Change, Remove, Add.

[FritoBandito]

Remove: Flight. I've long been an opponent of flight in fantasy MMOs, and while FFXIV does a better job with implementation of it compared to the most immediate comparison (WoW), I liked the Heavensward zones best when I couldn't fly, as they now feel no larger than the ARR zones in practice despite being massively bigger.

I haven't reached this point in the game yet, but I can speak from experience with WoW and say that (more often than not) flight is an option that you can decline if you don't enjoy it, and only use it when it's mandatory.

[Alahra]

flight is an option that you can decline if you don't enjoy it

It's not that I don't like flying in and of itself. Getting to one's destination faster is nice (and often necessary), especially for things like Hunts and whatnot. However, I feel that overall the game would foster a richer, more immersive experience were the option not available, period. If the option's there and you don't take it, you're not being efficient (which can be very important to one's enjoyment), but if it's not there at all, you're not missing out on anything.

I am, honestly, against most forms of fast travel (including the over abundance of Aetheryte's for teleporting—I would much prefer a system more like FFXI's with a few central teleports and nothing more), and also against "queue anywhere" systems (like FFXIV's Duty Finder or WoW's Dungeon Finder) for similar reasons, as they make the best ways to play not involve actually really ever being in the world.

[FritoBandito]

I am, honestly, against most forms of fast travel (including the over abundance of Aetheryte's for teleporting—I would much prefer a system more like FFXI's with a few central teleports and nothing more), and also against "queue anywhere" systems (like FFXIV's Duty Finder or WoW's Dungeon Finder) for similar reasons, as they make the best ways to play not involve actually really ever being in the world.

I get that, to an extent. When I'm off doing my own thing, sometimes I prefer to take the more-scenic (and less-efficient) route just to take in the sights and atmosphere. Sometimes on WoW I'd travel on ground instead of air just to see things from a different perspective for a change.

But then when it's time to do group activities, I'm glad to have the option for faster travel. I certainly would NOT want to go back to the days of FFXI where you had to pay a WHM to teleport you someplace, a BLM to warp you home, or take a VERY long boat or chocobo ride, possibly miss the airship and wait at the dock for the next one, etc. No thanks.

[Alahra]

I certainly would NOT want to go back to the days of FFXI where you had to pay a WHM to teleport you someplace, a BLM to warp you home, or take a VERY long boat or chocobo ride, possibly miss the airship and wait at the dock for the next one, etc. No thanks.

I honestly miss the old boats, but I think having Teleport/Warp open to everyone makes much more sense. I'd prefer something in between the two. Honestly, pre-flight, I felt like WoW had a fairly good balance, when flight paths were more limited (and it's honestly rare that I think WoW's implementation of something was better at any point than FFXIV's implementation). WoW actually had actual boats as well, rather than just "click yes to teleport across the water" stuff like we have here. They just came a lot more often than their equivalents in FFXI did.

[Nalien]

But then when it's time to do group activities, I'm glad to have the option for faster travel. I certainly would NOT want to go back to the days of FFXI where you had to pay a WHM to teleport you someplace, a BLM to warp you home, or take a VERY long boat or chocobo ride, possibly miss the airship and wait at the dock for the next one, etc. No thanks.

That's actually something I think really should be reintroduced... I mean... What is the harm in it? If you want to instantly travel from Ul'dah to Gridania, you have Teleport for that. Why not have a physical airship ride? When was the last time anyone even used the boat from Limsa to Thanalan...

Arguably it's wasted resources, but I don't think so... It adds a touch of immersion to the world as you sail past various landmarks, and Final Fantasy XI did a fairly good job of having unique events happen during them (Sea Horror, Pirate attacks, fun times) and even if you ignore that (given the size of Eorzean Airships, I don't know how anything could happen on them...) there is one tiny little thing they can still do; Fishing. Airships in XI didn't really have anything (I think there was a match the passenger quest? Meh), but here in XIV we have Skyfishing. All we really got for Fishing in XIV is that boat off the shore from Costa de Sol, but it just sits there... I want to fish on a boat that's going somewhere, that maybe has odd little things going on in the background (Apkallu jumping up on deck, damn I miss ToAU).