Instance vs Open-World: what do you want more of?

[Calevr]

I would like more content for the current locations to give players more choices to play how they want, and more options to Battlecraft Leves that are viable for parties.

[Kerberon]

@Kerberon

This is internet and i can be misread, i'm writing this calmed, serious and w/o bad intentions.

This thread is asking for preferences and instead you're trying to enforce your opinion.

I can understand you like instances, some ppl is just not made for open world, but it has as many cons as instanced content, you may want to have all the development resources put on designing instanced content, but MMOs are business and we are customers, and a good amount of those customers is asking for instance content, if you don't like it don't play it, they will keep releasing instanced content, but don't try to enforce your opinion to make us reject open world content because that's not gonna happen.

If i'm wrong and those are not your intentions, just help us to give feedback to make open world content you can enjoy.

I honestly trying to understand it, because every game I've played open worlds become empty wastelands after people level, and while some people are saying that open world is great they aren't actually giving reasons and I can't understand what they're liking about it other than a vague "it's what makes it an mmo" which doesn't make any sense to me.

[Sakasa]

I honestly trying to understand it, because every game I've played open worlds become empty wastelands after people level, and while some people are saying that open world is great they aren't actually giving reasons and I can't understand what they're liking about it other than a vague "it's what makes it an mmo" which doesn't make any sense to me.

Well neither does you want for stronger open world but at the same time lack of leashing because if you can you will avoid it.


Open world really is good (and bad) because of the experiences one can have in it but has limits because unlike the real world it has to be static in a way where new players can get to it eventually. My only issue with hard open world content, monsters breaking into your inn room to slaughter you in your sleep, choco corpses littering the zones is that new players will have to face this off the bat or if have to be placed out the way so most people will avoid it if given the chance. Unless there is a reward which even then it will eventually be left to die.

Fates are a good alternative but then you have the fates like required for animus which seem more rare then atma drops sometimes. The bounty system though seems leve like but a qued world event wouldn't be to bad such as a fate you can activate anytime after a count down to lure out some big monster for some drop (cosmetic).

[TheUltimate3]

I honestly trying to understand it, because every game I've played open worlds become empty wastelands after people level, and while some people are saying that open world is great they aren't actually giving reasons and I can't understand what they're liking about it other than a vague "it's what makes it an mmo" which doesn't make any sense to me.

Back in the Long Long Ago, there was only open world stuff and no instances, which forced players to interact with their server in a much more intimate manner. That's the general gist of it.

Now how to make open world content and then not have it empty wasteland is the real pickle.

[Calevr]

A living breathing world!

I feel like sharing my first time with FFXI, it was the first MMO i had ever played. I had no idea what to do but i felt so overwhelmed with how big the world was. I started out as a Hume/Warrior fighting Tiny Mandragoras and Bumblebees straight out from the gates of Windurst. I remember my first ass whooping from a Yagudo and meeting this amazing person in a game. She really helped me to enjoy the game teaching me the 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. I had played almost a week but it was an amazing start to the game for me.

[Calevr]

A sense of adventure!

Soon later we decided to leave our beautiful home and explore 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. It was a great experience! After fifthteen minutes on the ferry I got off in Selbina. There i got my first party and experienced a whole different side of FFXI.

[Gramul]

because every game I've played open worlds become empty wastelands after people level

I think this is where we differ. While you may see these places as empty wastelands, I see them as integral parts of the games environment. Something that can help breathe life into an interactive experience and make it more than just a game. Being able to participate in engaging and creative open world content is part of what makes a world feel alive. At least for me. That's where I get most of my enjoyment from games. Exploring and learning about the world, seeing new places, participating in off the fly low structure experiences. That's where the life of a game blossoms beyond a list of tasks and challenges.

[Renik]

I honestly trying to understand it, because every game I've played open worlds become empty wastelands after people level, and while some people are saying that open world is great they aren't actually giving reasons and I can't understand what they're liking about it other than a vague "it's what makes it an mmo" which doesn't make any sense to me.

And i agree with wastelands feeling, that's why i think the dangerous areas should be for high lvl players only, if you put on them rare crating mats and battles that drop tomes, these areas will always be not full of ppl but at least not empty, and after some time, when the lvl cap is raised, these areas will turn into camps for soloers and players gearing alts, also SE seems to be good recycling areas.

In terms of community, in my 8 years of FFXI (a game with lots of open word content and highly competitive) i only found 2 trolls, but in FFXIV since the ealry access i found more than 20, the cause is simple, in the open world you'll find ppl from your server, ppl you'll be seeing for years, but in DF you're anonymous.

And the most important part, it's fun hanging around helping random ppl.

[Ryihito]

I think this is where we differ. While you may see these places as empty wastelands, I see them as integral parts of the games environment. Something that can help breathe life into an interactive experience and make it more than just a game. Being able to participate in engaging and creative open world content is part of what makes a world feel alive. At least for me. That's where I get most of my enjoyment from games. Exploring and learning about the world, seeing new places, participating in off the fly low structure experiences. That's where the life of a game blossoms beyond a list of tasks and challenges.

This is spot on.

[Deusteele]

Going to cross post this from another thread since it's rather relevant.

First you have to remember. Forum's by their nature are echo-chambers that tend to promote like-minded support. So be wary of posts agreeing with your topic.

Second is that putting beef-gate monsters on mandatory leveling paths will do but nothing discourage new gamers from getting into the game due to artificially roadblocking progression. New players are forced to beg for assistance, to merely play the game, as the game grows beyond those area via expansions and general gameplay longevity. So many have answered, "put tomes/loot on these mobs". But this just encourages spawn camping, and all the sundry issues that come with that.

But now even if the developers were to place tough mobs in the overworld, and put them out of the way, so as not to discourage players from continuing their adventures in Eorzea. What would be the reasoning behind this? Why would a player go to these places intentionally, repeatedly, and meaningfully?

For Loot?
For Tomes?
For Crafting Material?

Why couldn't they merely place these monsters within an instance and again prevent spawn camping issues?