City Specific Guild Marks: do you believe this will help spread out server populous?

One thing that's very intriguing to me is the whole "want guild marks for a class? go to the city with its guild" thing. I understand how it makes sense in the context of the game/story/etc, but in terms of dealing with human players is this meant to be an effective means of providing incentive to go to places besides <insert central meeting ground of your server> (mines ul'dah) O.o?

Simply food for thought, just wondering what you guys think of it! :D

Thanks for input :).

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Have more uses for guild marks been announced that I've missed btw? People seem to have little use for them after looking around forums =/.

Just a start, pretty sure the are gonna add "convenience" to Grid and LL.

I think the answer is YES.

No, there's still no reason to just hang out in in Limsa or Grid. People will just go to Limsa/Grid only if they really have to, then teleport back to Uldah. (Assuming there aren't any further changes. It's possible there's more stuff they haven't told us yet)

They need to do this: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-How-to-Fix-It

Indeed that's the only reason SE is making this change. I also think the guild marks are going to drop just as fast as they are now, which is really fast.

Well, I suppose it might, but I think they will need more. This might give some people incentive to go to to other cities and stay for a bit,but they will need more to get them to stay there in a more permanent fashion.

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Originally Posted by Rentahamster

No, there's still no reason to just hang out in in Limsa or Grid. People will just go to Limsa/Grid only if they really have to, then teleport back to Uldah. (Assuming there aren't any further changes. It's possible there's more stuff they haven't told us yet)

They need to do this: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-How-to-Fix-It

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This is not meant to belittle your current and past posts but quoting yourself in an absolute term like, they need to do this is pretty vain O.o

I hated when my professors in college would reference their publications saying "this is how its done".

However i agree with you lol

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Originally Posted by Bled

This is not meant to belittle your current a past posts but quoting yourself in an absolute term like, they need to do this is pretty vain O.o

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As far as I can tell, there aren't very many other viable alternatives that don't involve remaking the game from scratch.

Therefore, "need". As in, "You're running out of time and there really aren't very many other options available".

That's not to say that I intended my statement to mean that my suggestions are not the only way. There are always alternative paths.

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Originally Posted by Rentahamster

No, there's still no reason to just hang out in in Limsa or Grid. People will just go to Limsa/Grid only if they really have to, then teleport back to Uldah. (Assuming there aren't any further changes. It's possible there's more stuff they haven't told us yet)

They need to do this: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-How-to-Fix-It

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Even though you called me a furry in a different post, and couldn't be further from the truth, there is truth in what you speak here.

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Originally Posted by RabidSquirrel

Even though you called me a furry in a different post, and couldn't be further from the truth, there is truth in what you speak here.

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When did I ever call you a furry? O.o

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Originally Posted by Rentahamster

As far as I can tell, there aren't very many other viable alternatives that don't involve remaking the game from scratch.

Therefore, "need". As in, "You're running out of time and there really aren't very many other options available".

That's not to say that I intended my statement to mean that my suggestions are not the only way. There are always alternative paths.

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Agreed and like i said i also agree with your overarching theme on LL, GR desertion and Uldah migration, especially the bit about social interaction.

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Originally Posted by Rentahamster

When did I ever call you a furry? O.o

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Well I feel stupid. Got you mixed up with someone else. Sorry! XP

Ugh. I'm going to bed. Can't read anymore.

it just means that everybody who does a crafting or gathering class will pick only those that are available in Uldah.


Such a horrible idea putting uldah in the middle. it should be a triangle, with equal distances to jeuno

I hope Grid gets a bit more popular...I prefer the foresty repeats of copy/paste than I like the deserty copy/paste...too much dust in the shoes ;O

Yes.

Also, they're going to rebalance the classes so the abilities available to purchase with guild marks should also be seeing revisions.

EDIT: They need to crash the market wards in Ul'dah again and leave them down for a day or two. Then people can disperse to LL and Grid to set up shop there. The only reason I stay at Ul'dah is because that's where the economy is good. Or they could just link the market wards (bad idea seeing as how it's already crashing with just Ul'dah)

Yes, only if they add 'Mail System'

well beings leves will be solo you wont have to drag a party with you to undesirable locations. That said guild marks are nice to have for the "i wonder if ill ever be able to use these" factor, but as of now you quickly run out of stuff to spend them on.

A fix could be to offer marks on more leves and less marks per leve. Like 300-500. Im not saying its a good fix but for people that want them it would keep them busy chasing them longer. The best fix of course would be to give us more things to spend them on. Off the top of my head, potions, items, disposable items that keep you coming back, and class specific gear.

I went off a bit there, sorry.

Excellent idea to get players out of Ul'dah. 'Nuff said.

Of course it will help, if players want guild marks from those classes, they'll have to do leves in those cities. The only question is, how much will it help? People will still want a centralized market, and I think that's what drives them to a single city more than anything else.

After patch, the only reason I would ever go to Gridania is to get a certain type of class mark. I would still never hang around there. So, congratulations SE, you just made me set foot in Gridania for a whole of 2 minutes while I grab a guildleve.

