Expansion Ideas: Systems, Features, and Content Types - What would you add?

How could you "newly" add to or polish the game through new features, systems, and/or content types for an expansion idea?

Feel free to include thematic or even story context. Please explain why you feel your ideas would be new or improving.

Some quick links from throughout the thread:

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Revamping or Removing TP.

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Better button consolidation.

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Originally Posted by Jandor

The Flying Adventurer Base.

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Originally Posted by Ramesses

Seconding the need for actual airships...

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Better Alting.

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Originally Posted by Jandor

Plane shifting, to the other reflections of Hydaelyn.

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Originally Posted by Yzuna

Rework the combat system so it's less about rotation, and more about teamplay.

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Originally Posted by Raikai

UI improvements and other highly sensible changes.

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Why these?
- Separately listed, and therefore easily linked.
- Mostly self-explanatory.

Some sort of expansion wide threat. Like FFXIV!Jenova or something. The kind of thing that is the big threat across the whole expansion rather than just the first patch and is pretty much resolved.

A feature I'd like to see prior to a new expansion is a level sync for parties like XI had. Sometimes you're hanging out with someone of a lower level and it's gonna be hard for them to level outside of FATEs and dungeons because they're not getting any EXP.

Story wise, I'd love to see the garleans actually win something. So far it seems(to me at least) we've steamrolled them and they are supposed to be an all powerful empire. Either with us liberating a new province early on and having it crushing taken away from us or them taking back something we've already captured. Id also like to either explore the rest of higane (I think that's the name, the island with kugane/shirogane) or further inland of othard( maybe more au'ra tribes pls). But ya let the garleans win one so we feel less like a Mary Sue and let us feel hopeless to save people.

Well if their servers could handle it a mass seige event. I remember when AQ opened up on WoW and there was a global event to fight off the bugs. Could have different GC's focus on their battlements for the upcoming seige.

I definitely want the Garleans to win something BIG, and make the WOL feel powerless. Lemme get captured or something, like Fordola was. Let the loaded gun WOL feel the feels all the powerless people do. :'(

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Originally Posted by Valentine-R

Let the loaded gun WOL feel the feels all the powerless people do. :'(

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That was big H's purpose and it was one of the most groan-inducing cutscenes ever.

And does anyone remember the last time we got captured? By Amal'jaa, sent to our death before the Lord of the Inferno? Now that worked out well. Bonus points for allowing us to just go back to town at leisure from the 'cell'.

Ah yes, and then they put in Zenos to own us a couple times, only so we could own him harder later. At this point, I'd just wish they'd stop trying, we're bound to win, so it's cringe-worthy to give the NPCs these pity victories.

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Originally Posted by Zojha

That was big H's purpose and it was one of the most groan-inducing cutscenes ever.

And does anyone remember the last time we got captured? By Amal'jaa, sent to our death before the Lord of the Inferno? Now that worked out well. Bonus points for allowing us to just go back to town at leisure from the 'cell'.

Ah yes, and then they put in Zenos to own us a couple times, only so we could own him harder later. At this point, I'd just wish they'd stop trying, we're bound to win, so it's cringe-worthy to give the NPCs these pity victories.

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I don't really mind fights that make our opponents look like proper badasses who may be a challenge to put down. I merely mind when, ultimately, they're not. Well, that and when -- in the middle of the villains' power-displaying moment -- suddenly emotional NPCs give their lives as camera fodder when they'd normally (even in this person's presence) be of sounder mind.

More than wanting Garleans ever to win, though, I just want to finally meet a Imperial fighting force as competent as alleged. I wouldn't mind them wrecking us until we're more competent than they, but that's besides the point.

I would love content focused on tactics and objectives that isn't PVP. Something as simple as queuing in with random classes in a group of 72 and there has to be actual thought put into who does what. Make time of the essence. Someone takes 3 people and goes to make control of a tower. Tower can then be used to blast a boss. Other players search the map for the boss and pull him into range of the tower. Maybe random smaller mobs will spawn and try to retake the tower and we have to defend it while others are blasting. Maybe there are treasure chests hidden someone has to scout for.

