quest design

[Jojoya]

I don't think there are easy answers to this because there are a variety of factors involved.

Technology (not everyone has access to the latest in hardware and fastest internet connection speeds), player skill, roleplay immersion (once past 3.0, the WoL's rather unique skill set has been identified and best saved for the situations that demand it, not common combat), the player's own concept of who their WoL is. Quests might feel simple in design but there's still many things underlying them that have to be considered.

Could SE have taken the game in a more combat focused direction? Yes, but that's not the main story they chose to create. The quests in the MSQ need to reflect the story they want to tell.

I still think there's room for SE to create an optional leveling path to the MSQ for those with no interest in story but they want this to remain close to what SE envisions the Final Fantasy experience to be and a large part of that is story. It's up to the player to decide if the game gives them the experience they're personally looking for, or if they're better off playing other games.

I would like to have them add more quests that actually has you participate with other players, even if they are glorified Fates, it would be nice to occasionally interact with others aside from dungeons and trials. Also having more NPCs in some quests so they are less barren and lonely. I think just having some that are visual set pieces and "help" you with stuff occasionally would feel nice.

I've had alts that I leveled side by side with alts of friends. We'd stay somewhat in character as we chatted during cutscenes or talked about quest dialog.

The option is there to be participating with other players except in the solo duties. That's another thing I wish SE would do - we should be able to stay in party together for the solo duties even if we're still forced to complete the duty alone. It would help make it feel like we're still doing them together.

[HappyHubris]

I don't think there are easy answers to this because there are a variety of factors involved.

Technology (not everyone has access to the latest in hardware and fastest internet connection speeds), player skill, roleplay immersion (once past 3.0, the WoL's rather unique skill set has been identified and best saved for the situations that demand it, not common combat), the player's own concept of who their WoL is. Quests might feel simple in design but there's still many things underlying them that have to be considered.

This is silly, as MMOs have had engaging quest experiences on what would be considered a toaster today. WoW had massive success with more organic and challenging questing, and much much older-than-FFXIV games figured out things like phasing and interactive quests. My concept of my WoL is more active than running back and forth to watch dialog cutscenes, but I don't get the option to do anything else.

Could SE have taken the game in a more combat focused direction? Yes, but that's not the main story they chose to create. The quests in the MSQ need to reflect the story they want to tell.

I still think there's room for SE to create an optional leveling path to the MSQ for those with no interest in story but they want this to remain close to what SE envisions the Final Fantasy experience to be and a large part of that is story. It's up to the player to decide if the game gives them the experience they're personally looking for, or if they're better off playing other games.

You're creating a false dichotomy between story and combat. Many of these quests could easily be tweaked to reduce spoken exposition and increase engaging combat. Instead of moving to a designated point and spawning 3 enemies, why not have us fight into a building to eliminate the bandit leader? Instead of having a character announce in conversation that they've figured out the enemy plans, have us hunt down and loot enemy lieutenants to read letters that explain their plans. Etc.

Showing rather than telling is important in books and movies as well, and games have a level of interactivity on top of that. You can tell a story without endless "shot-reverse shot-reaction" cutscenes.

I've had alts that I leveled side by side with alts of friends. We'd stay somewhat in character as we chatted during cutscenes or talked about quest dialog.

You can also chat during combat, walking between encounters, etc. Indeed there are more hooks for RP as you're fighting into an area and looking for an objective, instead of watching people talk back and forth.