The other day I put on a movie (2-3 movies, actually) and did nothing but quests for 5 hours straight, with a couple WC breaks in between. It got me from level 50 to 51 (though, mind you, it was level 33-44 quests). Five hours to go from the end of Brayflox Longstop to the footsteps of Garuda, and that was plenty to give me a migraine. No one should be forced to do this just for the sake of getting an RP character in the right city their character should ICly live at.
Gate MSQ if you want, and gate endgame. But leave areas and jobs out of that.
Also, it's not true that new players "don't care, because all the game is new to them anyway". My best connational friend was about to jump the boat from XI to XIV when he saw DRK and then changed his mind upon hearing of the 2.55 gate. It was too much work for him to get to the job he wanted to RP as. And frankly, I couldn't blame him, considering that in FFXI you can use a Great Sword from the very start.
Gate MSQ if you want, and gate endgame. But leave areas and jobs out of that.
Also, it's not true that new players "don't care, because all the game is new to them anyway". My best connational friend was about to jump the boat from XI to XIV when he saw DRK and then changed his mind upon hearing of the 2.55 gate. It was too much work for him to get to the job he wanted to RP as. And frankly, I couldn't blame him, considering that in FFXI you can use a Great Sword from the very start.
To be an interesting, intriguing, well-written character, there needs to be something to allow the audience to relate to them. That is what the problem is with who wants their character to be "perfect". Perfect characters will never be strong, and strong characters will never be perfect, because WE (those who read, who watch, who RP) are not perfect.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.