Which category do you fall in?

[ercarp]

I've been playing FFXIV on and off since 2014, but I didn't get into it "seriously" until October of this year. I just needed something to scratch the MMO itch, and seeing as WoW and the company behind it are both going down in flames, I had no interest in going back to Azeroth.

I have leveled most jobs to 50+ and I'm currently nearing the end of Heavensward. This isn't actually my first time going through the MSQ, as I did reach Shadowbringers on another character but I made a new one to level with a friend.

The game has been okay so far, but the one thing that's consistently irked me since the beginning is the amount of content that's gated behind MSQ progression. It's just cutscene after cutscene and dialogue after dialogue, and there never seems to be any end to it. And once you get past that, the game throws you into a dungeon or trial that's enough to evoke memories of some of the worst LFR nightmares from WoW.

I still want to experience all that the game has to offer, so instead of buying story skips from the store, I've opted to manually skip through all the dialogue and cutscenes while I race to max level as quickly as I can. I don't actually know if the story is any good, but even if it is, the fact that they try to force-feed it into the players' throats has been enough to turn me away from ever caring about it.

How have you played the game so far? Do you care for the story or not?

[Cthulhu 2020]

The story is honestly the best MMO story ever told, but in that aspect it acts more like a single player RPG than anything else. Even among single player games, FFXIV's story ranks incredibly high in quality, especially when considering the medium through which it is told. They use sight, spectacle, setting, even music and sound incredibly well to evoke feeling.

Of course, A Realm Reborn starts out pretty slow, and even during its more climactic scenes isn't incredibly compelling. When I first started playing FFXIV, I too would basically skip the cut scenes. It all seemed very mundane fantasy story telling, plus I'd been utterly conditioned by WoW that story didn't matter, or that MMO stories were just outright bad. At a certain point, I began paying more attention to the cut scenes. However as exhilarating as some parts of the story were, I bounced back and forth between WoW and FFXIV during ARR.

Then, Heavensward released. The voice acting was overhauled, the story became way more compelling, and I was hooked. WoW Legion launched after HW did, and I played Legion for 2 or 3 months, but as fun as Legion was, I found myself actively missing playing FFXIV all the time. A couple of weeks before the Legion X.1 patch released, I quit WoW and have only occasionally looked back, but never like what I see.

The FFXIV story since Heavesward has only aged better and better. As the episodic stories of each chapter of each expansion are told, as the whole story of the expansion has been told, and even as bits and pieces of the entire Hydaelyn/Zodiark story are drip fed to me, it makes me want more.

If you can get through the ARR story, Heavensward is all that much more satisfying to play because you have that foundation of world building upon which to base your expectations. That and they set up a lot of the events of Heavensward in ARR patches. Heck, even as far back as level 35 when you're first tasked with going to Coerthas Central Highlands is when the Ishgard setup begins.

This story that has been building up for the last 8 years is finally going to crescendo in Endwalker, which is why it's probably one of the most anticipated FFXIV expansions... and indeed, perhaps one of the most anticipated games in a long time.

The game doesn't start at max levels, like many MMOs do these days. A big part of the enjoyment of the game is the journey, rather than the end. I have had many people tell me they don't care for stories in video games who are now hooked on the story. But if it's really not your thing, skip along.

[Rexosaurus]

The story is honestly the best MMO story ever told, but in that aspect it acts more like a single player RPG than anything else. Even among single player games, FFXIV's story ranks incredibly high in quality, especially when considering the medium through which it is told. They use sight, spectacle, setting, even music and sound incredibly well to evoke feeling...

--SNIP--

Ayyy, now that's a high quality post right there! I don't really have much to add to it.

Though I would like to take a second to underline the sentiment that if someone really doesn't want to partake in the story, then that's fine. There's no need to turn this into some "us vs them" conflict.

[Selah]

I totally get why you're skipping all the story. As a former WoW person (and hopefully I'll return once they get their house in order), that was my inclination too. However, one big thing to note here is that FFXIV is truly a JRPG first and an MMO second. The story is such a huge part of the game and EVERYTHING is going to have story in it. All the raids, all the alliance raids, dungeons, ect. If you're trying to just skip through it, it is still going to be time consuming. When you come to FFXIV and you choose to skip the story, it's kind of like going to play Halo for the story but not wanting to play the shooter aspect of the game.