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Originally Posted by Bahati

I would love content focused on tactics and objectives that isn't PVP. Something as simple as queuing in with random classes in a group of 72 and there has to be actual thought put into who does what. Make time of the essence. Someone takes 3 people and goes to make control of a tower. Tower can then be used to blast a boss. Other players search the map for the boss and pull him into range of the tower. Maybe random smaller mobs will spawn and try to retake the tower and we have to defend it while others are blasting. Maybe there are treasure chests hidden someone has to scout for.

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Sounds like they could do this easily with eurika. Make a day where a super boss is somewhere on the map and throughout the day people need to find him and try and kill him while fending off adds. Or if u want time to be of the essence make it like a set hour with a boss with an insane amount of hp.

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Originally Posted by Wintersandman

Well if their servers could handle it a mass seige event. I remember when AQ opened up on WoW and there was a global event to fight off the bugs. Could have different GC's focus on their battlements for the upcoming seige.

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Wasn't hamlet defence in 1.0 like that?

From what I know about that and from statements from others, that would be a welcome change/return.

The hamlets thing did sound neat from what I've heard. I like the idea of battle classes and crafters/gatherers having to work together to reach a goal.

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Originally Posted by TaiyoShikasu

Wasn't hamlet defence in 1.0 like that?

From what I know about that and from statements from others, that would be a welcome change/return.

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Not remotely. It was 8-man content, which quickly fixated into fairly controlled metas, depending on the Hamlet. The only one that felt truly interesting to me was the... Aleport, one, iirc, in La Nausea, because there were at least multiple distinct ways to handle it.

Quarrymill/Hystmill and the like, on the other hand, just turned into people crafting stuff in the background while a healer or two kept up NPCs until there was sufficient enmity for it to be worthwhile for the BLM to start blasting away, with another DPS, usually a Bard for the mass stun then on Rain of Death, supporting.

More content like Deep Dungeons as example. We are still missing some for level 70 :(
8 Man Deep Dungeon with increased difficulty maybe? :)
Eureka has the option of changing things up but at the same time it is sounding like it will have elements we have repeated many times already.
More FC related stuff would be cool, not Diadem but just something other then maps that we can have fun with.
Open World Primal like beings perhaps? Not talking about fates, enough of that ...

Xloe, Khloe sister.
Once a week (or every 2 weeks eventually)
Objective are server wide and not personal. (so everyone have the same things to do.
Xloe have tiered objectives. There are 5 tiers and you must clear them in order.
Special rule : while being sync you still retain all your skills.

Tier 1 : complete a ARR or HW dungeon with min ilv
Tier 2 : complete a ARR or HW dungeon with min ilv and zero death. (dungeon fails upon death) weakness last 15min.
M
Tier 3: do a last tier boss with min ilv (A4-8-12 for ex)
Tier 4: do an old trial with min ilv (harder version)
Tier 5: do an "easy" savage boss (first or second boss of a selected tier. For ex: AS1-2 or 5-6 and so on. Ilv is sync to max from the relèvent patch

In order to be queued at lower level with all our lv 70 skills, a new interface is proposed to queue. (we would queue via the new book for instance)
The first special reward starts at tier 3. Tier 1 and 2 only grant gils, poetic etc.

I would like to have more stuff to explore in the zones from ARR. Especially, in the Black Shroud.

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Originally Posted by Sylvain

Xloe, Khloe sister.

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I will be honest, I don't think I would ever do this. I get people are looking for more of a challenge but this would just be one of those features I would never explore just like savage raids.

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Originally Posted by Wintersandman

I will be honest, I don't think I would ever do this. I get people are looking for more of a challenge but this would just be one of those features I would never explore just like savage raids.

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Im well aware that old bosses hard bosses are not a thing many people would enjoy doing.

But ultimately what I would like in a sens is opportunity to do more hard-is content which isn't always the same 4 bosses over and over.

Which is why for instance I proposed regular dungeon and 8man with min ilv.

Revamping or Removing TP. It serves no purpose, and it barely served any purpose back when you could run out.

Can't do more than a summary here, but it could serve as a catalyst towards diversifying weaponskills, as it stands most of them are basically just copies of each other.

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Revamping or Removing TP. It serves no purpose, and it barely served any purpose back when you could run out.

Can't do more than a summary here, but it could serve as a catalyst towards diversifying weaponskills, as it stands most of them are basically just copies of each other.

