Make it so the Current Expac MSQ doesn't level you

[Kes13a]

why remove the only rewarding thing about bad MSQ's?

not saying they are all bad or anything, but its... a story based game. you know that when you come into it. its a big selling point. so what is the incentive to remove exp from tthat?

it would be like selling a pvp game where you cant level through pvp.

[Malthir]

why remove the only rewarding thing about bad MSQ's?

not saying they are all bad or anything, but its... a story based game. you know that when you come into it. its a big selling point. so what is the incentive to remove exp from tthat?

it would be like selling a pvp game where you cant level through pvp.

Again not saying remove all exp. DT is written poorly which has made alot of player annoyed however if the MSQ was less of a slog of cutscenes and broken down by more player interaction in area's with smaller stories in each zone, even a poorly written story becomes less tedious. It doesn't make it good but less egregious. The problem the game has as a whole and this has been building since Shadowbringer, is a massive reduction in gameplay in favour of static dialogue cutscenes. That is fine as long as the writing is great, but the second the writing is bad it become unbearable. With it also being the main levelling route, it then becomes a massive barrier to entry for new players, which is going to be the issue DT has caused. They will feel a hit in subs from unhappy players now, but they will REALLY REALLY struggle to get new players with DT's MSQ hanging over people. In order to prevent things like this in the future, they need to look to bring gameplay back into the game.

My suggestion of fates and side quest was purely a suggestion I'm open to other ideas. Just then need to stop the MSQ being the only real aspect of the game, or they are going to run into problems.

Before someone says, they just need to write better. DT is an anomaly of poor writing quality in the same regard that shadowbringer was an anomaly in great writing. Most expacs are going to hover in between. It's a poor decision to keep the MSQ this large and heavily focused on cutscenes when you will have massively fluctuating opinions on the story.

[Taytay]

So the real issue isn't even about MSQ leveling the player, but rather the boring slog of absolute nothingness the DT MSQ turned out to be.

Which, yes, you would be correct. However, I don't think lowering exp and telling people to do side content is the answer. Why should anyone have any faith in the side quests when the main story was so sloppily written? Can we really expect anything better from the side quests?

[Malthir]

So the real issue isn't even about MSQ leveling the player, but rather the boring slog of absolute nothingness the DT MSQ turned out to be.

Which, yes, you would be correct. However, I don't think lowering exp and telling people to do side content is the answer. Why should anyone have any faith in the side quests when the main story was so sloppily written? Can we really expect anything better from the side quests?

No the real issue is an over dependence on MSQ for content, DT has highlighted this. EW was the same, however it was good so people forgave it, then the post patch got crucified by the players. Same design philosophy but as soon as the MSQ doesn't resonate with players the game shit out of luck and since you must complete all MSQ's to progress the more you risk creating massive barriers to entry when the MSQ is big and doesn't slap.

ARR storyline was kinda meh, not bad but nothing to write home about. it was the world building through the myriad of side content that made the game (With the exception being AV runs to hit 50, whoever brought up, screw you getting flashbacks ) Every dungeon having it's own story, progressing through areas doing side stories not tied to an overarching MSQ. You never were at a point where you were doing side content thinking, I really should be doing the MSQ right now I've got to get through all that. It was drip fed to you alongside the gameplay you were enjoying as opposed to dumped on top of you. I think Job quests also existing was a factor, I miss them role quest suck by comparison.

[Toutatis]

Uh no. Just because you don’t like MSQ, you want to remove XP for everyone. Game would just be more grindy. OP chose to level only one job and does not consider that other people may play differently. By the tine I finished the MSQ, I had 4 jobs at 100: 1t, 1h and 2 dps (1 melee and a caster). Besides MSQ, I did roulettes on role in need, unlocked dungeons with trusts, picked up aether currents and completed about a dozen side quests. Always had a lvl 3 XP buff from the GC (15%) + cheap food (3%).

Many enjoy MSQ despite its pacing problems in DT.

[TaleraRistain]

No thank you. The importance of the story and how lore is integrated into the MSQ is one of the key things I enjoy the most about XIV. There are eleventy million MMOs that push that lore and world-building and other things of importance into side areas. This one is allowed to be different and some of us who ran the gauntlet of those other MMOs over the years greatly appreciate that difference.

Dawntrail's problems are in writing, pacing, and presentation. That doesn't mean those elements that have enriched the story and allowed it to be the main way of leveling your first class need to be taken out.

I don't say this often, but if those other MMOs are offering the sort of experience that you want, please go play those. *Please* don't come here trying to ruin it for those of us who are enjoying those elements in this one. Not every MMO has to be for every single person.

[SirShady]

Terrible idea. I shouldn't have to grind to enjoy this story-driven MMO. The pacing is already all over the place. If I had to go grind in order to go on a fourth fetch quests with Wuk Lamat I would have closed the game and probably never come back.

What I would much rather see is more interesting questing in general. Incentivize us doing side quests by making them more interesting, having them give more worthwhile rewards, and bringing back the good writing from previous expansions. Same thing with everything involving the open world content. Guild Wars 2 absolutely nails it when it comes to designing a massive breathing open world for players to explore and enjoy. I was really hoping that was the direction they were heading towards this expansion, since it was supposed to focus on "grand new adventures exploring the new world" but sadly we're still stuck to the same esoteric boring design.

[Aurumis]

I have a feeling that a part of the frustration, other than this MSQ being incredibly cutscene dense, would be resolved if they made it so the MSQ wasn't literally the only viable way to level to 100.

What I mean by this, is that currently there's no point in doing any side content on Expac release. You do the entire MSQ because just the MSQ alone is enough to get you to max level, all major content is gated by the MSQ and the MSQ is very long. Why would you do any other side quests, fates etc?

I think for the game to be more enjoyable and break up the cutscene heavy MSQ, they need to reduce the EXP gained from the current Expacs MSQ. I'm not suggesting make it give you 0 exp just make it so the player needs to find other sources of exp to continue the MSQ. (I also think they need to make the MSQ slightly smaller in scope but that's another issue.) This will then allows the player to do other things in the world to get levels, dungeons runs, fates, side quests. Other content becomes relative and the game isn't relying so heavily on having a brilliant storyline 24/7. You can write a mediocre story and people will care less when it's not constantly in their faces for 30hr straight.

Older Expac MSQ can stay the same to streamline the catching up to the current game.

Updating for clarity: I'm suggesting the MSQ should be smaller, it should still give some xp just not enough to get you to max, less cutscenes, massive lore related info dumbs that aren't pertinent to the plot should be side content that's optional etc, get rid of alot of pointless cutscenes that repeat the same thing said 20m ago almost as if they knew they'd bored the player to sleep and had to remind them. Make the MSQ short sweat drive the plot but have the bulk of playtime be actually gameplay, be that creating a better fate/quest/dungeon/leve system using other games like GW2, ESO as inspiration. That's the way the game needs to move in the future to avoid having this situation again. Dawntrail MSQ being boring for alot of people, is a symptom not the disease.

that is not the problem and nothing that people want xD Of course we want to level with the MSQ since it takes hours and hours to do. WTF.

[Jojoya]

So you can do the side content on other jobs you want to level when you want a break from MSQ.

Others prefer to play through the MSQ in its entirety without a break and that option shouldn't be taken away from them.