Interactive lore text objects in the open world

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

I am still relatively new to the world of FFXIV, but am a FFXI and WoW veteran. I am enjoying FFXIV a lot, but think there's room for improvement in some sections of the game, especially the open world.

I feel like the open world could use more reasons to revisit and explore. For example, some of the maps in Stormblood are wonderful but once you're done gathering the Aether Currents there's simply no reason to return or poke around. Why not introduce interactive lore text objects in the open world zones, such as the ones you can find in some dungeons (e.g. The Great Gubal Library). Just simple descriptive text, it would make it much more interesting to explore that little cave in Central Thanalan, or that old temple network in northern The Lochs, we could learn more about the details of the world, it would immerse players further, and it wouldn't be very hard to implement. These objects would not show up on the map or the compass as icons, rather we would have to look around ourselves so that we get a sense of discovery.

You're pretty much exactly talking about the Sightseeing Log, actually! In fact, while I'm not certain, I believe those two parts of the map you describe are Sightseeing Log entries.

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Originally Posted by Cleretic

You're pretty much exactly talking about the Sightseeing Log, actually! In fact, while I'm not certain, I believe those two parts of the map you describe are Sightseeing Log entries.

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The problem, for me, with the Sightseeing Log is that it's yet another list of commands you're following (much like searching with the Aether Compass) - rather than that you accidentally bump into a lore object - which makes it feel more forced, less open. You're not using your eyes and senses, but rather you follow (vague) directions. Also, you learn little about the world, the architecture, the history, the flora, etc.

...I don't think you've done the Sightseeing Log, because in ARR especially it's exactly that; you're given a description of a vista, and need to match it. In the expansions it's pretty much shot-for-shot what you describe in the OP; the vista points are visible in the game world, you get them by emoting in that spot, and then you get lore about exactly the thing/place you're looking at.

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Originally Posted by Cleretic

...I don't think you've done the Sightseeing Log, because in ARR especially it's exactly that; you're given a description of a vista, and need to match it. In the expansions it's pretty much shot-for-shot what you describe in the OP; the vista points are visible in the game world, you get them by emoting in that spot, and then you get lore about exactly the thing/place you're looking at.

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I have, but I don't think it's the same, though I get where you're coming from. I think it's a fundamentally different idea in the end, or experience. The Sightseeing Log is a... well, a log. It's also focused especially on sceneries, vistas. From Heavensward onward you're looking for hovering blue orbs. I only just finished Stormblood (working my way through Eureka now), so I can't say for sure, but so far I've never found an orb on the wall, or on a statue for example - they are always hovering somewhere in the air, detached from the world (a little like the hovering coins in a Super Mario game). The way I envision these lore objects would be as simple, near invisible, nodes (perhaps with a faint glitter every now and then). You wouldn't have to type /lookout or /pray, or read the chat log for clues - you'd just target them and click (they would give a description of the object, or a riddle). They wouldn't be part of a log, which is sort of (for me) detached from the open world, but just be part of the environment with no other conditions needed.

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Originally Posted by Bravura

The way I envision these lore objects would be as simple, near invisible, nodes (perhaps with a faint glitter every now and then).

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You run into a problem right here, because the game simply doesn't do subtle markers like that. Everything gets a sparkly interactive point, and usually an overhead label as well, and those spoil the view.

It's possible they can do it, but they never have.

I "felt" this coming from having played both ESO and WoW, Fable, other kind of open-world games. The story also seemed very simple and tied together. I came to appreciate the more traintrack approach to the wordbuilding but it does take a while to get used to.

A lot of lore is the same story repeated over and over with different permutations. It is a different way of doing lore but it works and makes what is there more deeply meaningful I think in its simple elegance. Beast tribe quests do this really well and you kind of are able to live out certain other stories you don't get to experience in-game through quests like those. Then you can imagine what it was probably like, for example, to be doing heroic stuff like historical characters, reliving battles/arguments/friendships/calamities, imagining old civilizations, etc. The paralleling of stories is good to add depth but also to allow people to imagine what their character actually may have experienced had they been in the war of the mages or had they had friendships like the Four Lords with characters in or out of game.

Have been doing the sightseeing logs--it gives me vertigo to fly around too much so I have had to look up coordinates. However, there have been a few locations that really captivated me. The statue in Eastern Thanalan around the Thal (or is it Nald?? One of the two) digsite and the quests around there (there is one with a bald guy that is HILARIOUS). Some of the Azys Lla places were amazing and gave me an idea of what those buildings were supposed to be doing. Also appreciated the views in The Fringes, one of my favorite zones that wasn't until I had gone back to visit a few times.

As glam and gpose is the true endgame (and I am still learning), finding special places in and of itself and just being there is an experience. Even if it doesn't have signposts or anything.

It is a different way of dealing with the lore and there really doesn't seem to be as much there as some other games, but its presentation is always very basic and elegant in a way I have come to appreciate. And repetition helps it a lot and lets you build connections between parallel stories.

I think this is a really cool idea! I'd like to see more small details like this around the world.

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Originally Posted by Bravura

I have, but I don't think it's the same, though I get where you're coming from. I think it's a fundamentally different idea in the end, or experience. The Sightseeing Log is a... well, a log. It's also focused especially on sceneries, vistas. From Heavensward onward you're looking for hovering blue orbs. I only just finished Stormblood (working my way through Eureka now), so I can't say for sure, but so far I've never found an orb on the wall, or on a statue for example - they are always hovering somewhere in the air, detached from the world (a little like the hovering coins in a Super Mario game). The way I envision these lore objects would be as simple, near invisible, nodes (perhaps with a faint glitter every now and then). You wouldn't have to type /lookout or /pray, or read the chat log for clues - you'd just target them and click (they would give a description of the object, or a riddle). They wouldn't be part of a log, which is sort of (for me) detached from the open world, but just be part of the environment with no other conditions needed.

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That's because their in positions that overlook those things? It's a sightseeing log based on what you can see from those spots, so of course it's not going to be on the actual statues and areas of interests.

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Originally Posted by Bravura

The problem, for me, with the Sightseeing Log is that it's yet another list of commands you're following (much like searching with the Aether Compass) - rather than that you accidentally bump into a lore object - which makes it feel more forced, less open. You're not using your eyes and senses, but rather you follow (vague) directions. Also, you learn little about the world, the architecture, the history, the flora, etc.

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The expansion sightseeing log entries don't give you a list or hints beyond telling you how many entries are in each zone. There are no directions at all, and it's certainly not forced. It's up to you to intuit where the devs might have placed a vista or stumble upon them unassisted. Is there a really tall building? A temple? A statue? Get on top of it or find a spot where you can view it from a scenic angle.