I think their horrible pacing (which is not new and already stems from 2.0, where you are put to sleep by the story for like 70% of the story until the end) is also due to their inability to put the story actually as a leading factor for development.
I know it's not an easy thing to do, but like in a lot of (especially western) RPGs, the story doesn't dictate the pacing and the world around, but the world and leveldesign dictates the story and thus, constrains it. Working myself in the industry, it's pretty blatant to me that the story writers get two things to work with: the general idea and outline for the expansion universe and concept, and the world builders and gameplay developers also get the same outline.
Then both will work on their thing, and the story writers will then get to work with many different places leveldesigned in a certain way for it to work as a MMO, and they will have to make the story stick and go through a general path making the player visit all those places, allowing him/her to access to all the sidequests around. Every time.
Now try to write a story where you know that the first thing you will have to do is find something to do in Western Coerthas, then fucking Sea of Clouds... I'm sure they could have found more engaging than just helping those two Fortemps heirs, but I really can't help to see it any other way than that.
I know it's not an easy thing to do, but like in a lot of (especially western) RPGs, the story doesn't dictate the pacing and the world around, but the world and leveldesign dictates the story and thus, constrains it. Working myself in the industry, it's pretty blatant to me that the story writers get two things to work with: the general idea and outline for the expansion universe and concept, and the world builders and gameplay developers also get the same outline.
Then both will work on their thing, and the story writers will then get to work with many different places leveldesigned in a certain way for it to work as a MMO, and they will have to make the story stick and go through a general path making the player visit all those places, allowing him/her to access to all the sidequests around. Every time.
Now try to write a story where you know that the first thing you will have to do is find something to do in Western Coerthas, then fucking Sea of Clouds... I'm sure they could have found more engaging than just helping those two Fortemps heirs, but I really can't help to see it any other way than that.
Balmung:Â Suen Shyu
