One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Siobu]

Question for you.

Sorry for the late response. I'm honestly not sure, and it's because I feel we're being given a bit of contradicting information. On one hand, they're talking about adding hubs for remote areas and I worry that they feel it's a permanent solution to deal with the bloated, 1-50 zones.

On the other hand, the Japanese were told that they're going to spend a long time on the design, and then came ominous news of storms over Gridania. But could it mean wider corridors for the Shroud?

Hopefully this thread can lure in some attention so we can all get some clarification as to what's really going on, in simple terms.

To fresh scenery for a fresh start!

[Zanfire]

Just had a humble ish thought before I trott off to bed.

The area designers, if they read this thread, will be mortified and truly gutted that their work has undergone such fierce (but hopefully largely constructive) feedback from the community. Sorry fellas!

I just wanted to say to Bayonne if you read this sir, can you please pass on my (our?) thanks to the devs for the designs they've made so far. We moan alot in the community and i'd hate for them to go home feeling crap after reading our feedback. Yes the areas need work, mistakes may have been made with the limitations and guidelines the devs worked to, but the areas have so much potential right now. They're massive canavases to work on!

I hope this thread can be read in the right way, and that com reps, devs and even yoshi see it and know that we love the game and want to make it better. That's why we grumble and joke, argue and laugh.

We care loads and just want freedom to explore a truly diverse world.

I dont think the new devs should feel bad, they are just trying to pick up after the mess. To the people who did design the zones (specifically the people who made the layout and told people to do it) they should, tbh, be embarrassed they couldnt even come to the levels of their 8 year old game. Someone at some point must have been mostly done with it and went "this seems kind of oversized and repetitive". I cant image they were proud of their work. The only semi excuse they could use at this point was that they were forced to do it because of time restraints....other then that, you clearly need to change jobs, because designing zones and layout CLEARLY is not what your good at.

Its harsh to say, but when someone does something that is not very good, especially on something with such high stakes attached to it (particularly the FF name and anticipation) and your charging people money for it, you need to step up or get out.

[Rowyne]

While I realize this thread is about creating a more distinct, natural world that is fun to explore, the music should not be forgotten. Music is used to set the mood of the environment, or the battle, and plays an intricate part in making the player believe.

I couldn't agree more. Being a musician IRL, I am one of those people who will continue to play with game music on long after everyone else has turned it off. The music is a large part of the experience for me, one that always evokes memories.

When I made the transition from FFXI to other MMOs, the music was one of the biggest things I missed. I remember nights rep grinding in WoW listening to my FFXI OST. Ironic.

Final Fantasy games have always paid great attention to detail with the music. Rich, varied, and epic music tracks for each zone. Battle music. Victory fanfares. Crafting music. Market wards muzak (LOL).

That's another thing that's definitely dragging us down while adventuring in Eorzea. With unique subzones, there should be unique music. We shouldn't have to queue up the techno just to keep us motivated.

[Jobeto-Rin]

There is a trend most, if not all, square soft & final fantasy games have had.

Please bare with me on this and forgive my grammar.

Super Mario RPG: after yet another battle against Bowser, we traveled through mushroom land
fighting bosses, earning that glorious hammer, learning new skills, making it to Mushroom kingdom, meeting mallow and making trips, to coming back to Mushroom kingdom to retake it back from that bouncy sword guy with the cool red hat.

FF7: we emerged at an enigmatic train station, fighting
it's enemies, blowing up what was a mako reactor, meeting and fighting alongside Tifa, Barret, and Aerith making our journeys to the Shinra building to riding a motorcycle, escaping towards the outer city walls of Midgard. Only to be in awe of the world map.

Xenogears: being completely ignorant of our protagonist,
we spoke to townsfolk, fought through the mountains to Citan's house to returning for an engaging
story, to joining with the girl in black forest whose help we needed to head towards the outskirts of another unknown city.

FFXI: we began our quests in our starting city, traveling outside to beat our enemies and realizing that in order to progress more we had to party and assist each other through zones to reaching cities and for accomplishing our mission ranks and or quests in order to earn more rewards and experience our beloved game. Impossible to solo.

Can you see this trend?

As we progress through said games, we've made companions because we couldn't do it by ourselves. While joining together we experienced a plethora of beautiful and diverse environments, making psychological progressions (As Sorel has stated), overtaking troubles and hardships to achieve our desires. Creating bonds "forged through hardships" (as someone paradisaical said in another thread) giving us character growth, new friendships, and a feeling of great achievement.