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Shameless plug: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...t-of-TP-by-now

expasion called Fall of light where the warrior of light dies and the ascians take over his body but a new warrior of light is chosen and the final battle it between warriors of light.

Better button consolidation. Linear combo weaponskills don't really have any business being separate buttons, and even branching combos can be reduced. Some jobs see as many as 6 buttons freed up, which, with better slot economy, can see additional weaponskills or abilities added. Using specific examples

Dragoon: Frees up 7 buttons. (Two combo starters, Doomspike)
Monk: Frees up 4 buttons ('Flank' and 'Rear' that change given your current stance)

The Flying Adventurer Base, or FAB. Seems odd to me that this is a final fantasy game where we don't eventually get our own airship.

Essentially they'd be a floating replacement for houses, you'd get a small one through the story; apartment sized inside with a small deck outside for decorating. Possibility to upgrade them to medium sized and eventually large.
I'd tie certain other aspects to it as well, like at a certain point or with a certain upgrade you'd be able to station your GC squad on it.

You'd also be able to fuel it and direct the pilot mammet to park it above any area you've unlocked flying in, functionally you'd go onto the deck, get on your flying mount and then fly down until you get a transition sort of like surfacing from swimming.

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Originally Posted by Valentine-R

I definitely want the Garleans to win something BIG, and make the WOL feel powerless. Lemme get captured or something, like Fordola was. Let the loaded gun WOL feel the feels all the powerless people do. :'(

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I totally love this idea : )



Introduce a new threat to the world. Something which rises from a small, unremarkable enemy to a something extremely powerfull, dark and uncontrolable (lets call them: Unknown). Big areas around the world are now in the hands of the new threat.

Garlemald and all City States have to work together to stand against this new enemy. WoL got new gear (Ironworks, Magitek) and new weapons (new classes?) from the new formed alliance.

During the war, some areas can be take back. Under great loss. While everyone is spread out around the world, Garlemald take its chance and betrayed the City States. Gridania and the Black Shroud are taken over by the new enemy, while Uldah where occupied by Garlemald.

WoL now have to join a faction: Eorzean City States, Garlemald or Unknown (Open World PvP?).

Each faction comes with special gear and race attributes. Eorzea will be the holy/light part of the game. Garlemald comes with sci-fi stuff. And Unknown is that faction for ghostly/demon-/voidsent-like fans. Needless to say, there will be also faction-specific quests, titles, areas and stuff.

I want to feel like we are in a war besieged, campaign or Hamlet would've helped achieve this, whilst adding more open world content.

The problem is, they can't introduce such world-changing content into the existing base game because it has to be kept static for new players just joining (and would be too complex to have phase the environment on a large scale if trying to work around that by having such content only available for high level players).

SE showed that they are not willing to do this back in FFXI where such large scale dynamic content was only limited to either entirely new continents (Besieged and Assault in Treasures of Aht Urhgan, Pioneer ventures in Seekers of Adoulin), or by taking it completely out of the existing game world and placing it in another time period (Allied Campaign in Wings of the Goddess) or a parallel world (pretty much everything in the three Abyssea add-ons).

I'm all for adding open-world content, but the sad fact is you are not going to see the likes of the Seventh-Umbral events again in the Eorzean zones in FFXIV because they were added specifically with the intention the game was going to be shut down and so they could afford to tear up the world with no regard for the future. It's the price that has to be paid for wanting to keep the world consistent for both existing players and for new players continuing to join as the game evolves and progresses.

Hence it's pretty clear any new large scale changeable open-world content will be limited to new areas I'm afraid (and SE have already stated this in the past - it's the explanation why Ishgard's Foundation isn't repaired but will remain ruined forever, it's too difficult to phase and they want to keep it consistent for new players joining in the future).

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Originally Posted by Jandor

The Flying Adventurer Base, or FAB. Seems odd to me that this is a final fantasy game where we don't eventually get our own airship.

Essentially they'd be a floating replacement for houses, you'd get a small one through the story; apartment sized inside with a small deck outside for decorating. Possibility to upgrade them to medium sized and eventually large.
I'd tie certain other aspects to it as well, like at a certain point or with a certain upgrade you'd be able to station your GC squad on it.

You'd also be able to fuel it and direct the pilot mammet to park it above any area you've unlocked flying in, functionally you'd go onto the deck, get on your flying mount and then fly down until you get a transition sort of like surfacing from swimming.

