"Exploration" isn't Exploration.

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Originally Posted by WinterLuna

I have explored it, and that's the issue. A large map doesn't make it any more fun once you've already seen everything.

That's a good point and made me laugh :P I still think they need to up the game with the exploration aspect though. A lot of players were very disappointed with Diadem. I don't see why people would be opposed to making it more interactive or fun to play.

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Most players complained that area in FFXI were too huge, that "exploration" required too much effort, such as questing to get a Chocobo, long walks, sometimes needing to Sneak or Invisible yourself to see all the corners as you'll get your arse handed to you by a simple Rabbit. It was possibly tweaked down in FFXIV to make it more pleasing for those that just wanted a quick look-see and then go on the doing their own things. People grew tired of walking from Point A to Point B every time they had to enter an area. Personally, I miss those days; many people in FFXIV are lazy.

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Originally Posted by Jim_Berry

Because it was Dynamis, Relic gear had some BiS pieces, and some pieces made other players envious of you. Diadem feels like the ending portion of Dynamis, which is why I like it.

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Diadem feels nothing like Dynamis in my opinion. Dynamis was more interesting. I lost interest in Diadem after the first run after I saw what it truly was, just mindless zerg at one spot. I had hoped it actually was like Dynamis, heh.

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Originally Posted by Jim_Berry

Most players complained that area in FFXI were too huge, that "exploration" required too much effort, such as questing to get a Chocobo, long walks, sometimes needing to Sneak or Invisible yourself to see all the corners as you'll get your arse handed to you by a simple Rabbit. It was possibly tweaked down in FFXIV to make it more pleasing for those that just wanted a quick look-see and then go on the doing their own things. People grew tired of walking from Point A to Point B every time they had to enter an area. Personally, I miss those days; many people in FFXIV are lazy.

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I loved XI actually going to a new place felt like it mattered like going to Jeuno for first time.

the trouble of the diadem are a few thing:
- first the number of people.... 82 is ridiculous... how they expect people to not zerg it?
- the false random of the start, monster generally don't change we know most of the map like you have said and it's...well find the best place for farm monster.
- the idea to make it a open world content hunt 2.0.... seriously...

it was possible to create a very interesting and challengin content with the diadem, plus to reward more the player and the FC that did work on get the airship ready for it.

instead they have play safe and do what japanese love, without take in account that on the 4 million a large part now is not japanese anymore.
the map is massive, why they haven't cut it in small map with random monster generate with random objective.... i don't understand... i fail to understand what they try to accomplish instead to work on a true new content. because diadem is not a new content, is a hunt and an open world area for limited number of people.

a good example of stuff you can do with the diadem and exploration, like said, cut the map in small area, per island by example. make people decide what sort of mission they will do: extermination, protection, exploration or study (for the gatherer)
each type of mission offering possibility for player to do different objective, like kill tons of monster, or protect an area against wave of enemy, find rare chest that seems to be hidden around, or simply gather material.
it will have avoided the trouble of people going afk or going gatherer and all the drama about the loot. people will have know what they was going for before hand.

after the monster and the island is picked randomly, with a chance of a boss appearing in extermination/protection/exploration mission. or bonus objective rewarding more token or gear. finally it will be possible to create a system for 8-24 player that is far better than going for a zergfest as we have now.

more important i will avoid to create random and replayability by the loot... because that how yoshida and it team create replayability, by the loot, not the gameplay or the fun... and i think it's the part that need to be adressed fast. they need to stop to think that the loot random is enough for make people happy!

but well, we all know that what we said here will never be heard by the japanese dev. for two reason, them main public japanese public enjoy the diadem (they are the main public because they are close of them and understand how they think) and second they don't want to take risk... i do hope they will wake up soon before repeat WoW error.

@Jim_Berry, that actually sounds extremely fun. Of course I'm not asking for overly challenging things but just something more than "find a crystal" that's two steps away away from me, or "find coffers" which I'm going to do just by killing stuff. At the moment I find it very boring and it almost makes me want to sleep. :(