MSQ

[linayar]

If you can see complaints in spaces dedicated to FFXIV, they're most likely still playing or come back regularly for raiding.
There is still a lot more time to be spent doing endgame content that MSQ content. Prog and reclears take time.
And MSQ being optional wouldn't remove it from the game, it would change literally nothing aside not forcing people who don't want to read a point and click visual novel to do so.
As Alaray said, the MSQ offers no fun gameplay, as someone who spent over 8k hours on the game since mid-5.0 without giving a damn about the MSQ, there is still plenty of enjoyable things to do that could keep MMO enthusiasts who enjoy crafting, or housing, or raiding, or glamour, or leveling, or achievement hunting, or in general just doing stuff with their friends, roped in.

The only reason you don't hear people complain about FFXIV's MSQ much is because most people who are unhappy with it got filtered and don't frequent XIV communities, but it's a recurrent criticism in communities centered around MMORPGs as a genre.

I'm not saying it would be removed from the game, but the focus will certainly change for something that now is not the main content. That's inevitable. And the story itself will change because you don't need it to unlock content. Again, it's not a risk I'm willing to take. It's probably the one change I will never agree to other than removing queueable content.

I'm not saying there are no complainers. I'm saying if they are still choosing to play despite that, then it is what it is. If they speed through the MSQ then spend the rest of their time progging, then there is no reason to make it optional. Just let them speed through it once. That said, only the devs can decide if their complaint holds merit in terms of affecting the business. I'm arguing simply as a player.