Of course, don't take me saying that as giving you shade. How you're playing is a totally legitimate way to play the game, it's obviously how you want to enjoy the game. I just can't stress enough how good the story is and how much more impactful the dungeons and raids are if you're caught up with the story. There's been a couple of raids where what was happening in the raid brought me to tears while I'm trying to do my rotation... which was a first for me lol.

The good news is, you only have to do the story content once and then never touch it again if you don't want. Either way, I hope you enjoy your time. Good luck!

[Lane]

I did ARR on the trial, but I bought a skip for it when I made my retail account. It's not just the weakest part of the game, it's an overall bad experience in general from the story to the gameplay. I didn't skip cutscenes, but there were several occasions I spam clicked through dialog because it was endless. Had the NPCs been people talking to me in real life I would've zoned out. ARR is rife with superfluous dialog, possibly to mask the fact that there wasn't much story to tell that couldn't be summarized in a few sentences.

HW is a vastly different experience and one of the better RPGs I've played through let alone MMORPGs. ShB was also great. SB was so-so.

FFXIV basically is the MSQ though, so I can't imagine it being particularly enjoyable if you don't care about the story at all unless you're skipping to the end to raid. The copious amount of cutscenes and dialog were only a problem for me when the story sucked (ARR), but I haven't had an issue with them since (HW+).

[Sharby]

The only time I ever skipped cutscenes was during ARR 'cause they felt super vapid and hardly ever added anything, so if a cutscene wasn't voiced I didn't watch it. Haven't skipped anything from Heavensward onward and I don't regret it.


Won't be skipping anything in EW either.

[dope_danny]

I don't skip anything and boosting is for plebs taking a vacation before their WoW rebound.

[Osmeric]

The only time I ever skipped cutscenes was during ARR 'cause they felt super vapid and hardly ever added anything,

(everyone takes 10 seconds to nod at this comment)

[ercarp]

I just can't stress enough how good the story is and how much more impactful the dungeons and raids are if you're caught up with the story.

If they rewrote the entirety of ARR and condensed it to be about 25% of its current length, I may consider giving it a fair shot someday. But even then, with my limited exposure to some of the story, I don't think I could stomach it given how insufferable some of the characters are (like Alphinaud and Alisaie). I just couldn't.

[ARR is] not just the weakest part of the game, it's an overall bad experience in general from the story to the gameplay. ... The copious amount of cutscenes and dialog were only a problem for me when the story sucked (ARR), but I haven't had an issue with them since (HW+).

If you can get through the ARR story, Heavensward is all that much more satisfying to play because you have that foundation of world building upon which to base your expectations.

That's the problem though, isn't it? Unless they rewrite ARR and condense its length by a large measure (apparently they already did this once, but it seems to have had no effect), they're unlikely to attract too many people with their storytelling. ARR put me off permanently from anything to do with the story. I no longer care how "good" it gets in <insert expansion name here>, because I can't get rid of the sour taste in my mouth that is ARR.

If I'm going to care about any story, I want to have the whole picture instead of jumping in the middle of everything. A scenario where I skip ARR's story and follow it from HW onwards is unrealistic for me because I would feel completely out of the loop with everything up to that point.

FFXIV basically is the MSQ though, so I can't imagine it being particularly enjoyable if you don't care about the story at all unless you're skipping to the end to raid.

There's plenty to enjoy about FFXIV that doesn't involve the MSQ, like leveling, glamour, and Gold Saucer shenanigans. I don't care much for raids personally; in fact, I hope to avoid them as long as possible. I was forced to do the Crystal Tower raids for the MSQ and it was like WoW LFR on steroids. Never again.

Though I would like to take a second to underline the sentiment that if someone really doesn't want to partake in the story, then that's fine.

Thank you. I've brought this up before on other platforms and there's always been a fair amount of gatekeeping involving the "correct way" to play the game. I've been told I shouldn't play the game if I don't enjoy the story, and that I should find another game instead. But why? If I still enjoy the game for everything else except the story, I don't see why I shouldn't play it.

