Please let me skip MSQ

[Kolsykol]

Every time someone says that they skipped the story it hurts my soul, I genuinely feel like it's one of the best stories ever told it just might not seem like it at first early on but Heavensward, Shadowbringers and Endwalker in particular are masterpieces and Stormblood definitely has high points too.

Not saying people '' aren't allowed to skip '', but this is a story based game and if you don't like it then the game probably isn't for you.
Most MMO's aren't story heavy and you'd be better off playing one of those.

[kpxmanifesto]

They'll never let you but I wished they did. Outside of Heavensward and Shadowbringers which were both very good, the game's story is ok at best. The strength of this game is its gameplay and raid content, and for me its worth tolerating MSQ for.

[Genbe197]

All my friends play this game and they are already done with MSQ. I have barely started because I don't have a lot of time especially with the long queues. I don't care about the story I just want to have a good time with my friends doing dungeons. But I haven't been able to do that because everything new is locked.
The game is actively preventing me from playing with my friends. I have cried over this.
I want to have a good time when I get home from work and not be stuck running from point A to B for days completely alone because I have to earn the ability to not be alone in a multi-player game.

At this point I regret asking my friends to play this game with me because I isolated myself because I can't keep up anymore.

Please just let me play with my friends.

Get new friends. They can come do the low lvl dungeons with you nothing is stopping them. Apparently they just don't want to cause nothing is in it for them. Everything in this game they can sync down to you on.

[TaleraRistain]

I don't want the game to change I just want a skip.

You DO want the game to change because you deny one of the core ideas of it. We're all required to go through the main story questline. This is the catalyst of everything in the game. Even the stories to unlock optional content are usually related somehow to the main story questline. That's why it's required to unlock them. They give the option to skip cutscenes and dialogue so we can engage with the story to the amount that we want, but we all have to engage with it in some manner, at least for the current content. It would change the structure at a base level if they just let you skip the main story questline entirely. This is not an MMO where the highest of the high stuff is the only important thing and that's why many of us play it.

[Azuri]

I will ask a genuine question for everyone who insists that "Story is the main focus and you are obliged to do it". What is the point? Is that some kind of "eat your vegetables before dessert" approach? No matter if you consider those "vegetables" the most delicious gourmet cuisine ever made, why force them on someone who has no interest in the story? Will the game benefit or you feel happier if someone like the OP spends several evenings just going between NPCs and pressing ESC twice to skip the cutscenes before they can do something they are interested in? Because let's be honest, MSQ is nothing but a series of cutscenes (with less than half of them voiced) intermingled with A to B fetch tasks.

And no, MSQ really isn't a social activity you can do with friends. Not if you don't care about the story. They can help you unsync an occasional mandatory dungeon but in the end this is likely not what you or them want to do. If someone just wants to do the latest dungeon/raid/whatever, is offering them a skip that includes the latest expansion on the mogstation really such a problem?

[Krotoan]

If someone just wants to do the latest dungeon/raid/whatever, is offering them a skip that includes the latest expansion on the mogstation really such a problem?

Generally the latest dungeon/raid will incorporate the mechanics that have been "taught" over the past expansions instances. Sometimes these are old mechanics brought back into use, sometimes they're new (in the sense FFXIV hasn't had them) concepts and markers (Like the tankstack marker).

People who skip straight into endgame are more likely to be a detriment to everyone elses experience. Not that these people don't exist now, but it's a barrier of sorts at least. These people don't know their job very well, don't perform their role beyond surface combos and in the case of a healer like OP have frequent responsibilities that if failed result in wipes or extra stress being heaped on others.

While I'm not entirely against someone being able to jump straight into endgame with their friends, it's also a consideration that they aren't usually ONLY going to be playing with their friends and they should have at least some understanding of the game itself before joining those who would like smooth runs and have worked to expand their skills and knowledge to contribute as such.

FFXIV being a theme park MMO people are of course welcome to enjoy the parts of it they want to and avoid the rest, but avoiding 99% of it is a bit extreme. "Endgame" currently being 2 dungeons and 4 raid instances that amount to about maybe an hour or two of content at best.

[Lium]

Wait, I just realized OP is level 80. I'm not trying to be rude but...really? Your friends can't help you through 10 levels? When OP said they were crying I thought it was because they were back in ARR or something and all their friends were max level. But they are freaking level 80???

So, they've played through ARR and three other expansions and are now crying about not being able to play with their friends at max level because of the story? Um...you know what? Nevermind.

