You dont need the story.

[linayar]

No.. I have prior experience. Yes, I will bring it up yet again, apparently I had an "imaginary friend", "the game wasn't for me".. When I made a serious discussion thread about ARR (prior to pruning).

"The game isn't for you", "go play WoW", etc. are constants if a player chooses to dislike the story, and be public about it.

Without knowing about (or remembering if I participated in) your "serious discussion thread about ARR (prior to pruning)," I will say that choosing to not dislike the story does not mean that the game is not for you.

However, if your dislike about the story is to such an extent that you want to change the role of the story in the game, then I would rather you find some other game that would give you enough satisfaction without the story so that you would leave FFXIV's story alone.

In other words, if you can tolerate the role of the story and still enjoy the game, then good for you. Otherwise, then of course there may be more serious disagreements.

[MagicAura]

Without knowing about (or remembering if I participated in) your "serious discussion thread about ARR (prior to pruning)," I will say that choosing to not dislike the story does not mean that the game is not for you.

However, if your dislike about the story is to such an extent that you want to change the role of the story in the game, then I would rather you find some other game that would give you enough satisfaction without the story so that you would leave FFXIV's story alone.

In other words, if you can tolerate the role of the story and still enjoy the game, then good for you. Otherwise, then of course there may be more serious disagreements.

Context is everything. As are the words one chooses to voice their opinions. What I really dislike is the notion "my opinion is objectively true" which is a fallacy. An opinion is a subjective thing as are likes and dislikes.

[SturmChurro]

Without knowing about (or remembering if I participated in) your "serious discussion thread about ARR (prior to pruning)," I will say that choosing to not dislike the story does not mean that the game is not for you.

However, if your dislike about the story is to such an extent that you want to change the role of the story in the game, then I would rather you find some other game that would give you enough satisfaction without the story so that you would leave FFXIV's story alone.

In other words, if you can tolerate the role of the story and still enjoy the game, then good for you. Otherwise, then of course there may be more serious disagreements.

I have BARELY made any threads, if I make a thread it's with the intention of it actually being serious. Actually, that was the singular thread I EVER made. The other two are technical issues.

The thing is people say "go play WoW", "this game isn't for you", for just talking about skipping either using a skip or simply skipping cutscenes. This is a constant, that is the general feedback players get for simply disliking the story. I am not saying EVERYONE does this, but it happens all the time regardless.

[Ammokkx]

I would also like to point out that what the OP was doing was more than just "It's okay to not like the story" here.

He was essentially treating everyone who does like the story the same as the people who told him off for not. It wasn't about "Not watching the story is a valid way to play" (which I agree with) but more about "The story is boring and thus stop telling me not to skip it" which is framed entirely differently. He puts his subjective opinion about what it is first, is pretty inflammatory about it, and then acts surprised when people react negatively.

It is fine not to like the story and play the game for other reasons, there's plenty to enjoy. But if you're going to start a thread just to tell off the people who do like it, you're not any better than those telling you off for not.

[Mahoukenshi]

People can play however they want, but it gets grating if the "story skippers" (no offense intended) add petty stuff like "(skipping) to get to the real game" or "lolz story sucks anyway/too much text" etc. The other side has probably reverse samples so it ultimately resolves to "don't tell me how to enjoy the game" (I emphasize that this is OUTSIDE of how to play in a group setting!). People have raised an eyebrow how I play only for the MSQ and skip every bit of optional content not required for flying or have three alts I don't mind rushing through the MSQ (yet find dungeon grinds boring), while I raise and eyebrow how those people can enjoy content with -- for me -- more and more onnoxious mechanics, or enjoy Alliance Raids xD. For me the "real game" is the story. Maybe this will by some odd coincidence change, maybe it will not.

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

"We don't need story, I find stories are boring"
*Also skips the stories*


Yeah? That's all I needed to know.

[Payadopa]

Just play the game how you like and don't belittle everyone who enjoys the story. Weren't you complaining about people doing that to you in a way? It's quite ironic when you think about it.

Eh, I enjoy the story and own both lore books. I don't understand why people wouldn't want to know what's going on. Story and reading is such a big part of FF and JRPGs because people like it. If you don't, good for you, I dont care. But pretty much insulting others in the process is not the way to go, especially in a forum dedicated to the game. I'm not sure what responses you were expecting.

[Reinha]

It's insulting to voluntarily do something genuinely harmless because you know it's how you'd enjoy the game best and you're being pitied or berated for it

Why would it be insulting? I've been told I'm missing out because I don't eat mushrooms, but they are only saying that because they are somehow able to stomach the unfathomably bad flavour and smell combined with the rubbery texture, and don't understand how differently I experience it.

The only reason there is to be upset about that would be because a part of you agrees that you are missing out. It's not polite to tell someone who is dieting that they are missing out on all the treats. They know! Perhaps OP should examine why he gets so offended when people suggest that the story he chose to skip isn't boring.

[Shougun]

No.. I have prior experience. Yes, I will bring it up yet again, apparently I had an "imaginary friend", "the game wasn't for me".. When I made a serious discussion thread about ARR (prior to pruning).

"The game isn't for you", "go play WoW", etc. are constants if a player chooses to dislike the story, and be public about it.

Before WoW did it's choose your expansion start, I was suggesting FFXIV do something similar in the sense that SE makes these alternate starts that jump start your gameplay experience and are designed a bit tighter (imo FFXIV's intro is a bit 'meh', to be fair some of WoW's are also meh lol, but I feel a few are neat and more grabbing - I'm talking post intro cutscene btw, not the cutscene in the beginning).

