Most overhyped crap, the story does NOT get better

[The Watcher]

The fans as whole kept saying "Oh don't worry about ARR, it gets better, after like 100+ hours once you reach 'Heavensward'!".
(Seriously they said it and they expect players to endure 100+ hours they pay sub for!).

I was never a fan of MMOs but of certain Final Fantasy games. The fans as a whole also kept saying "This can be played like a single player RPG with great story. Best story. Of all time!".

Naive Zahramar in desperate craving for good story writing fell for it, and endured this painfully tedious snoozefest game.
Fast forward, Zahramar is now in Heavensward.

Now that background is given: So when does the story get better? It's kind of has poor and stupid writing, at times making no sense.

I as of now just finished "Sohm Al" dungeon after defeating the lord of Gnaths "Ravana". So let's not discuss further than that.

Anyways, back to the story. Sultana is dead JK haha she is not dead but maybe your friends are dead? When I am starting to feel like no one ever dies because plot armor even though they tried hard to copy the Red Wedding and Tyrion's trial.
That was the only non-mediocre story event so far and the peak by far. Made completely pointless now not so far into Heavensward.
Okay. Sure. Let's move on.

Why are we even in Ishgard? Does not make sense. We already went back to the old world to save Raubahn and it felt pretty safe to me.

So, why am I doing those stupid quests in Ishgard now, exactly? Shouldn't I save my friends and look for others who are totally-not-dead? Shouldn't I exact revenge on people who killed my Sultana oh actually they did not kill anyone but hey they cut off Raubahn's arm? Kill all the evil Ascians and Primals?
I am perplexed.

Let's now talk about the "Gameplay" that isn't even remotely good at all, with a lot of anti-fun game design.

Dungeons are not challenging at all, and the Quests are just a repeated chore of following loop: Walk 5000 miles, [talk to X or kill Y], walk 5000 miles again, [talk to X or kill Y] again, etc.
Only know I also have to collect dumb "Aether Currents", even doing optional Quests for them, because Quests in this game are so fun!!! (Seriously?!).
I am paying monthly subs for this^. Total disrespect to my time and money.

Only parts I enjoyed were: TITAAAAAAN. Midgardsormr dungeon and the "Red Wedding".
That's all!

So, the point of this discussion: When does the game get better? Why is the fanbase blindingly worship this game and pretend that it is so perfect? Can someone please clarify this for me?

I feel like I have been dragged into a Cult that's anyone with common sense can see its charade.

[Ruffio]

引用自 Zahramar：

引用自 MOSLEY：

If you're only playing for the story then sure, just watch it on YouTube. There are loads of good videos explaining the story. I think the game has quite a lot to offer besides the story though.

I think I want to try other classes but it's best if I do it after finishing MSQ for faster EXP right?

What do you guys do in this game other than story?

Should be enough XP gained through the msq (going all the way through shadowbringers), to level 2 professions to 80.

What people do is highly individual. Crafting, gathering, dailies, beast tribes, dungeons, raids, whatever. they like.

[MOSLEY]

引用自 Zahramar：

引用自 MOSLEY：

If you're only playing for the story then sure, just watch it on YouTube. There are loads of good videos explaining the story. I think the game has quite a lot to offer besides the story though.

I think I want to try other classes but it's best if I do it after finishing MSQ for faster EXP right?

What do you guys do in this game other than story?

What the other person said is correct. You should be able to level 2 characters while you progress the MSQ. You can probably stretch that to 3 if you get the Endwalker pre-order earring (+30% XP) and replay some dungeons on one of the jobs for some extra XP. Might not wanna go for that yet if you're still making your mind up about the game though.

I enjoy pretty much everything in the game besides the MSQ. I don't hate the MSQ but I do find it tedious and think it's overrated. The group content (dungeons/trials/raids) is great. I like leveling and playing all the different battle and crafter/gatherer jobs. The golden saucer is fun. The triple triad card game is a nice throwback to FF8 and collecting the cards is fun. Hunt trains are fun... There are a million and one things to do in FFXIV TBH and most of them are enjoyable, at least for a while.

[Jin-]

Zahramar, quests do not get better at all, gameplay wise. It's the story which gets indeed better.

[MOSLEY]

引用自 Jin-：

Zahramar, quests do not get better at all, gameplay wise. It's the story which gets indeed better.

