New player(s) thoughts

[R041]

What was said in those good reviews that attracted you and your friends to the game? A well-written review wouldn't have skipped mentioning that the game is heavily story quest based.

A very large amount of MMO/WoW content creators were toting a much better endgame and MMO experience with gearing and raids, which is exactly what WoW players crave. They typically hype up the story but avoid talking about how it progresses and the extremely dated solo questing systems.

I'm not saying this is this new player's experience with the adverts and content creators - But you don't have to dig too deep to find the exodus hype for better pasture. I think Preach is part to blame to be honest.

[caffe_macchiato]

Its not your type of game and that’s ok, it wasn’t made to please everybody as nothing ever is in life.

And that's okay! In fact, I think it may be better for Square Enix to keep things the same for as long as possible. 7.0, 8.0, and so on. Many people love and cherish how this game operates. Unfortunately, the pool of fellow players will shrink over time as the mandatory story grows longer. Friends will leave, new players will stop coming, and communities will be gutted. The game was designed for a server population half the size that we have now, so many current players will enjoy the breathing room. And everyone else can pick up a better game that's not FFXIV, because let's face it, this game is kind of a let-down. Win-win?

[SassyAssassin]

And that's okay! In fact, I think it may be better for Square Enix to keep things the same for as long as possible. 7.0, 8.0, and so on. Many people love and cherish how this game operates. Unfortunately, the pool of fellow players will shrink over time as the mandatory story grows longer. Friends will leave, new players will stop coming, and communities will be gutted. The game was designed for a server population half the size that we have now, so many current players will enjoy the breathing room. And everyone else can pick up a better game that's not FFXIV, because let's face it, this game is kind of a let-down. Win-win?

Someone dropped their fortune tellers on the forums again please come mop them up.

In all seriousness, Final Fantasy games are story driven. That won’t ever kill the game, it will just keep a different playerbase than the one you want.......and thats ok . And please go pick up a better game instead of just giving us hope that you will.

[Striker44]

Imagine joining an MMO and you can't talk, can't trade, can't even start up a party. What a great experience.

If this happened to me when I was actually buying a paid product with a paid subscription, I'd be mad. But if it's while I'm playing a FREE TRIAL? Not in the least. I expect practically nothing out of a free trial except the chance to start getting a feel for something and decide if I might want to try dropping an opening deposit on it. That FFXIV lets you go all the way through 2 full cycles of content (ARR and HW) in a story-based game for free is frankly amazing.

[R041]

Someone dropped their fortune tellers on the forums again please come mop them up.

In all seriousness, Final Fantasy games are story driven. That won’t ever kill the game, it will just keep a different playerbase than the one you want.......and thats ok . And please go pick up a better game instead of just giving us hope that you will.

Don't get too smug about the playerbase we've retained all these years, it's not the MSQ that keeps the players around and subbed for 2 years each expac cycle. When we have nothing to do and can no longer feed off of the bright eyed young, we'll just eat ourselves.

[hagare]

I know, but I have serious copium because every single friend I've invited to play FF has quit even trying to get to Heavensward. I'm going to start just handing out Story-Skips and watching an MSQ series because it's out of control. Then all of these content creators keep praising this insanely long MSQ and promoting the MMO I've loved for so long as a single-player game. I'm beyond salty, sorry.

Even trying to build an FC is difficult unless you're inviting everyone and you're absolutely massive to catch the 5% of players that stay. If anyone's ever tried to create an FC and you get a ton of sprouts in your FC, you start to see them all log off after a few weeks and never come back. It's heart breaking, and I try my best to make it a good experience, but I can only do so much - It's going to evolve into me just handing out story skips to people that stay in the FC longer than a few weeks.

understandable, very much so.
I'd even understand if they buy a skip and just watch the cutscenes in the inn.

[SassyAssassin]

Don't get too smug about the playerbase we've retained all these years, it's not the MSQ that keeps the players around and subbed for 2 years each expac cycle. When we have nothing to do and can no longer feed off of the bright eyed young, we'll just eat ourselves.

Such goes with every mmo. Most people play for two or more years and then move on, come back or not, new players sub when their current mmo lacks content for a while, then they go back as well etc etc, people will keep recycling as long as new content keeps dropping, and they said they’re not letting the game end anytime soon. Unless they mess up completely there will always be those that have interest in story driven mmorpgs and ffxiv can provide a very long story.

[Arazehl]

Thought this game was an MMORPG? RPG part is the game is driven by it's story plot, with the technical stuff such as experience, loot, skills and combat that which follows the regular mmo genre. So why the surprise of the main story quests to advance the game?

[Jojoya]

A very large amount of MMO/WoW content creators were toting a much better endgame and MMO experience with gearing and raids, which is exactly what WoW players crave. They typically hype up the story but avoid talking about how it progresses and the extremely dated solo questing systems.

I'm not saying this is this new player's experience with the adverts and content creators - But you don't have to dig too deep to find the exodus hype for better pasture. I think Preach is part to blame to be honest.

Blizzard is to blame. They gave players a warped idea of what a MMO is and so there's puzzlement when someone used to playing WoW goes to another MMO to find it works very differently because MMOs are more than just raiding and dungeon grinds.

Still, if you're going to a content creator for information you need to pay attention to what information they're sharing. You're usually getting a brief snapshot of a piece of a game instead of an overall review of the whole. As much as I enjoy crafting, you're not going to get me to play another game simply because a content creator says it has a great crafting system. You need to tell me about the rest of the game as well.

Unfortunately, the pool of fellow players will shrink over time as the mandatory story grows longer.

We already know that SE is preparing to shrink the "mandatory" game. That's why the Hydaelyn-Zodiark story was wrapped up in 6.0 instead of 7.0 as originally planned. They wanted to create a new starting point for players new to the game so they weren't staring down hundreds of hours of MSQ to catch up with friends.

Likely the new starting point will be 6.1, with a slightly longer starting sequence than sitting down with Tataru for tea for newly made characters. Expect whatever their plan is to be announced at the FanFests next year.

[PirateRyanG]

Likely the new starting point will be 6.1, with a slightly longer starting sequence than sitting down with Tataru for tea for newly made characters.

This scene is going to be so sad later on in 7.0 when Tataru decides to summon a primal and we have to put her down.