[Tylanthia]

Not every MMO needs to be for everyone. If you don't like the majority of the game (and honestly, on expansion launch, the story is the majority of the game you buy--other things come in patches), I think there are plenty of other great mmos for people to enjoy (Runescape, WoW, Eso, GW2, New World, etc). It's like walking into the best Pizza shop in the world and ordering a salad. You can do it if you want but you'd be better served at a great salad shop.

[Silent Earth]

"Man, I just don't understand why people think this game has a great story."
"Why yes, I do skip every cutscene. Why do you ask?"

Even on a dead board on a dying website, we still didn't need another thread complaining about this topic.

[Selah]

If they rewrote the entirety of ARR and condensed it to be about 25% of its current length, I may consider giving it a fair shot someday. But even then, with my limited exposure to some of the story, I don't think I could stomach it given how insufferable some of the characters are (like Alphinaud and Alisaie). I just couldn't.

So, IIRC, they actually have paired down a lot of the ARR story from it's origional launch. I could be wrong on that point but I've heard that a few times.

They could never rewrite the ARR story. All of the other expansions have their stories built around what happens in ARR, they'd be mutilating the game if they did that. That's kind of the point of ARR too, to build the world and it's lore.

Yeah, that's a common sentiment about a lot of the characters in the start. You have to remember though, the story tellers for FFXIV are actually competent and know how to tell a story with character growth. The twins are easily some of best characters in the story come the end of Heavensward onward. It's not like WoW where Thrall is always green-jesus and Anduin is just some good boy who can do no wrong. The other thing is too, you don't suffer from character whiplash like with WoW. Things like how Jaina went from a total peace lover to a murderous psychopath in an instant doesn't happen. They take their time to make sure you go along with the characters on their journey and where they arrive at is something you understand entirely.

[Lane]

But even then, with my limited exposure to some of the story, I don't think I could stomach it given how insufferable some of the characters are (like Alphinaud and Alisaie).

Both of those characters improve substantially later on, especially Alphinaud throughout HW. I couldn't stand him in ARR either.

That's the problem though, isn't it? Unless they rewrite ARR and condense its length by a large measure (apparently they already did this once, but it seems to have had no effect), they're unlikely to attract too many people with their storytelling.

I'm left to surmise ARR isn't as big an issue for them as it seems to be for us, otherwise I would think the lost sales from it being a deterrent to new players would be more on the forefront of their development team and it's not (at least beyond the recent trim).

If I'm going to care about any story, I want to have the whole picture instead of jumping in the middle of everything. A scenario where I skip ARR's story and follow it from HW onwards is unrealistic for me because I would feel completely out of the loop with everything up to that point.

HW has little to do with ARR. If you really want the full understanding of HW, then NG+ starting at 2.4. You're not missing much of anything prior to that.

ARR being integral is one of the biggest myths in FFXIV as far as I'm concerned. It's not as much a story as it is a copious amount of dialog for world building that could be summed up in a paragraph. Condensed version: Garlemald is the military threat. Ascians are the supernatural threat. Both of them are generic villains who hadn't been fleshed out yet and won't be for 2+ expansions. Primals are the result of beast tribes feeling threatened by the ongoing tensions with the city states. Supposedly they're a big deal despite you never seeing them actually do anything but look menacing in an arena. You've been recruited into an exclusive club to deal with all of the above and that's it, that's ARR.

There's plenty to enjoy about FFXIV that doesn't involve the MSQ, like leveling, glamour, and Gold Saucer shenanigans. I don't care much for raids personally; in fact, I hope to avoid them as long as possible. I was forced to do the Crystal Tower raids for the MSQ and it was like WoW LFR on steroids. Never again.

The mandatory group content is my #1 gripe about FFXIV, especially as the primal fights turn into essentially raid bosses with multiple phases and a dozen different mechanics.

I suppose there is stuff to do, I'm just not sure I'd consider it much better than any other given MMO. They are tasty side dishes to the main course for me. I could fill up on the sides, but I wouldn't be as satisfied.

[Vasilisa]

I've never skipped anything in any game (aside some mobile gatcha game with story made for 8 y.o.). Obviously when I see the same cutscene for nth time I skip it but for the 1st time - never.

