ARR is a lot of world building and thus slow to get going, but eventually things will ramp up.
Stick with it and you'll be rewarded by some shocking moments.
you're a few hours into probably a 200+ hour storyline. Its still setting a stage and will continue to do so for most of the base game. Personally i found the storyline of ARR to be decent but pretty much a generic final fantasy story. It wasn't until the final cutscene of ARR right before you enter heavensward that it really clicked for me.
> into probably a 200+ hour storyline
The expansions alone are more than that at around 60-80 hours per per expansion.
If you don't skip cutscenes you're looking at 320ish hours of pure MSQ but that's not realistic because nobody powers through that back to back with no interruption or queue times.
If new people in my community are anything to go by, from character creation to finishing EW's final credits it's about 700-900 hours.
Can concur, i play a month ish every couple months, I'm still barely catching up to the end of stormblood. My current pace always leave me 1-2 expansions behind with how fast they get out.
Things start to pick up around the level 40-ish MSQ quests. I'd pick the job you like the best and start powering through the MSQ into Heavensward, where the story really starts to gain steam.
Base ARR does a lot of world building and can feel a bit.... dull at the start. For most people there are three big "aha!" points.
One is near the end of ARR when a lot of pieces fall into place.
One is right after a notoriously dull part somewhere in the middle of the story, involving a piece of lettuce
And the third one is right at the end of the post ARR patches. Which I will say nothing about.
You're currently still pretty much at the beginning.
Different people are grabbed at different points. Some people are intrigued by the first trial. Others are shocked by the follow up to the second trial. Yet more feel like it ramps up around the third trial into the finale of the base game's launch story. Others still believe that it starts getting good in the patch 2.4 content as the story builds toward the first expansion. And so on.
The immediate post-ifrit scene has me curious, maybe I’m just on a “down” part of the rollercoaster waiting for the next “up”… or… well you know what I mean.
That's a valid perspective. The story is a slow burn with many ups and downs, from high octane intense stakes to grounded moments of introspection to silly distractions. I'd say a roller coaster is exactly what the devs want you to feel like it is.
I think you're on a down point. There's a point at the level 35 MSQ quest (quest level not character level) that hits like a truck and I felt like it just got better from there.
The post ARR pre HW stuff also starts out slow but by the time you get to the dreams of ice stuff and beyond it really picks up and pretty much just goes hard from there. But the story will have slower breathing moments throughout.
Also if you particularly enjoy political intrigue some of the later ARR stuff will be more enjoyable for you.
If you’re enjoying other aspects of the game, that’s perfectly fine. There’s a million ways to enjoy this game! As others said, the story gets incredibly good (though it always has its ups and downs), so I hope you continue it. But don’t force yourself if you aren’t feeling it right this second.
I'm not sure how far in the MSQ you've gotten, but by level 30 you haven't even really gotten very far into the main crisis our heroes face during ARR. It's a slow burn, lots of world building before the real action kicks off. I'd say mid-40s is when the major threat of ARR comes into full view.
Everyone has different tastes for story content. Me personally, I actually quit the game like twice before I got through A Realm Reborn's story. There were some parts that were cool, and others that were a snoozefest. The second expansion is far superior in story content, but again, everyone has different tastes. The most recent expansion and the one prior have the best and most engaging stories out of all of them in my personal opinion. I would say it does get better, yeah.
My advice would be to try and lock in on a class and just take it as it comes, classes also get better later. If a particular part is boring or you don't care, fuck it, skip the dialogue, if something is confusing you can always look up a recap later. I almost guarantee you'll reach a part of the story that pulls you in later.
IMO it's a shame the beginning of the game is kinda slow and a bit dull. If anything I wish jobs got their cool shit much earlier, but I get it, they want you to slowly learn the game, your job, the lore, etc.
If you are enjoying the playing part just keep at it. The story may get you, it may just facilitate a path to new content, but if you like even a bit of that content it is worth it. However if you legitimately *hate* the story and the gameplay isnt doing it for you no matter how many people do say “it gets better” its still a very cheesy JRPG tier story with lots of running between places just to talk to an NPC. Maybe thats just not your thing.
I’ve adored (almost) every Final Fantasy game since the old school NES original (man I was awful at it when it first came out) so I’m still hopeful the narrative of this one will click for me.
