MSQ Needs Further Condensing

[Reyketi]

The condensing of the MSQ by Square Enix is greatly appreciated, but it is not enough.

With ARR, HW, SB, and ShB, it is getting quite lengthy, even with the reduction.

The game suffers greatly from trying to be both an MMORPG, and single player story focused RPG.

The fact is this game is an MMORPG, with a large focus on end-game content, that being trials, raids, gearing, ect.

The game should not be putting new players in a state of perpetual catch-up, having to choose between skipping all of the cutscenes, and missing all of the story, just to play with their friends, and not be dead-weight, or taking their time, and spending an eternity going through the now-slog of a narrative.

To Square Enix, I ask: What is the length at which you will consider the content gap 'too large'?

If, Square Enix, you intend to preserve the JRPG style narrative, will you set a standard of time for a fresh character to go from 1-80 or 1-90?


Possible Solution Proposal


Introduce a new metric: Time-To-Cap (TTC) (Level 1 to max level)

Standardize the time is takes to reach level cap.

Apply this to every expansion that increases the level cap.

Shape the presentation of the MSQ around this time with questing, and cutscenes (perhaps still frames, with narration) bridging the gaps.

Of course, this should be OPTIONAL, thus allowing players to level in the manner of which they choose.

Unabridged, and abridged.

The Unabridged MSQ condensing nothing. The Abridged MSQ always conforming to the standardized TTC.


Best Wishes

-Reyketi

[Sauteed]

Honestly, another 20-30 quests taken out of the 2.1-.5 area would be sufficient to get people into Heavensward without many complaints. And by taking out another 20-30 quests, I mean legitimately taking it completely out of the game and deleting it out of any progression blocks and adding absolutely NOTHING else back in it's spot to pad out game time, or anything else. No more you need to go do raids or dungeons or any of that. Nothing would be lost, everything would be much more palette-able and would be less of a lull to slog through.

That being said, I doubt we'll see any of this "soon", as it took literally years for them to recognize this was an issue, and the answer was implemented in pretty bad fashion imo. Deciding to make the crystal tower series mandatory also was not good in my opinion. I'm not opposed to raid content etc, but why release the shadowbringers expansion and leave it like that for a year, before retro-actively making it mandatory? If people were that invested in the lore and wanted to know more, the raids were there, the story line was there, and there were plenty of indicators toward its existence. I don't mean to just gripe, I'm glad they did prune the 20 quests out, but adding something that would roughly equate to that amount of quests anyway is not expediting anything. Revisiting the cutting block though, and chopping off the 30'ish other quests that are completely needlessly tacked on there would do wonders.

[Vickii]

When I was playing the 5.4 MSQ, which I enjoyed as someone currently playing at max level with little to do before it came, one of my first thoughts was ‘this will be a slog going through it for new players’.

Can’t remember any others off the top of my head but both SB and HW had some real filler patch quests too.

To me I think the best solution would be to make most patch content optional. The ending would need tweaking but the Limsa story could have been done as a blue quest really, and then the other stuff that’s more relevant to the wider plot could be MSQ.

They could also maybe unlock dungeons a different way than just going through a MSQ.

[TaleraRistain]

This game isn't like other MMOs. It's very story-focused which is not typical in MMOs. People playing this game shouldn't come into it expecting the typical MMO experience. I personally like that it's not like others. That's one reason I play it.

Story and level skips are there for those who just want to jump in and play with friends. We don't need anything else.

[Lukha]

If you're in that much of a rush to get to cap, they sell skip potions and leveling potions to accomplish that. You can even go back and replay the story you missed on your max-level character if you later decide you regret not having any clue why you're running the new expert dungeon or who all these people in your party are.

One of the main draws of FFXIV is that it's strongly story-driven, unlike most other MMOs out there, and diluting that further would both be a disservice to the game's story itself and a waste of resources that could be better spent elsewhere.

[Vickii]

Deciding to make the crystal towers series mandatory also was not good in my opinion. I'm not opposed to raid content etc, but why release the shadowbringers expansion and leave it like that for a year, before retro-actively making it mandatory? If people were that invested in the lore and wanted to know more, the raids were there, the story line was there, and there were plenty of indicators toward its existence. I don't mean to just gripe, I'm glad they did prune the 20 quests out, but adding something that would roughly equate to that amount of quests anyway is not expediting anything. Revisiting the cutting block though, and chopping off the 30'ish other quests that are completely needlessly tacked on there would do wonders.

I think comes down to spoilers

SHB making a big deal about the identity of the exarch for it only to be a minor character that the majority of players didn’t meet. By making those mandatory just before his reveal he’s fresh in everyone’s mind and no one is going to complain they didn’t get the full benefit of the plot because they didn’t do some old level 50 quests.

.

As a general rule I’m actually surprised they don’t just make all alliance raids mandatory. It helps with queues and it’s usually some of their best content that they put a ton of effort in. Most are cleared as easily as a dungeon is.

[Reyketi]

This game isn't like other MMOs. It's very story-focused which is not typical in MMOs. People playing this game shouldn't come into it expecting the typical MMO experience. I personally like that it's not like others. That's one reason I play it.

Story and level skips are there for those who just want to jump in and play with friends. We don't need anything else.

If the length of the MSQ were not an issue, Square Enix would not have condensed it. Skips regarded.

Best Wishes

-Reyketi

[WhiteArchmage]

I think comes down to spoilers

SHB making a big deal about the identity of the exarch for it only to be a minor character that the majority of players didn’t meet. By making those mandatory just before his reveal he’s fresh in everyone’s mind and no one is going to complain they didn’t get the full benefit of the plot because they didn’t do some old level 50 quests.

.

As a general rule I’m actually surprised they don’t just make all alliance raids mandatory. It helps with queues and it’s usually some of their best content that they put a ton of effort in. Most are cleared as easily as a dungeon is.

I'll actually be surprised if RtI at least doesn't become mandatory at some point, given that Bozja is locked behind it and there are some references to Ivalice sprinkled through the MSQ. It's also an excuse to keep Matsuno writing scenarios for the game, which I'm REALLY not against.

[TaleraRistain]

I'll actually be surprised if RtI at least doesn't become mandatory at some point, given that Bozja is locked behind it and there are some references to Ivalice sprinkled through the MSQ. It's also an excuse to keep Matsuno writing scenarios for the game, which I'm REALLY not against.

Agreed. I'll take him over Yoko Taro any day. Outside of the two dwarves, the Nier raid story has been a total snorefest since they rely way too much on being familiar with that game instead of building that context into their story. Whereas Matsuno managed to throw in easter egg references but still make a very meaningful story without them.

[TaleraRistain]

If the length of the MSQ were not an issue, Square Enix would not have condensed it. Skips regarded.

Best Wishes

-Reyketi

We used to have a quest drought at (I think it was) 47 and couldn't continue MSQ. Had to turn to FATEs back in the day. But then they streamlined how they were doing leveling in ARR. This made the fetch quest padding that we relied on for exp no longer needed, so they could toss it out. They really didn't remove much story stuff. The design of this game is around telling a story. That's why everyone has a main storyline they must follow and even have some optional content locked behind doing it. They want people to experience that.