Theres a thing called anima

[Vesper]

<STORYTYME>For all you people who are like "YAY INSTA AIRSHIP RIDE DURP LETS DO IT TO THE FERRY" I have news flash for you. There is a thing called anima. There doesn't have to be a time paradox going on or bending reality or whatever you would call it(I know its a game a fantasy game, but there still has to be some laws of nature). If you want something instant please use the anima SE gave you, if you don't have 1-5mins to spare(just guessing how long it would take to ride the airship). This is just silly, I don't even know how you guys think. If you could enlighten me on your ways, I would be in much appreciation. THE END </STORYTYME>

Normally I would agree with you. But since Airships are going to be insta travel (and later optional slow travel for those who want it) I see no reason not to adjust Ferry times to be instant or slow by choice. THE END

[Rhomagus]

[I personally don't believe there should even be those kinds of quests unless it's something like smuggling stuff

I think they actually had that in XI. If you didn't use the airship or chocobo you'd fail either because you didn't get there in time or the item was "damaged" via warping or something.

If they want to create content that is based around utilizing the airship I'm fine with this. Forcing a ride/cutscene is pointless if there's nothing to do.

What in-game related feature/item do you wish you could use in the real world?
Yoshida: Definitely teleportation. Commuting to work is such a waste of time…

[Rhomagus]

4Gamer: What kind of game is “Final Fantasy” to you? I really wanted to make sure I asked you that.

Yoshida: That’s a tough question. (laughs) A lot of different people have worked on the Final Fantasy series and I think you’ll find as many “Final Fantasy”s as the people who made them. I think it means something different to each player out there too. For example, if you ask if somebody likes Final Fantasy, they often reply with the titles from the series they liked. And each of those answers will be different too. However, I think what everyone has in common is getting pulled into the world of Final Fantasy. Every new FF title brings a new way of looking at the world. I think that FFXIV will prove itself as part of the Final Fantasy series by the way we show people how they can enjoy their time in Eorzea.

Why we are getting these features implemented asap and as barebones versions later to be developed

4Gamer: Yet, it feels like FFXIV lacks some of the overall characteristics that make a game part of the Final Fantasy series. The names of spells certainly show their FF roots but we have yet to get chocobos or airships. I feel like it still needs things to make it feel like a Final Fantasy experience.

Yoshida: I think if you ask players about that, they’ll ask for Meteor, airships, things of the like. As for the chocobos, they are there but people want to be able to ride them. That gets us back to the discussion we had just a bit ago which asks, “What is the bare minimum that people expect when they begin to play this game?” I think the things people expect from an FF game have to be reflected in the game content. That’s why, in addition to the other tasks, we have to ask what’s most important to the players, which is precisely what our team is thinking about right now.

later on in the interview:

First, we have to get our ducks in a row. Then, once we have confidence, we can work things out from there, creating a timeline for things that will happen in each quarter of the year, and then beyond. However, we have to get ourselves into a position where we can make good on our promises first.

The following quote is from a more recent interview:

4Gamer: I see. One side may see it as making the game too easy but there are more who feel safe while playing because of it.

Yoshida: I think so. Down the line we’ll be releasing a PS3 version of FFXIV and that means a new generation of players including some who have never touched an MMORPG before. We’ve been working on UI improvements for the last six months but when the PS3 version is released, there are going to be a lot of things that are needed for those players as a matter of course. So even if there are current players who might object to it, I’ve always felt that we need to release whatever information we can. We want players to understand that we’ll continue to add new things, and given that, we’d like for them to make their own decisions on how to play the game, develop battle strategies, etc.

Bolded for emphasis. I'm confident that suggestions would be better heard if they kept this philosophy in mind. This is the current producer's design philosophy.

To add:

4Gamer: It doesn’t have to just be real friends. Sometimes people meet new friends online and choose to start playing a game together. I think there are a lot of people who continue to play with other people in these smaller communities.

Yoshida: That’s the way things are going. So we think about what kind of content we can make that doesn’t require strict role division and makes it easier to form parties while at the same time, creating content that makes a player think “hey, this weekend, let’s make a plan and take on the hardest thing we can with the group we have”. There are a lot of entertainment choices out there and given the busy lives of the current generation of players, it’s only natural that people would have different ways of playing whether it’s a weekend or a weekday.

