MSQ

[ReynTime]

I brought up this point years ago, but this is going to be yet another expansion worth of story roadblocking potential players from endgame. Doesn't sound like this problem is going to be alleviated come EW. According to a recent interview, they are looking at EXP, rather than another solution, for now. Imagine come the expansion following EW there is still no 'fix'. People always fall back to "just use a story skip", but I don't think that really fixes the core problem, nor do I think even a free skip is a real solution.

This is a terrible solution IMO.
We reached a point where it's common for completely beginners (I know because I watch beginners' streams on Twitch) to get to lv60+, without trying, before finishing 2.0's storyline. And that makes the non-synced content so trivial they just get bored of the fetch quests faster due nothing outside of the dungeons being engaging in the slightest.
The extra exp helps with alt jobs, but it doesn't help the fetch quest and cutscene bloat problem at all.

[linayar]

It's a theme park MMO ffs.

And the MSQ is the main ride that features these other rides. A theme park MMO doesn't mean you can't have a featured mandatory content, like story and leveling.

The devs have also made their position on housing despite it being a handicap and a horrible system and here we are. Yes they’re the devs, but we’re the players. We’re the one paying for the game and we have a say in what we want(or at least in a perfect world we *should*).

Well, as a player, I certainly think the devs should keep the MSQ mandatory in a perfect world as it's the main reason for most if not all the major contents of the game. Buy the boost if you don't care about it.

The only alternative I support is if they move the timeline forward and new characters start from, say, with 6.1's MSQ in the future, like from 7.0 onward. But with using ARR and HW (and possibly more in the future) as a full free trial, I doubt that's happening.

[ZedxKayn]

And the MSQ is the main ride that features these other rides. A theme park MMO doesn't mean you can't have a featured mandatory content, like story and leveling.

Well, as a player, I certainly think the devs should keep the MSQ mandatory in a perfect world as it's the main reason for most if not all the major contents of the game. Buy the boost if you don't care about it.

The only alternative I support is if they move the timeline forward and new characters start from, say, with 6.1's MSQ in the future, like from 7.0 onward. But with using ARR and HW (and possibly more in the future) as a full free trial, I doubt that's happening.

There wouldn't be anything stopping you from doing the MSQ if it's optional, all it would really do is not force people who aren't interested in it to play it.
Hell none of the content I like is featured in the MSQ, it just unlocks after I reach a certain point.

[linayar]

There wouldn't be anything stopping you from doing the MSQ if it's optional, all it would really do is not force people who aren't interested in it to play it.
Hell none of the content I like is featured in the MSQ, it just unlocks after I reach a certain point.

Nah, by keeping it mandatory, it keeps it a priority in the mind of the devs. Optional content can be treated optionally, like them delaying Ultimate. It's a slippery slope that I don't want the devs to get into, no shortcuts (outside of paid auto complete), no disconnect between the story, no potential bug by making it optional, etc.

[ZedxKayn]

Nah, by keeping it mandatory, it keeps it a priority in the mind of the devs. Optional content can be treated optionally, like them delaying Ultimate. It's a slippery slope that I don't want the devs to get into, no shortcuts (outside of paid auto complete), no disconnect between the story, no potential bug by making it optional, etc.

MSQ being mandatory shouldn't be what makes it "bug free" content. And it being optional wouldn't inherently mean a drop in quality or disconnects. Optional wouldn't inherently make it less of a priority for the devs, it would just not force players to do a great quantity of content they don't wanna do.

[linayar]

MSQ being mandatory shouldn't be what makes it "bug free" content. And it being optional wouldn't inherently mean a drop in quality or disconnects. Optional wouldn't inherently make it less of a priority for the devs, it would just not force players to do a great quantity of content they don't wanna do.

But you don't know that, and I'm not taking the chance.

Of course, it's not up to me, so all I can do is voice my rejection of the idea of making MSQ optional.

Trimming? Sure.
Move the starting experience forward in the timeline? Yes, please.
Optional? No, thanks.