What does exploration mean to you?

[Kurogaea]

If there were no side objectives people would have to go and explore yes. But later people whould've posted on the internet the best ways to get the best rewards and in the end, all groups would follow those guidelines. No matter how, people would find some guidelines to follow anyways.

Good point, let me ask you this though. Have you ever played an adventure game and one day later decided, "I'm gonna look up the other things I can find in this game." Like as soon as the game came out? Well two words dude. Experience ruined. 60 dollar (or idk) game experience spoiled in about a week -clap- Maybe not a week per-say, but if you don't like to enjoy your game and savor the contents, the what your left with is the dessert (rewards) and that's ok. I for one, don't want to be spoiled the reward, I'd love to see what awaits in this place, not what I can and how-to get, thats the main dish imo....f%$#ing hungry now.

For those who will eventually post it on the internet, yeah it was bound to hapen, like hunts, they just want their items and worry less about content. Its just how they are and its ok for you to be too. "I'm just not your kind of people" -Garbage (why the band is named that, i don't even know)

[Naunet]

To me, exploration means being able to wander around zones without being smacked in the face with invisible walls at nearly every opportunity. (A little off-topic, I know, but there was the question posed... xD)

[kuma_aus]

You have 90 minutes in the map. Take a look at the objective list again and you will see these are very basic objectives which can be done in a short amount of time. Slaying 8 mobs around A mob difficulty, constantly killing bosses to spawn treasure chests, find out one of these "white crystal" thingies and gather 16 items, fish 8 fish.

Say it takes you 30-50 minutes to do all of this, that still leaves 60-40 minutes of just exploring and doing what ever you and your party want to. Go explore if you want to, 90 minutes to clear that simple list is easy, and you only need to complete 3 stuff on it to get rewards.

[Mutemutt]

Reminds me of scavenger hunts. But really, don't think it detracts from the "exploration" for me. I have no idea where most of that is after all, at least not the first time through.

Even when you look at it as an instanced version of hunts, it strikes me as sort of approaching the Monster Hunter series in a way, and I kinda like that.

[Kurogaea]

I get where you're coming from, but I disagree entirely. You talk like this sidebar shows a video of every little corner of the area, every boss, every monster, it does not. All it shows is a name, that's literally it. Are you going to tell me that it telling you to catch fish has ruined it for you now? What about harvesting items or examining crystals? Those doesn't change the sense of exploration in the slightest, and it's highly likely that the monsters on the sidebar are going to be common mobs, not the super rare Gigadeathtoyourface. These are not telling you where to find these mobs, so you're exploring to find them, "get it"? I think you need to reevaluate your entire post, people find a way to complain about literally everything don't they?

Lol of course I think it ruins it. Its not the worst and completely dis-likable, but its definitely not a genuine exploration adventure now is it? If gave you a map to (idk) Dravanian backlands, and told you you can discover new creatures and materials never seen before....and then put the key things you will find on the side of the map.... Do you get it? I'm not trying to be a d%#$ to you, but to anyone else wanting a grand experience in this game or even the whole concept of exploring, then this would be a first step. Right now it looks like they stepped on a pebble and broke their soles. Just hoping they repair or replace em.

Gonna ignore that little thing at the end, you don't seem to happy about those wanting a better game experience in their monthly subscription game. X) -peace-

[AlphaFox]

I think a better idea would be instead of giving us a to-do list. Give us a blank list that randomly fills in as the party explores, having the map be somewhat randomly generated. Come across a lake "Why not fish", a mining area, walk into a zone with monsters who ambush? Pop it up in the list now. Having a preset kinda ruins it cus you know what to expect.

[kuma_aus]

Lol of course I think it ruins it. Its not the worst and completely dis-likable, but its definitely not a genuine exploration adventure now is it? If gave you a map to (idk) Dravanian backlands, and told you you can discover new creatures and materials never seen before....and then put the key things you will find on the side of the map.... Do you get it? I'm not trying to be a d%#$ to you, but to anyone else wanting a grand experience in this game or even the whole concept of exploring, then this would be a first step. Right now it looks like they stepped on a pebble and broke their soles. Just hoping they repair or replace em.

Gonna ignore that little thing at the end, you don't seem to happy about those wanting a better game experience in their monthly subscription game. X) -peace-

Where are they putting key things on the side of the map? Look again at the list. If it was a key thing, like a HNM, it wouldn't say to kill 5 of them.

Here is the exact same list in terms of The Dravanian Forelands so it's easy to see just how "exploration killing" this list is.

Wind Currents discovered: 0/3

Slay Feather Fleas: 0/5
Slay Bandersnatch: 0/3
Discover treasure chests: 0/8
Examine a vista: 0/1
Log or harvest items: 0/16
Catch fish: 0/8

If the new exploration map was The Dravanian Forelands, would a list like this really ruin the exploration for you?

[Kurogaea]

it strikes me as sort of approaching the Monster Hunter series in a way, and I kinda like that.

Yeah I like that too, like alot. Its just the part when they call it exploration that bothers me the most. Take me as a "yearning adventurer". I like to seek more in my experience, yeah it may be a needy concept, but its the main point of exploring, you want to be the one to discover these things.

also everyone keeps stating the obvious with the "You havn't actually seen the items or enemies so whats the big deal?" Well the big deal is, what's the point of exploring if you know whats there? There's just...a blatant wrongness about this and people don't see it, or just refuse to admit it and keep on kissing up to the devs for content. Its like a bunch of seagulls just desperate for food they just toss down at you as you topple all over eachother...lol that was mean I apologize. Maybe I am just overestimating or overreacting, but if someone can actually tell me why removing the side options bar would ruin the experience, I'd love to hear you hear you out and change my post to something more sensible to your opinion.

[Kurogaea]

I think a better idea would be instead of giving us a to-do list. Give us a blank list that randomly fills in as the party explores, having the map be somewhat randomly generated. Come across a lake "Why not fish", a mining area, walk into a zone with monsters who ambush? Pop it up in the list now. Having a preset kinda ruins it cus you know what to expect.

Oh thank god someone who gets it, I was ready to lose my friggen mind with this. Discovery and excitement is key in exploration. To know what your dealing with just lessens that experience.

[AeraLure]

I think a better idea would be instead of giving us a to-do list. Give us a blank list that randomly fills in as the party explores, having the map be somewhat randomly generated. Come across a lake "Why not fish", a mining area, walk into a zone with monsters who ambush? Pop it up in the list now. Having a preset kinda ruins it cus you know what to expect.

I wish it could be like this, with a lot more random/dynamic generation to offer a bit more surprise and wonder in the exploration. More work on the dev side to be sure, and eventually you'd see most/all patterns (unless they kept adding to it), but it would be better. I'm afraid with that list that explorations will devolve into set patterns/roles every time "you go get the currents, you go fish, you.. etc" and it probably will. It may not matter - it may still be a lot of fun. I for one am still really looking forward to explorations as a main thing from this patch - drops, FC fun etc.