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

[Malthir]

if the msq didnt give any xp i'd be upset

I'm not saying don't give any I'm saying so that you don't just get to 100 by following MSQ, while also reducing how big the MSQ is, spend the resources on the openworld/gameplay. So revamp how fates and side quests work giving them meaning, make dungeons have their own independent storyline again.

I could get behind decreasing the EXP from quests so that there are portions gated by needing to do side content, but the removal of it? Nah.

I don't entirely think massive lore-related info dumps should be relegated to side-content, otherwise you only inhibit the directions you can take the story, unless you really want to start confusing players, or create this whole idea by implied-mandatory side quests. This is a bad idea.

They don't need to get rid of cutscenes and lore information to sidequests. They just need to find more meaningful ways to tell that story which otherwise doesn't involve a cutscene but rather gameplay, e.g., solo instanced duties. This is the healthy medium for it. Putting lore dumps behind optional content only creates a mess. From memory there were a good 3-4 places not otherwise early on in the story that could have been solo instanced duties rather than a cutscene. You could have even created ones which don't necessarily resort to solo-instance combat but rather puzzle solving, or even just generally killing powerful monsters in the overworld which you need to use a key item on. Doesn't need to be novel, just needs to be another way of telling that particular part of the story.

Otherwise all we're doing is solving 1 problem by putting it somewhere else entirely.

You're right, I think removing all lore would be a bad choice. I just mean some of the less then relevant stuff when it comes to lore. That's on me for poor phasing, I mean they should prune the MSQ and far more selective on what NEEDS to be MSQ in particular with lore dumps for random tribes when it's not going to be story relevant again.