One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Cyruance]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

Cities are actually part of the zones they reside in, if you go from one zone(region) to another you hit a loading screen. People would want at least that much variation between the zones and given the apparent technical design of XIV, it probably is something they'd have to accept to get the type of zone differentiation they want.

This seems an odd thing to be nitpicking at here, the desire is a more diverse world no matter how you cut it.

[kurokawa]

Loading screens, no loading screens, meh. No one will care if the game has variation and a progressive way of adventuring as you rise through the ranks.

This thread calls for an environmental design change. How that change happens isn't the point.

Are they going to change the copy paste landscapes and introduce real character to the land of Eorzea, or are they limited to adding a few camps and dungeons?
If they can't change it, why are they limited? Is it cost, manpower, Memory or the actual engine?
Will the starter area landscapes stay the same?
Whats the deal with everything being copy paste?
Will new areas be better thought through?
Will every camp look similar in future??
Do they agree that leveling from 1-50 in a barren canyon is most people's idea of hell?
Are they going to shoot the person who thought it was a good idea?
When?

[Zahak]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

I agree SE could make more unique areas without loading screens. Wouldn't bother me at all if they did have to make smaller zones though. But again..don't think they would need to.

Still hopeful of some kind of mention be it in a dev comment (crown) or in the letter from the producer. Would be extremely surprised if Yoshi did happen to add a small snippet of text concerning this thread though. Don't really see that happening so I await our friendly forum moderators. *lays out dead lalafell for Malboro Bayo bait* <_<

[charliesheen]

Minions, let me be clear. I understand that you all want distinctive areas to adventure in. I also seek this ultimate goal. However the reason they don't have these in place yet is down to lazy designing and nothing more. Split zones with lots of loading screens are not required. Just less copy-pasta terrain that was done in a rushed release.

[Chrees]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

Apparently it's not possible, and this is the answer we were given to "prove" it, if you will. Now whether or not it's true doesn't matter, but for the moment this is all we have to base our assumptions on:

PC Gamer: Recently, players have been posting videos of terrain they think was copy and pasted (eg. 1, 2 – maps showing all the relevant areas). Is that the case, and if so why?

Hiromichi Tanaka: Since FFI, we have always used the same design to show the scenery. We have one map divided into different parts, and then we use those parts. Otherwise, the data size is going to be terabytes. So, from the memory size point of view, it’s important to compile the data size. That being said, because we wanted the game to be seamless, we do understand there’s a lack of variation. So that’s why we do want to have more unique aspects in the area, depending on what area of the game it is. However, even for the 3D version for other MMOs, using the same data is quite common in designing the game.

PC Gamer: I understand when it’s elements of a landscape, like a tree or rock. But these seem to be whole areas, to an extent that you don’t see in something like WoW.

Hiromichi Tanaka: One of the explanations for that is the size of the parts of the data that we use. Back in the days of FFXI and even WoW, the memory of each part was much less than what we have to use now. These days, because of the graphics, the same size of the parts costs more memory size. If the PC itself has that same size of the- has got larger in the same manner, then we can increase the map in the same way. But the same size of the data is now like ten times more memory size, so that’s really costing the game data size.

PC Gamer: If WoW could do it then, why isn’t it doable now?

Hiromichi Tanaka: One of the reasons why is because of the quality of the graphics – it’s different from WoW. What we’re trying to do in each part is costing more memory. Basically that’s the difference. WoW was designed a few years ago, before FFXI. FFXIV is designed with the latest graphical technology; that’s why it costs that much of memory data.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/11/15/in...happy-players/

[charliesheen]

In case you haven't realized, there are "loading corridors" all over Eorzea, I rather wait & get zones with more variety than run these corridors and get same terrain everywhere.

Indeed, I am aware! And it is through these loading corridors that they would be able to provide the more distinct landscapes within 'zones' that we crave.

[kurokawa]

Minions, let me be clear. I understand that you all want distinctive areas to adventure in. I also seek this ultimate goal. However the reason they don't have these in place yet is down to lazy designing and nothing more. Split zones with lots of loading screens are not required. Just less copy-pasta terrain that was done in a rushed release.

I wish you were really Charlie Sheen. Bit sad really isn't it.

[Eekiki]

Correct. There is no reason why we need cut-away loading screens. The zone transitions are fine the way they are, they just need to load different stuff!

[charliesheen]

I wish you were really Charlie Sheen. Bit sad really isn't it.

Everyone needs some Sheenius in their life! #winning

@Chrees: You have my gratitude Sir. Clearly SE have a special way with programming, and by special I mean not very good. So they are incapable of doing it without loading screens... Pitiful. Alas, I will continue playing even if the dreaded loading screens do return. My soul is already possessed by the satanic corporation.

[Zahak]

Anyone master of the photoshop? Would be nice to have even more detailed paintings like these
http://www.seahorror.com/thumbs.jpg

Image created by Siobu