[Devilyaki]

I am a mix of all, filler stuff I have skipped, bought story skips for Alts and skipped cut scenes. I started like a few months ago, ARR I skipped lots but started to like the story more once it was over.
Wanting to play a job I couldn’t till arr was over didn’t help my skipping habits lol. I care for the story now though.

[Kithelle]

Sometimes if I'm tired or I need to log out soon I'll skip minor side quest stuff, but typically I'll take the time to experience most of it at least once...or since I'm a bit of a alt-o-hollic experiencing something for the 5th time I can comfortably skip some things

[Vakna]

I play FF14 like a singleplayer story game (like old FF's), so don't skip anything.

[Cthulhu 2020]

That's the problem though, isn't it? Unless they rewrite ARR and condense its length by a large measure (apparently they already did this once, but it seems to have had no effect), they're unlikely to attract too many people with their storytelling. ARR put me off permanently from anything to do with the story. I no longer care how "good" it gets in <insert expansion name here>, because I can't get rid of the sour taste in my mouth that is ARR.

After playing through every expansion, many players see why ARR exists. It exists to both wrap up the events of 1.0 and the destruction of the world, and begins to set up and build a new story in a new world. Rather than dumping you into some massive battle with huge problems to solve, you're started out as a simple adventurer who has an unusual "gift".

It's a slow build, but it's also pretty much the foundation for every expansion that comes after it. This is both a strength and a weakness. It means there's a lot of payoff for the setup, because they give the story and characters time to breath and become real, allow the player to form an attachment and a real understanding. At the same time, yes, it is often considered the boring part.

One of the best videos I can recommend about the story and writing is a brand new one. It takes a deep look at the philosophy Yoshi P have. Ever since he was in middle school he's loved reading novels, especially mystery novels. Novels that take time to set up the setting, drop hints and clues, give you a big problem to solve, give you all the pieces to solve it, but ultimately force you to put those pieces together yourself, rather than just having every piece of exposition and answer vomited out to you by some NPC in a cut scene.



And I will repeat the sentiment, if people don't like the narrative, that's fine. But a lot of people do like it. A lot. And there are big reasons why they like it. It's an extremely well told story in its entirety, even if it has "slow" bits, they add and ultimately enhance the overall experience.

[Tenjen]

This could have been a post in the main thread. How many times does a new topic have to be made about the same thing with the same response?

Final Fantasy 14 is treated like a properly numbered FF game. Story is the focus. Content is not gated behind the MSQ, the MSQ is the content and is part of the content flow, with story-relevant dungeons and raids occuring along the way to drive that story.

[Cthulhu 2020]

This could have been a post in the main thread. How many times does a new topic have to be made about the same thing with the same response?

Final Fantasy 14 is treated like a properly numbered FF game. Story is the focus. Content is not gated behind the MSQ, the MSQ is the content and is part of the content flow, with story-relevant dungeons and raids occuring along the way to drive that story.

I always say this to anyone who's coming into FF from WoW: FF is not a game to be rushed. The game does not begin at level cap. The game begins at level 1. Along the way you unlock horizontal progression that you will continue throughout your entire play through. The gold saucer becomes available at level 15! And you can do every bit of the gold saucer at 15 and earn mounts, glamours, pets, and so much more. You can play triple triad and begin collecting cards.

The fact that there's so much to do, card collecting, raising the perfect race chocobo, pet collecting, mount collecting, treasure maps, glamour hunting, relic weapons, tons of side stories along the way, it's all a part of the experience.

And I will always say to players... if horizontal progression does not interest you. If you want to jump to max level and immediately hop into end game raiding and do that as your sole activity, FFXIV might not be the game for you. There is no endless gear treadmill to get better and better numbers. Best in slot is relatively easy to get as a raider, and gear resets every couple of patches (6ish months). Ultimate fights are fun to do but offer you nothing in the way of big number improvements, just the self satisfaction of having done an extremely hard fight and earned a shiny weapon glamour.

FFXIV is about the journey, about doing every activity there is to do and the sense of satisfaction you get from completing those activities, as well as how fun those activities were to you. It's not a max level gear treadmill simulator. So go into the game expecting exactly that.