We should get exp boost in the game.

[Dfess]

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.

Did you take into consideration the EXP buff going on right now in wow until the next expansion drops? You have rested exp, 100% bonus exp and if you're a monk 50% monk exp plus heirlooms?

[Dfess]

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.


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.

Except you're wrong. The story isn't the pull for this game. The title is. Also, I accept that FFXIV is what it is but, it needs to change. What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today. The only people who will continue playing are whales and hardcore fans. No new player is going to drop $60 on a game and then another $60 when they find out the game is locked behind a massive story. My friends quit because they couldn't jump into dungeons right away. Sure they are just a few people but they are the average mmo players. People like that don't stick around if they can't do what they want to do and are told they have to do it this way unless they are a massive fan of the franchise already.

[Stepjam]

The exp is already such that a fresh character can hit 80 on a single class almost without needing to do a single extra dungeon or roulette, and will definitely do so without any level up walls if they do roulettes every day with MSQ experience. I think the exp situation is just fine, only thing I'd say is maybe beef up the ARR beast tribes just a bit, because your leveling options are pretty scant pre-50 unless you just wanna PotD all day.

And it's a Final Fantasy, the story is important. If you don't care about the story, unironically go play another MMO. I understand that it can be daunting starting out, but the story is kinda the core of the entire experience. And you can skip it if you don't mind paying a bit extra. The game has issues that could use fixing, I'm not saying it's perfect. But aside from ARR's length (which is getting help next month), I don't think the story is one of them right now.

[Morningstar1337]

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.

Kinda a weird tangent, but I never did know how "Abyssea" was pronounced or rather if its supposed to be a portmanteau of Abyss and Sea

[Reap00]

Except you're wrong. The story isn't the pull for this game. The title is. Also, I accept that FFXIV is what it is but, it needs to change. What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today. The only people who will continue playing are whales and hardcore fans. No new player is going to drop $60 on a game and then another $60 when they find out the game is locked behind a massive story. My friends quit because they couldn't jump into dungeons right away. Sure they are just a few people but they are the average mmo players. People like that don't stick around if they can't do what they want to do and are told they have to do it this way unless they are a massive fan of the franchise already.

It isn't sustainable? Wha? Do you realize the game has been around for 7+ years and with the drop of Shadowbringers had more active subs than it ever had. The story IS the pull for this game for more people than not.

[Nezerius]

Did you take into consideration the EXP buff going on right now in wow until the next expansion drops? You have rested exp, 100% bonus exp and if you're a monk 50% monk exp plus heirlooms?

The player who managed to do 1-50 in 3h 56m 25s /played in the Shadowlands Alpha, also speedleveled a warrior from 20-120 with the Winds of Wisdom (100% bonus exp) buff. Total duration was 12h 29m 23s. This is with full preperation for speed leveling, including heirlooms, enchants, XP potions, and any other items that could help him while leveling (war drums, mount speed increase items etc.).

It'd be a bit faster as a monk, but keep in mind that the +50% monk exp buff changes to a +mastery buff upon reaching lvl 90. It also goes down to +20% upon reaching lvl 85, but only once you relog after reaching that level.

[Razard]

Except you're wrong.

Oh really? You got anything to back that up other than anecdotal evidence?

I find it hard to believe that "What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today" when in 5.0 there are more concurrent players than any other time since it relaunched. It just seems that this game is going from strength to strength because it fills a particular niche.

Copying WoW is what got so many of it's clone children killed.

[Dfess]

The player who managed to do 1-50 in 3h 56m 25s /played in the Shadowlands Alpha, also speedleveled a warrior from 20-120 with the Winds of Wisdom (100% bonus exp) buff. Total duration was 12h 29m 23s. This is with full preperation for speed leveling, including heirlooms, enchants, XP potions, and any other items that could help him while leveling (war drums, mount speed increase items etc.).

It'd be a bit faster as a monk, but keep in mind that the +50% monk exp buff changes to a +mastery buff upon reaching lvl 90. It also goes down to +20% upon reaching lvl 85, but only once you relog after reaching that level.

Even still, You can't reach 80 in ffxiv in 12 hours. It takes days compared to one day in wow.

[Dfess]

Oh really? You got anything to back that up other than anecdotal evidence?

I find it hard to believe that "What they have now is not sustainable in the market we have today" when in 5.0 there are more concurrent players than any other time since it relaunched. It just seems that this game is going from strength to strength because it fills a particular niche.

Copying WoW is what got so many of it's clone children killed.

No one is talking about copying wow. Making the story optional isn't that big of an issue. Also, do you have evidence that it's not? If you can prove me wrong I'm all for it.

[JohnSpawnVFX]

No one is talking about copying wow. Making the story optional isn't that big of an issue. Also, do you have evidence that it's not? If you can prove me wrong I'm all for it.

You haven't even presented evidence you're right. And the growing peak online players is more than enough proof.