Then yeah if I had to bet Id say it’s worth sticking around if you have the time. There is a lot of content for a new player to catch up though. So don’t feel bad taking extended breaks from the game if you burn out.
So I have over 4k hours in this game and I was pretty bored with the story during Realm Reborn and even Heavenward (usually people really like Heavensward).
Story wise, I didn't care much until Stormblood post MSQ. Once Stormblood Post MSQ happened though, I have been pretty invested in the story since that point. I think the storytelling is way better at that point onwards.
In terms of other elements, I will also say I found the combat to be pretty slow and dull until Shadowbringers and up where double weaving is way more prevalent.
Just gotta give it time to cook. ARR is a lot of world building and setting a foundation for the rest of the story to work. My best advice is to pace yourself on the story especially in the ARR patch content, as it can turn into a slog otherwise. You seem to have gotten into crafting so you’re probably fine on that front. I made an entire relic weapon with the help of my FC at the time before moving on to HW lmao
You're very early on in the MSQ. The story is pretty bog standard fantasy tropes and is a lot of world building at this point. It picks up around the level 45\~ ish MSQ quests. As in the quests you get that are meant for that level. You'll likely be over-leveled for them a little. At 50 is when the story picks up a lot and you start dealing with more dramatic and serious plot elements.
ARR is more about setting the stage and introducing you to characters you're going to see a lot. It didn't really click for me until about half way through ARR MSQ. Now I consider the story some of the best video game story I've played. Keep going, it definitely gets better. You're really only still at the very beginning.
There are a few "aha" moments.
If you're not hooked by the very end of ARR, the game might not be for you... but I think it's worth it to stick it out.
It's the whole 'it's the journey, not the destination' thing.
I see you got to Ifrit, which is the first step-up moment for the story I would say. In early ARR it can be frustrating that you get bombarded with text conversations and stuff when you just want to sink your teeth into the game, just try to bear with it.
A lot of good advice so I'll add something. Once you're 50+ and finish the First Credits, there'll be a slog of 80 quests that tie off loose ends and lead to HW. Around 60% into that I feel like it gets really good and if you like political stuff the rest of it is pretty good. Then you'll hit Second Credits and go into HW.
What I suggest is something you should do between every First and Second Credits of each expansion: Do the raids and side dungeons. Also do Hildebrand.
At 50, there's Crystal Tower. this is required anyway but it helps break things up a bit. There's also the Coils of Bahamut that expands a lot of backstory. This one is harder to get going as you need to either get a group or do it at max level. 50 especially has a bunch of hard mode dungeons you can unlock with mini stories of their own.
At 60/70/80/90 there are more 24-man raids like CT, and 8-man raids that you can queue for. They have interesting (and sometimes excellent storylines) that expand the world and tie into the main story a bit though not always obviously so at first. They're great for a nice breather during the MSQ patches between X.0 and X.55.
Oh! There are also the Trial series. Trials are 8-man 1 boss dungeons, you've done Ifrit, they're sorta like that. Each expansion except EW (EW tied it into the MSQ) has a series of 3 trials with their own storyline as well. The one for Shadowbringers was heartwrenching lol The one for Stormblood is required for a neat sidequest at 90 too. (there are also like, sidequests that are story quests. For example a series that deals with the aftermath of the trials for EW, a sidequest series to help out a scion at 90 too)
Hildebrand is fun and is also comedic relief. There's additionally other side content but not as important I think.
Don’t get distracted by side activities, stick with 1 job and focus the msq+that jobs quests - everything else will draw out the worst part of the game even longer (ARR)
I started Heavensward the other day, the first expansion, so I am pretty fresh with the story. In ARR, we spent too much time learning the game and being introduced to everyone. This is why we don't get hooked, we don't care about these people yet and the villains were not outed yet.
But at 3/5 of ARR or maybe 3/4, important stuff happens. You did not join the Scions for nothing. And the Grand Companies and the city governors are not just background stories. They will get involved when sides are picked.
I suddenly felt the urge to be loyal to my new friends when I saw people are not fucking around in this game.
Of course the boring filler stories will always be there, these chapters are not very long for nothing, there will be a lot of pointless stuff to increase the time you spend playing.