This game and it's maps hinder this feeling. Huge maps with no progressive areas to overcome (1-50 in 1 zone!), easy to get to point a to b, leves that require no companionship's and no real challenges, behests which do ask of parties but are so boring and repetitive it feels like chores. Free giveaways (teleports), easy gil to be made and did I mention boring huge maps? There isn't a need to work together to reach a goal, and it doesn't feel like we are earning anything. I can't look back and say I accomplished that, doesn't feel like I did anything! Just like Siobu expressed. Yeah, it's supposed to also be a solo game but IMO, it's more a solo game than a party one.

To derail from these Final Fantasy'esque' tracks, voids the game of such rewarding feelings.
Thus, we simply aren't playing Final Fantasy anymore.

Heck, barely feels like a squaresoft game for that manner.

If square gets back on track using it's methods in previous games. I think this game will rebound enormously

[Chrees]

I dont think the new devs should feel bad, they are just trying to pick up after the mess.

Actually, the same devs who made the maps are probably still there. When Yoshi-P and his crew took over, it's not like the entire team was scrapped. Only the upper management for the game was changed out; everyone else stayed the same.

[Zahak]

Good luck on dev comment tonight or in the morning! I expect a dev letter and video once I awaken :P Goodnightaru!!

[Tsuwu]

I do think that one aspect crippling the sense of exploration of this gorgeous (although repetitive - kinda like Flintstones background loop repetitive at times) world is the very very readily available, instant teleportation system.
Convenience at the cost of stifled fun and adventure.

I was so adamant about this, I actually attempted setting up a "World Tour" of sorts on my server.
We'd do the unthinkable - walk, not warp - to different zones. Take screen shots and show everyone how gorgeous the world was, and that there WAS things to see. But, 90% of people who had been there for more than 2 months already had seen the entire world, and they'd just be wasting their time taking snaps of the same things, over and over, broken up by the small handful of landmarks they already knew of.

You can, if you so choose, get your LS together with a load of freshly rolled characters (aptly named fun things such as Youcanhas Warpz) and by anima load sharing, get each and every single zone picked up by this rank 1 character, then just alt it to be a public bus to and from hot zones such as BW and LL. And you'd quickly make more money than any other person legitimately grinding, with 1/4 the effort. And you're still an R1 CON in your Weathered gear. Something about that system stinks. And it ruins the vast world.

I say once we have this oft-rumored 'catastrophic coming of the 7th Umbral Age', Anima should regenerate slower than Charlie Sheen's contract with 2 1/2 Men.

[Zanfire]

Actually, the same devs who made the maps are probably still there. When Yoshi-P and his crew took over, it's not like the entire team was scrapped. Only the upper management for the game was changed out; everyone else stayed the same.

well those folk should be ashamed of the final project. if that was their end vision for a zone, then id like to see them start all over....its a joke tbh, singular people with little to no time have come up with loads better maps. I think as the director over all things Yoshi cant be blamed, he and the new people have to fix this trash heap.

again im not blaming every coder and developer on the team, they are mostly just doing what they are told, i mean the heads who decided this was their big vision and this is how it should end up.

[Calevr]

Good stuff added on here tonight!

I feel like sharing my first time with FFXI, it was the first MMO i ever played. I didn't know what to do but i was overwhelmed with how big the world was! I started out as a Hume/Warrior fighting Tiny Mandragoras and Bumblebees straight out the gates of Windurst. I remember my first ass whooping from a Yagudo and meeting the best friend i could have in a game. She really helped me to enjoy the game teaching me things i needed to know and helping me complete quests. I had got to lv10 exploring most of Sarutabaruta, the Horutoto Ruins and Giddeus, with an adventurers attitude. It took me almost a week to get here but it was an amazing start to the game for me. Soon later we decided to leave our beautiful home and adventure into the unknown, Tahrongi Canyon and then Buburimu Peninsula. We didn't know where we were going but it was exciting! We came across new enemies like the Bull Dhalmel and with no trouble we managed to make it to a small port town called Mhaura. After saying goodbye to my friend i got on the ferry and headed out to sea. I had such a blast on my first ferry ride, talking to other adventurers and watching people fish. What an amazing journey! After fifthteen minutes on the ferry I got off in Selbina. There i got my first party and experienced a different whole FFXI.

Each zone had uniqueness that motivated me to keep playing!

[Siobu]

Thanks for sharing, Calevr! Exploring and earning new areas has always been my most memorable and satisfying experiences during my time in online games. Especially with friends.

Hopefully with all the upcoming news being translated, our thread will be acknowledged along the way.