Zone Aesthetics

[Platinumstorm]

So you'd like the feel of each zone as long as they didn't have the exact same ridge repeated over and over?

I have problems with the length of time it takes to get from place to place, and then once you get to that area you spend a little bit of time there; you're done, and then you have to make the long journey elsewhere - so that's a pain. There's nothing exciting that happens between the points, there aren't even things like vendors where you can unload goods, or even people to talk to. I do think a few points major standout points of interest that actually mean something and do something are really important, but the zones don't really have them. At the very least, large points of interest serve as a navigation ground. You can also have smaller points of interests. For example, you could have Fungar creatures populating an area where there are some giant mushrooms. That makes sense because it's like their camouflage. It's not something that's going to overwhelm a players' sense, isn't grandiose, and doesn't take away from subtle zone aesthetics, but it makes sense and adds some character.

I do think Black Shroud is a zone that needs more than just repeating the same ridge - this is because of the HUGE gaps caused by the corridor. Black Shroud needs a MAJOR overhaul. It's annoying that the Black Shroud's major features are lakes that look identical to each other. The lakes should have character to them; it doesn't mean they need a tower of Babel shooting laser beams from it, but it needs to have its own flavor and purpose.

La Noscea really needs performance optimizations, so that would be the change I would suggest for it.

Thanalan has the best zone design. You have easy access to several different tilesets within the theme, and even though there are many repeated assets it's easier to digest in this zone because of its open space and larger items.

Mor Dhana is a mess and I would just overhaul it completely. No one wants to go to Mor Dhana and fight pigs and toads. It's basically saying here's a giant dragon - but what you're going to fight are lizards, pigs, and toads.

Coerthas is somewhere in the middle. It needs some performance optimizations; but like Mor Dhana and the other zones- nothing there matters.

A part of the zone redesigns should also focus on music, they need to add lots and lots of music. People talk about how FFXIV's music is so great, and there are some really nice pieces, but there is so little of it and it ends up ruining the ambient experience.

Right now between the three main zones there is about 6-9 minutes of non-combat music per zone. [which is what you're doing the majority of the time]

I researched this a few months ago, but one of my favorite zones in World of Warcraft has about 25 minutes of music for the daytime cycle.

This music is trimmed apart into smaller bits that make it feel relevant to areas within the zone, and it's a great feeling and adds so much to the zone design.

Daytime cycle music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpyInx0ldfo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nGXJ...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFaVY...eature=related

The Night cycle has 20 minutes music, but it's modified to fight the night time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLJSIsg3lh8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5s-8...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFaVY...eature=related

So for this zone, there is nearly 1 hour of music.

Take some time to read the comments there, because the theme of the zone combined with the absolutely superb music really evoked emotional responses from people. I've heard these tracks so many times and they give me chills.

FFXIV has Nobeo Uematsu - his contributions to making the FF franchise successful are immensely high; so let him use his works to make the game more immersive.