Stop it with the forced stealth

[CottonC]

I mean, the follow thing is a bit tedious. Still I get it that if they don't do it, people do tend to complain "Why is it always talk to npc, talk to npc, kill a mob, talk to npc." Granted, talking to the npc usually is not a problem since story is so good.

This said, and putting aside cost effectiveness, obviously it'd be a lot more fun to have enemy encampment to sneak into - due to whatever reason, perhaps they have a hostage and you can't go in 'guns blazing'. In some situations it feels natural to follow someone, in others... honestly, a stare from a butcher like WoL (who did kill a lot of Garlemald soldiers and defeated quite a lot of beasts of all sorts) could be enough to make someone talk and solve the information gathering in much faster fashion - but the problem that they have is that it's too specific, giving WoL too much character and so they become less of a blank slate.

Lastly, while I am by no means a fan of 'stealth' in FF XIV, the DT iteration of it felt cleaner in execution than Endwalkers, there was less random 360 spins in middle of nowhere, with no cover after game said "stay close" so it was not nearly as annoying.

[Dyvid]

Yea, I'm not a fan of this. It's annoying to be near the end then have DF ready goes off and end up having to redo the entire walk again...

Only joy I get is using Namazu Party Float, making as much noise as possible.

[HighlanderClone]

I don't think any of it was that bad this expansion.

The Urianger one at Lv84 was 100% the worst one though. You tail him and at the end he literally tells you he is glad that you followed him. What. ?????

https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/L..._to_Old_Tricks

The story justification for these stealth quests are hilariously bad.

I actually personally like the mechanics of these quests but man, they don't know how to fit these into the story.

[Reimmi]

I will never forgive assassins creed for making this garbage mechanic a thing other games copy

[yeoldesalt]

I was doing one for an aether current where I had to follow a Hrothgar. Right where I assume the end is he stopped for a solid 2-3 minutes without moving or talking before I figured maybe I need to approach him to "confront" him or something. I guess he was just bugged because I immediately failed it. So I rage quit and moved on. Super annoying I'd rather talk to Wuk Lamat.

[R1V3N]

Yes, we don't want any more stealth.

[Ardeth]

The questing is terrible anyway. It has been for years, but these quests take the cake on this. They're almost as awful as when you make us play as npcs.

[Roda]

I don't mind them in a vacuum, but they tend to over commit on using "the new gimmick" and treat it like it's a core gameplay feature (like jobs, or crafting are), rather than a narratively appropriate tool to convey a specific feeling.
There was a point where I was like "You know, I don't mind these tailing quests so long as they don't over use them". This was the first time in the expansion one had shown up... And then they made me do another one right after I finished the first, and the bad taste returned to my mouth...

It often feels at times like the story is being forced to come up with a situation where we need to stalk someone to fill some "mandatory low-stress gameplay" quota as to not step on the toes of the "fun demanding gamplay" that's meant to be quarantined in instanced content while still having the player technically do something.

Like if they were used in a way that made sense (person we're tailing is strong or has a way to get away that our gap closers/mobility tools can't catch up to, or has a hostage) and had an interactive failure state (have to fight them in the open and avoid causing too much collateral damage, a chase sequence that's like cart racing on foot, have to find a way to deal with the hostage situation NOW) that would at least feel better than "tiptoe behind that lvl 1 guy you could just pick up and shake down for information" or "Follow behind The Problem but DON'T KILL THEM NOW! Surely they have information on them that'll lead you to dismantling their plans after you kill them in an ambush, but no you have to wait until they move themselves to a WAYY move advantageous position so that they can have a cutscene to laugh at you and then disappear"

Also tailing missions, while related to them, aren't exactly "stealth missions" imo. Stealth missions have more freedom with how you solve problems, while tailing missions are more linear and offer less room for agency. Open ended problem solving vs binary pass/fail solutions and all that. I loved in from the cold (the original implementation), and while something with that level of narrative intensity doesn't belong in DT's story, it's a far more interesting sequence than "go hide behind 4 trees".

[koko-on-da-forumz]

I'm of two minds.

It's GOOD in that they're almost the only interactive moments in the MSQ. I would rather be doing stealth missions than walk from point A to B.

It's BAD because they serve almost no narrative purpose, they're not particularly engaging (just stand still until the npc turns around, then run to the next hiding spot), and they take a while. Apparently some people have failed them as well, but I really don't think the difficulty is anything to complain about.

[Ardeth]

I'm of two minds.

It's GOOD in that they're almost the only interactive moments in the MSQ. I would rather be doing stealth missions than walk from point A to B.

It's BAD because they serve almost no narrative purpose, they're not particularly engaging (just stand still until the npc turns around, then run to the next hiding spot), and they take a while. Apparently, some people have failed them as well, but I really don't think the difficulty is anything to complain about.

I failed an ather current one like 4 or 5 times. The npc kept seeing me through a tree. But I chalk it up to bad implementation rather than it just not working. I should've reported it, but it was so frustrating, and I just wanted to be done with it. I powered through it. I'm not even a stranger to stealth. I can play and have played European Extreme Metal Gear. I know my stuff, but when they have see through objects laser vision, what do you do?