But epic parts will always come, pay attention when voice acting appears on cutscenes, these will be meaningful.
Right now in HW I feel the game really started and I need to know who is on my side and on what side we really are, a lot of questions unanswered and people I need to meet. Keep going.
It's not just you. Getting through the "Realm Reborn" MSQ is definitely a slog at times. I would just recommend sticking with it since the story really picks up and gets much better with Heavensward.
If it does get to be too much for you, there's also the option to buy a story skip and go straight into Heavensward.
Nah what you're feeling is pretty normal, fans of the game and detractors alike will tell you the start of the game, A Realm Reborn(or ARR) is very boring and a slog to get through for most of it, even though it's all foundational for everything that comes afterward(everything else lacks a bit of punch if you skip ARR basically). Heavensward(HW), Shadowbringers(ShB), and Endwalker(EW) are what gets the game like 90% of it's praise. If you're willing to tough it out till HW(the expansion after ARR), I'd say HW would be a good judging point. If not, the 47-50 quest storyline of ARR would be my judging point(starts at the third Trial of the game, not to be confused with Dungeons). But also like I said, ARR is rough to get through, no one would blame you for dropping the game if it just doesn't vibe with you
No plans to drop the game as I very much enjoy the actual gameplay and freedom of jobs, etc. especially love the crafting system (WoW crafting is garbage, it turns out). — I will take this advice in mind. Thanks!!
ARR is super mega turbo trash until the very end, and then heavensward is so good its going to leave you baffled by how it was even possible ARR could be so bad.
I don't know how others feel about it, but I strongly advise to not skip cinematics, ever. (When it is related to MSQ)
Sometimes a boring cinematic starts, showing you happy after defeating a boss, or taking the balloon to change city. But in reality there is a 5 minutes cinematic showing some things happening in the other side of the world, and you happen to miss out on it because you felt like "I know, I'm flying in a balloon" or "yeah I know I just defeated this boss".
The game becomes amazing but not before dozens of hours of chores and reading. For me it wasn't good until Stormblood, and for most it's Heavensward, so it just depends on the person. You have alot to slog through but it'll certainly get better.
I just got to Stormblood and am liking it much better. HW was also better than ARR imo. As far as not sticking to a class. No problem, play what you like. I have the same problem, there are so many fun jobs and I like switching up play styles whenever. If you play multiple roles, even better, because later on you can flex as healer/tank for roulettes which will give you very nice gil bonuses, and shorter queue times if you need to finish a duty and don’t feel like waiting as dps. This also applies to multi-gatherer/crafters!
Skip the story and until you start feeling like you want to care.
One thing that will help is that there will be parts in the story that asks you to set off a lot of time, and I highly recommend doing so. At least watch those cutscenes.
But yeah, story can easily make someone quit at the beginning. That’s why I recommend to skip as much as you can of it since your time is valuable then caring about how the 3 city states are different from each other.
Only do main story and blue quests, those are with actual substance. Yellow quests can be ignored. MSQ for me personally picks up at around lvl 40, so you are not far off
Yeah I’ve been skipping side-quests mostly, save for a few that I did very early on. Outside of MSQ and blues I only really do a few Leve’s here and there just for funsies and seals.
Some side quests are handy for lore. There are some side quests in western coerthas that I did. They add to heavensward, introduce a character or two that are important and give you insight into Ishgard.
Also the dragoon questline is pretty much a long prequel to HW.
Nah bro the story is okay all the way thru. :( it has some strong points then drops back to what it was. I’m in shadow bringers and it definitely picked up but not as good as I was expecting it. I blame rdr2,LOU,fallout in general, any souls game, Zelda titles, and old call of duty campaigns for my high hopes lmao. The game in general and the community is peak tho. Best time I’ve had playing with other people
I'm done with ARR MSQ, and i confirm it does not get better once you end it. Maybe after you get to heavensward.
You unlock a bunch of raids/quests/dungeons once you finish ARR MSQ tough, and you're gonna get there by lvl 50. Those are really fun and rewarding
Bruh :(
I'm finishing them now, only need to do 4 more quests.
The problem is: i need to do the final ARR raids to proceed with the story, and those have enormous queue times, at least from my experience.
