New Underwater Residential Area in 4.0

[LionFury1]

With the introduction of swimming and diving in the 2016 Tokyo Fanfest, not too long ago, it kind of got me thinking about what the development team could bring to the table that would be avante garde and exactly what the game would need to excite the player base.




The first thing I thought of when I heard about swimming and diving was Atlantis. The idea was really exciting to me thinking about being able to explore a city based at the bottom of a lake and or an ocean. They already mentioned that we would be able to interact with NPCs which meant that we would at the very least encounter little camps of people, but then the idea popped in my head: An Underwater Residence!

Although this is a bit of a logical leap, Yoshi-P kept insisting that he could not talk about the new residential areas because of how integral it was to the main scenario and that it would cause spoilers. I couldn't really think of why a residential area would be a spoiler to the main scenario, especially if we took refuge in Ishgard. Living within Ala Mhigo also seemed highly unlikely because of the fact that it was under the control of the Garleans and if we did eventually take residence there, they couldn't introduce it until after the Garlean threat was vanquished which meant it would be a residence area that was story locked. That wouldn't make sense.

Although this thread is less about speculation, and more about the fact that it would just be cool to have a underwater residential area in the future, it would make a lot of sense why this residential area could not be mentioned if it were in fact under water because it would have hinted towards the fact that we would be getting diving and swimming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWG3HA_YVq4

I kind of want to leave the finer detail to the reader as to how such a residential area might function, but creating it seems pretty simple really. In the video released displaying how swimming and diving worked, at (1:15) you can see an air bubble in one of the frames in which I imagine one will go in to gather like fishing and normal dry land physical orientation will be returned upon entering the bubble. Using that concept, we could literally make a residential area where the housing and its small yard exists within air pockets proportional to its size, and the rest of the area is submerged under water and inhabited by fish like NPCs.



Such a implementation will bring more importance to swimming and diving and have it be something that is an integral part to the gaming experience.

P.S. This is also kind of a non-sequitor but I hope they add a mermaid tail glamour in 4.0 for men and women so that we can swim around with a mermaid like animation.

I'm still waiting for them to add a flying mount called Fairy dust that allows your character to fly around sort of like superman without a mount, but you still can't fight during the time and the Fairy Dust still functions a lot like a mount where you need to turn it on and off (Get on and Get off).

[Kosmos992k]

I don't think that they would implement a residential area with such a unique location and gimmick (underwater requires diving and swimming). Perhaps a floating city, not unlike Atlantis in Stargate Atlantis. But I just don't think they'd do an underwater area for residences, it would also restrict the use of mounts unable to swim in the residential area, and decorating the area for seasonal events might prove challenging, along with the use of fireworks underwater.

[SendohJin]

I don't think that they would implement a residential area with such a unique location and gimmick (underwater requires diving and swimming). Perhaps a floating city, not unlike Atlantis in Stargate Atlantis. But I just don't think they'd do an underwater area for residences, it would also restrict the use of mounts unable to swim in the residential area, and decorating the area for seasonal events might prove challenging, along with the use of fireworks underwater.

i agree mostly but it can be underwater with a bubble dome, that would solve all your issues.

[Cyreil]

Maybe we could have swimming pools added. Would bring swimming to already existing residential areas.

[LionFury1]

I don't think that they would implement a residential area with such a unique location and gimmick (underwater requires diving and swimming). Perhaps a floating city, not unlike Atlantis in Stargate Atlantis. But I just don't think they'd do an underwater area for residences, it would also restrict the use of mounts unable to swim in the residential area, and decorating the area for seasonal events might prove challenging, along with the use of fireworks underwater.

Thanks for your comment! Appreciate it. A lot of the land based applications like fire works and decorating I think could still be achieved with a little innovation.For example, you can still use fire works in air pocketed areas or if they developed little glass tube channels connecting some areas to others under water, you can still walk around and do land based things while still getting the amazing under water view. Remember that all the housing is within dry areas because it would be placed within domes or air pockets, so you'd still have the same functionality you'd experience in any other residence within your home and yard. As for decorations, you can pretty much have most decorations you'd have on dry land also under water as long as they're placed in dry areas i.e. channels, air pockets, domes, etc.. I could easily imagine them lining the sea floor with things like Christmas trees and bells or pumpkins during holiday events. There wouldn't really be too many limitations.

I think a lot of the things you would have to do in order to make this work would seem like a stretch, but honestly with a little innovation I don't think there's really anything that couldn't be handled. Besides, if you want to experience doing things that are land based, you can just go to one of the other three residential areas. The point should be giving us a new experience that is unlike others and not necessarily hindering potential for residential areas and other content because we want it to fit into existing norms.

[Renik]

Seems interesting, but the residential area will be Ishgard, the war is over, new housing area is tied to the story, and Yoshi said they would think about adding Ishgard housing area once the story allowed it, Yoshi just likes to keep secrets for the hype factor.

[Yukiko]

Seems interesting, but the residential area will be Ishgard, the war is over, new housing area is tied to the story, and Yoshi said they would think about adding Ishgard housing area once the story allowed it, Yoshi just likes to keep secrets for the hype factor.

hm... we all thought it will be ishgard, but yoshi-p himself repeating to say it is a secret and might be something other...
Could it be we will really get something underwater as 4th housing area?!

[SigmaOZ]

No way!...

If SE decided they were willing to implement underwater housing they would have to make an Ishgard area and a Sea of Clouds area first, plus the upcoming one in case it's neither of those two!...

I wouldn't like an underwater housing area to be honest, I'm claustrophobic and that would drive me insane!...

[LionFury1]

hm... we all thought it will be ishgard, but yoshi-p himself repeating to say it is a secret and might be something other...
Could it be we will really get something underwater as 4th housing area?!

I'm really just iffy on whether they will be adding Ishgard as a residential area or not because Yoshi-P already mentioned that players wouldn't really like the idea of living somewhere cold. Nevertheless, my argument isn't so much that an underwater residential area is happening in 4.0, although it's not completely impossible, but more so that it should be something that happens in the future. Underwater cities and underwater residential areas would be incredible. I don't think anyone would expect it and I think most people would enjoy it a lot, even more than they do Mist. It would definitely leave me speechless.

[Rennies]

I would be ecstatic to have either Ishgard or an underwater bubble dome housing area. I would also love an airborne housing area.