There will not be a population surge in Limsa or Gridania until there is a faster, non restrictive method to travel between the cities. It's far too inconvenient right now.

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Originally Posted by Fated

After patch, the only reason I would ever go to Gridania is to get a certain type of class mark. I would still never hang around there. So, congratulations SE, you just made me set foot in Gridania for a whole of 2 minutes while I grab a guildleve.

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I think you're jumping the gun a bit, actually. What about the outposts that are coming? The best one could be near Grid.

@ OP's question:

Yes I do. I just wish they would add more uses for guild marks, I'm sure all the "bigwigs" have bought out every guildmark option already.

I think it's a start to fix it even though once people will have their marks they will go back to ul'dah. Like Renta said in her post and like I suggested sometime ago as well, the merge of the ward is what will really incite people to stay wherevere they want. In RL and in the game as well, people stay where the economy is.

They can either merge the wards OR make specialised wards in each city. Like in Gridania, they could make it that you get a discount for the selling tax when you sell things related to the guilds in that city (BOT mats, CRP items, CON items, ARC items, etc since I can't remember all the guilds there) But you get the idea, maybe like 5% sale tax when selling them in Grid and then 30% sale taxes (needs to be realy penalizing) when selling in other cities.

The second option would be viable only with viable transportation other than animas, but I read airships were coming soon.

If you added to this the ability to browse market wards from all cities and just charge a tax or delivery fee to your location I think it would go a long way in solving this problem.

I think another big aspect of why everyone flocks to Uldah that most people overlook is architecture and accessibility.

Take a look at FFXI. Jueno was THE social/economic hub because it had access to everything. Airships, chocobos, a central location to each city, etc. Jueno was also basically a straight line from end to end, which made it easier for people to find things. San d'Oria was much too big, Windurst was a freakin maze (can't count how many times I got lost there), and Bastok was decent but didn't have all the necessities for travel.

Now in FFXIV, look at all the cities. Gridania is slightly maze-like, and the crafting area is on the opposite side of the map from the market wards. Limsa is just confusing. Having to go from the first floor of the crafting area and having to run up to the second floor of the city is just plain inconvenient.

Uldah, however, is one big circle. The crafting area is near the wards. The Adventurer's Guild is right in front of the entrance. You can find anything and everyone just by running around the circle. It's just all out more accessible than either of the other two cities.

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Originally Posted by Capita

I think another big aspect of why everyone flocks to Uldah that most people overlook is architecture and accessibility.

Take a look at FFXI. Jueno was THE social/economic hub because it had access to everything. Airships, chocobos, a central location to each city, etc. Jueno was also basically a straight line from end to end, which made it easier for people to find things. San d'Oria was much too big, Windurst was a freakin maze (can't count how many times I got lost there), and Bastok was decent but didn't have all the necessities for travel.

Now in FFXIV, look at all the cities. Gridania is slightly maze-like, and the crafting area is on the opposite side of the map from the market wards. Limsa is just confusing. Having to go from the first floor of the crafting area and having to run up to the second floor of the city is just plain inconvenient.

Uldah, however, is one big circle. The crafting area is near the wards. The Adventurer's Guild is right in front of the entrance. You can find anything and everyone just by running around the circle. It's just all out more accessible than either of the other two cities.

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That is ture and it certainly is a factor. But it's a factor that doesn't hold too much in the balance since this is a personal choice. I know I would 100% go live in Gridania if the wards were merged, regardless of the maze-like feel and inconvenience of the crafting area to the wards. This is probably why people are not pointing this out much, because people will live in their favorite city, regardless if everything is close together or not, if the trade (read market ward) were shared between all the cities.

I think them making leves more even across the board will spread everything out more, couple that with marks and it is even more so.

Hell if it was more spread out I might actually want to rank up another class, as is I cant stand the site of BW anymore.

I dont like going to LL cause i find the layout horrendous.

I believe Rentahamster and that this Guildmark will not have a significant impact, sure if you need the marks. But a lot of characters dont (trust me), and even if you do you get 6k for your first rank 20 then you leave until 30, come back do couple leves get ur 8k, then leave, come back at 40, get ur rank 40 one then go back to Uldah and never return.

People dont like Grid because of the design of the map, no matter how much you force us down the only way to have us play there is run a bull dozer over it. Similary for the Limsa map, plus limsa is way out the way.

People also limited by transport, come Airships people probably expand more out because its easy, they dont have to waste anima nor run the 30 min journey from Limsa to Uldah. Or an hour to get to grid from Uldah.

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Originally Posted by viion

I believe Rentahamster and that this Guildmark will not have a significant impact, sure if you need the marks. But a lot of characters dont (trust me), and even if you do you get 6k for your first rank 20 then you leave until 30, come back do couple leves get ur 8k, then leave, come back at 40, get ur rank 40 one then go back to Uldah and never return.

People dont like Grid because of the design of the map, no matter how much you force us down the only way to have us play there is run a bull dozer over it. Similary for the Limsa map, plus limsa is way out the way.

