Warping Directly To BCNM Circles

[Eric]

When the game starts feeling more like work than a game, that's when it's time to move on.

You DO realize, that walking 15 minutes to a BCNM is the work, while the actual battle is the "fun", right? You sound like you're a little confused, sir.

Some of the zilart mission BCs require navigating a maze or meeting certain conditions to be able to reach, being able to teleport to these would let you skip all that stuff that they intended for you to be put through- you could go there and do the mission instead of the BCNM.

Okay, then just make it a requirement that you must have already visited the BCNM at least once before you can warp there. That's how every single warp that already exists in the game works. Problem solved. People still have to "solve the maze."

I actually found it quite funny that this was one of the points you were trying to make, because it doesn't matter anyways. A majority of people already use the wikis(you know, like ffxiclopedia and gamerescape) to avoid having to do any of the brainwork themselves.

This is all just silly. You don't know what they intended, nor do you have authority to say. You speak a lot as if you built the game. You didn't.

Don't mind him. This seems to be a recurring theme with him.

Alhanelem seems to have some secret insight as to what the developers think, do, have done, and will do. (I've heard some rumors involving tinfoil hats and telepaths.)

[Soranika]

Oh and not everyone does VW, I don't/haven't; so I don't even have the warps.

Then I guess I can only assume the lot asking for these means of transportation haven't dwelved into voidwatch either to utilize the vw warping. As it stands, it covers a wide array of areas.


But that explains why no one has really commented on the abundance of easy travel via VW alone.

[Olor]

I never see anyone doing shouts for T1 VW....

[Aramaru]

I don't mean to be "that guy", but wouldn't this be abused as a way to shortcut around the world, and cheapen the actual teleport scrolls and outposts? I mean, there's the Lv20 Summoner trials, but those both require a tuning fork which consumes inventory space instead of being a key item like the normal ones, AND also forces you to play on Summoner.. and that's because it's pretty much neccessary for the job. How would you plan on restricting such a BCNM warp function so it isn't used to get around everywhere instantly?

P.S. While I am happy that there ARE quicker ways to get around in XI since I've returned to Vana'diel, I think SE has reached a happy medium with the choices. If they make too many teleports, it'll both cheapen the actual spells that do that, as well as result in the same problems Ultima Online and World of Warcraft have; absolutely nobody travelling anywhere, just instant-warping to the destination. "A million players and nobody's around.."..

[svengalis]

You know what, in the mist of just running around doing random stuff and being like... not lazy and completing some Add-on missions, it dawned at me that this whole thing is completely stupid. Allow me to explain.

So far, thanks to Voidwatch, you can warp to some locations that other wise would have never been traveled too because traveling through certain areas suck. It's understandable. Now Voidwatch is going to be entering it's third chapter, but it's not the last one. What if... by some whacky chance, the third or forth chapter have Voidwatch rifts in Beastmen territory. Voidwatch officers will be obligated to warp you to the entrances of these places. Seems like a win for people wanting a faster way to BCNM locations since it does lower some travel time. ...Provided you do actually complete these voidwatch chapters to obtain the ability to warp to these areas.

Here is the thing about VW npc's, they are just like every other warp npc in this game: they cannot warp you to areas you have not been to so I don't see what your problem is with a bcnm warp Ahlanehem if they all work the same way.

[Alhanelem]

Why would I quit when they could just add a warp?

Hmm.

Step 1. Eliminate everything that feels like "work." That is, eliminate all travel times, all grinding, all tedious activities that get in the way of the parts you consider "not work."
Step 2. Play that "not work" content unobstructed for a while.
Step 3. "Not work" content starts to feel like work. Return to step 1.

The difference between work and fun is which pumps the chemicals into the reward center of your brain. But the more you do the thing that feels fun, the more of it you need to do to get that response, until it eventually doesn't work at all anymore. So eventually, instant warps to BCNMs won't be enough to keep you feeling entertained because the BCNMs themselves won't be fun.

You DO realize, that walking 15 minutes to a BCNM is the work, while the actual battle is the "fun", right? You sound like you're a little confused, sir.

