What Open-world Content Would be Worthwhile / Would You Make?

What Open-world, by whatever exactitude, content would add to the game if it was up to you, and for what general purpose?

How would it work as content, and why would it work in filling or approaching that general purpose?

Improve monster ai so they behave organically in the environment... have weather effect how monsters behave and certain monster spawns...

I would like to be able to farm mobs for decent exp and loot in the overworld. I remember grinding in a few mmos and ff titles, gathering things like potions and gil so that i could gear up or sell it all while leveling up. I miss needing materials for crafting and having to go farm a certain creature for that item. I could also, farm the items to sell in bulk.

You can farm leathers in this game... but.. its just not the same. drop rate is awful, exp is awful, almost no gil..

I would like to see something similar to FFXI Dynamis , lore wise. A alternate reality were the dark forces win.

Here goes an idea and I know it might not be popular but here we go.

The Savage Zones

I call these Savage Zones because the monsters are super powerful starting off, like many can one shot you without help.

You start off with basic gear like PoTD but it is not upgraded like Palace.

You can enter the Savage zone duo, some sections or instances inside require you to group up with 4 players, some 8 players, and some 24 players.

Monsters range in levels across the zone, some can be duoed and some need more members as well. These monsters drop crafting materials for enhancing starting or found gear. You don't need a crafting class leveled to craft in this content.

These zones will be created for the hardcore/midcore players. It is an instanced zone(rather it be out in the open for the zone itself but seems this game can struggle with open content) reserved for 1-100 players per zone. You can enter solo but most things will hit and be too hard to solo. This zone is VERY puggable but increases in difficulty the hardest content inside will take many tries, so a static will make things easier.

I'd say difficulty is about extreme maybe very slightly below it in terms of difficult mechanics. These enemies inside hit really, really, hard until proficiency are ranked up. It's basically a public content but, not much is doable without 4 or more members anywhere outside the beginning fringes of a particular Savage zone. This toughest enemies inside here require at least a 4-8 competent player group.

If you played FFXI, it's something similar to Abyssea but without the super powers. You do get stronger and stronger but not so strong that you can solo everything with a super buff.

Before I begin let me emphasize this. This idea is in no way, shape or form perfect. And I am open to input. It's a concept about wanting something for players who want to continually progress their character, with no ilevels or gear lockouts in a game where ilvls dictate everything/everywhere else.

A type of content/zone that though it is self contained sort of like PvP. Anything you earn here is worthless outside this area of content. But it's a gradual progression, endless to a point, with no reset. There is little to no rng and no ilvl whatsoever. You progress, progress, and progress in tiny little increments and form bonds with the players in your particular instance at that time.

Other than having to do the MSQ. You could theoretically do nothing but this content and keep getting stronger and stronger here. And it wouldn't break the ilvl meta of the rest of the game since this is self contained.

Rewards:

You can earn or find gear that improves stats but no ilvls via exploration or defeating certain enemies.

• You can earn boons via tracks that are permanent
• When you are in this zone, you are always what your current max level is on this particular character and all the boons or gear you earned stay relevant because the content upscales to whatever the max level is, now it is level 70, later 80, and so on and so on.

So when the level does raises, you could not enter here in this particular content until you reached the current max level. It's an endgame content, no experience points are gained here only mastery tracks and gear with no ilvls. It's horizontal in boons and gear but still vertical in gear via tiers of gear.

Combat Gear Types:

• One weapon might perform better against dragons while another performs better against a different enemy.
• One armor might protect against fire while another protects against slashing, and so on and so on.

My Question:
Should enemies outside starter cities still be important to long time players?
Absolutely not in a game with levels.

And I am not proposing to remove levels from the game or trying to turn the entire game into a grindfest, where the hardcore or elite dominate. These zones are self contained.

But I would argue, Why are there levels to begin with? Does a hunter become proficient at every type of prey by only killing a rabbit with a knife one million times?

Global levels are what keep game worlds from staying relevant. Imagine a zone having it's own flora and fauna. You become proficient at killing Dragons by killing Dragons. You become a master crafter here by finding special ores or bones or skins lying obscured or dropped by certain creatures.

The idea is you start weak and as you defeat a certain obstacle, you get stronger at that particular obstacle.

What character improvements take less work and space than creating multiple sets of gear to fill specific situational instances? There will be some situational gear but most situational stuff will be unlocked in the mastery tracks.

Traits! What if traits could be unlocked by executing a certain battle parameter rather than just be a passive unlocked via ranking up?. How about a dynamic performance tracker that rewards you for executing better against particular foes?

Let's say doing or reacting to certain things skillfully at opportune times result in a percentage of an objective rising. As your completion percentage rises in that category, you start progressing towards a unique trait/item/key item/that helps clear content designed around that specific species and environment. Each boon caps at 10% per enemy type for each zone.

Examples:

1. Stun a dragon during Fire Breath
2. Live through a serpent's ultimate damage skill
3. Land the Kill shot against 5 centipedes with a specific AoE skill such as Fire 2

Subsequent additions or expansion to this area/content will or could allow the boon to raise slightly for all savage zones. But I would prefer each new savage zone start fresh with exploring and conquering.