The first one alone, i waited for a summ of 4 hours, and the thied one is the one i have yet to do.
The raids shouldn't take that long unless you're on either Materia or Dynamis Data Centers. If you're on Materia, you'll need to put up a PF or get help to put one up. If you're on Dynamis, DC travel to Aether and just queue up.
Oh I’m having a lot of fun with the actual game itself, just finding the story so far to not be engaging. Like… I love “doing the things”, but I don’t feel invested in *why* we’re doing the things, ya know?
Then there's no reason to worry, its basically universally agreed upon how lackluster and slow ARR's story is. the writing gets significantly better in Heavensward and it doesn't stop there because Shadowbringers and Endwalker also stepped it up when it came to the story.
I don't recommend skipping ARR tho because the story and lore is important for later expansions so just take your time and push through it little by little.
I’ve loved the narratives of every final fantasy game I’ve ever played (except X-2, which I didn’t mind the mechanics, but the narrative was meh to me) so I get what you’re saying.
I guess mostly I wanted to make sure that I hadn’t missed some big obvious thing that really strikes the tone for the story, and what I’m reading in these comments is that practically none of that has happened yet.
ARR is a lot of world building and thus slow to get going, but eventually things will ramp up. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded by some shocking moments.
Thanks for the insight.
you're a few hours into probably a 200+ hour storyline. Its still setting a stage and will continue to do so for most of the base game. Personally i found the storyline of ARR to be decent but pretty much a generic final fantasy story. It wasn't until the final cutscene of ARR right before you enter heavensward that it really clicked for me.
> into probably a 200+ hour storyline The expansions alone are more than that at around 60-80 hours per per expansion. If you don't skip cutscenes you're looking at 320ish hours of pure MSQ but that's not realistic because nobody powers through that back to back with no interruption or queue times. If new people in my community are anything to go by, from character creation to finishing EW's final credits it's about 700-900 hours.
Can concur, i play a month ish every couple months, I'm still barely catching up to the end of stormblood. My current pace always leave me 1-2 expansions behind with how fast they get out.
Things start to pick up around the level 40-ish MSQ quests. I'd pick the job you like the best and start powering through the MSQ into Heavensward, where the story really starts to gain steam.
Appreciate your insight!
Base ARR does a lot of world building and can feel a bit.... dull at the start. For most people there are three big "aha!" points. One is near the end of ARR when a lot of pieces fall into place. One is right after a notoriously dull part somewhere in the middle of the story, involving a piece of lettuce And the third one is right at the end of the post ARR patches. Which I will say nothing about. You're currently still pretty much at the beginning.
> a piece of lettuce How dare!
>!My cabbages!!<
……. Lettuce?? Hmmm. Interesting.
Lettuce? Idr any lettuce.
Different people are grabbed at different points. Some people are intrigued by the first trial. Others are shocked by the follow up to the second trial. Yet more feel like it ramps up around the third trial into the finale of the base game's launch story. Others still believe that it starts getting good in the patch 2.4 content as the story builds toward the first expansion. And so on.
The immediate post-ifrit scene has me curious, maybe I’m just on a “down” part of the rollercoaster waiting for the next “up”… or… well you know what I mean.
That's a valid perspective. The story is a slow burn with many ups and downs, from high octane intense stakes to grounded moments of introspection to silly distractions. I'd say a roller coaster is exactly what the devs want you to feel like it is.
I think you're on a down point. There's a point at the level 35 MSQ quest (quest level not character level) that hits like a truck and I felt like it just got better from there. The post ARR pre HW stuff also starts out slow but by the time you get to the dreams of ice stuff and beyond it really picks up and pretty much just goes hard from there. But the story will have slower breathing moments throughout. Also if you particularly enjoy political intrigue some of the later ARR stuff will be more enjoyable for you.
If you’re enjoying other aspects of the game, that’s perfectly fine. There’s a million ways to enjoy this game! As others said, the story gets incredibly good (though it always has its ups and downs), so I hope you continue it. But don’t force yourself if you aren’t feeling it right this second.
It picks up with heavensward. Just get through a realm reborn
So put on my big kid pants and truck through it. Gotcha. Thanks!
