ARR needs two simple fixes until an actual revamp

[Puremallace]

So something I am noticing is not only WoW players who come here but long time veteran salty FF14 telling LITERALLY everyone to boost passed ARR. I find this to be incredibly stupid as you skip some of the most important story aspect in the game and the actual introduction to the MMO but it has happened. As we know they trimmed roughly 30% of the ARR grind but we need further changes until we can get an actual full revamp of it.

1. Voice acting. It is seriously lacking. Some of your FF14 players are actual voice actors and will probably do this for free. Just add it already.

2. Reduce the amount of teleporting. Do this by deleting quest that are effectively fetch quest. This makes the world seem small and it is pretty obvious to notice.

These two fixes would help a lot.

[St0rmy]

I think the voice acting isn't something that should be a priority. It can be off putting but it's not the worst thing possible. Voice acting is mediocre at worst. Voice Acting is a lot of work and I just don't think it's worth the effort or redo it for content that is so old.

As far as reducing the amount of teleporting by cutting out fetch quests, I agree 100%. I myself started playing sometime near the end of last year and I can't even begin to imagine what going through ARR before the fat trim was like. Having to teleport to X just to talk to someone then get an item and take that item to Y location definitely is obnoxious. Having people I know and look up to try out the game and end up calling it "Fetch Quest Fantasy" is disheartening but they're not wrong. Everytime I roll the Moogle King boss battle on DF and I see the message that it's a new player's first time I feel so bad because they have such an tiring journey ahead of them before Heavensward.

[tatatatatata]

So something I am noticing is not only WoW players who come here but long time veteran salty FF14 telling LITERALLY everyone to boost passed ARR. I find this to be incredibly stupid as you skip some of the most important story aspect in the game and the actual introduction to the MMO but it has happened. As we know they trimmed roughly 30% of the ARR grind but we need further changes until we can get an actual full revamp of it.

1. Voice acting. It is seriously lacking. Some of your FF14 players are actual voice actors and will probably do this for free. Just add it already.

2. Reduce the amount of teleporting. Do this by deleting quest that are effectively fetch quest. This makes the world seem small and it is pretty obvious to notice.

These two fixes would help a lot.

Your first fix doesn't do anything.

For your second fix: they already implemented Vesper Bay teleportation tickets. Teleporting back to the Waking Sands is a non-issue now.

I think you completely misdiagnosed the issue and are offering solutions that doesn't go towards solving anything. The far bigger issue is that the story is just not engaging until around Lv42, and that gameplay below Lv 50 is horrible after all the skill pruning.

[Puremallace]

The voice acting doesn't need fixed.

However adding additional voice acting to cutscenes that lack it I think would be a good thing. There were tons of cutscenes I really thought needed it while some cutscenes that did have it, I felt could have been fine through text. If they did any revamp, adding more voices to already there cutscenes is probably the one thing I'd want more. It'd help cut down on the reading some and make the game feel a little less like a book in ARR.

How about LITERALLY the first scenes in the game?!?!? There is no actual voice acting outside of the old guy who gives like a 10 second intro to the cities. I just find it strange they have not thrown some cash at this to fix such a blatantly obvious issue.

ARR is basically a long form novel.

[DrWho2010]

Voice acting is an expensive cost that has little return. Also they don't use the same VA's anymore that they did back then.

[Puremallace]

Voice acting is an expensive cost that has little return. Also they don't use the same VA's anymore that they did back then.

Look call me up and I can make some funny voices for the NPC characters who talk. I am just a normal guy but I bet I can do it. Why not make it a competition? Have players record certain parts of the story with NPC's and select the winners. Obviously you have to sign away the rights to the content but why not a community effort?

FF14 players will easily do this to fix some of the mostly obvious issues with ARR.

[lezard21]

IMO the combat during the ARR portion is the biggest turnoff. Some job's combat system really suffer from not having any oGCD till past ARR making the job feel clunky and stunted.

Of particular note is MNK who only gets Perfect Balance at level 50 and outside of that window you are just constantly cycling through your GCDs over and over, and worst of them all, WHM who only gets Benediction at 50, causing new healers to get it hard coded in their brains that Cure and Cure II are their main heals and continue using them all the way up to level 80 barely touching Assize, Afflatus and Tetra.

This is why jobs like DRG (Jump, Spineshatter, Dragonfire) and MCH (Gauss Round, Ricotchet, Wildfire) end up being a lot more attractive for newer players because the combat feels more fluid

Just add earlier weaker versions of some oGCDs that later get upgraded via trait to the current versions and you fix the combat problem.

[Jin-]

ARR voice acting is fine. Nothing wrong with it imo. Same quality as rest of the voice acting.
(not playing with dubs)

[van_arn]

I'd rather they just retire ARR. It was a great improvement over the original, but it's embarassing to show off in comparison to the expansions. The revamp helped, but it's still a drag.

Make it NG+ only.

[Ilenya]

I'd rather they just retire ARR. It was a great improvement over the original, but it's embarassing to show off in comparison to the expansions. The revamp helped, but it's still a drag.

Make it NG+ only.

Are you asking them to make...Like, a movie or something to get people caught up to what happened/what is going on when HW starts?