We should get exp boost in the game.

[Ursa_Vonfiebryd]

There are plenty of 'EXP' boosts in the game as well as leveling opportunities very early on. The problem is, the game itself doesn't point them out.

For any level there are the basic story and sidequests in your starting city, guildleves, guildhests, fates and hunt log (which is attached to your chosen class). Once you hit lvl 15-16 you can do the Smiths training which will net you a ring that will give you an exp boost to level 30, unlock sastasha for leveling and also unlock Deep Dungeon which is a preferred method of leveling which also gives you the chance to earn rewards and items (you have to have access to the physical area deep dungeon is in but still).

There's food items you can buy from any vendor that will also boost your earnings, certain clothing sets in the cash shop that offer an exp boost to certain levels (that can be paired with with other booster jewelry), special fates that boost your exp later on, not to mention the booster earrings you get simply for buying the expansions.

Can you level by simply mowing down enemies on the world map? Yes but that is actually the slowest method. The game is paced so that you level as complete story. Which is important to understanding the gamenas a whole.

Those games that let you level quickly usually have a huge gap between their casual content and more advanced content that requires a lot of real cash in the form of statboosting items or a lot of grinding for said items. Gear is pretty straightfoward in FF14. You can participate in any advanced duty you have the ilvl for. Its no guarantee that you'll clear but you can.

Seriously, leveling is only slightly less fast on FF14. I know someone who leveled to 80 in 3 days. Four hours to level to max in a game is ridiculous for a new player. The system could be better here but it ain't that bad either.

[PyurBlue]

Ive been vocal about this in the past, but I dont want there to be an easy path to skipping MSQ because it trains players (particularly new ones) to treat the game in a fast food style of gameplay. There is no 'core' content. Just a bunch of things you do, you pick it up and dump it just as fast, and its all about 'End game' and nothing else. This also has the knock on effect that train players to have certain expectations, they will fall more into that sort of gameplay, and expect it overall. So in this case, make MSQ optional, Dont have the core, promote the idea that the goal of hte game is "Get Max Level to start having any fun" and players will expect it. Which means content and everything is altered to reflect that mindset youve trained players into.

I sort of see where you're coming from, but I feel like a big assumption is being made here. Making the MSQ optional doesn't equate to promoting the endgame. It's just adding choice. Players would be as free to ignore the endgame as ever. If anything I see an optional MSQ as increasing interest in it because like I said before, you can't feel like you're being forced into it if you're not being forced into it.

The thing is , atleast from my perspective, the model exacerbates toxicity in player bases and detachment. You can have friends, but youre not really part of a larger whole. Youre just kinda...around other players, and not part of them as a larger community. Dont get me wrong, this was a thing in wow at one point in time (particularly with Horde V Alliance world pvp), but it's not the feeling I get anymore.

Oddly enough I feel like it's the other way around. Leveling content is built around spending a few minutes with people that you may never see again. While at the endgame there are some long term goals that require cooperation and make forming a group more likely. As far as the story specifically goes, that can be a shared experience, but how does making it mandatory help? The uninterested will skip cutscenes (or skip potion) and won't even really share in the experience anyway.

I really like the idea of feeling part of something bigger, but I think FF14 could actually do better in that regard. I'd love so much to see less forced separation of players through level-progression/MSQ-progression/instancing.

But there are several other MMO's that are happy to disregard their own content save the hollowed "endgame" and only 14 that dosen't, why is it wrong that it dose things it's own way?

It's not about choosing one or the other. The problem arises because it looks like we can satisfy everyone at the same time.

If all I cared about is story in WoW, it is there I have the option but it's not the focus and I've got to go find it, read this quest, talk to this NPC do things in order myself, it won't hold my hand or make it easy for me, but it is there. Should I demand WoW add an unskip-able main story because I and people like me would enjoy it? No, the game gives me the option to find what story is has if I'm willing to put in the work, but that's not the kind of game WoW wants to be.

This is a completely different situation. You're asking to control how others play. Making the MSQ optional isn't.

