One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

I'd like to join the chorus of voices calling for actual progression through varied areas as your character gains strength. The OP is absolutely right. There's very little feeling of adventure and exploration in this game. When I stop to think about it, for me that's the main reason why I don't feel excited to log into FFXIV.

All of you are right, and the development team needs to know it. They REALLY need to know it. The fact is, fixing this problem sounds like it would probably take a lot of time and resources. But the benefits of doing so would be huge. Honestly, it would put the fantasy into Final Fantasy XIV.

Unique and interesting areas are a must. I would prefer the world to be both seamless AND varied, but if for whatever reason seamlessness has to be sacrificed for variation, then so be it. In such a case they could still make area jumps a little less abrupt by changing the scenery somewhat near the zone lines (such as adding more trees in northeastern Thanalan near the zone to the Shroud).

Yoshida himself said that they can't charge for this game until it meets fans' expectations of a Final Fantasy game. He has also said that he wants the game to feel more like a Final Fantasy. Well, every mainline Final Fantasy game pulls you into a journey around the world. That's part of what makes them so appealing.

To the staff of FFXIV: No matter how difficult these types of changes might sound, please, don't ignore what we're saying in this thread. I believe it could make or break the future of Final Fantasy XIV.

Quote:

---

To the staff of FFXIV: No matter how difficult these types of changes might sound, please, don't ignore what we're saying in this thread. I believe it could make or break the future of Final Fantasy XIV.

---

Keep the quote rolling!

I must say first off that i completely agree with the OP. I just categorize it in one of the reasons why XIV is still currently very Lack Luster.

It would be nice to see the terrain at least slowly change so it looks like your not in the same area 24/7. I am not a computer programmer or know anything about it, but there has to be some way to show this change. Even if it means slowly getting rid of one type of tree, plant, cactus, bush, etc and starting to add in a different one in its place. Then over a few hundred "yalms" u will be in an area which seems to be completely different.

I think this would accomplish the feeling of venturing off away from the city more and get you the adventure feeling a lot more.

Also they really need to implement more reasons to actually visit some areas like Mor Dhona or Coerthas. Even if that is getting leves out there for r 50 pts. (which every1 already knows means u start them in the low 40's in a leve link party)
This would help people from the feeling of omg i am going to be at BW from 36-50 doing the same couple leves everyday.

One more thing that i agree with is that bring in more different monsters to fight. killing a cockitrice since r 10 through 50 *Seriously WTF* Data miners have already pulled out a lot of different mobs that are in code. Why not use them and give us a world of diversity and wonder.

I just hope that our community reps can get our words to the Dev Team and overtime get some kind of answer from them. I dont even care if it is "we will look into that" At least then our voices are herd.
So please Bayohne our Fav community rep (atleast mine) work some magic for us. Thnx

-Auron

This has to be the most unified thread from the FFXIV community I have ever seen. I really hope the devs really look into this freaking awesome thread.

I wonder if someone (Rhetanmaster? sp?) can make the same topic on the Japanese forum and see what type of response it gets. And maybe someone else can make the same topic on the German and French board as well because I cant help but think that if the overwhelming majority shows that this is important, that SE's hand will be forced at fixing this issue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

I would trade completely unique zones, full of vibrancy and life WITH a 10 second loading screen, over a "seamless" copypasta world any day of the week and having to travel even longer than 10 seconds between them. As long as SE knows the rest of the community feels the same way and strongly about it, maybe they will put more action into doing it.

---

As would I.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mack

I wonder if someone (Rhetanmaster? sp?) can make the same topic on the Japanese forum and see what type of response it gets. And maybe someone else can make the same topic on the German and French board as well because I cant help but think that if the overwhelming majority shows that this is important, that SE's hand will be forced at fixing this issue.

---

Our LS has a few people who can translate and re-post on the JP forums. I'll try and get that setup tomorrow. It would be good to get this discussion out to the entire XIV community, not just localized for NA concerns.

