An alternative to a new story start point. (Idea proposal and discussion thread)

[Alleluia]

I like the idea of offering a stone/sea/sky thing that allows you to play around with the current max level toolkit. Could add it as an option to the hall of the novice/the smiths, with appropriate signposting and explanation. Or to the inn room. And the DF. Maybe all of the above.

Uosyncing to allow participation in locked duties will spoil things, with some few exceptions, so I don't think its a great idea, personally. I mean, part of the reason The Dying Gasp (for example) is cool is its spectacle, but also it's b/c of the road you've taken to get there. Most of the game's instanced content is like that. If you want to unlock those things without context, the story skip already exists.

[GartredZW]

I like the idea of offering a stone/sea/sky thing that allows you to play around with the current max level toolkit. Could add it as an option to the hall of the novice/the smiths, with appropriate signposting and explanation. Or to the inn room. And the DF. Maybe all of the above.

Uosyncing to allow participation in locked duties will spoil things, with some few exceptions, so I don't think its a great idea, personally. I mean, part of the reason The Dying Gasp (for example) is cool is its spectacle, but also it's b/c of the road you've taken to get there. Most of the game's instanced content is like that. If you want to unlock those things without context, the story skip already exists.

Well like I said, there could be an option to restrict it to only optional content. And it would have to give a warning that there are potential spoilers. Maybe just limit it to optional raids and trials anyway. They could also just replace story characters with shadow people, and cut their dialogue if it really makes a difference.
Overall, they'd mostly be minor to the main story. The Alexander raids just kind of come out of nowhere at the end of heavensward for example. (yeah, I know there was something in 1.0, but no one can play that any more.) The only probable exception is the Shadowbringers raids if you can piece together that [Redacted] is actually [Redacted] from earlier in Shadowbringers, if you've even gotten there yet.

Really this is just a way for players to prioritize the gameplay over the rote story experience if they'd rather start doing content with their friends faster. That's been such a big concern as of late. The 400+ hour story that you need to complete all of in order to join the current high end raids is a huge barrier to entry for what a lot of people would consider the best form of endgame.

I'd rather new players just save the story for later with incentive to complete it fully than just buy a story skip, or be given one automatically.