Developers, SquareEnix: What are the REAL chances of us seeing NEW areas?

[Nephilipitou]

First, I expected a response like "unless your a 15 year old that can't get a job yet then stop being cheap and update your stuff."

I am not 15, I work, and probably for a lot longer than you have had hot dinners or worn long pants. I have different priorities in life as you will someday. New or used is not in my budget, nor will it ever be. The same applies I am sure to a lot of people. My PS2 suits me just fine, and when SE stops supporting it, then I will quit FFXI.

You can't afford a PC that costs less than 300 dollars and you're running on 5-7 year hardware... you need to stop playing this game and save up. If you're that broke, that you can't come up with a couple hundred dolllars, you need to stop playing FFXI because if you're computer dies, and you can't afford to replace it, or your car has a failure, and you can't afford to replace the parts, then you're screwed. Just a tire blow out alone is 1/6 or so of the cost of getting a PC or netbook that can run FFXI.

I hope they drop PS2 support so that you can get your priorities in order. You apparently need the 150 dollars a year that your subscription costs, for more important things.

Drop PS2 support SE. If for no other reasons, than to give the people who can't afford to upgrade, the ability to eat something other than ramen once in a while. Cause apparently this game sucks up their reserve cash because they have no ability to save up.

[Crusader]

Why not only release new data for people outside PS2?
Like if you didn't buy WoTG can't go to those areas, make new releases for Xbox and PC. That way the PS2 players that are happy playing old content can continue to do so, and players that which to go to the next level can?
Is that possible? I'm sure there's a way.

[Teraniku]

Why not only release new data for people outside PS2?
Like if you didn't buy WoTG can't go to those areas, make new releases for Xbox and PC. That way the PS2 players that are happy playing old content can continue to do so, and players that which to go to the next level can?
Is that possible? I'm sure there's a way.

The problem with this is, the dev team has to keep track of 2 versions of the game, not one. Even though the code base for the PS2 version will remain relatively the same as long as they would maintain it, Any job addition updates, etc would have to be applied to both versions. This leads to even more time making sure any job updates, any new Battlefields (like Voidwatch) don't cause problems and would actually slow down the amount of updates / adjustments we would get.

[Deception]

remembers Phantasy Star Online

[LeaderofAtlantis]

Here's a small, fairly simple thing to implement as far as a zone goes - there's a cave that utilized as the spawn spot for a ANNM in Batallia Downs [S], but does nothing in the present. Have the path blocked in the past by a guard or magic seal, but utilize it in the present as a short cut to a new section of Behemoth's Dominion where we might see regular Behemoth type creatures or just a shortcut to Qufim. The tunnel doesn't have to be overly complex but could be a great spot to put some new NMs or high level creatures for us.

There are doors that clearly have hallways behind them inside The Shrine of Ru'Avitau. Giving us a way to open them and go after some new stuff would be nice. Sure it's an old zone and things wouldn't be all that different looking, but perhaps a new path way with new challenges would give us a little bit of a new adventure.

I seem to recall that near the beginning of the NA launch, I heard they did a server wide event to trigger Outpost warps on that server. Maybe I misunderstood, but if so, why not have a server wide quest/mission where you work to gather supplies to support an effort to re-open the paths to Fort Karugo-Narugo, Grauberg, and Vunkerl Inlet in the present? Yeah it's a rehashing of old zones, but with no interaction with the outside world since the end of the Crystal War, these zones might be over run by really nasty new creatures.

Or they could finally open up the path way to the old Tavnazia. It's clearly over run by Wyverns and possibly Wyrms among other creatures. We can see it from the Blueblade Fell in Lufaise Meadows and these creatures, as big as the buildings, moving out there.

Having dimensional tears bringing nastier creatures into the areas we already have access to is fine and all, but there is still so much story that can be explored in this game, and even if we had to pay to gain access to these new zones, exploring that story would be well worth it I think. Why did the Orcs and Gigas leave their homes in the far north initially? Why are the Mithra so stand offish in their homeland? What of the Empire to the east of Aht Urhgan that once existed? Do remnants still exist? Do the Yagudo still flourish there?

