About Gridania

This thread is an open discussion to my personal opinion about Gridania's design. No raging or emo quitting threatening intended. :o

Gridania seems so boring and small if you compare it with the other 2 city states and the upcoming Ishgard. It's literally a small village. Few buildings some trees and that's it. Also feels relatively smaller than the rest of the city states. It doesn't feel like a city state. Even Mor Dhona feels like a proper fortress city and like a new city state on the rise. Is it possible to redesign Gridania or "enhance" it in future so it will feel like a proper city state? Just like what happens to Mor Dhona which gets upgraded patch by patch. While Mor Dhona justifies this lore wise, Gridania can use a bit of overhaul to look like a proper city state.
What is your opinion about this guys?

I like Gridania for how simple it is actually. Even after all that time, I'm still lost when I walk in Ul'Dah. So having one of the three cities that doesn't feel complicated is quite a good point for me.
The fact that the paths are larger is nice too.

I do understand what you mean though. ^^

I actually like Gridania back in 1.0 days. I was in total awe when I first make my character and chose Gridania as my home town, then hearing that soft-pleasant-homey tune we had back then. And when I stop by to Gridania time to time, I still awed by the serenity of it back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOr4WFrOkhU

Current air of Gridania now aimed for more bustling activities like what Ul'dah has. It definitely doesn't feel like solitary home anymore. ^^;

Gridania is my favorite so I'd never oppose them expanding upon it.

I usually taunt my FC's Adders with this, but I actually think Gridania is perfect the way it is. Their government is ruled by Elementals who take protecting the forest very seriously, so it makes sense that their buildings and layout cause as little impact as possible.

Ul'dah and Limsa are also built in the wide open desert/ocean, while Gridania is built in what is basically a redwood forest. So It could also be possible that it has some massive structures that we just can't see because of the trees, it's concept art suggests this could be the case at any rate.

But from a design standpoint, it's also good that Gridania has a different take than the other city states. Things wouldn't be very exciting if the three were too similar.

Gridania does feel like your standard mmo forest city, nothing really stand out from its design if compared with uldah and limsa lominsa imo.

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Originally Posted by Virevolte

I like Gridania for how simple it is actually. Even after all that time, I'm still lost when I walk in Ul'Dah. So having one of the three cities that doesn't feel complicated is quite a good point for me.
The fact that the paths are larger is nice too.

I do understand what you mean though. ^^

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Indeed, I love Gridania, and at least we no longer have those awful winding tunnels from 1.0 Gridania that went on and on and on. It used to take forever to get anywhere in the city. And that says nothing about that stupid long ramp that used to be near the Adventurer's Guild which always required the player having to almost zone out of the city and then double back just to go to the Adventurer's Guild - I'm so glad they sheared that off.

About the only thing from 1.0's Gridania I miss is the old Gridania BGM Born of the Boughs ~ The Theme of Gridania - Wailers and Waterwheels/Dance of the Fireflies is okay, but Born of the Boughs just had that quiet/homely feel to it. :)

Either way, Gridania is a forest nation - of course it's not going to be masses of stonework everywhere, you want boring cold stone go to Ul'dah or Limsa. Gridania is all about nature and thus it's buildings reflect that.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

Current air of Gridania now aimed for more bustling activities like what Ul'dah has. It definitely doesn't feel like solitary home anymore. ^^;

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That's because Ul'dah took over the Gridania markets. You lost your quiet air of serenity, but think about the Gil you gained in novelty Seedseer collectables alone! You're welcome.

Easiest to get around to, though. I find myself visiting Gridania more than the other two cities just cause no bridges or convoluted stairways. Also, usually less people there to clutter my screen.

It's all about balance and nature, because they don't want to angry the elementals and jeopardize the contract of Gelmorra (that allow the Gridanians to live in the forest).

and also this:

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The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.

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I think current ARR already dropped the elemental-thingie plot from 1.0. Kinda left it hanging though. ^^;

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

I think current ARR already dropped the elemental-thingie plot from 1.0. Kinda left it hanging though. ^^;

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Do the Conjurer quests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...WDgui9AA#t=293

It's nice to see someone complaining about Gridania rather then Ul'dah. Personally I've never liked Gridania or The Black Shroud. I start to feel physically ill if I stay there too long and loathe whenever the story or other quests force me to go there.

However I will say the same thing I've said in the Ul'dah hate threads. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's all about personal taste and not everyone's taste is the same.

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Originally Posted by Felis

Do the Conjurer quests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...WDgui9AA#t=293

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You do realize from my siggy that I have CNJ/WHM 50, right? lol

Besides, I'm talking about those elemental-curse-thingie back in 1.0.

Its a bunch of tree hugging dirt worshipers, to put it bluntly, of course its simple.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

You do realize from my siggy that I have CNJ/WHM 50, right? lol

Besides, I'm talking about those elemental-curse-thingie back in 1.0.

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Woodwrath? Yeah, in 1.0 Gridania and the Blach Shroud did have that feel to them that they're more dangerous/mysterious in that way and were, in a sense, a prohibited place to most who were foolish enough to venture out on their own.

