New Player experience

[Dante131]

Hi everyone, everyone is always telling me mimimi go to the forums and make a thread so here I am. So after the frustration of Endwalker's 6.X content, my wife and I decided to give the game another try. We invited our friend to join us and here it begins. The first thing is finding the download file, what is so difficult to put a DOWNLOAD NOW button with the file in it after you enter the code? But okay, we knew it, and we guided him. So far, so good, not the best first impression but fine. While he was downloading the game, we explained some important things and mentioned the story. So, after we told him that the story is long as heck now since we got so many expansions, he was buffed out. How long does he have to play until he reaches the part when he can play with us? So, we told him if he doesn't want to play the story, which is fine, he can buy a story skip. The expression of the new guy was, well, the same as you would expect: "YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT?" Yes, a story skip for just one character costs half the price of the new expansion... perfect start, hype is there... but still, he was like, okay, come on, this one time I might pay it... So, download finished, he starts the game and everything is fine for now. He creates a character and starts the game and begins the adventure. After visiting the Moogle for rewards for buying this game, we tried to use some of them which well raised another question, "Why exactly can't I use items while the Moogle window is open?" but still funny and laughing at the state of an up-to-date game, right Yoshi P? Okay, no hate on this point. So, he jumped into the online store for buying the overpriced story skip for just 1 character, he realizes that his character isn't existing in the database... well okay, maybe it will appear soon. After a time, he checks the store multiple times and well the character doesn't appear... SO EVEN if he wants to buy something and give you Money HE LITERALLY CAN'T.

[Dante131]

Not just story skips, no outfits, no mounts, nothing. Time passes and well after 3 hours we tried it for the last time (we quested meanwhile and watched some houses) and still nothing. So, the thing is officially for the online store and lodestone this character hasn't existed for 3 hours... is this up to date? So what have we experienced in 3 hours as a beginner? The website of the game isn't aware of the existence of a new player, the game mechanics as eat food while another window (Moogle) is open are impossible since it's too hard I guess? So what happened after? Well, somehow after hours he was able to buy the skip and tried to start leveling. The limitations of the early game beside questions appeared again. What's with other characters, why is a shop item like an outfit not account-wide, why is the shop not in-game like in every other MMO? I mean come on even Metin2 has an in-game shop... So we started laughing really hard but not because the game was fun, it was because everything was so outdated and weird that we couldn't help ourselves otherwise. So yeah, it wasted time even he quested a little and got some mentoring of how the class he's playing works it was worthless since it was the middle of the night. By the way, he's still after hours missing his rewards from friend invitation... after 3 hours his review was and I quote "if it wouldn't be for you I would have deleted this game already" this made me think. Yoshi P was saying in a Japanese interview it's important to keep new players.

[Dante131]

SO HOW IS THIS A WAY OF KEEPING THEM. This game teaches you one lesson early "limit is not just a skill which you can use its the theme of this whole game" sounds hard? No! New players learn that they can't stay in a group of friends if they need to do a single instance (SINGLE INSTANCE IN AN MMO....) without disbanding the group (or leave it) in a game which actively forces you to do the story for everything. Riding a mount is possible after 4 hours of questing (why?). The battle is quite well for the beginning levels but feels very slow. The Lodestone was finally registered the new guy after 3 hours and shows he is in a guild since 1 minute... actually for 3 hours but great it realized he exists. If he doesn't pay a half of an expansion for one skip he has to do a terrifying amount of quests which was an instant NOPE and yes the story is good until 6.X BUT I understand everybody who is like why the hell should I play for 400 hours of story to start having fun with my friends. After he went to bed I was so ashamed to tell him and so many people in the last year how great this game is. It kinda is but stuff like you can't accept invites while you're reading post-Moogle or can't eat buff food while Duty Finder pops up. Ah before I forget can someone remind me what's the reason for blocking island sanctuary behind END OF ENDWALKER? Is it so much to let new people a space? Oh well, they can visit others' islands but can't do it by themselves nice... enough ranting, the game makes some good stuff for him as well, some mounts are funny and the world seems fine even if the zones are all disconnected for some reason with loading screens. How do we want to keep people playing this game if it limits you from the start and doesn't really change in the future? How do we explain this behavior of the systems in 2024? And how can we call that up to date and bashing other game methods as outdated (Yoshi P)? Give me all the hate you have.

[Jeeqbit]

The first thing is finding the download file, what is so difficult to put a DOWNLOAD NOW button with the file in it after you enter the code?

1. Google "download ffxiv".
2. Click first link and follow instructions.
3. Login to launcher and it will download.

For free trial, do the same except google "ffxiv free trial".

How long does he have to play until he reaches the part when he can play with us?

Level 15 Sastasha, level 17 POTD etc.