The story is one of the major draws to this series and the stories in this game have been amazing. I hope those stories aren't over.

[Psxpert2011]

I don't see what the big deal is. There are players out there with more than one account, and rumors say almost all Japanese still support the PS2. Now to keep things practical, why can there be reason for new zones. I have more than one character on my account and I use one for basic zones (which means I don't need to play on a PC but have one anyway).

There can be servers to support players with low-end graphic cards or PS2s but we need to expand for a ruling majority.

*I want to make a point also that areas, graphics doesn't make the game. Replay value is equal to gameplay, content and interface which is easy for players with half a brain of a chimpanzee.
** I think SE is setting us up for something big and down the FFXI road, bigger and tougher beast and hordes will be introduced to alliances to defeat and may exceed level 99. There might be devils in hell which have power lv. over 9000! So I do hope for new areas introducing us to new mob and new NMs (maybe fighting on the moon?).

[Psxpert2011]

I think it is about time we stop dreaming and hoping for new content in regards to land

If we keep pushing for new content, new areas, and better equipment, it'll become apparent what SE will focus on next. Use the suggestion box or how I like the Manga I read: "Medaka Box". =P

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[Afin]

Its a shame, i would've loved to have seen tavnazia S, imo the 1 city that was relevent to the wotg and sandy mission storyline

[DukeDudeston]

I would love to see brand new zones in the game, but I don't think the reason why its not top of list, isn't because of the PS2 limitations. I think its got more to do with the actual development of the zones.
The game has got big, the story line has been writen with the most care, adding new zones isn't as simple as the actual development of the zones, they have to write a story line to go with them, why have these zones just been made available, why would you want to go to them?

Its that, thats the reason why its easier just to recycle what they already have. its easier just to come up with a "Past" or "Alternate Reality" version of the same zones, then it is to create whole new ones.

Again I don't think it has anything to do with PS2 limitation "HDD space issue" I heard that the PS2 limits each game to 10GB to help with space allocation, but I am sure there is probably a way to "trick" the PS2 in thinking a new expansion pack or something is a stand-alone game, there is always a work around I am sure.

EDIT: just found this on another post while looking around the forum

Just to clarify one misconception I have been noticing for a while now...

"PS2 limitations" is not a factor for adding new areas to the game and we will in fact be adding new areas in the future, so please do not worry about this.

Well... nuff said really.

[Kristal]

I would love to see brand new zones in the game, but I don't think the reason why its not top of list, isn't because of the PS2 limitations. I think its got more to do with the actual development of the zones.
The game has got big, the story line has been writen with the most care, adding new zones isn't as simple as the actual development of the zones, they have to write a story line to go with them, why have these zones just been made available, why would you want to go to them?

Its that, thats the reason why its easier just to recycle what they already have. its easier just to come up with a "Past" or "Alternate Reality" version of the same zones, then it is to create whole new ones.

Again I don't think it has anything to do with PS2 limitation "HDD space issue" I heard that the PS2 limits each game to 10GB to help with space allocation, but I am sure there is probably a way to "trick" the PS2 in thinking a new expansion pack or something is a stand-alone game, there is always a work around I am sure.

EDIT: just found this on another post while looking around the forum

Well... nuff said really.

Games cannot use resources from other partitions, so a new partition would require you to shut down FFXI and POL to switch to the other 'game'.

The biggest issues with new zones are
1. PS2 HD partition size, which can be addressed by smarter use of resources. Augments are an example of this, or a culling of a large number of rarely/unused resources. Most of sub-75 gear comes to mind.
2. Zone ID limitation. We are approaching 256 (1 byte) zones. This might be a big issue (1 byte reserved), or a non-issue (2 bytes reserved).
3. Development time. Refurbishing existing zones (WotG, Abyssea) takes less time and effort then building new ones from scratch, but it still isn't free. Apollyon, Walk of Echoes and that new crystalline zone they announced are all pretty barren places, a few plots of walkable area surrounded by nothingness. Those are a lot easier to make then a fully fleshed out zone like we saw in Treasures of Aht Urhgan. (And that's just the zone. There need to be mobs, npcs, quests, etc.)