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HELLO SE I WOULD LIKE THIS VERY MUCH PLEASE.

Better Alting. The current implementation of the game is god awful for making new characters. Certain things need to be 'account wide' in terms of the flags it triggers.

For example

The MSQ and Side Quest 'unlocks' need to be account wide, but the quests still be present should you choose to do them. (Prefarably separated into varying chains rather than one long unbroken string for an expansion).

The 'Tutorial' section of the MSQ needs to be skippable if you've done it before. Maybe even if you haven't.

The 'Armory Bonus' needs to apply based on account, not on character.

Aetherytes / Aether Currents don't really need to be unlocked twice.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

The problem is, they can't introduce such world-changing content into the existing base game because it has to be kept static for new players just joining (and would be too complex to have phase the environment on a large scale if trying to work around that by having such content only available for high level players).

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I don't mean to be merely contentious, but multiple MMOs have made such large-scale phased environments just fine. Whether it's worth the effort is another story, but if such has become impossible in any way, it's only due to the code XIV contents itself with, not an actual theoretical or even practical limitation.

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SE showed that they are not willing to do this back in FFXI where such large scale dynamic content was only limited to either entirely new continents (Besieged and Assault in Treasures of Aht Urhgan, Pioneer ventures in Seekers of Adoulin), or by taking it completely out of the existing game world and placing it in another time period (Allied Campaign in Wings of the Goddess) or a parallel world (pretty much everything in the three Abyssea add-ons).

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Likewise, there's little that's "SE" alone in the consistencies or differences between the XIV and XI teams. It's mostly... the team and their specific overseers rather than any monolithic form of supervision. What applied to one does not necessarily apply to the other.

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I'm all for adding open-world content, but the sad fact is you are not going to see the likes of the Seventh-Umbral events again in the Eorzean zones in FFXIV because they were added specifically with the intention the game was going to be shut down and so they could afford to tear up the world with no regard for the future. It's the price that has to be paid for wanting to keep the world consistent for both existing players and for new players continuing to join as the game evolves and progresses.

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At what point do we draw the line between similarity and difference here? A gradually growing object visible from all areas of the Eorzea will almost certainly never happen again, but unique weather patterns easily could make a return, as could event-specific patrolling mobs in previously basically unpopulated areas -- if you simply include adds on a given mob, that's already bumping shoulders with exactly what Hunts did.

I'd like several things to happen next expansion:

• Shorter dungeons. 2 bosses or the same 3 but without trash mobs, ideally no longer than 15 minutes to clear. Also no more reused loot.
• Moving away from using tomes for gear. I would like to see tomes used only for upgrade items while loot is obtained elsewhere.
• Re-hauling old and abandoned content. Coil, Alex, and soon Omega will die when 5.0 hit. A simple scale up of the savage fights with enhanced gear models is enough.
• New ways to obtain tome gear or alternative gear types. Such as spawn-able NM fights, trials. Also crafted items you can upgrade with tomes would work.
• A more engaging relic quest. 2.0 relic challenged you to beat all the primals and 2 unique battles. Lets do that instead of a pointless grind. Relic should be a reward, not pity loot.

Obviously there's common sense things like more items per patch and new not-baby-tier stats.

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Better Alting. The current implementation of the game is god awful for making new characters. Certain things need to be 'account wide' in terms of the flags it triggers.

For example

The MSQ and Side Quest 'unlocks' need to be account wide, but the quests still be present should you choose to do them. (Prefarably separated into varying chains rather than one long unbroken string for an expansion).

The 'Tutorial' section of the MSQ needs to be skippable if you've done it before. Maybe even if you haven't.

The 'Armory Bonus' needs to apply based on account, not on character.

Aetherytes / Aether Currents don't really need to be unlocked twice.

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But then they couldn't charge for story skip potions.

I would like more content similar to Eureka that make it possible for players to form parties and battle monsters for exp chains. However, I would want a FATE system created different to Eureka to discourage players from overpowering them. I would also like more Grand Company content that focuses on team play. Perhaps another Campaign.

Back when I first demoed ARR, I was in love with what XIV 1.0 became Then a FATE spawned, and it was such fun because I thought it was a random occurrence like rifts in the RIFT game, and was sorely disappointed to find out they were fixed in content and location.