I was met with if you don't like the story then don't play the game. I had to clarify I do actually like the story (minus some bits here and there that felt like filler, some of it was pruned though) and I just think it's silly to force people through, literally, hundred + hours of story they are probably not interested in if they wanted to get into the tighter gameplay content sooner (those who were wouldn't be taking this optional start, most likely- and even if they did they have MSQ+ to enjoy it later).

If someone was excited for an expansion for content coming out in the expansion then having to do the like 60-90 hours for ARR and then about 30-50 hours for each expansion there after to catch up is more work than most "best RPGs of all time" games, some of those to near or actual 100% completion. To me it was "for those who are not as invested into the story yet and or need a more exciting hook, this could be neat". As it would be optional, and because of our MSQ+ system it wouldn't ruin the opportunity to go back (and would allow it to actually be content for current players as well since they could new game + it). It was made clear there wouldn't be a change to how story works with the game, if someone chose to alternate start they did and if they didn't they didn't the core building of the game wasn't to be changed- just allow different types of players, those who aren't sold on the 150+ hour pre-investment to get to the content they wanted for example (or those who need a more peppy start, since imo FFXIV's start could use with some more pizazz). It's one thing to have 20-40 hours of investment needed or staying current with content vs having 100-200 movies worth of story before you're where you wanted to be (for example I thought it might drop you off near the beginning of an expansion previous to the one that's out, so you had to do 1 expansion and then you got to the current one, this is also why I noted I said this before WoW's system since it seems like I almost wrote that system lol . . . ).

The response was very much of "no way, go some where else". Which I thought interesting since I was clear that the importance to the story wouldn't be changed, just some people could smoothly and logically get into the thick of it easier. To be fair not everyone who wasn't really into the idea was like that, not painting the entire response- but there was quite a few "leave!". Or I guess "buy the level and story skip potions" but I feel that's silly sell to players "buy the game, buy another game's worth of value so you can then get tossed roughly to the end" seems like such a poor solution and an easy way to lose players. The intend of the alternate start was to give them like an hour or two "getting the feel of the game" and a few objectives and ideas of what to do after, while also mixing up the intro to be a bit more directed and controlled with it's burn. Like when I first started I think I spent the first 10 hours in town just grabbing quests and talking to people and touching everything, you can absolutely and fairly blame it on me that I did that lol, but I would suggest I would have had more fun if the team had constructed an expanding and yet more exciting start (don't start players in the main town, etc). Also I've massive nostalgia to the whole start small go big experience which many, not all, of the WoW Starts had - of course some of those older ones are not as good now but like when I first arrived to the main cities from those little villages they put you in... MMM *snaps fingers* lol. That was perfect and is still an extremely fond memory. No such memory exists for FFXIV like that, at least for many many hours (there are some neat big areas later). If I was making a start at least one of them would HAVE to include that sense of expanding adventure (starting small, farm boy to the big city- not speaking story I'm talking about the general journey you take for the intro, if you argue "but at level 50 you are big, massive compared to level 1".. then that missed my point lol, I am aware of the growth your character makes over 80 levels and I'm not talking about the entire game I'm speaking strictly on the intro when I said that).

Of course I feel I've said a lot good about WoW and not so much about FFXIV so I would note basically as soon as things get moving I feel FFXIV gets better and better traction and WoW just loses it, so if you didn't get hooked in the beginning it's like "well, that's unfortunate, good luck now - I feel you wont still then" lol. Don't misunderstand the farm boy to city thing though, since WoW tosses you right into combat and depending on which race some silly fun mechanics (Goblin was cute, Worgon was nice but had WAY TOO MANY BUGS OH MY HOW CAN THAT BE ACCEPTABLE!?!?! FFXIV WOULDN'T ACCEPT THAT! lol). Some people like that it starts from such a small tiny candle flame (lvl 1) in the pacing and grip to the roaring fire (lvl 80), but I think - "at least start from a bit more torch, in the beigning, as an option?". Like when I think of a FF intro that just haunts me still is FFX. Sweet Thal... Sweeeeeeeeet Thal... Pretty much the intro that determined I would complete the rest of the game hell or high water. And I'm not talking about just the cutscene / music, which were stellar, it's even after that then you go through a series of interesting fights to learn the game (the whole intro is exciting, imo), and then finally they slap you into a small village space so you can get that feeling of growth again (small to big, Goblin quest line is maybe a bit like that if we were drawing intro-vibe parallels, of course FFX way more exciting lol, even though for seconds you were in a big area you still get growth of small to big, unlike say 'starting pretty much directly inside the main starting city'). Other FF have their own cool intros of course, I don't think there is one that I dislike (all tend to be quite nice), some of them set a nice maturity or whimsy. Say for example FFIX you get right into this mystery that leads into a fight that then is a comedy and then into a load of mini-games and the cutest freaking music ever with a fairly well directed path (which is a bit closer to what FFXIV does, but if it was going for the FFIX like intro I think it could still use some more polish).

Anyway.. we're all special . . .

[Awha]

To be fair the amount of people that try to shove the story down people's throats is relatively high when someone mentions or thinks about skipping it. They come up with the same tired beats how do you know if you do not like the story if you have not tried but this is a final fantasy game first etc . . .

The reality is some people may simply just enjoy the gameplay, encounter design, crafting or every other element the game has to offer.

Also when it comes to these forms of media one does not have to try it to know if they will most likely not enjoy it.