One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Reinheart]

I definitely agree! I worried that if I were to edit my first post, that it would lose the 'likes' and possibly the attention of the reps. I didn't want to risk every one's hard work. Of course, if I'm wrong, I'd gladly add them.

Thank you!

WTH that sucks, didn't know that you lose all the "Likes" if you edited the post

/stare Square-Enix - FIX IT!!! lol

[Zahak]

watch the dev video "Link"

We need less barren/exact landscapes and more of those really diverse looking areas and landmarks.

[Daedae]

hehe they are very very similar and seeing the maps like that really emphazise the whole "tunnel" design they went for... makes the world kinda boring when you are restricted in an open-world...

God, it was really just a slap in the face to see that. This game was announced to be in development in like, 04, 05ish and this sort of laziness was the product? What. Gosh, having it put in such a perspective is really disheartening. Here's the links again from Neptune:

http://www.ffxivinfo.com/images/maps...s-thanalan.jpg

http://www.ffxivinfo.com/images/maps...ack-shroud.jpg

http://www.ffxivinfo.com/images/maps...s-coerthas.jpg

Paired with siobu's http://seahorror.com/sample.jpg

Showcases the general scheme of the zones, which are pretty much copied and rotated :< Gonna take a lot of work and a lot of complaints to get this ironed out, keep it coming.

[Siobu]

If each sub-section of our current zones (Black Shroud, etc) were turned into a defined zone, with progression.. How many unique zones would that give us?

5 per region? Perhaps 20? 21, including Mor Dhona if it were one zone. But, even more if it were divided?

Coupling unique dungeons to join each or most zones, and short paths between them.. Webbing them together like a true world.

So many thoughts...

[Perrin_Aybarra]

That's definitely the way it should be, IMO.

Black Shroud: 1-35
La Noscea: 1-35
Thanalan: 1-35
Coerthas: 30-50
Mor Dhana: 30-50

This still gives you a choice of places to level, but with the structure and progression we need.

Thanks, and from what I have read of you and others as well you seem to see it the same way I do. We just need to stop think as the zones (like thanalan) as just 1 zone but a big region with multiple sub-zones that if designed differently from one another, we would not go into a depression thinking we are still in thanalan at higher levels. The big flaw is that regardless if you are rank 10 or 40, you still fight the same monsters and it's the same environment everywhere you look.

If they take OP's ideas from his sketches then you'd be fighting one type of mob, let's say squirrels and mushrooms from 1-10 in bentbranch in a woody type area, then you would make your way to emerald moss which would look like a thicket with maybe bigger bodies of water and you'd fight Yarzons and crabs from 10-15, then Tranquil which could be a thick forest and you'd fight Does and Lizards to get to level 20 and so on around the various SUB-zones of the shroud so that it would feel like you progress and you get to see new places (would actually help that if we would get a text when you reach different sub-zone). Then at 35 you could go to Coertas and Mor Dhana to get a similar progression within those region. There still could be remote places in the starting areas that could be way higher level for later.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

If each sub-section of our current zones (Black Shroud, etc) were turned into a defined zone, with progression.. How many unique zones would that give us?

5 per region? Perhaps 20? 21, including Mor Dhona if it were one zone. But, even more if it were divided?

Coupling unique dungeons to join each or most zones, and short paths between them.. Webbing them together like a true world.

So many thoughts.

That's what would make the game feel a lot more like an adventure and feel like we progress through different places. I think there are between 5-10 different sub-zones in each zones. But then, even if they would make 4-5 different sub-zones for each zones, it would still make a big difference.

[Mack]

Thank you, Eden!


To any late arrivals just now clicking 'last', we also have a German thread:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...itung-der-Maps

And French:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...415#post174415

Let's get crowned.

We need to give some love to the German topic!

EDIT: ...and if SE says they don't have any plans for this and don't want to redraw the maps imo they aren't doing what we want and aren't listening to our feedback they are only listening to what is convenient. The overwhelming response to this topic makes it clear that everyone wants this and can't help but think that people who have long quit too might have seen this as a reason too as well. I hope they listen and I hope they have been/will work(ing) on it.

[MeowyWowie]

I haven't been following every single post in this thread but I'm really really glad to see something that everyone agrees on.

Forgive me if it's been suggested already as I likely missed it but I think there's more than just changing the world map that would need to be done.

I would also suggest that each mini zone have their own music. As you traveled through FFXI, the themes for each zone helped make them unique and memorable. There are so many unused tracks already I don't see why this wouldn't be possible if SE decides to fix this massive problem.

[Daedae]

If each sub-section of our current zones (Black Shroud, etc) were turned into a defined zone, with progression.. How many unique zones would that give us?

5 per region?

Perhaps 20?

21, including Mor Dhona if it were one zone. But, even more if it were divided?

So many thoughts.

I dont know why each trailing sub-zone for each major zone couldn't showcase a greater variety in environment and mob placement. Having the rocky desert ease into some dunes, or a grassy savannah is beyond me. Or having the highlands of La Noscea ease into a lowland valley on the left side, and on the right up into a mountain peak, or rolling hills. If the variety was there, the constricting tunnels adjoining zones and copied maps would not be such an eyesore as they are now.

There was, and IS so much potential for fleshing out these zones, considering the ENORMITY of them. So much room to spill some creative juices! They have a foundation for some interesting places, but a foundation won't keep out the rain.

[Firon]

While i agree whats being said here i disagree at the same time. While FF XI had good zones most them eventually went unused a lot like the starter area's, Bibki bay, and tons of other places. Now what i do like about the current zones you can choose where you wanna level if i decide not to ever leave the thanalan region that's totally up to me SE has not forced one person to exp 1-50 in one region, this is all players choice there are plenty places to visit as i have already exp'ed on pirate's in mistbeard cave, bore's eyebat's bats and humanoid mobs in mun tuy cellars. Fighting the red crabs in the LL region even the undead mobs in the mines in the thanalan region.

What I'm trying to say is SE should not have to hold your hand and place mobs in a certain level range per region to make you feel like you have progressed, but i do agree the zones needs more landmarks and such.