Below some of the task may seem generic or basic to earn stuff. That's because I don't want to write a 20,000 page breakdown on specifics. I want SE to get very meticulous with how to earn stuff through good performance. Some of the examples might not even make sense in terms of the best way to earn a particular boon.

I want to be very clear, there is no RNG here at all. If you execute what you set out to do and perform whatever you are trying to level up in the moment. It or you get stronger, incrementally but still stronger.

Enter the Mastery/Merits/Champions/Conqueror System(Whatever you want to call it)

Mastery Tracks

Resource Mastery Track:
The Resource Mastery Track is enemy type specific and character bound.

• Receiving 10,000 damage from a coeurl type enemy= +.01 Health Recovery against a Coeurl
• Dishing 10,000 damage against a coeurl with pure magic skills= +.01 Magic Recovery against a Coeurl.
• Dishing 10,000 damage against a coeurl with pure weapon skills= +.01 TP Recovery against a Coeurl.

Defensive Mastery Track:
The Defensive Mastery Track is enemy type specific and character bound.

• Receive 1000 damage from Dragon Fire= +.01 Dragon Fire resistance
• Defeating a Dragon without cures= +.01 Evasion against a Dragon
• Block an attack from a Dragon= +.01 Blocking skill against a Dragon
• Receive critical physical damage from a Dragon= +01 critical resistance against a Dragon
• Receive normal physical damage from a Dragon= -.01 physical damage received against a Dragon.
• Receive critical spell damage from a Dragon= +.01 Critical spell resistance against a Dragon.
• Receive normal spell damage from a Dragon= -.01 spell damage received when against a Dragon.
• Receive 10,000 in damage over time skills from a Dragon= -.01 damage over time potency
• Receive 20 damage over time skills cast on you= -.01 seconds of damage over time duration
• Recieve 20 stop/stun/sleep/or other disabling effect= +.001 resistance to those

Offensive Mastery Track:
The Offensive Mastery Track is enemy type specific and character bound.

• Perform a heavy thrust against a Naga= +.01 damage to heavy thrust against a Naga
• Perform a dragon kick against a Naga= +.01 damage to dragon kicks against a Naga
• Perform a weapon critical against a naga= +.01 weapon critical hit chance
• Perform 3 weapon critical against a naga= +.01 weapon critical damage
• Perform a spell critical against a naga= +.01 spell critical hit chance
• Perform 3 spell critical against a naga= +.01 spell critical damage
• Defeating a Naga with pure damage over time= +.01 Duration of dots against a naga.
• Defeating 3 Naga with pure damage over time= +.01 damage of dots against a naga.
• Damage a Naga with flame damage spell= +.01 flame damage against nagas.
• Damage a Naga with frost damage spell= +.01 frost damage against nagas.
• Stun a Dragon's Fire breath- +.01 stun effectiveness versus dragons
• Heal 10,000 hit points against a couerl= +.01 Healing Potency

The First three tracks, Resource, Defensive, and Offensive are enemy specific.

What I mean is you get stronger against a certain type from skill ups by performing said move, against specifically that type you are fighting. You could even fight an NM or boss and get stronger against that type of enemy.

These mastery tracks make your character stronger against particular enemies.

This would allow SE to tune the zone difficulty to be more difficult in your initial encounters which become easier as you conquer each type of enemy. It doesn't make sense that someone who killed 10 million rabbits and got max level can suddenly walk up and own a high level dragon to me.


SE could even get more specific and allow us to train specific skills against an enemy and upon gaining the master rank of 10% for that type of enemy. We could gain traits to boost our expertise towards a certain enemy type.

Traits would be like
Dragon Breath resistance
Dragon Killer(Damage +10% to Dragons or Intimidate/Paralyze Dragon)

It feels more iconic when you can get to start weak against things and remain weaker against things you don't normally pursue and fight, but then become extremely proficient at fighting particular things. Perhaps even add a trait that helps you procure rarer drops from an enemy you gain mastery over. And those drops could be used to craft an even deadlier weapon to slay those nasty dragons. Or maybe the Dragon Infused Weapon could be used to down a different foe that is weak to dragons.

More Mastery Tracks

Acrobatics Mastery Track:
The Acrobatics Mastery Track is character bound and applied to each savage zone.

For the dying from heights thing below, actual death would have to be possible falling in this zone from great heights.

• Jumping over obstacles in jump trials= Increases your jump height by 1 inch.
• Jumping across gaps or chasms in jump trials= Increases your jump distance by 1 inch.
• Falling from big heights without dying= +.01 height needed to take damage
• Falling from big heights and dying= -.01 damage from falling from big heights.

To prevent cheats from being used or making leveling acrobatics cheesy. SE will have to design jumping obstacles within context placed inside specific areas of zones.

By context I mean places that require jumping in relation to the world and not just placed to add jumping puzzles. Players will be able to level up jumping in these specific areas once per obstacle and then must move on to the next one that they come by later. Think of these jump obstacles like aether currents except these pertain to jumping.