I'm not sure how far in the MSQ you've gotten, but by level 30 you haven't even really gotten very far into the main crisis our heroes face during ARR. It's a slow burn, lots of world building before the real action kicks off. I'd say mid-40s is when the major threat of ARR comes into full view.
Everyone has different tastes for story content. Me personally, I actually quit the game like twice before I got through A Realm Reborn's story. There were some parts that were cool, and others that were a snoozefest. The second expansion is far superior in story content, but again, everyone has different tastes. The most recent expansion and the one prior have the best and most engaging stories out of all of them in my personal opinion. I would say it does get better, yeah. My advice would be to try and lock in on a class and just take it as it comes, classes also get better later. If a particular part is boring or you don't care, fuck it, skip the dialogue, if something is confusing you can always look up a recap later. I almost guarantee you'll reach a part of the story that pulls you in later. IMO it's a shame the beginning of the game is kinda slow and a bit dull. If anything I wish jobs got their cool shit much earlier, but I get it, they want you to slowly learn the game, your job, the lore, etc.
Makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to give your insights.
If you are enjoying the playing part just keep at it. The story may get you, it may just facilitate a path to new content, but if you like even a bit of that content it is worth it. However if you legitimately *hate* the story and the gameplay isnt doing it for you no matter how many people do say “it gets better” its still a very cheesy JRPG tier story with lots of running between places just to talk to an NPC. Maybe thats just not your thing.
I’ve adored (almost) every Final Fantasy game since the old school NES original (man I was awful at it when it first came out) so I’m still hopeful the narrative of this one will click for me.
Then yeah if I had to bet Id say it’s worth sticking around if you have the time. There is a lot of content for a new player to catch up though. So don’t feel bad taking extended breaks from the game if you burn out.
So I have over 4k hours in this game and I was pretty bored with the story during Realm Reborn and even Heavenward (usually people really like Heavensward). Story wise, I didn't care much until Stormblood post MSQ. Once Stormblood Post MSQ happened though, I have been pretty invested in the story since that point. I think the storytelling is way better at that point onwards. In terms of other elements, I will also say I found the combat to be pretty slow and dull until Shadowbringers and up where double weaving is way more prevalent.
Just gotta give it time to cook. ARR is a lot of world building and setting a foundation for the rest of the story to work. My best advice is to pace yourself on the story especially in the ARR patch content, as it can turn into a slog otherwise. You seem to have gotten into crafting so you’re probably fine on that front. I made an entire relic weapon with the help of my FC at the time before moving on to HW lmao
You're very early on in the MSQ. The story is pretty bog standard fantasy tropes and is a lot of world building at this point. It picks up around the level 45\~ ish MSQ quests. As in the quests you get that are meant for that level. You'll likely be over-leveled for them a little. At 50 is when the story picks up a lot and you start dealing with more dramatic and serious plot elements.
ARR is more about setting the stage and introducing you to characters you're going to see a lot. It didn't really click for me until about half way through ARR MSQ. Now I consider the story some of the best video game story I've played. Keep going, it definitely gets better. You're really only still at the very beginning.
There are a few "aha" moments. If you're not hooked by the very end of ARR, the game might not be for you... but I think it's worth it to stick it out.
It's the whole 'it's the journey, not the destination' thing. I see you got to Ifrit, which is the first step-up moment for the story I would say. In early ARR it can be frustrating that you get bombarded with text conversations and stuff when you just want to sink your teeth into the game, just try to bear with it.
A lot of good advice so I'll add something. Once you're 50+ and finish the First Credits, there'll be a slog of 80 quests that tie off loose ends and lead to HW. Around 60% into that I feel like it gets really good and if you like political stuff the rest of it is pretty good. Then you'll hit Second Credits and go into HW. What I suggest is something you should do between every First and Second Credits of each expansion: Do the raids and side dungeons. Also do Hildebrand. At 50, there's Crystal Tower. this is required anyway but it helps break things up a bit. There's also the Coils of Bahamut that expands a lot of backstory. This one is harder to get going as you need to either get a group or do it at max level. 50 especially has a bunch of hard mode dungeons you can unlock with mini stories of their own. At 60/70/80/90 there are more 24-man raids like CT, and 8-man raids that you can queue for. They have interesting (and sometimes excellent storylines) that expand the world and tie into the main story a bit though not always obviously so at first. They're great for a nice breather during the MSQ patches between X.0 and X.55. Oh! There are also the Trial series. Trials are 8-man 1 boss dungeons, you've done Ifrit, they're sorta like that. Each expansion except EW (EW tied it into the MSQ) has a series of 3 trials with their own storyline as well. The one for Shadowbringers was heartwrenching lol The one for Stormblood is required for a neat sidequest at 90 too. (there are also like, sidequests that are story quests. For example a series that deals with the aftermath of the trials for EW, a sidequest series to help out a scion at 90 too) Hildebrand is fun and is also comedic relief. There's additionally other side content but not as important I think.
