One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Mack]

Kiara good post and I agree Casseiopia is nice to look at as well as my favorite zone in the game would probably be Mistbeard Cove, it has that piraty look and mystery (closed doors there looks like they are hiding something) and the awesome music. We need more creativity like that. OH and forgot to add that that is the only zone I have seen flans in which is so nice to be honest, really feels like a Final Fantasy zone instead of just another zone.

[Rowyne]

Well in general people are asking for more options. So instead of like in XI where you were almost forced to go to Qufim (although not really), you would have 3 Qufims in FFXIV. Instead of being forced to go to Kazham, you would have 3 Kazhams...of course all different looking all with their own music and their own monsters. I think this would still give the player a choice, people wouldn't all congregate to one zone and we'd all have our variety.

Exactly. SE is still obviously trying to find that balance between too linear and too much freedom. We've seen from responses to FFXIII and responses to FFXIV that too much of one way doesn't let a game live up to its potential.

As it's been suggested earlier, progression could be adjusted in the three starting regions (Black Shroud, La Noscea, Thanalan) to be 1-35, and Coethas and Mor Dhona being 30-50. This would give you a choice places to level, yet not have people wandering around feeling like they have no direction. A progression path must exist, even if it is disguised behind choices, if we are to feel like we have a call to arms and adventure.

[Chrees]

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!

You can rest assured that if you edit your post, you won't lose any of the "Likes!"

You can edit another post of yours with only a few "Likes!" and test this for yourself, haha.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

Nothing to add right now just want to point out that on top of this thread having almost 38 pages and no one arguing that this needs to be addressed, there are about 11,170 views on this thread. I really wish we can get a reply from a rep, something that includes more definite answer than "we passed the comments on to the dev team".

[Mack]

Siobu or EdenArchangel can you guys post links to the French and German versions of this topic on the first page please? I like to check in and see how they're doing every once in a while :P.

[Siobu]

Siobu or EdenArchangel can you guys post links to the French and German versions of this topic on the first page please? I like to check in and see how they're doing every once in a while :P.

(Edit: Success! Whew...)

Eden, you organized my images wonderfully in the quotes. It's up to you if you'd mind keeping them there or not.

Thanks guys! We need a crown!

[Rowyne]

Here are some quick examples of what SE could do that would make the areas stand out more:

Kiara, this is a brilliant post! One that everyone should definitely read. It's obvious that you've been aware of this issue for a while, and you have some great ideas of how to remedy it.

[EdenArchangel]

I don't mind -- I think it looks nice visually to have your two quote/image boxes below your opening post, as they came later but are important supplements to your argument.

My first post was small anyway ("Bring me Final Fantasy!") as I did not expect the explosion following xD

[Mack]

(Edit: Success! Whew...)

Eden, you organized my images wonderfully in the quotes. It's up to you if you'd mind keeping them there or not.

Thanks guys! We need a crown!

Lol thanks for posting them. If we can still get someone to translate this topic with all the images and stuff over to the Japanese forums, maybe renew it there since they seem to have talked about it, and mention that this same topic has come up on all the forums so far we'd have went full circle. Plus we don't want the Japanese players feeling left out :P.

[Frisque]

Here are some quick examples of what SE could do that would make the areas stand out more:

* The Black Shroud *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Bentbranch region (same as it is now, but with less tunnels :P)
• Rank 11 - 20: Five Hangs region / Mirror Lake. Open it up more, but have a whole region be in and around a giant LAKE with Harbors, etc.
• Rank 21 - 30: Sorrel Haven: It's a gorgeous area, with flowing Rivers and a GIANT MANA TREE! This is already in the game.
• Rank 21 - 30 (Alternate): The Tam Tara Deepcroft / Mun-Tuy Cellars (Dungeons). They're fine as is.

If they just directed us to these distinct areas and removed the Copy & Paste Clutter, that'd make for a far better experience than what we have now (with some beautifying, but overall it could work).


* La Noscea *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Bearded Rock region (as it is now).
• Rank 11 - 20: South Bloodshore BEACH. The lower level Beach area (expanded a bit more), would be a distinct, "ocean side" battle area, with a gorgeous view. It could be like a "Valkurm Dunes" area for XIV. There are quite a few Beach / Coastline areas that are currently too small and unused.
• Rank 21 - 30: Cassiopeia Hollow - Unique and different as is, already.
• Rank 21 - 30 (Alternate): The Isles of Umbra - If you've been to The Isles of Umbra, it's a BEAUTIFUL area, high above the lands, with cliffs and climbing areas and then the huge open view overlooking the oceans. If they made this area usable for this rank, that'd give a unique experience as well.

Remove the extra Copy & Paste Clutter of La Noscea and give us those areas above, expanded, and that's another area that SE can deliver to us without too much rework.


* Thanalan *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Black Brush. It's fine as is, for a basic Desert Starter area.
• Rank 11 - 20: Nanawa Mines - It's a Mining Dungeon area. It's different from the outside areas and they can keep their work on this.
• Rank 11 - 20: The Footfalls (Deep Canyon Area) - If anyone's been to The Footfalls (it's found via the Lower Canyon area going to The Docks (to get to the Ferry from Limsa -> Ul'dah)), it's a deep Canyon area, with Tall, Mountainous Walls, and Ravines. If they developed this area out more, added some cool Nausicaa Overgrown Spore Foliage and made THAT the Rank 20 Camp, that'd stand out far more than Drybone.
• Rank 21 - 30: Burnt Lizard Creek (with MORE of the Temple Architecture): If anyone's seen the Hidden Temple in a cave in Burnt Lizard Creek, it's BEAUTIFUL and completely unused. (>_>) If they developed out more of this hidden Temple Architecture and added it to the area around Burnt Lizard Creek and maybe added something like an Active VOLCANO with Flowing Lava, that'd be a great Rank 30 area that'd be visually distinct.

Again, just some quick examples, but with changes like the above (and removing the extra Copy & Pasted generic areas inbetween), we'd HAVE UNIQUE, INTERESTING AREAS TO LEVEL UP IN.

Instead it was as if someone on the old team decided, "Let's save those unique areas for later patches / level cap raise. We can get away with Copy & Pasting the same starter textures and geometry all over the 3 regions and it'll be fine."

Here's to hoping we get some changes with the coming 7th Umbral Age that was hinted at on Lodestone ("Storm Over Gridania"), and that SE listens to our pleas.

QFT
/10 char