Given the type of content we want to make, you come to the conclusion that it just isn’t probable to balance the game with groups of 15 people.

To continue:

Yoshida: So if you ask what makes FFXIV special, it’s that you can be by yourself, play in a small party, play in a big party, play any class, play differently on the weekends or weekdays, the community size, and the way parties are going that day…. It doesn’t matter because there is so much you can choose from. The job system will be added which just means you could also team up with your friends and enjoy playing as certain jobs. I think all of that is what will make FFXIV different.

Bold for emphasis.

Also from the Eorzeapedia interview:

Q. At the Ebisu event back in September we saw what looked like group crafting – where a group appeared to jointly craft a cake. What can you tell us about that?

A. Yoshida-san indicated that he wants to keep developing this system, but its priority is still to be decided. He went on to joke that he needs to address how the cake would be used before addressing how the cake was made.

Again bolded for emphasis, even though it's passed off as a joke, it's a legitimate premise of game design. If it has no use, then there's no need to implement it.

This is often where writers and editors butt heads. Sometimes there are whole chapters of books, whole concepts of characters, that have to be flushed away or adjusted and streamlined. This choice isn't always made for "money because it ruins things". It's often made because it doesn't fit within the overall theme of the peice or is a distraction. In some instances, while a lengthy description might seem superfluous at the time, it may be put into perspective when contrasting certain milestones of the adventure as a whole.

In game design the theme should be represented and expressed through the gameplay. Even "immersion" (which is different for everyone) revolves around gameplay. I'm okay with immersion, but not as a distraction to gameplay. This is my reasoning for why forcing a needless waiting mechanic on people that are trying to do something else is not good game design. Also keep in mind, I'm not asking for the abolishment of an airship cutscene/experience. I would love to see airship content, but they shouldn't sacrifice a player's time for aesthetics. If they are asking for a player's time, they need to offer something in return, preferably in the form of gameplay.

The only other excuse I see for using the timesink mechanic is as a tool for social engineering, a poor one at that. I could never agree with this and I believe it's at the core of the "immersionists" argument.

The following thread outlines possible content the developers could implement. It contains a risk/reward mechanic for all of the possible choices while still maintaining:

1.) An express travel option for some
2.) A relaxed experience for others
3.) And last but certainly not least, gameplay related content that fits within the story and adds to the immersion of any player who wants to experience said content.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-Content-Ideas.

Please add your thoughts and I'll update the OP accordingly.

[Commat]

Again bolded for emphasis, even though it's passed off as a joke, it's a legitimate premise of game design. If it has no use, then there's no need to implement it.

The super cake quote killed my belief that the devs have a clear vision of what players want.

They don't know what use a giant cake would have?

They couldn't dream up that 4 lvl 50 CULs making a cake for their LS that they drop before a dungeon run that everyone can take a piece of would make ranking CUL important and down right awesome? How hard is that?

Rank 50 CUL recipe "Birthday Cake!"
requires
-shit ton of mats
-4 rank 50 or higher CULs where all 4 CULs take turns on the mini game and to complete, the quality has to be above some hard to get number.
-Using Birthday Cake places it on a table. Party members can click the cake to get best food buff. Something like +hp,mp,acc,dmg,haste.

It would be the ultimate buff for full parties and be damn fun to make before raids.

Really? They can't find a purpose for it?

[Viridiana]

To the people saying that it doesn't make the game any easier they would be in fact. Wrong

By allowing the airship to remain instant it drops any need to ever use Anima in a city to warp to another city, conserving you Anima to spend on other things that make the game easier. So yeah...it does make things easier.

If people had to wait a few minutes "Hell even a minute lol" to move from city-city I can guarantee a large number of people would still deem the use of their time more precious than the use of anima and warp from city-city still. Therefor cutting them short of anima and the abillity to travel without the dreaded "Walking" mechanic the game has.

And here's where I get to say that you're wrong. I already have more anima than I need, because I can usually only play on the weekends and I don't just teleport everywhere. Having as much anima as I do means I can already do content quickly, and I'm far from the only one. The fact is, airships and maybe even chocobos will have almost no effect on my play.

And again, unless there are high-ranked enemies between you and your destination, teleporting to it doesn't make it any easier. Time consumption does not equal challenge. running past fifty non-aggroing marmots is not in any way a challenge. If anything, it's the reason I afk when I run places. What do you suppose that does for my immersion, eh?