Wow, guys. I'm overwhelmed by everyone's support, truly! Thanks so much, without all of you, this thread never would have gotten the attention of the community. Each post counts and might lead to being heard by the reps.

I'm glad that we all essentially want the same thing for our world. Whether we want seamless zones, new zones, improvement of present zones... No matter what we want, in the end, we all want the same thing: a better world for every one to enjoy.

A world to look back on years from now. Experiences in each land varying from the one before it, and from the one to come.

Every word from my original post still stands. Our character deserves a world. We deserve milestones. We want to feel the progression, to see it, to challenge it.. We don't want to be told, "Because you are at this camp in this one zone, you have progressed. When you are done here, you will progress to the other corner of the zone." That is not what we seek, I believe.

If I may, I made an attempt at my own visual aid. I'm no artist and a bit of a scatterbrain, but maybe you can see how I interpret our situation.

http://seahorror.com/thoughts.jpg

The first two rows are my main concern. I have no desire to compress our world. The more land to travel, the better. The third is merely to trigger even more conversation.

Thanks again, everyone! For supporting each other and this game. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Siobu

If I may, I made an attempt at my own visual aid. I'm no artist and a bit of a scatterbrain, but maybe you can see how I interpret our situation.

http://seahorror.com/thoughts.jpg

The first two rows are my main concern. I have no desire to compress our world. The more land to travel, the better. The third is merely to trigger even more conversation.

Thanks again, every one! For supporting each other and this game. :)

---

Bringing out the big guns and visual aids! haha it's awesome. You can completely see the lack of a stable progression in terms of exploration when you put them side by side. It's pretty ridiculous.

I would like to see the current areas meant just for solo play from R1-50, and new unique areas optimized for group grinding added to the game, with a new area every 5 or 10 levels.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alzelia

I would like to see the current areas meant just for solo play from R1-50, and new unique areas optimized for group grinding added to the game, with a new area every 5 or 10 levels.

---

I think if the first 10-15 leveling spots (Blackbrush/Drybone, Bentbranch/Tranquil, Beardedrock/Skullvalley) of a specific region we're optimized around soloing it would make each area feel more like a starting zone. I don't think I could get behind and support the entirety of Thanalan, The Black Shroud and La Noscea optimized only for solo play.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alzelia

I would like to see the current areas meant just for solo play from R1-50, and new unique areas optimized for group grinding added to the game, with a new area every 5 or 10 levels.

---

Sorry, I can't agree with that at all. I think it would be counter-productive to segregate players to two separate parts of the world.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rowyne

Sorry, I can't agree with that at all. I think it would be counter-productive to segregate players to two separate parts of the world.

---

pretty much my sentiments.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

Our LS has a few people who can translate and re-post on the JP forums. I'll try and get that setup tomorrow. It would be good to get this discussion out to the entire XIV community, not just localized for NA concerns.

---

Sweet that would be awesome! Make sure you emphasize to them to see if people are willing to forgo seamless for more variety in case that would need to be done (although I'm not sure if they would need to get rid of seamless but just to see peoples' response to that, it gives a good indication of how bad someone wants this in this case because seamless is obviously better than loading but I bet the majority of everyone would take loading over seamless for more variety as evident by this topic). And PS I love this topic, keep doing your part by bumping it ;).

EDIT: and if someone does translate this tell them to link to this topic and explain that its been done on the NA forums and what the overwhelming response has been here, I think it would give the topic more attention. Or maybe I'm just blabbing nonsense which I tend to do sometimes so forgive me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Celeras

As would I.

---

And I! We fight for Scotland! But for cereals, great thread y'all, no squabbles or mud-slinging. Keep it going, and together with friends by my side, we can take down Kefka, err Eorzea '( ' _ ')

The potential is there, and there have been places where the zones do 'spice' it up, but a few holes in Thanalan and some purple dirt isn't enough in my opinion

I know people are waiting for content but honestly I think the landscape should be a priority no.1 now.

Think about it all the content is going to be designed around the dull plains and if they throw all that stuff in now we can hardly expect the scenery change ever in any significant way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seif

I know people are waiting for content but honestly I think the landscape should be a priority no.1 now.