I don't think that's true. IMO the MSQ gameplay took a large step up in Stormblood.

[Rinky]

引用自 RINKASHIKACHI：

I am a WoW refugee, Was in one of the top guilds of my server (most popular) there (RU). Also was top of my class in Archeage in my region (yes, there are 120 of them there, but this one was on of the popular ones). Was in one of the top guilds in B&S and BDO. Also played considerable amount of time in ESO, Guild Wars 2, Terra, Revelation Online. Tried Aion, Tera, Kindgom Under Fire 2.
Yes, I'm bragging. But my point is I know the genre and I am a hardcore vet.

I'm 200hrs into FFXIV and I'm in love with it.
atm I barely scratched the HW, because I love the vibes of the game so much, I'm playing at completely opposite pace I usually do. First time in my life. Spend days in Golden Saucer, crafting everything or just listening to bards playing in a capital.
Story is definitely not a masterpiece for a couple of reasons. Firstly it is a story in a MMORPG. We should give it some slack (as with every single other MMORPG).
Second because it is made by Japanese people. All japanese and Asian in general plots are err... different. It is often hard to not cringe, to understand or just to like them as a westerner. (If you, future commenter don't have any difficulties with it, it is cool. Often I do so as well. But truth is truth). So, if you don't get it, if you are not used to these ways of asian storytelling by watching tons of anime, for example, like I did, it is totally fine to not connect with this story. I get it.
At last, there are of course some plot holes and stupid decisions made by characters.

My first and last points are objective cons of the story. Second one is the grey 50/50 zone, that makes the story in the game actually good or terrible. I've learned to like the story of the game and enjoy it.

I disagree with your points regarding gameplay, but I will ask to them later, have to go afk.

So, this is me again.

I can speak only about ARR and first couple of HW dungeons. Yes, most of them are pretty straightforward and not even every final boss has some mechanics that you should keep in mind. But so does every other MMO, no? In order to survive game has to appeal to casuals. Or it will die.
There are extreme dungeons and special stuff which is actually hard, requires BiS etc. As in other MMOs as I recall correctly. Nothing unusual here. Though I would add a small twist to every boss.

Quests are indeed like that. They are also like that in every game. In every game. There are gimmicks here in there, but so there are some in FF14. But the same majority of the quests as in here is go there or kill those. Nothing different.

There are indeed a lot of fun quests and most of them side quests btw. I don't like "even doing side quests". Side quests are quests and they are fine. Many of them have more soul, creativity or appeal, than story quests, because devs were more free here instead of bounds of the main plot. A lot of these quests are hilarious, some are relatable etc. etc. There are also cool job quests.

idk man. You came into this game with a wrong image. You were most likely just too overhyped

[Lusus Symphonia]

引用自 ;3084394448728233000：

Yeah the story is mediocre. A lot of people who play MMOs are old people and kind of brain dead people who spend all their time on one game, so they have different expectations. Of course they're gonna say "it's the best game ever!" if they don't do anything else, what do you expect? Plus it's all subjective anyway. Just stick to single player games if you want single player games.

You're making yourself out to be that angsty teenager who thinks everyone above 25 is old and no longer in touch with the cool kids.

Not a pretty picture.

But you do have a point, a very basic point, it's subjective.

[GeminiEclipse]

Maybe saying people are "brain dead" is offensive? I don't know. Maybe I'm just "too old" and don't understand that being "brain dead" is a compliment.

[Succubus Nirriti]

Its possibly the best one on the market right now. That alone is quite the thing to appreciate. Now, its not without its flaws, as the person said. All customizations gone (fashion excluded for a sec), is one thing. Its extremely streamlined to cater "to a broader audience" (esp the super strict class based matchmaking). Well it has a lots of good sides, but also comes with less freedom... Well now its to an extreme. Everything cant "go out of the mold" and all feel more or less equal, buffs/debuffs (lol) last for like 10sec for barely noticeable extras (cooldown: 5min, yay).

I could go on. There lots to poke at the game.

[Jin-]

引用自 MOSLEY：

引用自 Jin-：

Zahramar, quests do not get better at all, gameplay wise. It's the story which gets indeed better.

I don't think that's true. IMO the MSQ gameplay took a large step up in Stormblood.