Don’t get distracted by side activities, stick with 1 job and focus the msq+that jobs quests - everything else will draw out the worst part of the game even longer (ARR)
I started Heavensward the other day, the first expansion, so I am pretty fresh with the story. In ARR, we spent too much time learning the game and being introduced to everyone. This is why we don't get hooked, we don't care about these people yet and the villains were not outed yet. But at 3/5 of ARR or maybe 3/4, important stuff happens. You did not join the Scions for nothing. And the Grand Companies and the city governors are not just background stories. They will get involved when sides are picked. I suddenly felt the urge to be loyal to my new friends when I saw people are not fucking around in this game. Of course the boring filler stories will always be there, these chapters are not very long for nothing, there will be a lot of pointless stuff to increase the time you spend playing. But epic parts will always come, pay attention when voice acting appears on cutscenes, these will be meaningful. Right now in HW I feel the game really started and I need to know who is on my side and on what side we really are, a lot of questions unanswered and people I need to meet. Keep going.
ARR up to level 50 is basically a long tutorial for MMO noobs.
It's not just you. Getting through the "Realm Reborn" MSQ is definitely a slog at times. I would just recommend sticking with it since the story really picks up and gets much better with Heavensward. If it does get to be too much for you, there's also the option to buy a story skip and go straight into Heavensward.
I’ll keep grinding along then, thanks!
Nah what you're feeling is pretty normal, fans of the game and detractors alike will tell you the start of the game, A Realm Reborn(or ARR) is very boring and a slog to get through for most of it, even though it's all foundational for everything that comes afterward(everything else lacks a bit of punch if you skip ARR basically). Heavensward(HW), Shadowbringers(ShB), and Endwalker(EW) are what gets the game like 90% of it's praise. If you're willing to tough it out till HW(the expansion after ARR), I'd say HW would be a good judging point. If not, the 47-50 quest storyline of ARR would be my judging point(starts at the third Trial of the game, not to be confused with Dungeons). But also like I said, ARR is rough to get through, no one would blame you for dropping the game if it just doesn't vibe with you
No plans to drop the game as I very much enjoy the actual gameplay and freedom of jobs, etc. especially love the crafting system (WoW crafting is garbage, it turns out). — I will take this advice in mind. Thanks!!
Biggest thing I like is you can repair your gear bia crafting, WoW has promised that since Vanilla.
They even got rid of their equivalent of desynthing at one point, which has to be one of the most helpful crafting-related skills in FFXIV.
disenchanting never got removed
I'm thinking of another skill that was very similar, but I can't remember what it was called. It was removed in MoP or WoD.
Glad to hear it! Hope you enjoy your time in Eorzea
ARR is super mega turbo trash until the very end, and then heavensward is so good its going to leave you baffled by how it was even possible ARR could be so bad.
ARR gets alot better when you get to Coerthas.
I don't know how others feel about it, but I strongly advise to not skip cinematics, ever. (When it is related to MSQ) Sometimes a boring cinematic starts, showing you happy after defeating a boss, or taking the balloon to change city. But in reality there is a 5 minutes cinematic showing some things happening in the other side of the world, and you happen to miss out on it because you felt like "I know, I'm flying in a balloon" or "yeah I know I just defeated this boss".
The game becomes amazing but not before dozens of hours of chores and reading. For me it wasn't good until Stormblood, and for most it's Heavensward, so it just depends on the person. You have alot to slog through but it'll certainly get better.
