Make Zones dangerous!

I think a FATE rework is the solution here. Making it difficult to travel won't go over well with a lot of players, especially with stuff like taking away flying.

Make FATEs more difficult and more interesting instead so that there is some kind of interesting open world content. Players that don't want to deal with them can go around while those interested in participating can join. These FATEs might also have some relevance to the map like influencing the appearance of special vendors or locations.

This could be further expanded with optional open world areas that are meant to be dangerous. Places where the MSQ doesn't necessarily go but has some value for players, like dangerous enemies with better drop rates for useful material. I'd rather have this over the shared FATE system and gems that has you grind mindless FATEs for what feels like an eternity.

That gloom mechanic from PotD (where the sky/air goes red and makes enemies more dangerous) is this implemented anywhere in the overground areas? That would be an interesting addition. Maybe added as weather. There's a kind of gloom in Mor Dhona with funky pink colours but it doesn't do anything.

A dangerous overworld is pointless if there is nothing to do in it.

I remember in WoW once, where I walked into a zone with mobs about ten levels higher than me. I was greeted by a huge number of giant spiders and bears heading my way. It looked like I had pulled the entire zone. I backed out immediately.

Honestly one thing I'd like to see in the main zones to add "danger" are field hazards. If you've ever been in Zadnor, throughout the zone sometimes warships will fly overhead and telegraph big missile strikes on the ground that you obviously need to get away from. They aren't frequent, but they do show up often enough that you have to be aware of them, but they also telegraph with a very loud sound and AOE indicator, and you have plenty of time to react. Stuff like that would be neat to have elsewhere - things like having lightning strikes to occasionally dodge in Heritage Found, or giving you a burn debuff if you step into those allegedly burning pits of ceruleum in Shaaloani. It just seems silly being told about all these various dangerous spots in the world but turns out the risk is to everyone but you, the player. Plus it would mean having to actually be aware of the zones and paying attention as you move around, rather than tunnel visioning from quest marker to quest marker.

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Originally Posted by SamSmoot

I remember in WoW once, where I walked into a zone with mobs about ten levels higher than me. I was greeted by a huge number of giant spiders and bears heading my way. It looked like I had pulled the entire zone. I backed out immediately.

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Was it the Western Plaguelands? Because that happens a lot to new Undead players. We used to call 'em the Welcome Bears.

One of the not so popular opinions on this is that the only way to get the thrilling feeling back with open world mobs, and just to make the open world feel good again in general would likely be to get rid of flying. There is a reason i know the Bozja and Eureka maps so well, and its because i've had to scale every inch of those things. Same goes with FFXI. It makes having unique landmarks and a beautiful landscape worth it, because you actually have to traverse through it. Flying actually kills so much of what makes MMO's great, it kinda sucks.

That said, with the way FFXIV is designed currently, I'd be super annoyed and pissed without it lol. Like can you imagine doing those boring beat tribe fetch quests without the ability to fly and blitz the zone?

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Originally Posted by Miguel85NYC

I remember running around in Final Fantasy 11 and even in Final Fantasy 14 1.0.
You actually had to watch where you run because mobs pulled a threat.
It made the game fun and thrilling.....

Now you can put auto run and dont care what you aggro... YoshyP made this game way to easy and its sad. And he doesnt care.

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I'm torn the whole server is basically just a waiting area. 14 outside of the first time in the zone there's very little reason to be in most zones, so them becoming harder just becomes more of an annoyance. Now if areas worked like bozja etc then I would agree :)

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

I agree that dangerous zones are fun. That's why Eureka Pagos was so amazing. Everyone will tell you they hate Pagos, but that's because they don't like it when the open world world can beat them up, because humans like winning.

But considering that humans like winning, making it easy to win is good for SE so obviously they are going to make it trivial. They make field operations and other side content for people that can handle it being tougher.

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Loved Pagos even pre nerf although the spawn rate could have used adjusting.

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Originally Posted by Masekase_Hurricane

I'm torn the whole server is basically just a waiting area. 14 outside of the first time in the zone there's very little reason to be in most zones, so them becoming harder just becomes more of an annoyance. Now if areas worked like bozja etc then I would agree :)

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Some people are mad about the mobile game but like 14 kinda already plays like one in many aspects lol. Sit in hub spot, and queue for a piece of content.