might, not denying that, but just a little reminder here...
Not everyone has to do every content or use every way of getting exp - if the MSQ as it is now doesnt suit your needs, find something that does! The MSQ roulette isnt designed or supposed to suit the needs of someone with limited playtime to level up fast. Its designed to fill queues for new people, who can then watch their cutscenes in peace. If your intrest collidies to much with theirs, maybe step aside and give other ways of leveling a go: PotD, HoH, FATEs, dungeons, beast tribes, PvP... There is no "need" for you to run MSQ - you can get what you want elsewhere. The new person has no alternative to see the end of ARR, though.

[Hysterior]

Or don't do that roulette. Also works.
Tested and approved.