I can't even begin to fathom how many millions the ARR-Post ARR garbage has cost them, and how it's not their top priority for fixing. If I go to the store to buy a Samsung Galaxy S10 don't hand me a telegraph machine and tell me I need to experience communications from its infancy before I'm worthy of using an S10.
Fortunately for me I got all of that crap out of the way years ago and have recently purchased, and am currently playing through, Shadowbringers. Despite having some flaws *cough Urianger's cringeworthy dialogue cough* and some other minor ones, up to the point I'm at I consider it the best storytelling in an MMO to date. Now, If I had to do over all of the previous content to reach this point, would I? No. So I pity those trying to bring new players into the game.
Comments
1: I don't care about story in an MMORPG
2: It's not FFXI
I've accepted the game isn't for me and moved on.