I've noticed that a recent big topic here is the fact that all Heavensward content requires completion of the ARR storyline, and how it'll be a huge barrier to entry for new players. It's gone overlooked pretty much everywhere, but Yoshida talked about some changes being made to address this in a recent interview with Playstation Access. All of this info comes from here: First off, equipment rewards will be added to the Main Scenario quests. He didn't go into too much detail here, but presumably this will help you reach the item level requirements for duties, if not bring you all the way there by itself. Second, so that you can do the required content without getting stuck in queues for an eternity (especially for dps classes), players new to a given duty will be placed in a priority queue. Basically, you can go straight to the front of the line so you can progress your quests quickly. Additionally, pre-50 main scenario quests will give double experience so you don't have to do side content, and if you own Heavensward you'll get experience from the 2.1-2.55 quests as well, so you can get a few levels before even entering Ishgard. And if you have friends or a helpful FC, they're adding the ability to join with a partial group, bypass the duty finder, and not get level synced. (This part is actually from other articles) With this, if you really want to skip ahead even with the inprovements, you can just have a level 60 player rush you through the old content quickly. There are plenty of great FC's out there that would help with this. So, for all of you who feel that Heavensward's story requirements are too big a barrier to join, do these changes fix your concerns?
i can't wait to see a bunch of people put to the head of the line, with no idea how to clear some of the dungeons. there is a decent amount of tank and spank bosses, but there are some that are a pain even if you know what you are doing.
I don't find this to be bad news in the least, although I'm sure the droves of self entitled super hardcore players will be here to whine about how unfair it is. According to the replies you already got OP, people are under some false pretense that "Steps of Fate" was a barrier that was going to keep baddies out. Whether or not this content barrier persists or not, baddies will be coming in droves to annoy those who DO have more than a handful for brain cells. I have always strongly felt that main storyline and endgame should never cross over because its just plain stupid, that's all there is to it. No other MMO these days really forces you to do story to access all features of the game except FFXIV. Hell even a 13 year old MMO like FFXI, the story is FULLY optional, but if you do it you get a timeless and priceless item that is situationally BiS for 10+ years (and most of the story lines DON'T make you want to gouge your eyes out, who woulda thunk?). Thankfully a recent game l'm currently playing like TERA does give you a sweet starter set for completing the story but by no means does it stop you from doing any endgame (and thank god for that because man that games voice acting and lip syncing alone makes FFXIV's story a masterpiece). In any case those returning now who quit at launch, instead of FORCEFULLY stringing them a long a total snooze fest of a story why not fragment it? Make a each patch do able separately if you want to see all the boring scenes first hand, and do a recap at the start of the main (2.5-2.55) and make them complete "Steps of Fate" either is fine really. In the end I rather them keep story separate, but as far as if it fixes anything "that could be like... your opinion...man". If they manage to make more content and less fluff in this expansion I can definitely see the game finally move forward. In the end from what I gather from the folk on the forums is, they enjoy doing the same 3 dungeons for 6 months. Here I'm doing coil and complaining that I get 1 hour of raid content a week, meanwhile you have people that or totally content with just farming tombstones week to week and collecting minions and stupid frilly vanity crap. Those are the very people the previous posts are talking about. As you fail to realize, when the game you are playing caters to idiots, you will get a lot idiots. This happens when you turn your MMO into another WoW-esque vertical progression raiding game.
Though I must say I am surprised, for one I recall that sig from many many many many years ago in glory days of FFXI. And other the other hand I'm surprised to see you, of all people that made the downgrade to FFXIV; being the invested player I recall you being in FFXI. It's a bit hazy as far as concrete details I do recall the back and forth banter or just stalking FFXI threads on here. I guess I am just really curious of your thoughts on the game and what made you finally call it quits with FFXI. Seeing as your FC was founded in the early days of FFXIV I can say you have been gone quite a while, or did just just hop straight to FFXIV when it launched and just roughed it out? I ask you, as a previous player of FFXI because no matter how much I ask I never can get a discussion related response. I have been noticing a recurring theme with the fanboys of FFXIV (I find nothing wrong with being a fanboy, just throwing that out there) in a few small details. More often than not when talking about the game I manage to list the strong points, and the weak points of the game as a player that has been actively playing it since 1.0. Others manage to just say "It's the Best MMO in the past 10 years" and "Its got so much content I can't keep up, and I'm a HARDCORE player" and the list goes on. When asked why and where I get this fake left dodge right response or the lack of an real response past the initial robotic and poster slogan. When you mention a series of weaknesses in game design that FFXIV like other WoW-esque games suffer from my convo with foom i get the "I don't do battle content because the game has great RP elements/fluff" e.t.c. Even foom was nice enough to at least try to make me see from another perspective. Other fanboys can't even manage to add to the discussion, they just pick at a past tense statement because it just so happens to be temporarily changed and run off. The other theme I notice in responses is "Different strokes" and I find it funny you mention it as well. As foom has mentioned, I already have my opinion of the game and it may as well never change but to at least get a response as why this game garnishes so much praise. It does nothing different from anything that's come before it, in fact its more of the same with a shinier wrapper with much less content. Its almost like the whole apple logo situation, its just a teapot but when you slap an apple logo on it the HOLY CRAP BEST TEAPOT NA~! In the end SE being unable to pull a million subs between 3 MMO's can be viewed as a failure or as a success. I don't personally care about sub numbers, I have just never seen such a consistently blindly devoted and positive fanbase as FFXIV. People can just be free to like what they enjoy, but It feels like there is no yin to the yang. There will always be the good and the bad and what can be done better, but I never get that feeling with most FFXIV players. I'm almost convinced they are playing a different version of the game, or have ever played POST WoW MMO's previous to this one. I can't possibly be the only person that feels this way, I just want to find one person that can give me some counter points and reason to the madness.
I just don't get why you would want to skip the content. I could understand dreading the story mode dungeons and such because of wait times. Looks like they are addressing that though. The main story feels very final fantasy and is quite entertaining, don't skip it.
I don't know why people would want to skip the content either. I can vouch for the dungeons cause the wait time is craziness for the story mode. I find that sometimes if you have some friends to help it can be a little better. I would have to find a healer and sometimes a tank in order to q up for a dungeon when it came to story mode. With anything else I am just waiting it out really.
