The problem with cutscenes

[Lux_Rayna]

Cutscenes are skippable. What exactly is the problem here? Too lazy to skip them? Omygawd the effort!

[Yrusama]

You know what FFXI had that was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT? Cutscenes that you can view without initiating the instance. Honestly I've been thinking of that every time people bitch about the cutscenes. As neat as the full-party cutscenes are, it would be so much cleaner if they could be initiated without starting the battle. Then you can have players watch it while the leader gathers members.

I make it a rule of my parties that if someone is new to something they're entitled to see the cutscene with a full party (first round only). If they decide to decline this rather rare privilege, then it's their own fault. Of course, if the party has had to rebuild or has been at it for a while already, I'll stop offering unless someone asks. Even I lose patience with it sometimes.

Normally if it's me who is the first-timer, I don't give the party a choice. Either I get to see it just once with a full party in it, or I force them to find another member (which can honestly take longer than restarting a run sometimes). So far I don't have to be too unpleasant about it, which I'm grateful for (thanks, guys!) "Save it for the Inn" is not a good enough answer. It irks me enough that it sometimes feels like I'm the only one who cares about the lore in this game, but if they try to take away my right to enjoy it then they can join my blacklist.

[Yrusama]

I really hope all dungeons/ bosses get rid of timers. In the end I'm almost forced to skip a CS. I was even told to re-watch the CS at the inn. I want the intro to a fight before, not after it. XI (dare I say it) did this better.
The clock shouldn't start running before all members have arrived/ reached a certain point (if in a dungeon)!

Also, the placing of the CS for the van Darnus fight wasn't good. Even though it makes no sense to watch the airship flight before you actually depart, it would have been way better party-wise. One of my party members almost snapped when I told him that I intended to watch it (for the first time! Evil me!).

This is Final Fantasy. One of the main reasons I play is the story (among other things).

You make a good point about the airship. Although I loved the fight, fortunately it won't be playable in ARR so the devs can get it right next time they make an epic finale involving an airship. They could either:

A) Leave the airship out entirely
B) Make an instance of the airship, allowing the party to agree on when to jump off and engage the enemy.
C) Make an instance of somewhere outside the arena. Basically it'd be like having an airship convey you to the bridge outside the Throne Room of Castle Zvahl. You watch the cutscene, which ends after you're dropped off, watch another cutscene outside the instance, and THEN initiate the fight.

[Kasathar]

The cutscenes in this game have the option of skipping them. I usually tell the people in my group if I am looking at it or if someone is. Just common courtesy.

[AceofRains]

I don't like that I'm essentially forced to skip cutscenes, I do like to watch them in to moment if I can, I don't care if we DO have the never ending journey. I'd would like if they made it where the battle starts when everyone leaves the cutscene so that its more or less just frowned upon to some players for taking to long rather than missing the start of the battle.

[TAS]

I love all the cutscenes; primarliy the ones that include the party your doing the quest/event with. However, for these particular cutscenes I wish that their was some kind of waiting screen or menu that allows players to enjoy group/party cutscenes without worrying about your time being eaten into or the rest of the party starting without you.

The waiting menu could also show which players are still within the cutscene and those who have skipped/finished them.

[Ferth]

When the cutscene takes up time from the fight's time limit, it's a problem. It seems to me that the solution should just be that the first time you interact with a quest node that activates a fight or a dungeon you see the cinematic without actually entering the fight. That way you can watch it in the context of your adventure, then enter the fight afterward without penalizing your group.

Or, for fights like to kill a raven with cinematic events in the middle of the fight, the timer should pause and no one can skip the cutscene until everyone in the group has made the choice to do so. That way, again, the group isn't penalized for enjoying the cinematic.

[Zezlar]

I tell people to get over it and I watch them. simple solution for me.