[Yue_Amariyo]

I think it's about time we started getting exp boost and ways to skip the story in the game. Not to sound like a broken record or anything but, in WoW I can level to max in like 4 hours. Less if I really focus. It's not like it isn't there for a reason. It's like that so people don't spend all their time doing old content and so that they can catch up to current content. FFXIV isn't getting shorter and this is starting to become an issue. I'm not saying get rid of the story. I'm just saying why not give people the option to skip it if they don't want to do it and just want the new content? If it isn't right now, it will be daunting and very inconvenient for new players to start the game and catch up. I would like my friends to come play this game because it is fun. But, they don't have the time to invest into a story like that without feeling like they aren't getting anything done.

Just my opinion. Love Kair. <3

Edit: "Just buy a story skip" isn't an argument. New people aren't going to just drop $60 on a game to catch up to current content when they just paid $60 for the game. $120 just to play current content? Nah.

no real such thing as old content, comparing ff14 to wow when it comes to content presentation is like asking for lemonade and getting orange juice. WoW dev choose to make content obsolete when new expansions come out. Ff14 from my experience is less so.
Also i bought the all in one pack for sale for $35 on ps4, bought the all in one CE upgrade for 79.99, and 2 mogstation glams.

Ive had no issue getting early content completed, and I have seen new players daily. If you want to skip, buy the skip. There are a lot of ways to level up in this game, and exp is thrown at you. I got my lancer to 15 just be doing job quests and hunt log, got my whm to 31 doing quests and leveling roulette, and got my gla/pld to 28 by hunt log, job quest and farming leveling roulette.

jump potions are also only $25. so at most you need $50

[Yue_Amariyo]

I sort of see where you're coming from, but I feel like a big assumption is being made here. Making the MSQ optional doesn't equate to promoting the endgame. It's just adding choice. Players would be as free to ignore the endgame as ever. If anything I see an optional MSQ as increasing interest in it because like I said before, you can't feel like you're being forced into it if you're not being forced into it.

I actually had this exact experience once in ff11. Abyssea just dropped and people dropped the group/ camp play style and doing story as you go to leech to cap and solo the story. I didnt want to play like that, but the meta was leech to cap... solo story. When i tried joining LS to find ppl to play with i was told leech to cap/ solo story.

when stuff is the meta , it is considered law. Like currently the meta is pull big regardless. In my first dungeon as a fresh tank, a healer tried pressuring me to pull more then i was ok with. I even asked him to stop, he tried to pick a fight. I felt i had to leave, as i was what the group wanted.

If you make something optional... people will choose to skip it, and not touch it. Leaving those who do want to engage SoL. ff14 has group story content, such as dungeons and trials. how do we put booties in seats if it is optional and people skip it.

ALSO. the 1-50 content from what i notice is a tutorial. it teaches you stuff you can do in game, like leve quests, trials, dungeons, grand company, job quests etc. I wish hall of novice wasnt optional.. as people skip it, and end up not understanding their party role. Bad enough people treat group mates like npc.

[Reap00]

WoW doesn't need to add a mandatory story since it's optional. FFXIV is the only game in the genre holding itself back. No one is saying to remove the story. Just let players choose if they want to do the story or not. Like I said this game isn't getting shorter with new expansions and eventually it will get to a point where the only people playing are the people caught up with current content. It will be the eventual death of the game.

You are missing the point that this is a Final Fantasy game first and foremost. FF games are heavily story driven and this title is no different. I know this is unusual in the genre but that is how this game is directed. The game does very well for itself so although some people may not be interested in this type of mmo many others enjoy it. OHHH where is that the many deaths of FFXIV post now when I need it!

[BlitzAceRush]

WoW doesn't need to add a mandatory story since it's optional. FFXIV is the only game in the genre holding itself back. No one is saying to remove the story. Just let players choose if they want to do the story or not. Like I said this game isn't getting shorter with new expansions and eventually it will get to a point where the only people playing are the people caught up with current content. It will be the eventual death of the game.

*Game keeps going from strength to strength doing better each expansion.*
"Don't do this one thing, death of the game."
Yes, of course, if you want to skip the story the option is there, that's all that is needed saying the game will "die" when it's growing dosn't hold a lot of weight, did ARR need some trimming? Yes and it's getting it, it dosen't need to totally change the game that it is.

