MSQ should NOT give EXP!

[GlowClam]

Let’s talk about the actual reality of being the "Warrior of Light":

The Point-A-to-Point-B Simulator: I spend 70% of my playtime running from one NPC to the next, only for NPC A to tell me to ask NPC B (who is standing literally 10 yards away) if he’s had breakfast yet. If I’m putting in the mileage of an Olympic marathon runner, I’d like to see some virtual rewards for it, thank you very much. Every quest turn-in is basically a receipt for my worn-out soles!

Assisted Living for Eorzea’s Elite: The helplessness of these NPCs is truly world-class. We literally save the universe, slay gods, and stare into the abyss of the void, but apparently, Alphinaud and the gang can’t even boil a pot of soup or gather information without me holding their hands. That EXP isn't a "learning experience"; it’s compensation for the emotional damage I suffer every time I have to "survey the local residents" because the guards apparently have collective amnesia.

The Human Statues: Has anyone actually considered the NPCs who have been standing in the exact same spot since the ARR era (2013!)? There’s a guy in the Waking Sands who has been waiting TEN YEARS for me to bring him three grapes. Is that dedication? Or just extreme laziness? These people have grown roots while I’m out there saving the world. When I finally show up to finish their menial tasks, EXP is the absolute bare minimum I can demand as "hazard pay for dealing with social incompetence."

Conclusion: As long as NPCs don't learn how to pick their own grapes or walk three steps forward without having a panic attack, that EXP is staying right where it belongs: in my bar.

[Gwenkatsu]

The Human Statues: Has anyone actually considered the NPCs who have been standing in the exact same spot since the ARR era (2013!)?

There is this one guy in Ishgard in the Brume who's trying to lift that one big rock for 11 years now. Being the Errand Girl of Light, I would love to lend him a hand - but he's so desparate, he doesn't even offer me a quest to help him.

BTT: That's a big no from me. As soon as you want to level alt jobs, you have to refrain to fight EXP anyway - so let me level my main job by doing the MSQ.

[Asari5]

i've never been excited about levelling in this game tbh. levelling through 'dungeons' isnt really satisfying either. and the skills are so stretched out over the 100 lvls they they dont feel exciting to learn either xD

[LeCorbeaux]

That's a silly notion. MSQ doesn't even give out a meaningful amount of XP. Compare that to non-battle Levequests, GC turn-ins, the daily roulette bonus, or the challenge log. If you want to stretch leveling, slash those by a factor of at least 10.

[Alicie]

unlike in FF 11

Well and look where that game is now

[TheGrimace]

EXP has become an afterthought with the ease of leveling, forged by 12 years of updates and lowered amounts of EXP required to level. New players going through the story are regularly 10+ levels above the suggested MSQ difficulty. Gear score is even more of a factor in balancing the story difficulty. A quick market board trip and a new weapon make a world of difference for a new player who wants to breeze through. A new player has to actively handicap themself if they want a challenge.

The current progression system leaves much to be desired, but changing from the formula would require a complete rebalancing and that's not happening.

[Absurdity]

I know that FFXIV has removed a lot of staple MMO systems to it's own detriment, but this is not one of them.

We didn't move away from the Everquest style mindless mob grinding because modern MMOs forgot the good lessons of the past, we did so because mindless mob grinding sucked.

[Kaurhz]

I disagree.

What I would say, however... Is that I don't think main quests alone should get you all the levels you need for a given expansion.

It was nice having those catch-up points where you could explore a little, e.g., doing side quests or FATEs... Or doing dungeons

[Merton9999]

I wouldn't want to see FFXI's levelling parties in XIV, but not because they were bad in XI...

After 20 years I can still play any single job in XI 18 hours a day and never get sick of it. I run one expert roullette in XIV for ten minutes and don't care to touch that job again for days.

There is no way I would repeatedly kill mobs with XIV's repetitive rotation design unless the xp gain was at least as fast as it is on BLU. To me leveling through msq and linear dungeon runs works fine for XIV's combat design.