"Why exactly can't I use items while the Moogle window is open?"

Usually because it's a cutscene. Isn't hard to accept all items, close, then use them.

Time passes and well after 3 hours we tried it for the last time (we quested meanwhile and watched some houses) and still nothing.

The game database is copied over to the lodestone periodically through the day, sometimes multiple times a day, depending on how congested it is. I've seen it happen once every 6 hours before and other times much faster. They wouldn't want to overwhelm the game database with a massive copy+paste too frequently, nor would they want to directly expose the game database to a website that could get ddos'd easier.

why is a shop item like an outfit not account-wide, why is the shop not in-game like in every other MMO?

It probably should be, but you don't usually need an alt in this game. This game isn't about alts.

New players learn that they can't stay in a group of friends if they need to do a single instance

The story isn't very multiplayer friendly tbh. They decided early on to make the story all about you and not acknowledge friends as, say, scions, for whatever reason.

Riding a mount is possible after 4 hours of questing (why?).

I don't like this either, but had a similar experience in some other MMOs.

After he went to bed I was so ashamed to tell him and so many people in the last year how great this game is. It kinda is but stuff like you can't accept invites while you're reading post-Moogle or can't eat buff food while Duty Finder pops up.

It has always felt kinda dated, even since the day it released. Sorta incompetent in some areas, like having some features on the website instead of in the game and a slow UI.

But a lot of it has to do with inventory and duty finder being on different physical machines. You can't use food while switching to or accessing other physical servers.

Ah before I forget can someone remind me what's the reason for blocking island sanctuary behind END OF ENDWALKER?

Story, but I agree it wasn't worth it. Could have just required beating ARR maybe.

the zones are all disconnected for some reason with loading screens.

They weren't in 1.0 and it was an issue. Also PS3 limitations affected this design I think. Many other MMOs don't consider consoles.

[Kes13a]

I think you need to be a certain level before Lodestone registers the character. If Lodestone isnt registering it, it doesnt exist to the store. I also think while you are in the game, Lodestone will not update your character anyway, and only does it on logout. So if they were in the game the whole time, that could have been part of the issue.

by "moogle" you mean the Mogstation? they are not intimately linked, I believe the mogstation is a different group, so there is a delay between purchase and delivery. it can vary for length of time. If they are checking constantly while logged in, and Lodestone doesnt have a logout to register the character... well, that will be most of the issue with not being seen.

[Iscah]

If you want people to read your text, you need line breaks in it.

[DiaDeem]

why is the shop not in-game

[Dante131]

1. Google "download ffxiv".
2. Click first link and follow instructions.
3. Login to launcher and it will download.

For free trial, do the same except google "ffxiv free trial".
Level 15 Sastasha, level 17 POTD etc.
Usually because it's a cutscene. Isn't hard to accept all items, close, then use them.
The game database is copied over to the lodestone periodically through the day, sometimes multiple times a day, depending on how congested it is. I've seen it happen once every 6 hours before and other times much faster. They wouldn't want to overwhelm the game database with a massive copy+paste too frequently, nor would they want to directly expose the game database to a website that could get ddos'd easier.
It probably should be, but you don't usually need an alt in this game. This game isn't about alts.
The story isn't very multiplayer friendly tbh. They decided early on to make the story all about you and not acknowledge friends as, say, scions, for whatever reason.
I don't like this either, but had a similar experience in some other MMOs.
It has always felt kinda dated, even since the day it released. Sorta incompetent in some areas, like having some features on the website instead of in the game and a slow UI.

But a lot of it has to do with inventory and duty finder being on different physical machines. You can't use food while switching to or accessing other physical servers.
Story, but I agree it wasn't worth it. Could have just required beating ARR maybe.
They weren't in 1.0 and it was an issue. Also PS3 limitations affected this design I think. Many other MMOs don't consider consoles.

for the google point yes of course we know this a new player is asking why the hell is the game not offering me this. but with the rest i aggree its just not the best first impression

[Dante131]

i mean the moogle ingame where you get items. but however yes they are another grp still for new players it feels weird that their side is not listing their charakter and take time for delivering untill some hours for some items ( Aerith Minion for example ) and for all old players who play a new char

[LianaThorne]

i mean the moogle ingame where you get items. but however yes they are another grp still for new players it feels weird that their side is not listing their charakter and take time for delivering untill some hours for some items ( Aerith Minion for example ) and for all old players who play a new char

If memory serves, the process to get your char on Lodestone doesn't initiate until they hit level 10.

As far as delays on delivering for old players, my first round of stuff is usually there when I make a character and I have to clear out space to get the rest. That usually happens within the hour after emptying space in the Moogle. Not entirely sure what's happening there for you.