[Jynx]

And here's where I get to say that you're wrong.

You have enough anima to port wherever you damn well please, ok how does that invalidate my arguement that traveling does impose a challenge albeit a very small one.

You still need to functionally move your character in the proper direction, I digress though it's arguing semantics to the umpteenth degree. They should focus on making the trip to the camps a little more "Engaging" as it were but then people would complain that it's too hard!

We used to have agro monsters on the beaten path until people complained about it.

[DNO]

You have enough anima to port wherever you damn well please, ok how does that invalidate my arguement that traveling does impose a challenge albeit a very small one.

You still need to functionally move your character in the proper direction, I digress though it's arguing semantics to the umpteenth degree. They should focus on making the trip to the camps a little more "Engaging" as it were but then people would complain that it's too hard!

We used to have agro monsters on the beaten path until people complained about it.

your never gonna give up on the long=/= hard huh? lol sad

Lemme give you an example. Ninja gaiden (the first one on xbox. man it was tough) is 8 hours long.

Ratchet and clank is about a 12-15 hour game.

By your logic Ratchet is the harder game because its long correct? Please find a way to spin this lol

[Etienn]

Was that really needed? I don't get why we can't all just let our arguements do the speaking for us isntead of acting like children like this.

Oh why lord jynx did you not include the rest of my post, which shows why I said this?

[Nikita]

You guys are playing an MMO your playing it to kill time as it is. You should manage your anima better, I play every day and have 90 anima. Theres a thing where, if your in a party and you always ride the airship they are going to get mad that you wont do it instant..... Wont party with you no more youll lose friends, SO EVEN IF I WANTED TO RIDE THE SHIP I COULDNT

Just got around to reading this derptastic thread, and by the looks of it, you seem to be under the assumption that if given the option, everyone you know would chose to skip the airship ride rather than stay on it for the entire ride.

Just a thought, if you were the only one that would want to ride it out, why should SE cater to only you? Everyone's argument against having the option to choose weather or not they want to stay on the airship for the full amount of time is "I'll be the only one that wants to ride it!!!". Why don't you all just play together and ride your airship all day long fighting sky pirates and watching the land pass beneath you over and over, and let others opt out?

There seems to be enough people that want to stick around for the ride that you could just do it together. If you are in fact in the minority, you need to face the fact that you are the minority. Square won't make much money if they only cater to the 100 or so people on the forums that dislike having options.

If people really want to skip the airship ride, let them. It is none of your business how other people play the game. If they make it compelling enough to stay for the entire ride, people won't skip it. Quit trying dictate how people play their game. You didn't buy their box, and I doubt you will be paying their subscription. Really, that goes to everyone that thinks they should remove features because they dislike them. There are plenty of things in this game I don't like, but I know that there are some people that like them, so I just deal with it. Go to Burger King if you want it your way. This is an MMO, and you aren't the only one playing it.

[Etienn]

Just got around to reading this derptastic thread, and by the looks of it, you seem to be under the assumption that if given the option, everyone you know would chose to skip the airship ride rather than stay on it for the entire ride.

Just a thought, if you were the only one that would want to ride it out, why should SE cater to only you? Everyone's argument against having the option to choose weather or not they want to stay on the airship for the full amount of time is "I'll be the only one that wants to ride it!!!". Why don't you all just play together and ride your airship all day long fighting sky pirates and watching the land pass beneath you over and over, and let others opt out?

There seems to be enough people that want to stick around for the ride that you could just do it together. If you are in fact in the minority, you need to face the fact that you are the minority. Square won't make much money if they only cater to the 100 or so people on the forums that dislike having options.

If people really want to skip the airship ride, let them. It is none of your business how other people play the game. If they make it compelling enough to stay for the entire ride, people won't skip it. Quit trying dictate how people play their game. You didn't buy their box, and I doubt you will be paying their subscription. Really, that goes to everyone that thinks they should remove features because they dislike them. There are plenty of things in this game I don't like, but I know that there are some people that like them, so I just deal with it. Go to Burger King if you want it your way. This is an MMO, and you aren't the only one playing it.

Does not really matter there, they would skip it if given the option, you can skip some cs's!!!! but is different.. skipping boat ride makes no sense.