So... uh... what does everyone think of this aether current "thing"?

I've been enjoying the new expansion quite a bit and even the main story seems to be more sane than the ARR one we were saddled with, but this aether current to fly a flying mount that should know how to fly and navigate the winds already? It feels like an awfully round-about way to handle getting the ability to fly. I can't imagine anyone enjoying having to plod through all those extra quests just to unlock aether currents to be able to fly a griffon or dragon, especially when they offer so little in the ways of a reward experience wise or monetary wise.

Does anyone here like the way they came up with for handling getting flight and can explain why they like it? :confused:

If you just check the compass as you're progressing through the MSQ, you'll end up with all the currents to fly anyway. It's not really that bad.

Ye is not , but i was bit disappointed with unability to fly soonish as i got black choco T.T

I think it's fine the only complaint i would have is they need to be a lot clearer on the objectives required to fly. Having currents in random quests in random quest chains is a little frustrating. You kind of have to just stab in the dark doing quests till you get lucky and find the one with a current.

Just make the requirements more clear and I'm ok with it, even if it's difficult.

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Originally Posted by TheCurls

If you just check the compass as you're progressing through the MSQ, you'll end up with all the currents to fly anyway. It's not really that bad.

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Well, let me put it this way. I'm a strange person that runs a lot of dungeons for vanity gear and am getting the majority of my experience points from running the dungeons. I basically out level the areas and have to play catch up with the story because I'm one or two levels ahead of it. That means that all those quests in the previous zone get stuck in a back log. So this system seems to be a bit biased towards people who are completionists. :p

I love it.
Wish all of them were a scavenger hunt though instead of some locked behind quests... I mean I know why they did that but... sigh.

Edit: Oh. I love it because I love exploring maps, and these maps are an explorer's dream pretty much. Even backtracking doesn't make me rage (too much.. I am human after all).
These maps are just so gorgeous...

its to get u exploring the map b4 just flying everwhere.. i see why they did it n agree with them 100% :P

Making you explore the zone to find out how huge and shitty the landscape is to fully appreciate flying in that zone.

I think it's a great way to get people to explore before they ignore.

Love the exploration aspect, hate all the sidequest stuff. It makes those sidequests less useful for other classes and makes you do everything on your run through.

I agree with flying being gated by zone, because if you could just fly everywhere at the start that kills immersion.

As for how they went about it, I liked the compass and exploring. My only complaint would be currents at the end of non main story quest lines. Where you have to go online and look up which quest unlocks the quest with the aetherflow.

There is nothing likeable about this at all. But hey, it's the dev team's specialty, locking every piece of content they possibly can, behind tedious other content. I understand this is a theme park MMO, but even in a real theme park you aren't forced to go on certain rides in order to be allowed on another one, or forced to do the rides in an order set by the park.

I haven't done every zone yet but I've been loving them so far. It's a great way to get you to explore.

Edit:
I hope they do more things like this as time goes on. I mean, treasure maps are pretty fun, but I like the compass mechanic.

With the exception of doing side quests. I did enjoy searching for all the Aether Currents and it wasn't too difficult if done blind.

The aether currents allow the developers to know that players had to at least walk around the map they put so much effort into at least once.

they are annoying but its over quick, so i dont care much.

Other mmos had much more horrible grind to allow free zone travels or quick mounts.

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Originally Posted by Colt47

Well, let me put it this way. I'm a strange person that runs a lot of dungeons for vanity gear and am getting the majority of my experience points from running the dungeons. I basically out level the areas and have to play catch up with the story because I'm one or two levels ahead of it. That means that all those quests in the previous zone get stuck in a back log. So this system seems to be a bit biased towards people who are completionists. :p

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I think it's more like they reward the players who play the game the intended way (and therefore encouraging more players to play the intended way). They don't intend on people skipping the content they put time into putting in the game by finding fast ways to grind levels.

I like it, it's just exploration and aethryte tuning.

I personally enjoyed unlocking everything over time. It makes you feel like you've really accomplished something once you are allowed to fly in all of the Heavensward zones. I don't like everything being handed to me. At that point, it means nothing to me.

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Originally Posted by Verdan

Love the exploration aspect, hate all the sidequest stuff. It makes those sidequests less useful for other classes and makes you do everything on your run through.

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You can switch jobs while doing the sidequest. Don't have to do them on the main job.

I loved it. It was like a puzzle, especially the "how the heck do I get up there?" parts. Finally unlocking all the field currents felt like a huge accomplishment - I then spent ten minutes just fluttering around for the sheer joy of it.

I did appreciate that by the level 59 area they were all quested, though, and came fast. Like "Ok, we know you're tired of this BS. Here you go."

I think Aether Currents are a lot of fun.
My Husband and I used our wedding mount Chocobo to get the maps ones together, it was great.

My only annoyance with it is from that one aether current quest chain which you have to accept from Ishgard first.

I enjoyed unlocking flight, in each zone. Makes you appreciate flying, once you earn it. Much better than how WoW is handling it, atm. Requiring 3 new reputation factions to near max and roughly 6-8 story and exploration achievements. They straight up said that the reputations would take 3-4 weeks to complete, as long as you do their daily quests, every day.

Its annoying getting aether currents imo. To many of them to where it doesn't feel rewarding it gets to the point where it frustrates me like Batman's Batmobile on Arkham Knight.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

I think it's a great way to get people to explore before they ignore.

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This.

It wasn't all that bad.

I wish they had either not had it and just gated flying behind the dungeon for the zone, or not had any quests for currents and just let people unlock flying asap if they were willing to run around and find all the things. Doing both makes collecting the things feel like a timewaster.

I absolutely adore it. It's so much fun searching for the currents, especially when you reach the spot and go "uh...where is i - *looks up* oh. It's 500 feet above me." And then you have to figure out how to get up to it. It's annoying sometimes, but then you make it and you're proud of yourself.
The quest part is annoying, but there's already lists of all the quests you need to do, so that undoes the annoying-ness.
We've been entering the zone, immediately exploring the map and getting all the currents, then doing the aether current quests, then doing the side quests after gaining the ability to fly. It makes it a crapton less obnoxious to fetch this, kill that, etc.

I actually enjoyed it as it allowed me to do some ground level exploration while doing my main scenario quest as well as side quests. I also love games that has sorta "puzzles" to them.
One of my all time favorite games are Monkey Island, Broken Sword etc.

And it is way better than what I have heared Blizzard is doing after they said they was giving up Flying, only to make it Kill monster for Rep with 3 factions grind, do 100+ treasure something and more to achieve flying, and last I read, it was not Accountbound. And since I can do all I want on 1 character, I have no need for alts :)

The Aether Currents is a great idea. People should be forced to explore the area a bit and pretty much be done with it in terms of story before being able to fly. Though they could have made it so only main story quests give you aether currents rather than having to go through sidequests and hoping the next chain gives you an aether current.

Best possible way they could have implemented flight. Well, they could have avoided linking aethers with out-of-the-way sidequests I suppose. But for the most part, it's the best way they could have done it.

If they let us fly right away, it would have been a huge waste. At least by making you explore the zone first, you experience everything.

It's fun... You go explore first, feel the land with the danger around. What so fun if you can fly straight away? Feel too easy if you can fly just like that, there is no difficulty on that and you can ignore all the mob with flying while questing.

Overall I liked it. It was fun trying to figure out ways to reach currents placed out of the way. The only mildly annoying thing was also having to receive some from quests since you had to stab around until you found them all or bite the bullet and rely on a guide.

I think of the aether currents as lore explaining why seemingly unwieldy creatures can take to the air..."Fat Chocobo" I am looking at you.