I'm not confused at all. Traveling and exploration is part of the experience, and can be enjoyable (or at least non-detrimental), especially early on in your game. Speaking generally and not just about these things, it's a game we're playing, not a job we're working at. If you feel like getting around and playing the game is like work, then it's clearly not that fun for you anymore and you should consider trying a new game. For me, the overall experience is what's fun. Not just the battles, not just the dialog, not just the any one piece of the game you'd care to mention. It's the whole package.

A majority of people already use the wikis(you know, like ffxiclopedia and gamerescape) to avoid having to do any of the brainwork themselves.

What does using the wikis have to do with going through these areas. It's not just about "brainwork", it's about just plain work. These puzzles and encounters are specifically designed to gate your progress. Skipping past them completely undermines that gating concept. The content was specifically designed to require a certain amount of time to complete.

Don't mind him. This seems to be a recurring theme with him.

Alhanelem seems to have some secret insight as to what the developers think, do, have done, and will do. (I've heard some rumors involving tinfoil hats and telepaths.)

It's not a "recurring theme" with me. I do not have any "secret insights." I simply logically conclude what is and isn't likely to happen based on what we already know and their past behavior. The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. Ask any expert in psychology or sociology.

P.S. While I am happy that there ARE quicker ways to get around in XI since I've returned to Vana'diel, I think SE has reached a happy medium with the choices.

So much this, 1000 times. It's already way easier to get around than it has ever been. There are enough shortcuts and quick trips that the time required is not excessive. We really don't need a ton of extra warps.

[Soranika]

I never see anyone doing shouts for T1 VW....

Move to Bismarck. See VW shouts fairly frequent.

Here is the thing about VW npc's, they are just like every other warp npc in this game: they cannot warp you to areas you have not been to so I don't see what your problem is with a bcnm warp Ahlanehem if they all work the same way.

Really, I didn't know that. But I have a crazy ideal.... if you can't be warped to a place you haven't visited yet.... you could, I dunno, go to it! Why should anyway, say, the VW warp to Ifrit's Cauldron if they've never even bothered to get an airship pass to Kazham. Which odd considering you have to go to norg to even unlock it... STILL.

You're not basically suggesting people should be warped directly to BCNMs on the premise of avoiding traveling through areas to get there, but even to avoid travel period. Essentially, you'd like it to work like mini-tuning forks for SMN, who have the ability to warp directly to cloisters for the intended purpose of obtaining avatars at level 20 at minimum fame requirement. Cause you know, it was unfair to the job to get high fame and traveling at low levels as a smn through VERY dangerous areas to obtain the the single most important thing to the job. Of course some of us abuse that for later purposes by not using it as intended but that's a different story.

With that in mind, now I really don't support direct BCNM warps on the assumption that it should available for everyone, regardless of even traveling through the area prior.

I'm happy FFXI have gradually changed but it's moving to the point of just handing stuff over. Oh right.... your argument to justify it's not "handing" stuff over is the abysmal drop rates, it's still bordering instant gratification and taking the feeling of actual achievement and perception of worth out of the game.

[Kuvo]

Call me old fashioned but I like the travel aspect to BCNMs. To me it feels more like a mission and adventure. I love runing to the avatar fights too (eventhough i can warp there by the mini tuning fork) it again makes things feel more fun and exciting that i'm on my way to kill the Ice goddess or the devil god of fire and so on. Anyway I vote to NOT make bcnm or avatar fights warpable.

[FrankReynolds]

Hmm.

When these BCNMs were released, they had some of the best gear /items in the game. They no longer have that. The work / reward ratio is no longer in balance. Shortening the travel to them would correct that to some degree. Provisions can be made to ensure that the warps are not abused IE. only allowing people one teleport per orb purchased from shami or w/e.

Your burning desire to tell people they can't have improvements to the game is disturbing at best.

[Alhanelem]

When these BCNMs were released, they had some of the best gear /items in the game. They no longer have that. The work / reward ratio is no longer in balance. Shortening the travel to them would correct that to some degree.

If this is (part of) the issue, then I would propose making better BCNMs in lieu of making them easier to access.

Your burning desire to tell people they can't have improvements to the game is disturbing at best.

I have no such desire. But the devs have limited development time and I would rather it be spent on something more valuable.