Thread: 7.0 MSQ - Please less talk, more action!

During my playthrough of 7.0 MSQ, I Couldn't help myself but feel there's a higher number of cutscenes and dialogues over action. I fully understand this is a story-driven MMO, but I think it's time to focus on having more action rather than slipping away into the domain of visual novels.

A good action does not mean a bad story, nor does it reduce its value. In fact, action can emphasize a tight situation and increase engagement. For example, the train cutscene where the WoL controls a cannon gun could have been a perfect opportunity to have Gold Saucer shooting mini-game in the MSQ rather than the entire action sequence being just the cutscene itself.

Another example would be the last zone, where it's mostly just dialogues and strolling around rather than being action-heavy due to the current situation that demands swift execution and elimination of the threat.

Overall, I think FFXIV would benefit from integrating part of its story and cutscenes into the playable sequences. Don't tell me that my character is controlling or shooting with cannon, but let me by myself control the cannon!

The MSQ has always been like this, but yes there were quite a few cutscenes that made me stop and go “This could have been a solo duty or a mini game or something”

This has been a serious issue with games over the last several years. Studios seem to have this misconception that more cutscenes equate to a better game, whether it's a misunderstanding of the desires of the audience, or an arrogant delusion that they are filmmaking prodigies. I'm told FFXVI suffers from this as well. Not that I don't enjoy some context, or a break in the action, but my overall downtime shouldn't equal out to be half my experience.

I

Agree

....

Less exposition, more gaming.

Counterpoint: I hated many of the non-optional mini games in FF7 Rebirth and wished some of those could have just been cutscenes. I'm not the only one with that complaint, either.

There's a balance they have to strike, and clearly they haven't found it yet.

Originally Posted by Rolder50

The MSQ has always been like this, but yes there were quite a few cutscenes that made me stop and go “This could have been a solo duty or a mini game or something”

I'll say this again. I fully understand this game is very story-driven. Although, a good story isn't equal to the amount of cutscenes and dialogues it has.

What defines a good story is how you make the players connect and engaged with it. To gasp at the plot twist, to feel thrilled when the tension rises. Something that should be done through gameplay.

One of the best examples in my opinion is Lv82-83 solo duty, wherein the WoL body is stolen by Zenos, and we're stuck in a Garlean soldier body. You can feel how weak you're because it's not your body, nor

It doesn't tell you: "Hey, this isn't your body" but makes you feel through your weakness and ability to barely survive the ordeal that it isn't your body, and you're not as strong with it. Rather than being told: "Hurry up or he'll kill your friends!", the game emphasizes such through the combination of dialogue that states such, the time limit of the duty, as well as feeling weak and not able to leave the ruins of the city to run towards the camp.

I know many people complained about this solo duty, but it's what I hope the game incorporates more. Don't tell me my feelings or show me the situation. Let me experience them!

I really think they should just do way more solo instances, even if they aren't on the level of In From the Cold or anything. Both in the MSQ and in sidequests.

In the later years of the game these solo duties have been extremely fun and make good use of the combat system. I genuinely had a blast in that one early solo fight in DT. Even doing some basically mechanics like left/right cleaves is more fun than talking to NPCs and clicking to wait.

I wonder if they don't go all out on these because they are worried about server overload?

Add on top of the numerous cutscene followed by run to next spot, cutscene that is rampant. They also still haven't figured out that wanthing someone awkawardly pause, and then emote, then awkwardly pause is terrible in a cutscene. With the amount of cutscenes they run, they should be trying to find a way to speed up the delays in the custcene emoting.

more action.... you mean more fetch quest?

Originally Posted by Tullius

This has been a serious issue with games over the last several years. Studios seem to have this misconception that more cutscenes equate to a better game, whether it's a misunderstanding of the desires of the audience, or an arrogant delusion that they are filmmaking prodigies. I'm told FFXVI suffers from this as well. Not that I don't enjoy some context, or a break in the action, but my overall downtime shouldn't equal out to be half my experience.

It seems like the writers in gaming have no clue how to write dialogue. The over-explaining, repetition, and dragging out of every conversation is an epidemic right now. It's especially bad with FF14 and FF16. I'm so consistently baffled that characters are still talking at the halfway mark of most cutscenes. They're not even saying anything new. Just talking in circles.