MSQ

[DPZ2]

This is a pretty terrible non-response.

"Play another game" isn't a response to a critique of the current title, when it can easily offer the solution to players who might be interested in a different aspect of the title since the game isn't just a visual novel. Thanks for trying, I guess.

"Play another game" is, indeed, a valid response. One that you don't like, to be sure, but certainly more valid than "[SE could] easily offer the solution..."

Would you be willing to pony up the entire amount of direct funding for this easy "solution"?

Why is it that people think massive coding changes are ever "easy", or cheap?

[ZedxKayn]

certainly more valid than "[SE could] easily offer the solution..."

Source: me

If they had the resources to make stuff like fêtes or fellowships for patches, I'm sure they could figure out a way to make MSQ optional for a new expac.

[DPZ2]

give players the option to create a raiding character that completely disables anything MSQ related and jumps their character to 80 with some barebones gear in 4 classes, add several checkmarks that they REALLY don't want to do the MSQ to be absolutely sure and disable every side quest, too
they can level up with deep dungeons or just jump to the next level cap once expansions get released

Hey, I'd be more than willing to see players given an option to create a raiding character with the following restrictions:

Instant level 50 ... advancement dependent on successfully completing all Savage instances at-level

Single job, minimal gearset for raiding at level 50.

No MSQ, no duty finder, special queue for current level instances - this is a raiding-only character, right?

No gathering/crafting - single job, right?

No access to the Marketboard


Who can come up with a more ridiculous proposal?

[Rinhi]

Hey, I'd be more than willing to see players given an option to create a raiding character with the following restrictions:

Instant level 50 ... advancement dependent on successfully completing all Savage instances at-level

Single job, minimal gearset for raiding at level 50.

No MSQ, no duty finder, special queue for current level instances - this is a raiding-only character, right?

No gathering/crafting - single job, right?

No access to the Marketboard


Who can come up with a more ridiculous proposal?

I don't see anything wrong with any of this? They can just create a second character if they want to do the story and sidequests...

[ZedxKayn]

Hey, I'd be more than willing to see players given an option to create a raiding character with the following restrictions:

Instant level 50 ... advancement dependent on successfully completing all Savage instances at-level

Single job, minimal gearset for raiding at level 50.

No MSQ, no duty finder, special queue for current level instances - this is a raiding-only character, right?

No gathering/crafting - single job, right?

No access to the Marketboard


Who can come up with a more ridiculous proposal?

Just say you hate people having options and want everyone to go through the MSQ whether they enjoy it or not because you personally like it an go.

[WhiteArchmage]

Source: me

If they had the resources to make stuff like fêtes or fellowships for patches, I'm sure they could figure out a way to make MSQ optional for a new expac.

Do they WANT to? Over 4 expansions now and going into the fifth and it's clear how the dev team wants to make the game. And that involves an MSQ as the "tree trunk" for all the other branches: Omega was introduced in MSQ, CT was made part of MSQ, Ivalice gets nods in MSQ, Eureka was tied to MSQ, Coil, Eden, PotD, HoH, Four Lords, friggin BEAST TRIBE QUESTS, almost all side content branches out from there.

That's why "You don't like having to do the MSQ? This game might not be for you" IS a valid response. It's asking the game to fundamentally change its most fundamental aspect just because you don't like it. And even then the devs gave you an out: just pay for a skip and run right into current expansion. If you don't want to invest in what the dev team obviously cares the most about making, you can do so, at a cost.

[DPZ2]

Just say you hate people having options and want everyone to go through the MSQ whether they enjoy it or not because you personally like it an go.

SE already provides a method for ignoring 3/4 of the current MSQ instantly, at no additional cost to their bottom line. Why not accept that fact and work with it?

[Vahlnir]

Source: me

If they had the resources to make stuff like fêtes or fellowships for patches, I'm sure they could figure out a way to make MSQ optional for a new expac.

I think what it boils down to is that they have things set up a certain way that would be difficult and time consuming to undo. With games like WoW, each expansion has its own story, more or less, though doing the story quests does help people understand what is going on a little bit better. But Blizzard set the game up in a way that skipping entire expansions is possible without taking away from the stories they are trying to tell. SE would probably have to do something similar in order to make things feel optional. I just don't see them ever wanting to put in the effort. The MSQ is quite a slog though, so I'm sure they are losing potential players who don't want to go through so many hoops to play with their friends, much less pay for a skip to make it happen. Personally, I like having the MSQ as a means of progression, but...I think it's a bit of an issue design wise, but whether it's a big enough issue or not for SE is only known to them. They've got the hard data. All we can do is speculate.

[Alaray]

"Play another game" is, indeed, a valid response. One that you don't like, to be sure, but certainly more valid than "[SE could] easily offer the solution..."

Would you be willing to pony up the entire amount of direct funding for this easy "solution"?

Why is it that people think massive coding changes are ever "easy", or cheap?

It's not a valid response, no. If you think it is, I understand you're not worth talking to about this subject. Or, probably, any subject regarding improvements and critique about the title in question.

As for money, it's a multi billion dollar corporation. Which is sort of just making me read my first sentence, and wonder why I even bothered to reply to that point. Since it's pretty obvious.

[Breezelyn]

We're already....what, going on 4 expansions come when Endwalker releases this year? If they haven't bothered to change their formula years ago, what makes you think they're going to do it now? Clearly they aren't going to. If decide to do the next big FF MMO, whenever that might be, they could change things. Just uprooting with how everything is programed now will take a good chunk of money (no doubt). I'm no programmer, so I can't say for sure how messy ARR's code is. I'm sure changing the code of an entire game, when centered around the MSQ, could take many weeks to months. You can post your views, but SE isn't going to budge if they didn't when HW came out 6 years(?) ago. At least they eliminated all that needless filler in the base game (which is a good direction imo).

Just don't expect change from SE. They won't, probably not until FF14 is over and done with.