Too Weak To Be Worthwhile - Teleporting

There are tons of things SE could do to flesh out the world instead of cutting around it, I do hope they start to focus on these issues soon. The game needs more than grinding and raids to be a great MMO and thats what I want it to become.

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Originally Posted by AlexNiculaie

WTF kind of ridiculous logic is that? Seriously? FFXIV didn't have a failed launch because of teleporting, or because of "easy mode" issues the hyperbole slinging idiots around here like to throw around. It had a failed launch because there was next to no content, horrible lag problems, gigantic zones which were both empty and lacking in variety, and many more problems. Being able to piggyback on another person's teleport had nothing to do with it. Get some perspective aleady.

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I'm sorry but FFXIV did have a failed launch because of easy mode and immersion issues and you just agreed in your post. "gigantic empty and lacking in variety" is an immersion issue. FFXIV couldn't create a sense of wonder or exploration, which almost always overrides gameplay. Look at morrowind. It is still insanely successful regardless of having both outdated graphics and outdated gameplay. Why? Because they pulled off creating a sense of immersion and adventure.
Instaporting hurts immersion. Big empty zones hurts immersion. lack of variety and copy pasted worlds hurts immersion.
If people feel like a game is "work" there is no point in playing it. If people feel like a game is an adventure with milestones and goals to reach, they will play it even if it sucks.

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Originally Posted by davysez

This is the biggest reason I have trouble sticking with FFXIV. In FFXI, you started out with nothing. All you could do is walk outside the city gates and kill rock eaters. Running to Jeuno for the first time and getting the chocobo license was fun, exciting and challenging, and also hooked me on XI for a long time. The first time I went to San D'Oria, I was lvl. 10, and just wanted to explore. I got lost along the way (no map, lol), nearly died, and eventually found a high-level who was kind enough to show me how to get there. I still remember the feeling of encountering new mobs, not knowing if they will aggro or not. After all, there was a real incentive to not die! Traveling was dangerous, difficult, time-consuming, exciting, and eventually routine, but going from one end of the world to the other always required a bit of planning and some thought, and maybe some time too.

For comparison, I started out in Gridania, and I don't even remember the first time I went to Uldah and Limsa. I think a friend ported me on the first day. Fun.

This post really makes me miss FFXI. In the end, I think it comes down to what developers and players expect to be part of "the game". Should traveling and exploring be part of the gameplay experience, or is it just a time-sink hurdle to be overcome? I think the same goes for leveling / grinding.

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Fully agree with you, can not help but feel this way. Esp those of us who experienced FFXI.
Good post.

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Originally Posted by DoctorMog

The OP's point isn't that "Walking is hard"

He intends to emphasize that in 11 you needed to FIRST get the teleport before you could be ported there. In essence creating a certain accomplishment for taking the time and effort to obtain a location.

In 14, you do not need to do this prerequisite, in essence, making it "easier" to accomplish the same thing.

I think you took the wrong thing away from his post.

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Last I knew we did have to attune to crystal before you can tele there. And some of those are a challenge to get to. Camp cooked fork comes to mind.

The camps do need to be attuned, but someone can take you with them initially. The gates, however, must be manually ran to and attuned.

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Originally Posted by davysez

This is the biggest reason I have trouble sticking with FFXIV. In FFXI, you started out with nothing. All you could do is walk outside the city gates and kill rock eaters. Running to Jeuno for the first time and getting the chocobo license was fun, exciting and challenging, and also hooked me on XI for a long time. The first time I went to San D'Oria, I was lvl. 10, and just wanted to explore. I got lost along the way (no map, lol), nearly died, and eventually found a high-level who was kind enough to show me how to get there. I still remember the feeling of encountering new mobs, not knowing if they will aggro or not. After all, there was a real incentive to not die! Traveling was dangerous, difficult, time-consuming, exciting, and eventually routine, but going from one end of the world to the other always required a bit of planning and some thought, and maybe some time too.

For comparison, I started out in Gridania, and I don't even remember the first time I went to Uldah and Limsa. I think a friend ported me on the first day. Fun.

This post really makes me miss FFXI. In the end, I think it comes down to what developers and players expect to be part of "the game". Should traveling and exploring be part of the gameplay experience, or is it just a time-sink hurdle to be overcome? I think the same goes for leveling / grinding.

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I also agree with the above. Having to walk and learn the path to each location, avoiding aggro along the way, is a challenge that can be fun and rewarding that first trip. I was actually shocked to find out that I could simply ask any player to teleport me directly from my starter location to any tele hub in the game in my first few minutes of playing, without ever having stepped foot outside my starter city gates. I didn't realize that until later on, and I am actually glad about it. It was fun to wander around learning the terrain and seeing the different mobs, etc.

I do think that players should have to at least walk to the crystals the first time, and then after that always be able to port to them. I am fine with there not being any quest or level cap to unlock the crystals, and I am fine with teleporting being available to any player of any level on any class. But it should require at least a little effort to gain access the first time.

It would be nice if they could tie in some of the "Escort Quests" to Aetherite Activation. It would (hopefully) be fun to protect a caravan from thieves, hooligans and wild, shiny-obsessed beasts as it travels to a more remote camp. If the Escort Quests grant decent exp/rewards, I suspect everyone would do it at least once if not a few times Lvl appropriate.

I know some hate Escort Missions and I read an article about how they are usually a keyboard smashing, controller throwing aggravation (cuz NPC's iz stoopid) but I like quests & missions of all types, esp. if it takes a group (not necessarily a party) to complete.

Personally, I would like to have Level Synch for these type of missions/quests but I'm ok with having Hi-Lvls plow the field for newbies also. (You pretty much needed an escort to Jeuno in XI, although I did it solo the 1st time after several painful deaths).

Keep in mind though that it is up to each individual to accept an easy port to a new area or do it the hard way. The argument to take away the temptation to easy-mode doesn't really fly. "Play Your Way" is FFXIV's motto and they are gonna stick to that mantra success or fail (but I am betting on success, with our help) ;>)

p.s Some of you sound like Grumpy-Old-Man, "...In My day, we had to walk through 3 feet of snow, battling sabre-toothed tigers and runnin' from goblins..." http://youtu.be/9N2E93VzQSA ... and I understand.

No, screw you, it's helpful, not lazy. We have to run giant terrains on our own ON FOOT, that's not 'worthwhile', that's a pain in the ass. Why walk when you can take a cab?

I agree with you Davorok (nice clip btw =P but why the hell is a breast feeding tutorial in the related videos o_O)

Not everyone will opt to take the easy teleport route, in fact all the newbies we've been getting in the ls lately have insisted on getting places themselves. Not everyone feels accomplishment over the same things you do and the option remaining open satisfies everyone. Some people will want to get somewhere on their own to have fun on a trip, some people want to get somewhere fast to get down to business quickly, and both should be allowed what they want.

Exploration is up to your own devices.

Sorry you don't get a massive ego boost for it because other people can choose to forgo it.

/thread