[Jojoya]

I think it's about time we started getting exp boost and ways to skip the story in the game. Not to sound like a broken record or anything but, in WoW I can level to max in like 4 hours. Less if I really focus. It's not like it isn't there for a reason. It's like that so people don't spend all their time doing old content and so that they can catch up to current content. FFXIV isn't getting shorter and this is starting to become an issue. I'm not saying get rid of the story. I'm just saying why not give people the option to skip it if they don't want to do it and just want the new content? If it isn't right now, it will be daunting and very inconvenient for new players to start the game and catch up. I would like my friends to come play this game because it is fun. But, they don't have the time to invest into a story like that without feeling like they aren't getting anything done.

Just my opinion. Love Kair. <3

Edit: "Just buy a story skip" isn't an argument. New people aren't going to just drop $60 on a game to catch up to current content when they just paid $60 for the game. $120 just to play current content? Nah.

Except "just buy a story skip" solves your problem. What you want exists. You don't want to have to pay for it.

XP boosts for a new character won't help when access to content is still gated by MSQ progress. The story skip would still be needed if your goal was to jump into end game as fast as possible. If you're talking about XP boosts for leveling alt jobs, we've already got plenty of XP boosts available.

You need to accept that FFXIV has a different game philosophy than WoW does for all that both are MMORPGs. WoW is all about level cap content so it doesn't matter if you rush to level cap in 4 hours. FFXIV is about the journey through the story, which includes the development of your character, so trying to level up in 4 hours means you miss most of the game. The journey itself effectively is the end game. The level cap content is just additional filler until the journey is ready to continue.

As for new players being unwilling to pay to skip the story, you don't know people very well. New players do it frequently because they think end game is the only thing that matters. Most realize just how much they missed out on by skipping and end up going back to make a new character to experience the game as intended.

WoW doesn't need to add a mandatory story since it's optional. FFXIV is the only game in the genre holding itself back. No one is saying to remove the story. Just let players choose if they want to do the story or not. Like I said this game isn't getting shorter with new expansions and eventually it will get to a point where the only people playing are the people caught up with current content. It will be the eventual death of the game.

FFXIV isn't holding itself back. It's being true to what it's designed to be - a game about the story.

It's part of why many of us who used to play WoW (and I played it from 2007 to close to end of Legion) are much happier here than we were in what WoW became.

Don't expect this game's design to change to suit what you want because it's not going to. if you can't appreciate a game that's about the story and not level cap, find a game to play that revolves around level cap instead.

[Melichoir]

I sort of see where you're coming from, but I feel like a big assumption is being made here. Making the MSQ optional doesn't equate to promoting the endgame. It's just adding choice. Players would be as free to ignore the endgame as ever. If anything I see an optional MSQ as increasing interest in it because like I said before, you can't feel like you're being forced into it if you're not being forced into it.

It is an assumption, but its a plausible one because we see this trend in MMOs that operate more like WoW than FFXIV in regards to a story based system. You need to consider how the game's core design and player base pressure new players to do certain things. What you see in MMOs like WoW is new players are encouraged to power through content to get to end game. Low to mid level content is over experienced. You dont even get through all of an xpac or area before jumping to the next xpac areas. This is further reinforced by player attitudes - "Fun happens when you get to current content. Just power through everything else. You can read about it later." Almost all questlines in WoW are optional...and most of them are left undone and bypassed by a large swath of the newer players in their efforts to 'catch up' and 'get to the fun.'

I feel this has two knock on effects: You create a bit of a disconnect between older and newer players, as the only thing they can kind of bond over or understand is current content. Old timer players know about things like Barrens Chat and mankrik's wife. Newer players dont know jack about that except if its explained to them, seen the memes, or the devs give you an 'easter egg' so you feel like you can be a part of the joke. But it's not the same as experiencing that first hand. Youre not in on that cause you never went through it.