Oh i purely meant the gameplay mechanic not the actual meat of the quest which is the writing. I don't see it much that different compared to ARR. Sure there are few nice parts like that Lakeland defend mission but its mostly the same clicking purple spot on the ground and so on

[Rinky]

引用自 Red Monk：

引用自 ;3084394448728233000：

Yeah the story is mediocre. A lot of people who play MMOs are old people and kind of brain dead people who spend all their time on one game, so they have different expectations. Of course they're gonna say "it's the best game ever!" if they don't do anything else, what do you expect? Plus it's all subjective anyway. Just stick to single player games if you want single player games.

You're making yourself out to be that angsty teenager who thinks everyone above 25 is old and no longer in touch with the cool kids.

Not a pretty picture.

But you do have a point, a very basic point, it's subjective.

Most of them are old and completely out of touch though. Stubborn boomers completely inable to comprehend a lot of new stuff, new tendencies or just new standards. I am 25, almost 26 tbh, and I'm very unlucky with people I mostly speak to. I would say that it starts even at 23, not 25

[MagicHp]

引用自 Zahramar：

I don't spend my time on Steam discussion boards other than if I want to post something, so I could not care less about what gets posted here and this is not even remotely relevant to my discussion.

The rest is you literally accusing me of things you are doing in the very moment (sorry you have psychological projection issues), jumping to conclusions (who said I made any decision?), being illogical and pre-judging again.

And are you really saying I am the one who is antagonizing the other side in a childish way... Really?

Work on your logical fallacies.

Just quoting some of your insults directed at me (both direct and passive-aggressive) in case you "accidentally" modify your posts ^^

引用自 Zahramar：

Maybe stop over-hyping this game's mediocre-at-best story especially when it's a dull snoozefest full of chores that does not even respect the players' time (emphasize: person who is here for the story, not an MMO person)?

You can say it's a great MMO but don't go on trying to sell it to people by saying "Play it as single player RPG" or "It has really great story! Just endure 100+ hours".

If my topic gets locked or deleted this just speaks volumes to FFXIV staff, but I don't think it will.

That is the main error you make: You heard people say that this is the best story ever, therefore you imagine that everyone playing this game says the same.
People playing this are people, you know? Not some members of a Cult as you already said or brainwashed clones...
Besides, if you think this board is managed by "FFXIV staff" , you really lack a lot of basic informations.
Given what you said, you didn't even use the search function before making your oh-so-importanty thread, right? ^^

引用自 Zahramar：

Please, do not post more if this is how you are going to be.
Otherwise mature and reasonable discussions can be had like with the two other posters.

Really? More insults? There is nothing "mature" in your behavior so far.
And you posted a public thread on the steam forums, I'll answer if I feel like it.

引用自 Zahramar：

This is a genuine discussion post, I don't mean no harm.

And this is a pure lie.
This might be what you had in mind at first, but the words you use and the way you behave tell a whole different story.

Also, let me sum up the story so far:

You werent enjoying the game, so you decided to quit after your sub ends (as you said yourself in your second post here) , so you decide to make this thread to share this with the world, and after some "discussion" you decide to... quit after your sub end.

100% "genuine discussion post, I don't mean no harm" ^^

[Rinky]

引用自 MagicHp：

big message here

This is on point. I hoped that OP is a sane person, but, boy, I was wrong

[Sunny]

Guys, I get wanting to get the last word and all, but OP already said he was sorry and was emotional originally due to the flying thing. There's really no need to continue tear into him, he said he was wrong, and the conversation got pretty productive. Maybe just don't?

[MOSLEY]

引用自 Jin-：

引用自 MOSLEY：

I don't think that's true. IMO the MSQ gameplay took a large step up in Stormblood.

Oh i purely meant the gameplay mechanic not the actual meat of the quest which is the writing. I don't see it much that different compared to ARR. Sure there are few nice parts like that Lakeland defend mission but its mostly the same clicking purple spot on the ground and so on

Yup, I know what you meant. I won't mention any specifics because the OP hasn't played them, but the quests from Stormblood onwards are a lot more like actual quests and not just:

Talk to x
Talk to y
Talk to z
Stand in a circle and fight 3 mobs


There are a lot more solo duties after that point and the interesting parts stop happening exclusively in cutscenes.

[weiss]

lol another dude which barely reached lv 60 and thinks he knows everything about this game. am not dumb to give OP an award for it. i have no idea why peoples always need to give topics like this a narr award and rewarding them with 200 points.