Quote Originally Posted by van_arn View Post
They absolutely do get tedious if you're doing the unlock quest chains as you try to do the MSQ. The Ruby Sea, for example, has an *awful* quest chain for one aether current that stalls the MSQ for a good hour and a half, and it's not even an entertaining or plot relevant diversion.

A failsafe at the end of the (non-current) expansion that would unlock the same progress the player would unlock if they'd just skipped to the current expansion isn't a bad idea, especially if people are wanting to encourage players not to just skip to the current expansion.
Not really? The Aethercurrent quests are all streamlined to be in same direction & progress of your MSQ the moment they are available. Aethercurrent quests may have some sidestory in them, but it's not required to do them after unlocking the initial aethercurrent quest. That's up to you whether you want to continue after starting the initial quest chain. If you do them regardless, it means you got hooked into the plot, that means the game's doing its job well.

As you progress through the MSQ, most aether currents are also in the same area as your MSQ requirement or in the direction of another aether current sidequest, so they're usually linked together.

It's only feels tedious if you actively try to hunt for aethercurrents before / after completing all your MSQ in the zone because you're essentially doubling or tripling the amount of time it takes for you to retrace your steps and grab those aethercurrents.