I would like to suggest Spontaneous Active Time Events, or SATEs. These would be in a random location on the map, and could be a random level, possibly 10 levels above the highest mob of the zone.

But we already do have some FATEs that are not fixed to location but spawn in a random location. Granted, they're only the most 'elite' FATEs, but they still spawn in random places on the map: Odin's FATE 'Steel Reign' can spawn anywhere in the Black Shroud so it can even spawn anywhere in multiple zones, Coerulregina's FATE line can spawn randomly in several places in the Dravanian Forelands, The Protoultima-connected FATE 'Prey Online' likewise has multiple potential spawnpoints in Azys Lla, etc etc. Of course again these are only elite FATEs and not your run-of-the-mill 'kill bunch of enemies before time runs out' style trashmob FATEs usually seen, but they are still what you are after. Maybe SE could actually make more FATEs like that.

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

Better Alting. Snip.

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Ya... Maybe less "don't make me play the game again" in your changes for making the game alt friendly.

1. Account-World Shared Housing. I feel like they started this recently then stopped short of letting you use your own private house yourself. On a side note would be nice for a private house to get the personal rooms feature from FC estates.
2. Account-World Shared Bank. Like the FC chest, but probably smaller 3rd the size maybe, wont complain with it being the same tho.
3. Account-World Shared Friends List & Blacklist. This just makes life easier.
4. Account Shared Mog Station Cosmetics. There's some, but it is way to uncommon for premium items.

I'm sure I am not alone in being one of the many altaholics who have their own 1 man 8 character FC just for points 1 & 2.

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Originally Posted by Seraphor

But then they couldn't charge for story skip potions.

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That, and those are perfectly reasonable alternatives to someone who wants an alt, but doesnt want to play the game.

In a game where you had to make an alt to play anything else some level of shouldn't have to play the game normally can be reasonable. But here in FFXIV the only thing an alt can be used for uniquely is having all crafting specializations simultaneously, and that only requires 3 chars. True in all games, but multiple chars gear multiple roles faster in any game with time based loot lockouts.

I would like it to be less alternate friendly. ( Keep it one man one world )

Remove Jump potions really makes players lazy...players lazy as it is.

Allow retainers to gather ephemeral nodes as collectables.

Make PvP interesting again, add more glamor gear.

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Originally Posted by OcieKo

In a game where you had to make an alt to play anything else some level of shouldn't have to play the game normally can be reasonable. But here in FFXIV the only thing an alt can be used for uniquely is having all crafting specializations simultaneously, and that only requires 3 chars. True in all games, but multiple chars gear multiple roles faster in any game with time based loot lockouts.

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I can't go on different datacenters with my main.

• Allow game screenshots to be mounted in picture frames. What couple doesn't want to hang their Eternal Bonding pictures on the wall?
• A sports league of some kind. Whether it's player-managed NPC teams or teams of players. I know there's The Feast, but not everybody likes combat PVP.
• Transportation that runs on a schedule and takes time to travel. This could probably be done in new places only. Something for the next expansion.
• A two-plant flowerpot, so apartment dwellers can crossbreed plants. (Or an instanced greenhouse. But this is more likely to happen.)

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Originally Posted by Kabooa

I can't go on different datacenters with my main.

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If you're talking about characters on different servers/data centers, you're not really talking about alts.

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Originally Posted by ManuelBravo

I would like it to be less alternate friendly. ( Keep it one man one one world )
Remove Jump potions really makes players lazy...players lazy as it is.
Allow retainers to gather ephemeral nodes as collectables.

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Your first and third line contradict your second. Lazy people don't bother with alts, too much work to replay the story and level without armory bonus. Wanting your retainer to do ephemeral node farming for you would be making players more lazy.

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Originally Posted by OcieKo

If you're talking about characters on different servers/data centers, you're not really talking about alts.


Your first and third line contradict your second. Lazy people don't bother with alts, too much work to replay the story and level without armory bonus. Wanting your retainer to do ephemeral node farming for you would be making players more lazy.

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Referring to alternate characters not Retainers, it does seem to misunderstand the difference.

As for the third, Retainers should be able to gather anything you have collected so it only makes sense to let them do the same.

Now that I think about it they should improve the AI in command missions, somethings I think they are smarted than some players.