People also limited by transport, come Airships people probably expand more out because its easy, they dont have to waste anima nor run the 30 min journey from Limsa to Uldah. Or an hour to get to grid from Uldah.

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Like I said earlier, the liking of the cities are a personal choice. You might not like Grid but I do. I don't really like the Black Shroud area but the city itself I like it. Nevermind that the layout is not optimized to have everything accessible at 5 steps of one another.

Also, when is the last time you went from Ul'Dah to Grid? Because it doesn't take an hour, the lack of diversity in the scenery might make it seem longer but really it's about 30min.

I don't believe it will impact the two cities. Instead we might see more people at the various Crystals around Grin/LL then we do now. I'm of the group that's very sick of BW and Wells, enough desert for me :) So I'll be enjoying doing leves elsewhere.

Airships will help, if they're quick and cheap it won't be hard to pop to Uldah once in a while to get something if you perfer to hang out in another city.

It should help especially for new players. Only things that still will keep people in Uldah are:
1- market wards
2- ppl already have the marks they need.
3- familiarity and habit.

I can see Uldah as being the main hub still untill Ishgard is opened.

Meh just think of Grid as Windurst from FFXI... (basically that's how I looked at FFXIV Grid=Win, Limsa=Bastok, Uldah=Sandoria)
In future if they add teleport NPC to make you move faster between areas of the cities the issue gets resolved + if they add housing within the city being able to choose the exit like FFXI.

Personally I like how Gridania looks and feels, I like all 3 cities in different ways... Only problem with Grid is the stupid Black Shroud map...

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Originally Posted by Perrin_Aybarra

Also, when is the last time you went from Ul'Dah to Grid? Because it doesn't take an hour, the lack of diversity in the scenery might make it seem longer but really it's about 30min.

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Is it 30min? That long ass passage ways in Black Shroud makes it feel so damn long... and feeling oh I passed this place again doesn't help either... w

i don't think this alone will do anything, but if they removing leves as main source of sp, then maybe if there is mobs to grind again in all zones it will help. when launch i chose grid, but i pretty much lived in limsa ..there was lot of grinds there. the crab parties and such. i didn't end up in uldah till the doblyn gold rush.

they need stuff that will take all day, all week or month to do for people to set them selves there over running back to other city with high populus. and even at that it will be cause anima and time saving reasons at this point most people will be at the "jueno" of the game less have too.

but on top that most wards are full, so releaving your retainer to other city means u just lost your spot in a ward with less tax and better location. so they will need to fix this as well.

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Originally Posted by Perrin_Aybarra

Like I said earlier, the liking of the cities are a personal choice. You might not like Grid but I do. I don't really like the Black Shroud area but the city itself I like it. Nevermind that the layout is not optimized to have everything accessible at 5 steps of one another.

Also, when is the last time you went from Ul'Dah to Grid? Because it doesn't take an hour, the lack of diversity in the scenery might make it seem longer but really it's about 30min.

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It isn't a matter of choice of how it looks, its how its laid out. Everything in Grid is well a Grid, linear. Im talking mainly about Blackshroud, so I apologize for not being correct with terms. Grid the city is wonderful and nice, but Blackshroud is nasty.

Also I did not say Grid to Uldah took 1 hour, read my comment. I said 30 mins from limsa to Uldah then another 30 making Limsa to Grid an hour.

Also I did this, I even went further:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5G2cYWKhpY

It is a 30m trip between each "Nation", Grid > Uldah 30m, Uldah > Grid, Grid > Ishgard.

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Originally Posted by viion

It isn't a matter of choice of how it looks, its how its laid out. Everything in Grid is well a Grid, linear. Im talking mainly about Blackshroud, so I apologize for not being correct with terms. Grid the city is wonderful and nice, but Blackshroud is nasty.

Also I did not say Grid to Uldah took 1 hour, read my comment. I said 30 mins from limsa to Uldah then another 30 making Limsa to Grid an hour.

Also I did this, I even went further:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5G2cYWKhpY

It is a 30m trip between each "Nation", Grid > Uldah 30m, Uldah > Grid, Grid > Ishgard.

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Oh for that you have my whole hearted agreement that the Black Shroud is not very appealing and might discourage people from establishing themselves in Gridania, I was talking about the city itself which I find nice myself but you corrected yourself. Even with the boring Shroud, I'd still go there if the wards were linked, I rather have a boring linear forest than a boring linear desert (disguised as an open field area...)

Ohhh and sorry I read Ul'dah to Gridania took 1hr, which might feel like 1hr but didn't think it took more thank 30min (which you confirmed now ;) ) But yeah from LL to Grid, it's quite a ride lol.

Yeah.

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uh, I mean, yeah. It's a start.

to get people out of uldah they would have to take away all there that keep them there.

They should really add the missing battle classes (arcanist and musketeer) to Limsa if they are doing this. Not that I'm against it. But the only battle class that has a guild in Limsa is marauder. Maybe that's not a big deal, not sure, but just pointing it out.