How to Decentralize Ul'dah

[Technolust]

On Lindblum server the busiest place is Ul'dah, everything is undertaken from here. Quests, Leves, SP Parties, Group NM's, are all formed in Ul'dah. People that spend most of their time in Limsa or Gridania are then forced to spend most of their time in Ul'dah just to take part in group activities. Limsa and Gridania are rarely populated, and when you want to do leve-linking/sharing in those regions you must first be in Ul'dah and shout their to get any real responses.

The market wards for Limsa and Gridania are dead on our server. Ul'dah's market wards are the only place you can find items. Only place worth selling items as well. It makes it so people who would prefer to be in less populated areas are pretty much forced to stay in Ul'dah for any group activities. Crafters must stay in the Ul'dah region if they want to find materials for their crafts, or want to offload some of their items crafted to sell.

It almost makes one think well then what the heck is the point of the other two regions? Well here is an idea, lets change some minor things about the game and make it so you don't have to stay in Ul'dah to enjoy group play.

Most of us know by now that the Chat log is on a different server, as you can still communicate with people while in the middle of an r0. Most of us also know that the market wards are instanced. So this is what the devs need to do to help us decentralize Ul'dah, and make the other two cities used just as much.

Create a /world chat channel that everyone can communicate in for group play. That way people who want to join groups that are forming in different regions can actually get a chance to participate. If people are off-put by a /world chat channel then fix party/quest/seeking flag system. Implement a /sea all function where we can search globally for people who might want to gather for group play.

Lastly make it so that the market wards are the same instance for Limsa, Gridania and Ul'dah. So when someone zones into the market wards from Limsa, they will see the same retainers that are in Ul'dah and vice versa. Make it so I can put items on my retainer in Limsa market wards, and people searching the market wards in either Grid, or Ul'dah can see the items as well as purchase them.

I don't understand why we need 3 separate instances of Market wards, this has made it so everything is done in Ul'dah. Make the Market Wards from all 3 city-states into one Market Ward that can be accessed from each city. One instanced market ward to rule them all.

Thank you.

[kwestro]

We just need an AH that's connected to all three cities. Problem solved. A world chat that you can toggle and filter would be great as well.

[Technolust]

We just need an AH that's connected to all three cities. Problem solved. A world chat that you can toggle and filter would be great as well.

I'd rather them spend less time having to try and create a new AH system, and focus on other aspects of the game that need more attention. Making the market wards so they share one instance is much better then rebuilding an entire AH system.

I like the market wards, I prefer them to auction houses. Yet having an Auction house wouldn't decentralize Ul'dah it would still be an issue.

[Chrees]

I agree 100%. Although adjusting the SP from leves to be more in Gridania and Limsa Lominsa has helped to slightly repopulate those two cities, people really only gather in the Adventurers' Guilds, haha. I'm hoping airships will help alleviate the problem a bit more, but I really think making the market wards span across all three cities would help seal the deal.

In regards to the world chat, it seems as though something to that extend it already in the works.

Being able to communicate with players outside of the zone you are in is a critical aspect of adventuring, and we are working to implement this in the future.

[AlphaDragoon]

I'd rather they fix the major stuff before spending time on any AH functions, never mind the fact that if they're gonna change from Market Wards they should go with the Aion-style Trade Broker, not the FFXI AH...

Anyway, just make Market Wards universal and that will solve a lot of it. Also, making a global chat as others have mentioned would help immensely. One of the major issues is already being handled by SE, and that's travel to the other towns. Because airships allow you to go to all three major towns and are fast (have the instant option), people will actually visit the other towns more frequently. If they did the other two fixes suggested, it would greatly repopulate the other areas, IMO.

[Technolust]

I'd rather they fix the major stuff before spending time on any AH functions

Unfortunately I think that decentralizing Ul'dah is a one of those 'major fixes'.

[VeranRamaden]

just have the option to teleport to the other wards from within the ward you're in.
and implement the XI LFP and /sea system.

Problem solved.

[Seikninkuru]

Considering the story quest funnels everyone to Ul'Dah I find it hard to decentralize the population.

[Technolust]

just have the option to teleport to the other wards from within the ward you're in.
and implement the XI LFP and /sea system.

Problem solved.

No not really, because you'll still have lazy people.

Another point is if you give people the option to teleport they wont use it. What would be the point of putting items in different wards if everyone uses Ul'dah?

The point of my OP was to decentralize Ul'dah, and imo to do that the changes I proposed are the way to do it.

[BruceyBruceyBangBang]

They should really add air ships, yano!?