1.0

[Velhart]

I think a majority of the people posting "that sounds way too haaaaaarrrddd, or too painful" probably haven't played much of the oldschool MMO's that had this as a core concept. Most of the time you didn't have to rely on high level players to get your business done. Sometimes you did though, and having to form social interactions based around helping people was what formed real guilds, not ones that are glorified chat rooms.

It isn't a question about difficulty. It is a question of why even bother? FFXI at least has the excuse that most of it's content was in an open world environment which also in it's own right could get very chaotic if you had a high population server. In this game it is pointless, inconvenient, and only takes up space that could be used for other content that actually progresses your character. Go to Diadem or the upcoming Eureka if you want a simulation of high level mobs in a open zone.

[LineageRazor]

I remember in FFXI trying to kill a bunny rabbit once. When I pulled said bunny, I noticed the Monty Python rabbit taking notes as the poor Elvaan that was my avatar went from full health to being evenly coated across the zone. It wasn't even aggressive, but good gravy it made hell look tepid in comparison when I hit it with my sword. I wouldn't mind stuff like this running around the starter zones in XIV for lowbies to try and fight as a party for kicks.

There was a saying I heard once while playing FFXI: "No matter how powerful you are, somewhere in the world there's a cute little bunny that can kick your ass." XD

I also remember fun stuff people did, like Bubbly Bernie: HNM-style! (Bubbly Bernie is a notorious monster spawned as part of a low level quest. He's level 10. Folks would take him on with a full alliance of 18 level 1 characters for kicks.)

[Mirakumi]

The enemies weren't that strong once you got outside main cities. The only thing I can really think were dangerous were the NMs themselves. Though the idea of putting in a area or zone where you have to use a Chocobo to cross to it would be interesting. ~ Especially in the new expansion because although you are introduced to it - its like an OH WOW oh SHIT they hurt. I'll be back for you --- one day once I get this level. Something like that I wouldn't mind.

[NefarioCall]

There are things i like a lot more about 1.x, and the open world is one of them. Hopefully Eureka fixes this in the expansion.
(Ul'dah lag is not one of them, lol)

The thing about 1.x's open world is that although it had a lot of copy pasta environments to make it so huge, you could always find these little spots where a great deal of effort had been put into the art design. Especially in higher level areas. I'll always remember my first trip up to the Lance. And no, this game has nothing like Ifrit's Cauldron. Hopefully Eureka fixes this.

[Welsper59]

There was a saying I heard once while playing FFXI: "No matter how powerful you are, somewhere in the world there's a cute little bunny that can kick your ass." XD

I also remember fun stuff people did, like Bubbly Bernie: HNM-style! (Bubbly Bernie is a notorious monster spawned as part of a low level quest. He's level 10. Folks would take him on with a full alliance of 18 level 1 characters for kicks.)

Same folks (at least in mindset) that also used to do Hogger runs in WoW before they changed everything. /sigh a different era where players coming up with things to have fun with was the norm, not the exception (nor something negatively viewed upon towards a "lack of content").

[Ibi]

If there were instant teleports directly to events and stuff in the real world, you wouldn't see a lot of people outside on the roads either.Cutting out downtime is great, cutting out danger is a normal human want. But I say remove it completely and life is boring.

As someone who used to have an hour and a half commute to and from work, I can assure you that there are very few things in life that can be more boring than the process of getting from point A to point B. My life has considerably less boredom now that I live closer to work and can use the time I used to spend traveling on interesting things.

Everyone wants to be an explorer. That's why people take vacations and get excited visiting new places. When it comes to games alot of people suddenly don't look at it as exploring but more of an obstacle to their goal.

Firstly, this is a ridiculous generalization. There are plenty of people who have no interest whatsoever in being an explorer.

Secondly, it's exceedingly rare that people are taking vacations that involve traversing territory packed with things that will try to kill them on sight. In fact, I'd say most people probably put quite a lot of work into avoiding ever getting into that kind of situation. So to compare the two seems a little hyperbolic.

[SessionZero]

I'm okay with the size of the world itself currently. It's big enough that it feels like a real immersive world without being so big that a disproportionate chunk of my game time is spent in transit. I only have so many hours a week to play between all my real life commitments, I'd rather spend that time actually playing and doing things instead of running from A to B.

On the topic of higher-level monsters in starter zones, I think if they made the treants and goobbues and adamantoises right outside the starter cities hostile rather than passive, that may be a good enough boost in the danger factor for sprouts to make things interesting without making them tedious.

[Teryaani]

I think a majority of the people posting "that sounds way too haaaaaarrrddd, or too painful" probably haven't played much of the oldschool MMO's that had this as a core concept. Most of the time you didn't have to rely on high level players to get your business done. Sometimes you did though, and having to form social interactions based around helping people was what formed real guilds, not ones that are glorified chat rooms.

and just because the older MMOs or earlier iterations of current MMOs did something aggravating to their players doesn't mean that we all enjoyed it. I didn't and by the sound of it, others who played in games like that didn't either.

I prefer it the way it is. If I want a challenge I can find it, but if I just want to get to a quest hub I generally can without getting stomped.

[Velhart]

On the topic of higher-level monsters in starter zones, I think if they made the treants and goobbues and adamantoises right outside the starter cities hostile rather than passive, that may be a good enough boost in the danger factor for sprouts to make things interesting without making them tedious.

That is called needless punishment. What they have now is a much better way of introducing a new player to enemies that can aggro you. Also it is very misleading to a new player on how the game works.

[MicahZerrshia]

The best thing about high level anything in starter and middle range zones was naked races for fun and prizes.

To be fair, 1.x had only a handful of zones, so for instance all of thanalan was a single zone. Having it filled with nothing but lvl 1-20 mobs would have been silly. Most the higher level mobs were set away although there were the weird single and groups of high level mobs right in the middle of a low level camp.

What I miss the most is mobs who were dangerous and could even 1-2 shot even level capped players. Exploration was a hoot back then. I remember the thrill of getting all the nodes unlocked. Getting to Gelmorra Ruins or Moonspore Grove was an achievement in and of itself.

Good times.