The other knock on effect is if you train your player base to prioritize "get to end game to have fun", they will expect just that. So you will need to divert resources away from things like MSQ and minimize it for the sake of "Get to end game for fun." It changes the focus of the game from the journey and story to get to the raids and end dungeons. I think this model has it's strengths, but I do not think that it will be beneficial to content like FFXIV. Rather I think it will actually damage the game long term.

Pick your MMOs by what you want: If you want an MMO where you pick and choose what you do and its like a buffet that revolves around whats most fresh, WoW is a solid place for that. If you want an MMO thats more about the journey and story focused, FFXIV is where its at. Two different models that have two different core focuses.

Oddly enough I feel like it's the other way around. Leveling content is built around spending a few minutes with people that you may never see again. While at the endgame there are some long term goals that require cooperation and make forming a group more likely. As far as the story specifically goes, that can be a shared experience, but how does making it mandatory help? The uninterested will skip cutscenes (or skip potion) and won't even really share in the experience anyway.

This is where we do differ. While dungeons have you join up with randoms you may never see again, that isnt something specific to FFXIV, but MMOs in general that have a dungeon queue system. In fact some of the points you point out are not unique to any MMO - but rather just part of the genre (and gaming at large). But I digress. Point is the bonding point isnt about dungeons, its about the experience of the story. When people can comment about parts of the story and old and new player can understand the sentiment. You dont get that in WoW. In fact, both have some similarities in the ideas behind leveling from a mechanics stand point - Go out complete quest. Youre not typically doing these quests with other players right there, but more solo in both instances.

However, the choice difference is old and new player do the same primary quest, meet the same primary NPCs, do the same cutscenes, experience the same story. If youre a savage player or a newer player, youve had to go through the same MSQ trials and can relate to other players who have done it. It's great watching new players discover aspects of the MSQ and characters. You simply do not get that experience with wow. In WoW, you pick which quest you want, often revolving around run to a hub, pick up all the quests til you out level the area, and move on and discard any quest that no longer gives you experience. First time players may read some of it, but again, peer pressure usually just gets them to simplify the process and accept quests and move on. It creates vastly different experiences within the player base, and the speed of that leveling pushes you through zones well before you can really get to appreciate that content. Sometimes you completely skip areas cause it's to low level. In fact, FFXIVs design wiht MSQ actually discourages you from running from hub to hub just picking up quests.

There is very little unifying player experience at low to mid levels. And htats fine. Again, focus is important. WoW decided its all about whats hot and new, the old stuff is just a formality at best. FFXIV is about the journey, play through the entire experience from lvl 1 to lvl 80, and then 80 has things to do once you get there (like any MMO).

[Jirah]

I feel the game is being far to generous with EXP boosts, I used to do Leves and Fates, and do PotD or spam roulettes. Now I see level 60+ finishing ARR. and having your level scaled down during important instances breaks immersion and I say why even bother? It’s a huge inorganic mess but a story skip if you don’t wanna level don’t burn your games progression YoshiP

[Nezerius]

OP compares XIV's time required to reach endgame to the time needed to reach max level in WoW, but then fails to include the amount of time required to get a single character somewhat endgame-ready in the current version of WoW.

This includes:

• Obtaining & ranking up the Legendary cloak
• Obtaining enough gear with decent Corruptions, or farming enough Echoes of Nya'lotha to purchase them (if the right ones are available)
• Obtaining good essences, and getting them to rank 3

This is something that could keep you busy for probably a month, considering the Corruptions sold by the vendor are on a rotation.

In comparison, XIV is much more frontloaded in its time spent, where you do the MSQ on a single character. However, upon reaching endgame, there's very little to do to get a job endgame-ready. All you'd have to do is get the most recent crafted gear (usually cheap, due to how easy crafting is) or the uncapped tomestone gear.

And since one can level every single job on a single character, there's no reason to go through the MSQ multiple times. Leveling alt jobs is also faster, due to the 100% increased exp armory bonus (50% from 70-80).

I'd also like to see OP's leveling speeds in WoW. "I can level to max in like 4 hours. Less if I really focus." puts you at a world record speed in current WoW. This excludes the 1-50 run done in the Shadowlands Alpha, with a 3h 56m 25s /played, as leveling speed has not yet been tuned in the Alpha.