Make FFXIV more like FFXI and less like WoW!

[Velhart]

For starters, shouldn't your comparisons be to the systems already in XIV where this can be a problem (Hunts, FATEs, and Diadem), or where that problem is (albeit awkwardly) avoided, such as in leves?

Sorry to answer a question with a question, but are these open world interactions condemned to be ever disappointing just because someone else can have an affect on the resources or tasks available to you? The same concepts are largely lauded in other MMOs, wherein the players must make an effort together in order to keep a given zone functioning, or where world PvP can push opportunities for players in their respective factions for better or worse. Are those people just all crazy for enjoying that element of risk and/or (forced) community?

Hunts themselves are pretty much a prime example how conflicting content like open world dungeons can be. If you put something of value in there, you will be fighting countless others to get it done. FATE's to a lesser extent, but they scale based on how many players are there, the more higher level ones at least.

I am 100% open to finding ways to put more into the open world. I am not for ideas that involve crowding a ton of people and making people conflict with one another. Things like treasure maps is definitely a step in the right direction.

Phasing. You don't have to compete against hundreds of others and people can still get their open world fix.
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You are right, there is open world content where you do not have to conflict with anyone. Its just your ideas are not that.

There were times I would go up into Sky alone and solo stuff I wasn't supposed to. But I couldn't solo everything. It was amazing for the option to run into people and have an experience of community, not an event of community. An example of event type is everyone going to a huge peace/love festival like The Burning Man, and even though there are thousands of people, you are really only interacting with who you came with if you are staring at your phone and the people two feet in front of you the whole time.

Interesting, because usually what I saw is "That LS better not be farming Despot or Ullikumi." Usually turns into a match of who can claim the mob first.

Having a zone with interconnecting areas and the ability to get lost, gives you the Christopher Columbus feeling you can't get with bread crumb trails and lobbies. Not saying I don't enjoy my share of instances. But when a game puts all it's eggs in one basket and shuns another, that is a limit on what someone might consider fun.

Difference of opinion here. I believe instanced content opens up to letting developers be more creative with an area and do things you would not be able to do in a open world setting. That in itself is open to criticism and interpretation, but it definitely makes things more interesting.

Diadem has the capability to offer that open world exploration feeling while being instanced. Best of both worlds. SE just needs to get it right. Hopefully the revamp of it will do that. Diadem really is what people should focus on being content like Sky/Sea if anything.