Think about it all the content is going to be designed around the dull plains and if they throw all that stuff in now we can hardly expect the scenery change ever in any significant way.

---

Exactly! You can't build a good house on a shoddy foundation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seif

Think about it all the content is going to be designed around the dull plains and if they throw all that stuff in now we can hardly expect the scenery change ever in any significant way.

---

I stand behind this wholeheartedly. But not only does this affect the scenery, but endangers the potential for future expansion as well. Adding more camps to our bloated 3 zones.. Unfortunately, it's as if the zones are telling us: "You do not need to leave La Noscea. We will provide to you more camps, so that you have even less reason to leave. See? You do not need to travel anywhere else. Stay at home. It's safe here."

Will we be given a true adventure from 1 to 50? We already have foes beyond 50 in the areas we currently inhabit. Why would they give us this, when they already provided us with zones which alone do all the work of -multiple regions-?

In case it was missed, I tried to demonstrate how I visually portray the problem with a crude drawing in my last post.

We want a world. We need a world. But will we receive one? And, at what cost?

Thanks guys!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alzelia

I would like to see the current areas meant just for solo play from R1-50, and new unique areas optimized for group grinding added to the game, with a new area every 5 or 10 levels.

---

Soloing isn't valid past about r10 really, and you can get 1-10 in a single Blackbrush behest. - _ - Soloing was valid before coblyns were given steroids, but even then it was pretty much only coblyns that were even worth soloing, low hp, weak, lots of sp. Difficulty of mob with level of reward was waaaay unbalances, and the solution was to pretty much obliterate solo play altogether, and now we just have a bunch of people waiting for Behest until they can do Brokenwater leves. It's a very stagnant leveling process :( But with revamped zones, mob level/placement/difficulty has to come, it goes hand in hand. I'd love to see balanced soloplay and party play for lower ranks, but grouping for Aldgoats isnt worth the effort when 10 minutes in behest trumps the SP. :< Enough ninja'ing of this thread!

In my opinion, every city state should have their own individual leveling zones, at least for the lower ranks, and a sort of crossroads for all three nations at around r30, where all these people from different city states have to mix, and not like Brokenwater. I think it would give an incentive for more people populate the city state of their liking, instead of Uldah for convenience, since it all converges together anyway!

Lets not forget too that part of the charm of the FFXI maps was the fact that they were dangerous. I don't know about anyone else but my heart was pounding hard as I made the walk from Sandy to Jeuno for the first time and that made the trip all the worthwhile. I think Daedae said it that we need better mob placement, we need them to be more dangerous, some threat to us and not off to the sides where we can just walk by them with no fear of anything.

Thats what i'm wondering, how are expansions gonna function in this game? Unless there is a mob lvl tweak we will be able to level in one of the original zones the entire game with mob level 1-96+ in the same region.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burn

Thats what i'm wondering, how are expansions gonna function in this game? Unless there is a mob lvl tweak we will be able to level in one of the original zones the entire game with mob level 1-96+ in the same region.

---

Probably they add new whole areas with mobs 1-96+ mobs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Procas

Probably they add new whole areas with mobs 1-96+ mobs.

---

This would be completely unacceptable and a continuation to bad moves by SE already set in motion. I know Yoshida is a big time MMO player so I hope he has more sense that to let something like this happen AGAIN.

As we get new content and new areas are opened up we need to have the level of monsters capped at a reasonable level. If they open up areas around Ishgard and are planning to raise the level cap to lets say R60-70, then the mobs should reflect the increase but the lowest mobs should be capped around the 40-50s.