Athletics Mastery Track:
The Athletics Mastery Track is character bound and applied to this zone.

• Sprinting for 3 minutes per 24 real hours= Increases your sprinting speed by .01
• Swimming for 3 minutes per 24 real hours= Increases your swimming speed by .01
• Climbing for 3 minutes per 24 real hours= Increases your climbing speed by .01
• Flying for 3 minutes per 24 real hours= Increases your flying speed by .01
• Gliding for 3 minutes per 24 real hours= Increases your gliding speed by .01

I proposed limiting these Athletic masteries to about 1 clear for each category every 24 hours to prevent the cheesy ways of leveling up fast to max it out. I don't think many would find it fun doing an athletic solely for leveling up anyways. It should feel like something that happens along side as just part of your everyday adventures. I know climbing or gliding isn't in the game. But just included them to cover more possibilities.

Special Abilities Mastery Track:
The Special Abilities Mastery Track is character bound and applied to this zone.

This track is unlocked upon doing a specific quest relevant and in context to the ability you are questing.

• Boots Of Flame- Allows you to traverse hot flaming lava without taking damage.
• Boots of Water- Allows you to walk on water.
• Boots of Stone- Allows you to sink deep underwater faster than normal.
• Float Spell- Allows you to float in the air avoiding earth damage or crossing a chasm.
• Locket of Light- Allows illumination in dense dark areas.
• Sink Spell- Allows you to descend into quicksand without suffocating.
• Grappling Hook- Allows you to reach super high areas you cannot fly or jump to.
• Eye Of The Hunter- Allows you to see tracks and creatures or things normally invisible.
• Strength Of Titan- Allows you to move incredibly heavy or big things for helping traversal.
• Shapeshift- Allows you turn into certain creatures to traverse in-accessible areas.

Example:
Let's say your zone is a huge forest. In that forest somewhere is a great canyon or chasm. Upon initial inspection, you can't cross it, you can't climb down it, you can't jump over it, or you can't fly over it.

After some exploration in the surrounding area, you find some special climbing gear. Now you can travel back to it and climb down it. Below you stumble upon a different artifact that let's you jump larger distances, you remember along the trip down some ledges protruding. Well, now you jump to those ledges and discover new areas and artifacts. One of these artifacts leads to a Locket Of Light, and with this you can descend to the very depths and see what was too dark to see in. And you discover more artifacts, one of these allows you to cast float. Now you can ascend to the top and actually cross the chasm.

And that's just some of the possibilities. Later SE can add more unique savage areas that rely on those special artifacts to or newer ones to discover new things. And that is some Zelda type stuff going on in addition to all the hard battles.

The system would be more akin to PGR kudos than your traditional RNG skill up system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afsa_NLb4yA

Final Note:
There is a demographic for different types of gamers. We have PvPers, Raiders, Crafters, Gold Saucer junkies, Dungeon hoppers, alt addicts, etc. Most of this game respects the average gamer's time for the most part. This savage zone would be something for someone who wants to be an explorer and combat lover. And have somewhere in this game they can waste lots of time, having a reason to log in in between the lulls of the standard XIV expansion and recycle. This type of gamer is no better or special than anyone else, just wants something different.

Edit for extra stuff wanted:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/301966-Fate-Wishlist?p=3816176&viewfull=1#post3816176

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/301986-Free-Company-Events%28Campaign%29-Idea?p=3816452&viewfull=1#post3816452

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/287210-A-Guildleve-Revision-Idea?p=3633068&viewfull=1#post3633068

do you know the Ur-Dragon from Dragon's Dogma? i would like to have something like that.

a giant super boss spawns once a month or whatever and he has a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge amount of HP. it will take a lot of time to kill him, mabye days. you can go in and out of the fight as often as you wish and you will get rewarded for your contribution after the boss is dead. the more you help to kill him, the better is your reward. and if you are there in the moment he dies you will get an extra reward too.

Something akin to SUPER FATES or whatever GW2 does/did/dunno if they still do that, with world bosses that require tons of people in many locations.
Also just more RNG based stuff honestly. Trying to get to Aquapolis was REALLY fun. Get a small group of friends, open maps, find the treasure and pray that the portal to aquapolis opens up. That was really fun.

One thing that would be also neat, would be different types of enemies during the night. Day and night cycle would have more meaning to it. Sure it might make certain quests a bit more time sensitive, but I don't think it would be bad.
It's hard to really add much to it tech wise and you gotta remember to keep things friendly for lower level players, gatherers and so on.

Get rid of diadem and potd and move their functionality and purpose to the old areas already developed. There are some good ideas in this thread to promote open world activity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tint

do you know the Ur-Dragon from Dragon's Dogma? i would like to have something like that.

a giant super boss spawns once a month or whatever and he has a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge amount of HP. it will take a lot of time to kill him, mabye days. you can go in and out of the fight as often as you wish and you will get rewarded for your contribution after the boss is dead. the more you help to kill him, the better is your reward. and if you are there in the moment he dies you will get an extra reward too.

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Totally do this!