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I'm... ambivalent on the whole situation, myself. FFXIV is very much trying to tell a character-based story and be an MMO at the same time, which is indeed quite a different tack from WoW. There was an overarching plot, sure... but it was kind of in the background unless you were raiding and aiding in stopping whatever threat was around at the time - Illidan, the Lich King, evil spirits, Evil-Mc-Bad-Orc that replaced Jesus-Orc. Your character was just of... there, a grunt amongst the hundreds for whichever side of the conflict you chose.
It's not the same in FFXIV. You're playing as a key person - THE key person - and affecting change in the world as the Warrior of Light. You confront the Garleans, you stop the Primals and Ultima weapon, you aid in pushing back the latest Dravanian assault. And, as such, disconnecting from the MSQ is... harder? Since it's so much more intrinsically tied to your character - even more so considering things like joining a GC and access to retainers is also tied to it.
For example, let's take the opening of Ishgard's gates. I'm assuming this is going to be due to the work of the WoL and his allies finally getting some results. But you're the WoL, effectively. And, as a new player, you haven't done any of that yet. And, even if you don't mind skipping that, what about the jarring disconnect if you decide to go back and DO the MSQ (if not for the story, then for the EXPs, gear, or unlock some dungeon for whatever reason)?
Does Ishgard suddenly become... closed off again? Or do you have a situation where the story is telling you "Oh man, Ishgard's so secluded" as you waltz through its gates to go pick up your next DRK job quest? It's not even a situation like the Scions' bases in Horizon and Revenant's Toll, where it's accessibility and contents are based on where you are in the MSQ. This would, if things are set as they are, require Ishgard to be open regardless of your place in the "story" of FFXIV.
How I would have worked it? Have the new jobs work like ROG did - once you get any class to 30 (or possibly a matching role - tank for DRK, caster/healer for AST, DPS for MCH), you could start on the new jobs. And then, place them all in accessible areas outside of Ishgard proper so you're not violating the "lore" of Ishgard being sealed off for where your character is in the plot. I originally thought the MCH trainer was gonna be in Limsa attached to the MRD's guild, after all.
Put it there, put AST in the Observatorium, and put DRK... I dunno... somewhere else in the Coerthas Central Highlands. Or, heck, have ALL of them in the Highlands split amongst the three towns there. You might have to make a mad dash past higher level mobs (or get someone to give you a lift there via Draft Chocobo), but you could get to them once you hit 30.
Then, alter their text based on whether or not Ishgard has actually been opened and BAM. All set. Or, at least, so it seems in my mind. Then all you'd have is the flying mounts and Ishgard behind the "gates" of the MSQ. Or something.
It's not the same in FFXIV. You're playing as a key person - THE key person - and affecting change in the world as the Warrior of Light. You confront the Garleans, you stop the Primals and Ultima weapon, you aid in pushing back the latest Dravanian assault. And, as such, disconnecting from the MSQ is... harder? Since it's so much more intrinsically tied to your character - even more so considering things like joining a GC and access to retainers is also tied to it.
For example, let's take the opening of Ishgard's gates. I'm assuming this is going to be due to the work of the WoL and his allies finally getting some results. But you're the WoL, effectively. And, as a new player, you haven't done any of that yet. And, even if you don't mind skipping that, what about the jarring disconnect if you decide to go back and DO the MSQ (if not for the story, then for the EXPs, gear, or unlock some dungeon for whatever reason)?
Does Ishgard suddenly become... closed off again? Or do you have a situation where the story is telling you "Oh man, Ishgard's so secluded" as you waltz through its gates to go pick up your next DRK job quest? It's not even a situation like the Scions' bases in Horizon and Revenant's Toll, where it's accessibility and contents are based on where you are in the MSQ. This would, if things are set as they are, require Ishgard to be open regardless of your place in the "story" of FFXIV.
How I would have worked it? Have the new jobs work like ROG did - once you get any class to 30 (or possibly a matching role - tank for DRK, caster/healer for AST, DPS for MCH), you could start on the new jobs. And then, place them all in accessible areas outside of Ishgard proper so you're not violating the "lore" of Ishgard being sealed off for where your character is in the plot. I originally thought the MCH trainer was gonna be in Limsa attached to the MRD's guild, after all.
Put it there, put AST in the Observatorium, and put DRK... I dunno... somewhere else in the Coerthas Central Highlands. Or, heck, have ALL of them in the Highlands split amongst the three towns there. You might have to make a mad dash past higher level mobs (or get someone to give you a lift there via Draft Chocobo), but you could get to them once you hit 30.
Then, alter their text based on whether or not Ishgard has actually been opened and BAM. All set. Or, at least, so it seems in my mind. Then all you'd have is the flying mounts and Ishgard behind the "gates" of the MSQ. Or something.
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