This world needs to be dangerous. It needs to have that heart pounding rush of you watching your sneak/invis wear off right as you are running through an area of mobs that aggro to magic! HOLY CRAP WAT DO WAT DO. Ahh relief you are a smart guy and you brought some powders and oils nyaha.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Daedae

Soloing isn't valid past about r10 really, and you can get 1-10 in a single Blackbrush behest. - _ - Soloing was valid before coblyns were given steroids, but even then it was pretty much only coblyns that were even worth soloing, low hp, weak, lots of sp. Difficulty of mob with level of reward was waaaay unbalances, and the solution was to pretty much obliterate solo play altogether, and now we just have a bunch of people waiting for Behest until they can do Brokenwater leves. It's a very stagnant leveling process :( But with revamped zones, mob level/placement/difficulty has to come, it goes hand in hand. I'd love to see balanced soloplay and party play for lower ranks, but grouping for Aldgoats isnt worth the effort when 10 minutes in behest trumps the SP. :< Enough ninja'ing of this thread!

In my opinion, every city state should have their own individual leveling zones, at least for the lower ranks, and a sort of crossroads for all three nations at around r30, where all these people from different city states have to mix, and not like Brokenwater. I think it would give an incentive for more people populate the city state of their liking, instead of Uldah for convenience, since it all converges together anyway!

---

This is a way better idea than mine

Quote:

---

In my opinion, every city state should have their own individual leveling zones, at least for the lower ranks, and a sort of crossroads for all three nations at around r30, where all these people from different city states have to mix, and not like Brokenwater. I think it would give an incentive for more people populate the city state of their liking, instead of Uldah for convenience, since it all converges together anyway!

---

I love this idea. I would even go as far as to say let each city level it's residents up to R30 and then move everyone into Coerthas to level R30-40 with a convergence at Ishgard. Then much like Jeuno, players can branch out to multiple leveling spots from R40-50 in a) Mor Dhona b) Higher Coerthas areas c) dungeons d) new content zones.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

I love this idea. I would even go as far as to say let each city level it's residents up to R30 and then move everyone into Coerthas to level R30-40 with a convergence at Ishgard. Then much like Jeuno, players can branch out to multiple leveling spots from R40-50 in a) Mor Dhona b) Higher Coerthas areas c) dungeons d) new content zones.

---

This plus work to make each minizone more unique would be awesome!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

I love this idea. I would even go as far as to say let each city level it's residents up to R30 and then move everyone into Coerthas to level R30-40 with a convergence at Ishgard. Then much like Jeuno, players can branch out to multiple leveling spots from R40-50 in a) Mor Dhona b) Higher Coerthas areas c) dungeons d) new content zones.

---

This would be the logical flow. You'd have to put in another ferry from Limsa to Coerthas though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sigmakan

This would be the logical flow. You'd have to put in another ferry from Limsa to Coerthas though.

---

They are already working on airship transportation which would make all of this flow together perfectly. Airship to Kazham for example.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

They are already working on airship transportation which would make all of this flow together perfectly. Airship to Kazham for example.

---

That would work as well. But I think it would be idael to have similar modes of transportation to arrive at coerthas. Perhaps a tunnel zone is needed to go from Limsa to Coerthas . . . ok that might be a stretch.

Its awesome that we can all come together and agree on something as detailed and vast as this topic. The facts have been laid out and we can all agree that the stated descriptions are what made us fall in love with ffxi other than any other mmo released. It was by far the most complicated task oriented and for a lack of better term "hardcore" mmo released period. Like stated above you had to have items to adventure through certain areas or you would be killed and not only die but have a chance of de-lvling. The mobs could see, hear, smell you literally. There was a clear progression and accomplishment of being able to tell your buddies ... "look where i am, what i can now kill, what i can now solo, what our group can do!". Things were hard to do and that gave a feeling of OMG i can't believe I finally completed this quest. Remember how difficult it was to get shadows as NIN?

Now for reality.... Do you honestly think that SE just woke up one day and forgot all of this? Do you think all of our speaking out is falling on anyones ears other than our own? I am so afraid that there will be no "next generation" Final Fantasy that we came to love, cry, get really angry just to go back over and over; I miss my family, the lore, the race and class that I spent over 5 years growing and developing.