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

You do realize from my siggy that I have CNJ/WHM 50, right? lol

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Having WHM don't say that you did the CNJ quests in ARR ^^
It can also just mean that you did it during 1.0

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Originally Posted by Felis

Having WHM don't say that you did the CNJ quests in ARR ^^
It can also just mean that you did it during 1.0

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My achievement page also opens for public view and has the completed CNJ & WHM quest achievements on it along with the finished time stamps, if you're not too lazy to check.

Kindly check them next time before making the comment. ^^;

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Originally Posted by Nuinn

Woodwrath? Yeah, in 1.0 Gridania and the Blach Shroud did have that feel to them that they're more dangerous/mysterious in that way and were, in a sense, a prohibited place to most who were foolish enough to venture out on their own.

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Greenwrath
maybe the elementals were not enough angry for now like they were at the end of 1.x
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA_KJozoIsA

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Originally Posted by Felis

Greenwrath
maybe the elementals were not enough angry for now like they were at the end of 1.x
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA_KJozoIsA

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Ah, well I suppose they are more docile now when SE neutered them and made them look generic. They're just depressed now.

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Originally Posted by Riardon

Gridania seems so boring

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Well when you take into consideration that Limsa Lominsa is a pirate city and Ul'dah is a merchant city, both of which are very high energy from my experience, there needs to be a place to balance the other two cities. Gridania, in my opinion, with its tranquility, serves this purpose. Like a "yin-yang", you know?

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Originally Posted by BobbinT

I actually like Gridania back in 1.0 days. I was in total awe when I first make my character and chose Gridania as my home town, then hearing that soft-pleasant-homey tune we had back then. And when I stop by to Gridania time to time, I still awed by the serenity of it back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOr4WFrOkhU

Current air of Gridania now aimed for more bustling activities like what Ul'dah has. It definitely doesn't feel like solitary home anymore. ^^;

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While there's a certain charm to that video, it does feel very empty. I'm preferable to things being more compact comparatively.

If I could ask of an add to Gridania's design.. I'd love an higher tier and lower tier (similar to Limsa Lominsa), with the upper tier being all made of rope bridges connecting from a tree to another, with squares made of wood hanging from like 4-5 different trees. The lower tier instead, I'd love if it was underground similar to how the Conjurer's guild looks.

I love the Duskwight lore as them living in the caves and underground, and was soo disappointed to find no whatsoever village/inhabited cave area. The best you can get is Little Ala Mihgo, but that's home of the Highlanders.

Please give us Upper Gridania and Lower Gridania!

I'm honestly fine with how Gridania is designed. I love forest villages, and out of the way towns / etc. For instance, the starting village in Eternal Sonata, or the one in Xenogears. I'm a sucker for peace and quiet and beauty of nature.

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Originally Posted by Riardon

This thread is an open discussion to my personal opinion about Gridania's design. No raging or emo quitting threatening intended. :o

Gridania seems so boring and small if you compare it with the other 2 city states and the upcoming Ishgard. It's literally a small village. Few buildings some trees and that's it. Also feels relatively smaller than the rest of the city states. It doesn't feel like a city state. Even Mor Dhona feels like a proper fortress city and like a new city state on the rise. Is it possible to redesign Gridania or "enhance" it in future so it will feel like a proper city state? Just like what happens to Mor Dhona which gets upgraded patch by patch. While Mor Dhona justifies this lore wise, Gridania can use a bit of overhaul to look like a proper city state.
What is your opinion about this guys?

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funny... gridania has one of the largest zones only second to coerthas . . .

I love Gridania. It's simple and I find it calming. I like that it's small. There is a lot of detail in it too with the flowers in the grass, the lake in New Gridania, and the waterfalls around. To me, the other cities almost look too clean and perfect...especially the Limsa and Mist area. But the nice thing about this game is there is something for everyone.

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Originally Posted by Squa11_Leonhart

funny... gridania has one of the largest zones only second to coerthas . . .

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Unless you are talking of the whole nation of Gridania, I think you have gotten it all wrong... Pretty much any open area is wider than Gridania (the city).

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

Unless you are talking of the whole nation of Gridania, I think you have gotten it all wrong... Pretty much any open area is wider than Gridania (the city).

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The irony is, in 1.0 Gridania was far larger than it is now, but much of that space was spent on long winding twisting tunnels and passageways that just made getting anywhere a headache. It was one of the major gripes most players had about 1.0 which is the reason why Gridania has been changed to how it is. Besides, size doesn't necessary make something better - you know the old saying, "big things come in small packages." ;) I find Ul'dah and Limsa annoying simply because they are just too big and take forever to get anywhere.

If some of you don't like Gridania it is only because you don't understand the concept of life it represents. How unfortunate.

All I will say about the small size of Gridania is:
Say no to Windurst 2.0!

i wish Gridania was more like a tree house. Like ewolk village from The Empire Strikes Back.

Gridania helps reduce Global Warming,you know ? If you prefer the big factories over the trees then be my guest.

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Originally Posted by KaedrianLiang

i wish Gridania was more like a tree house. Like ewolk village from The Empire Strikes Back.

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Return of the Jedi, there were no Ewoks in Empire. There are other less known classics like The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, that get forgotten about.