Far be it from me to complain, but...

[Teknoman]

Could be another method for side stories/extra item rewards? Honestly, what else are quests for other than either rewards, different adventure scenarios, or a means to get exp?

[Anty]

i think FFXIV forums soon will be the forums with the most posts/threads ever. And only because we get shitty or no answers at all, usually we get some vague answers who actually have more ??? then answers and leave us in the dark.
"hide and seek for pissed ff fans"

I really dont want detailed information on how a dungeon will look like, how mobs will look like. But the way we get information just feeds every troll and all the interpretation all over the forums are understandable but useless.
The same goes for hopes or speculations. Its funny how many people think Gridania will be killed or reworked from scratch.

I wouldnt mind it but... cmon... looking at how the game progressed till alpha/beta/start... you don't actually believe in such a big change... I would be happy if they changed some parts already but even that hope decreases with every post/none-post from the devs or yoshi.

The post from yoshi about the mailbox and that currently they have difficulty to implement it (no matter if its a lame excuse or not) says it all. I lost hope in the current team with that post pretty much.

[Synthesis]

We will see. They could also "ADD" live to empty towns/bazaars all around world instead of this. - first.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

I would expect any form of exp or sp from these quest hub locations. With a multi class game it would be hard to do. I think it would be field quests. Or just more places to add quests other then the main citys. So people branch out and explore. Which is what people want, an excuse to go exploring.

[Preypacer]

How exactly are Quest-hubs supposed to work in a game like FFXIV, other than as a cosmetic feature?

Usually, quests serve as both a form of content, but more importantly, also as a form of progression. In FFXIV, things are different because guildleves already serve as the fundamental form of progression in FFXIV, as well as grinding. So, it then begs the question, what do quest hubs actually add to the game world?

I figure I might as well ask.

Cosmetically, quest hubs give the illusion of something to do. But unless they form the foundation of the game, implementing them will be more effort than they are worth. A lot of development goes into a feature that doesn't necessarily bring much to the game, in terms of gameplay.

I hope SE has factored in an immediate use for quest hubs, as opposed to just throwing them into the game to bide us over until real gameplay comes along. An emphasis should be placed on gameplay, not on mindless questing drivel.

Perhaps if quest hubs were used to cushion new players and introduce them into the gameworld, and perhaps even break up the monotony of the zones, then they might be a welcome feature. But if their primary function is just to exist "because other games have quest hubs", then that's pretty shoddy design philosophy.

One of the reasons Yoshi discarded the idea of Player Companies and Player-owned Ships was because he saw no "function" for these features. Well, couldn't you say the same thing for quest-hubs?

I just think it's ironic that gameplay-changing features were thrown out because apparently they didn't have a "function" and yet other things have been added to the game, despite having even less of a "function".

You know, were this FFXI - pre Abyssea, anyway - I'd have said to give it time, have patience and have some faith. SE never does "the expected" and they never do anything half-way.

That was pretty much universally true with XI. If they determined something to be worth implementing into the game, they built it as an entire system unto itself... not as mere "throw-away" content. There are many examples of this from XI.

However... in FFXIV... I'm not so sure I could say that, because frankly... I have no freaking clue what they're doing with the content in this game, or what they were thinking while designing it. Part of me thinks they didn't really know either. It just has no solid identity right now.

I really think they need to look back at some of their older FF titles and remind themselves what it is that made those games special and unique and, of course, so beloved. I don't mean "copy ideas directly from those games". But certainly, find inspiration in why those things worked as well as they did, and then find a way to implement them in a way that is cohesive with XIV's setting and of course, as a MMORPG..

I really hope Yoshi has found, or helped develop a core "vision" and identity for this game, and they aren't merely taking a "let's throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks" approach.

[Rentahamster]

One of the reasons Yoshi discarded the idea of Player Companies and Player-owned Ships was because he saw no "function" for these features.

Don't think this has ever been stated.

[Malakhim]

I'm hoping they call them "quest hubs" but in reality they're "towns like selbina with a bunch of quests for maps, and added bonuses to your char like subjobs". Of course we won't be getting subjobs, and apparently not maps either because giving everyone every map at level1 was a GREAT IDEA and it'd be waaay too hardcore if you had to quest/spend 3k gil on a map? ~_~


Did he really say this? That's completely retarded if he did. How is a unique innovative MMO feature not have a function? How is a more player controlled economy/game not have a function? It's an awesome cool unique idea, it has tons of functions. Quests hubs and instanced dungeons are boring, bland, copy/paste content.

He didn't discard those ideas. He simply said what's the point of putting them in right now if there's nothing for them to do just yet.

[gifthorse]

Don't think this has ever been stated.

Not in so many words, no. But basically, yes.

[Jennestia]

Not in so many words, no. But basically, yes.

Nope. You said he threw it out because they had no function when in reality, he said it won't be implemented till they find a use for it, thus NPC companies coming first. So no it's not a a case of semantics.

[gifthorse]

Nope. You said he threw it out because they had no function when in reality, he said it won't be implemented till they find a use for it, thus NPC companies coming first. So no it's not a a case of semantics.

No offence, but how is that not synonymous?