All i can do is ask myself everyday... "wtf happened?"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sigmakan

That would work as well. But I think it would be idael to have similar modes of transportation to arrive at coerthas. Perhaps a tunnel zone is needed to go from Limsa to Coerthas . . . ok that might be a stretch.

---

actually I think that would be epic! Remember Korrokola Tunnel or Kuftal? (Yes, Please!)

I would just like to thank you for bringing this up. XI was an amazing experience, and to be honest if my 360 version hadn't buggered up I would still be playing it. I am hoping, beyond hope, that this is our pre zilart phase... hope beyond hope.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Richard

actually I think that would be epic! Remember Korrokola Tunnel or Kuftal? (Yes, Please!)

---

For some reason I was thinking that Coerthas was land-locked, but looking at the world map its actually the closest region to La Noesca! A Korrokola type tunnel would be awesome.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rane

To the staff of FFXIV: No matter how difficult these types of changes might sound, please, don't ignore what we're saying in this thread. I believe it could make or break the future of Final Fantasy XIV.

---

I agree with this as well!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Siobu

http://seahorror.com/thoughts.jpg

The first two rows are my main concern. I have no desire to compress our world. The more land to travel, the better. The third is merely to trigger even more conversation.

Thanks again, every one! For supporting each other and this game. :)

---

This is what I think as well... I do not mind that we are in 1 zone (actually I'd call them region) from 1 to 50 that much. All 3 regions (Shroud, Thanalan, La Nosca) could all be divided into zones represented by the camps and each have a different flavor to it like you showed in your pictures. All the same "regional theme" but different all the same. Like in Thanalan, the regional theme would be the desert, different zones in it could be one place very desertic and vast, another a type of oasis with vegetation, another one with rocks and those trees they have already and so on. I don't think it would be an issue to make it seemless, or even if they keep those stupid tunnels to load stuff I would not mind walking them if it would be different on the other side... But if they can't then black loading screens would be better than being stuck with the world we have right now.

So all 3 regions could have 1 to 50 zones (1-15, 15-25, 25-35) so then we would have options as to where to go at different ranks and they could make coertas and mor dhana 35-50(+?) regions. Something among those lines.

I agree that the old zones definitely need a refurb, from the perspective of new players, it would be kinda weird if you join the game later on (or now, given the low population) and find these completely deserted gigantic land masses. I'd also like to see some giant roaming creatures, ala FFXIII-pulse to give a feeling of intrigue and danger.
(Eorzea was pitched as this wild/untamed land that people from other countries were drawn to for resources and adventure, not a few giant fields)

We have some fantastic landscapes already,but there definitely needs to be more vairety. To think the final zones introduced to FFXI (graubery, la vaule etc) were so rich with detail, and then we sort of down-graded to these.

120+ likes on the OP and only been up for almost 2 days. Keep the thumbs up and the great ideas flowing guys!

This definitely needs to be changed and I hope they will start working on it after the next big patch.

I was playing Aion this week (free play this week) and as I wandered around the Eltnen zone I was struck by how imaginative and creative it is compared to Thanalan (which I've been seeing a lot of lately, damn all you Ul'Dah barnacles). There were different shapes everywhere, varied terrain, deserts, greenlands, forests, streams, etc. all in this one zone. I struggled to get a handle on how it compared to Thanalan in size. I might be wrong but it seemed like one corner of the map was equal to one section of Thanalan, like Horizon for instance. In other words I'm saying one zone in Aion seemed like it was = to one zone in FFXIV. Playing that game this week just made me feel so sad for the environments in FFXIV. It's really laughable how bland and copy-pasted everything is when you stop to take a look at another MMO for a second.

Not only that but everywhere in FFXIV is basically a corridor, either a narrow corridor (Black Shroud and parts of Thanalan) or a wide corridor (Cedarwood comes to mind). WTF is up with SE and corridors? I remember the dev team talking about how you could go anywhere you could see, except for mountains. What was that all about? You can't go anywhere on this game except in a very linear direction.

I will keep replying to this thread until we hear something from the powers that be (beyond "we'll consider it"). This is the crisis facing Eorzea.