Quote Originally Posted by Estellios View Post
That's a lot different than the general consensus of people that are arguing against instant travel, who simply sound as if they want other people to be forced to play how THEY want to play the game by removing options.

Like you have said, part of the issue is that there is really no point to taking your time to travel. I think the planned map redesigns are trying to alleviate that. I personally believe the philosophy of quick vs slow travel should not be penalize those that want an easier path, but reward those that go out of their way. Maybe random happenings along the field that will reward you in various ways, settlements with quests for you to do, or something along those lines. The treasure chests on the fields that they are adding seems like a way to make it more rewarding to go explore without stepping on others' toes.

Don't you take away my maps though! =P
I guess I can't really speak for everyone, only myself. I'm really pinning a lot of my hopes for this game on the impending zone redesign (mega-bonus points if they tie it into the lore of the world) and the eventual release of completely new zones. I think strategic gameplay is the key. I have no problem with having alternate gameplay methods designed for casual players, like leves and anima or an aggro indicator, for example. Although, if SE goes too far and puts in too many shortcuts around parts of the game requiring strategy and cooperation, or an investment of time and effort, then why should I play FFXIV when I can go play Angry Birds on my phone?

And I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree about the maps thing. Not having a map and not knowing where to go is what makes visiting new areas difficult. It also promotes cooperation between high-level mentors and new players. The difficulty of getting the map should mirror the difficulty of the zone, maybe with maps of the starter zones being given to new players. It gives players something to do, something to achieve, and a sense of character progression, other than ranking up, day after day. Same thing goes for a chocobo license or airship license. Fortunately for you, and unfortunately for me, Yoshi P. seems to be on your side.