I will ask a genuine question for everyone who insists that "Story is the main focus and you are obliged to do it". What is the point? Is that some kind of "eat your vegetables before dessert" approach? No matter if you consider those "vegetables" the most delicious gourmet cuisine ever made, why force them on someone who has no interest in the story? Will the game benefit or you feel happier if someone like the OP spends several evenings just going between NPCs and pressing ESC twice to skip the cutscenes before they can do something they are interested in? Because let's be honest, MSQ is nothing but a series of cutscenes (with less than half of them voiced) intermingled with A to B fetch tasks.

And no, MSQ really isn't a social activity you can do with friends. Not if you don't care about the story. They can help you unsync an occasional mandatory dungeon but in the end this is likely not what you or them want to do. If someone just wants to do the latest dungeon/raid/whatever, is offering them a skip that includes the latest expansion on the mogstation really such a problem?

Because it's about game design. You have to look at the game you've chosen to play. For example, when I played WoW or some FPS game or looter shooter, I'm not playing for the story. I'm playing to kill stuff and get loot. And that's pretty much it. When I played Overwatch I didn't care about the story at all. I know one was there, but the story of Overwatch wasn't why I played it. I played to PvP.

In FFXIV or LOTRO or SWTOR, story is what matters most. So when I want to get immersed in the story, those are the games I play. Endgame and loot is not the reason I play FFXIV. I play for the lore and the characters.

If all you really care about is dungeons and the like and aren't really into story, then FFXIV may legitimately not be the game for you.

[Azuri]

Generally the latest dungeon/raid will incorporate the mechanics that have been "taught" over the past expansions instances. Sometimes these are old mechanics brought back into use, sometimes they're new (in the sense FFXIV hasn't had them) concepts and markers (Like the tankstack marker).

People who skip straight into endgame are more likely to be a detriment to everyone elses experience. Not that these people don't exist now, but it's a barrier of sorts at least.

While I'm not entirely against someone being able to jump straight into endgame with their friends, it's also a consideration that they aren't usually ONLY going to be playing with their friends and they should have at least some understanding of the game itself before joining those who would like smooth runs and have worked to expand their skills and knowledge to contribute as such.

FFXIV being a theme park MMO people are of course welcome to enjoy the parts of it they want to and avoid the rest, avoiding 99% of it is a bit extreme. "Endgame" currently being 2 dungeons and 4 raid instances that amount to about maybe an hour or two of content at best.

I really don't think leveling instances where you can fail every single mechanic, switch to "very easy" and proceed to clear with no sweat (and even stay dead for the entire encounter while the other three players clear it if we are talking about a dungeon) are such a worthwhile learning experience to attach twenty hours of fetch quests with cutscenes to them and make the whole thing mandatory. And honestly, just giving people a "hand out" with all those indicators you can access from help menu would probably be way more convenient and useful.

And there are definitely things beyond dungeons and raids you can do after MSQ. You have entire DoL/DoH gated by it and even something like farming FATEs with friends is more of a social interaction than doing MSQ together.

[LaylaTsarra]

Wait, I just realized OP is level 80.

Probably bought skips to 80 but want them to 90. It's not ever going to happen in this game so it's really a mute point.

[Krotoan]

I really don't think leveling instances where you can fail every single mechanic, switch to "very easy" and proceed to clear with no sweat (and even stay dead for the entire encounter while the other three players clear it if we are talking about a dungeon) are such a worthwhile learning experience to attach twenty hours of fetch quests with cutscenes to them and make the whole thing mandatory. And honestly, just giving people a "hand out" with all those indicators you can access from help menu would probably be way more convenient and useful.

People have shown, again and again, they do not read tooltips, let alone the "hints" from the help menu. Dungeons can be cleared by 2 people who know what they're doing, this doesn't mean that they don't give adequate learning opportunities and guidance though. I would rather play with a vet who has done all the dungeons than a fresh person who has read a guide.
We COULD just let people skip everything, but in my opinion this would result in even more people being burdens instead of contributing to endgame instances. Again, this already happens, but at least there is some barrier to it.

And there are definitely things beyond dungeons and raids you can do after MSQ. You have entire DoL/DoH gated by it and even something like farming FATEs with friends is more of a social interaction than doing MSQ together.

There are a lot of things you can do after MSQ.. but there are only a few things that are truly gated by finishing all of it. If OP truly just wants to play with friends, they could easily just party up and be ferried around to fates or go grind Zadnor together... or run roulettes. I get there are certain things people want to do, I'm just doubtful the cons are worth the pros of letting people jump straight into it.