MSQ Needs Further Condensing

[Kuroka]

Idk... while i see there some lenghs now and then i dont feel they should skip story or delete half the msq... dont try to turn the game into smt it just isnt.

[Kewitt]

I hate games that use time to cap models it means less content each expansion. If you don't like the story pay for the skip

[Alkazar]

I get your point, but the story focus is what makes FFXIV special. "Condensing" it too much might render it bland and feed the wrong kind of player mindset.

Most MMORPGs simply forsake the "RPG" part and just work on this "rush to cap" mindset. Take WoW as an example: For all most players care, Blizzard could delete the open world and create just a "lobby" where you select your characters and queue for dungeons and raids, like they do with MOBAs or shooters. The story is just an obstacle preventing you to play the "real" game. That's the mindset of the players and devs alike, and I for one wouldn't want that here.

[Tranquilmelody7]

I only think ARR needs more pruning.
Removing a bunch of filler quests only to mandate completion of an entire raid series was just a terrible solution.

[StriderShinryu]

As much as I do enjoy the MSQ and hope it continues to be a focus for as long as the game exists, I do agree that there needs to be an easier way to on ramp newer or returning players into current content. The simplest solution would be to essentially make a storyline skip an included part of the package. Just as with the skip pot, it doesn't need to get them right to day and date current story. And it would also be great if they included professionally produced "the story so far" edited movies for those who use the skip to access, along with returning players (or old heads who just want a refresher).

[Daniolaut]

I think they should add more to FFXIV, I feel they have already deleted more than enough.

As others have said, if you dont want to play FFXIV, you can buy story skip potions, level jump potions, you can even buy content clears so you wont have to ever play at all.

[Reyketi]

"As others have said, if you dont want to play FFXIV, you can buy story skip potions, level jump potions"

This argument looks nice, on a forum, however, to an executive, it most likely doesn't. Again, if the length of the MSQ (allegedly hundreds of hours) weren't a problem, Square Enix would not have condensed it.

Personal preferences are fine, but they aren't always marketable.

Best Wishes

-Reyketi

[Sauteed]

I think they should add more to FFXIV, I feel they have already deleted more than enough.

As others have said, if you dont want to play FFXIV, you can buy story skip potions, level jump potions, you can even buy content clears so you wont have to ever play at all.

There's a point where playing does not equal watching a cut scene or interacting with a cooking pot repeatedly to watch a cut scene of people eating what got cooked. There's a lot of that that could stand to be trimmed, and yes adding relevant gameplay like another form of deep dungeon with a twist outside of leveling up some kind of new weapon type that will only work in that game play or an overhaul of pvp (massively needed if pvp ever going to grow) instead of taking the time to make sure I made enough laps around Amh Araeng (sp?) to satisfy some agitated developer's sense of necessity. I'd think as FFXIV development has shown, there's a need to trim some of the junk out of the experience and we should be vocal about what could come off, and vocal about what should stay.. but I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks they need to see a second worth of Tataru finding meaning in herself as a Main Story Quest objective while Ishgard is being destroyed by dragons and people are arguing about their unwillingness to send aid to them.. but oh be sure to duel people for doman refugees while finding a means to use white auricite to kill asicans (that we never seem to need to do again for reasons). There's a lot of just mindless complete filler waste that should be by all means be trimmed off, making way for players to get to the more refined content in later expansions. I'm not saying the whole game needs to be wow where I can walk to whatever end game area and just get boosted to level whatever in seconds by a bored warlock or whatever they do in that game (quit before pandas, and was not fond of it then either), but the 2.stuff area is like a boneyard of banality and literal busy work that just doesn't need to be there in it's current state. And glad 20 quests were trimmed out.. The trend should continue tho.

[Ammokkx]

...while finding a means to use white auricite to kill asicans (that we never seem to need to do again for reasons).

uh?

Why was this thrown in again? White Auracite becomes the Scions' go-to idea for killing Ascians after this point, and they even tried to use it at first for another purpose in the patch story of shadowbringers. Of all your arguments against filler content, this one isn't even remotely on the same level as the others.

It's also important to note that you can't just be advancing the plot with drama 24/7. The duel you put on as a show for the Doman Refugees is to show you taking it easy and to bond with Alphinaud a bit, him reminiscing on his desire to protect the world n'd all that, because we all know what happens very shortly after this event. It's a small break before the big climax.

Tataru finding her life's calling you could argue to be filler, yeah, but there are definitely some story beats you seem to be glossing over the purpose of. Not everything you think is filler is actual filler.

[Sauteed]

uh?

Why was this thrown in again? White Auracite becomes the Scions' go-to idea for killing Ascians after this point, and they even tried to use it at first for another purpose in the patch story of shadowbringers. Of all your arguments against filler content, this one isn't even remotely on the same level as the others.

It's also important to note that you can't just be advancing the plot with drama 24/7. The duel you put on as a show for the Doman Refugees is to show you taking it easy and to bond with Alphinaud a bit, him reminiscing on his desire to protect the world n'd all that, because we all know what happens very shortly after this event. It's a small break before the big climax.

Tataru finding her life's calling you could argue to be filler, yeah, but there are definitely some story beats you seem to be glossing over the purpose of. Not everything you think is filler is actual filler.

The white auricite plot point is not filler.. The everything else going on at the time is. When ascians have died after the white auracite method used in the 2.stuff times, where was it used to do so? That is what I get at. Literal "filler" content would be Gold Saucer, but that is something you actually can choose to do, and it is rather enjoyable in my opinion. I can choose to be MGP hoarding wild man watching the world burn around me, with rare glimpses of popular Final Fantasy characters, and theme park style mini games. Making sure I clicked on enough exclamation marked NPC's to get to say an area where I can help restore a city that was destroyed is an example of road blocking filler that needs to be cleaned up. I don't need to make a new character and go straight to Ishgard and start leveling my crafting classes or whatever else but I would like for someone I recommend the game to to be able to do something with me without me needing to make yet another alt, (I have a few and 2 accounts at this point) and burning through the msq yet again. In the event I DO need to do that tho, after playing in the multiple times that I have (as well as purchasing skips), I just can't ignore the stuff that just seems completely out of place and only there to pad game time any more.

I've played a game called Ultima Online years ago, and that game you could literally take a fresh character, and give it the top craftable gear you could make, there were no levels, no road blocks (out side of a few that were bypassable with simple quests), and get to and "sort of" do content to a reasonable level if you knew what you were doing. I played that game longer than this game has been around with 1.0 included. I'd say I played that game over ten years, of actually playing the game, longer if you account for periods of time I either didn't play it while the subscription still went on because I didn't want to lose my pixel house and toys, or couldn't log in because I didn't pay the subscription because it was pay a gas or water bill or play a vidya game scenario. That game was not in danger of being boring because there was no story. There were cludgey attempts at story inserted in at times, and a lot of little side quests with interesting lore and tidbits but I liked the aspect of being able to just jump in. I understand XIV is a MUCH different game style, designed for a much different audience.. it wants to appeal to multiple audiences, sure. But, it could take a little queue from Ultima Online tho, and give fledgling players a little more free roaming experience, just a little. We don't need to open the flood gates and see a level 1 fresh off the transport in the starting cut scene being sucked into Norvandt and doing Shared Fates with us, but a little actual "trimming" of the scenario to get them going in that direction or unlocking restrictions on where they can go a little earlier would help in a lot of ways.