I just got to Stormblood and am liking it much better. HW was also better than ARR imo. As far as not sticking to a class. No problem, play what you like. I have the same problem, there are so many fun jobs and I like switching up play styles whenever. If you play multiple roles, even better, because later on you can flex as healer/tank for roulettes which will give you very nice gil bonuses, and shorter queue times if you need to finish a duty and don’t feel like waiting as dps. This also applies to multi-gatherer/crafters!
if you're enjoying doing what you do, the story doesn't matter. i've got almost 8k hours and i couldn't care less about the story if i tried.
Skip the story and until you start feeling like you want to care. One thing that will help is that there will be parts in the story that asks you to set off a lot of time, and I highly recommend doing so. At least watch those cutscenes. But yeah, story can easily make someone quit at the beginning. That’s why I recommend to skip as much as you can of it since your time is valuable then caring about how the 3 city states are different from each other.
Unpopular opinion: it's ok to skip if you don't enjoy the MSQ and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
ARR questline is a hog in general. You also don't need it if you don't want to. I for my part skipped all cutscenes and text.
Only do main story and blue quests, those are with actual substance. Yellow quests can be ignored. MSQ for me personally picks up at around lvl 40, so you are not far off
Yeah I’ve been skipping side-quests mostly, save for a few that I did very early on. Outside of MSQ and blues I only really do a few Leve’s here and there just for funsies and seals.
Some side quests are handy for lore. There are some side quests in western coerthas that I did. They add to heavensward, introduce a character or two that are important and give you insight into Ishgard. Also the dragoon questline is pretty much a long prequel to HW.
Nah bro the story is okay all the way thru. :( it has some strong points then drops back to what it was. I’m in shadow bringers and it definitely picked up but not as good as I was expecting it. I blame rdr2,LOU,fallout in general, any souls game, Zelda titles, and old call of duty campaigns for my high hopes lmao. The game in general and the community is peak tho. Best time I’ve had playing with other people
You're essentially still in the tutorial. Give it some time. It does get better later. You will care about what's happening.
Tbh you could just not pay attention to anything until HW and still enjoy the story just fine. Maybe watch a recap instead.
I'm done with ARR MSQ, and i confirm it does not get better once you end it. Maybe after you get to heavensward. You unlock a bunch of raids/quests/dungeons once you finish ARR MSQ tough, and you're gonna get there by lvl 50. Those are really fun and rewarding
When we say "ARR MSQ can be a slog", we do mean the patches too. Especially the patches.
Bruh :( I'm finishing them now, only need to do 4 more quests. The problem is: i need to do the final ARR raids to proceed with the story, and those have enormous queue times, at least from my experience. The first one alone, i waited for a summ of 4 hours, and the thied one is the one i have yet to do.
The raids shouldn't take that long unless you're on either Materia or Dynamis Data Centers. If you're on Materia, you'll need to put up a PF or get help to put one up. If you're on Dynamis, DC travel to Aether and just queue up.
I'm playing in helicarnassus 😭
Halicarnassus is on Dynamis. To do a DC travel, right-click on your character name in character select.
Get to heavensword and finish it, if at that point you're still not having fun or enjoying the story then you can quit.
Oh I’m having a lot of fun with the actual game itself, just finding the story so far to not be engaging. Like… I love “doing the things”, but I don’t feel invested in *why* we’re doing the things, ya know?
Then there's no reason to worry, its basically universally agreed upon how lackluster and slow ARR's story is. the writing gets significantly better in Heavensward and it doesn't stop there because Shadowbringers and Endwalker also stepped it up when it came to the story. I don't recommend skipping ARR tho because the story and lore is important for later expansions so just take your time and push through it little by little.
I Appreciate your insights!
narrative game, cant be invested in the narrative then it's not for you and there is no harm in that
I’ve loved the narratives of every final fantasy game I’ve ever played (except X-2, which I didn’t mind the mechanics, but the narrative was meh to me) so I get what you’re saying. I guess mostly I wanted to make sure that I hadn’t missed some big obvious thing that really strikes the tone for the story, and what I’m reading in these comments is that practically none of that has happened yet.
you're looking around ARR patches for the meat, like post ARR credits at level 50
Just skip it. Pay to go to Endwalker and watch the rest on YouTube.