We Really Need To Talk About The State And Path Of FFXIV

[Magic-Mal]

The more that I look at FFXIV, and the direction that it is headed, the more that I just see inherent laziness. These unique features sound great, but I'm sure there are a dozen excuses as to why the devs won't do it now, with "technical limitations" being the popular excuse. I mean, I'm sure it's "technical" if the developers simply do not have the know-how or willpower to implement these nice things without taking years, just to reinvent the wheel and frustrate so many people along the way. The technology is there, I'm more than certain.

And then, as you noted, Gridania as we have it is a lot of wasted space. Loads of narrow pathways connect the few notable spots in the entire capital city. Compare to 1.x Gridania or XI's Windurst. The spots of note look nice, but they are literally few and far between. I can understand the Archers' guild being out of the way a bit because no one wants to get hit with a stray arrow, but that at least has an aethernet right spanking there. Btn Aethernet is still a walk from the Btn Guild, going the opposite direction than everything else. Apkallu Falls has no aethernet, so we have to make a long trip there no matter what way we're coming from. The two nearest aethernets to the market are a little bit of a walk as well. The zone entrances from Central Shroud are a fair walk from anything of note too, for that matter. Just... it's so sprawling that it's a bit of a head scratcher. The narrow passes, more often than not, amount to "Hey, there's a rocky surface with some greenery on it. And here's more rocky surface with some greenery on it." Compare this to Limsa where at least, on the walkways, you can look outward and see the environment. You can see, in Limsa, how it functions as a major city rather than a few sprawling points of interest that are connected by practical tunnels. I liked Gridania alright when I started playing, but now I tend to avoid it even on alt characters.

Absolutely agree here especially with the Limsa and Gridania pieces. Gridania does not feel like a sprawling city but more like a small village. Few NPCs, tight spaces and it's tiny compared to the other city states. There aren't really NPCs chatting about at all really. We have that whole area at that locked gate - name I cannot remember - that is supposed to be living quarters and houses. The actual city part of Gridania. But it remains locked lol. Some day, I hope. The only reason why I like it there is for the Lavender Beds(best housing!!), the music, and the lighting. I mean, it definitely captures that homey, fantasy feel when you're a newbie first starting the game. It's was awesome feeling...

But compared to other cities it had little going for it. Limsa and Ul'Dah are huge in comparison to Gridania. NPCs all over the place chatting up storms. Everyone always talks about the legendary Limsa NPCs and everyone is always huddled in Limsa and Ul'Dah. Ul'Dah gets these big story arcs and constant involvement with their characters. Where's Gridania at?

It just feels like the devs put work into capturing the "bustling, lively city" feel for Ul'Dah and Limsa. But maybe that's what Gridania wasn't supposed to be. I do very much enjoy the Shroud I must say though. It holds lots of memories.

[Shurrikhan]

Absolutely agree here especially with the Limsa and Gridania pieces. Gridania does not feel like a sprawling city but more like a small village. Few NPCs, tight spaces and it's tiny compared to the other city states. There aren't really NPCs chatting about at all really. We have that whole area at that locked gate - name I cannot remember - that is supposed to be living quarters and houses. The actual city part of Gridania. But it remains locked lol. Some day, I hope. The only reason why I like it there is for the Lavender Beds(best housing!!), the music, and the lighting. I mean, it definitely captures that homey, fantasy feel when you're a newbie first starting the game. It's was awesome feeling...

But compared to other cities it had little going for it. Limsa and Ul'Dah are huge in comparison to Gridania. NPCs all over the place chatting up storms. Everyone always talks about the legendary Limsa NPCs and everyone is always huddled in Limsa and Ul'Dah. Ul'Dah gets these big story arcs and constant involvement with their characters. Where's Gridania at?

It just feels like the devs put work into capturing the "bustling, lively city" feel for Ul'Dah and Limsa. But maybe that's what Gridania wasn't supposed to be. I do very much enjoy the Shroud I must say though. It holds lots of memories.

Walking about 1.x Limsa was actually what convinced me to play through 1.x. It just felt like there was so much interest in detailing the world that I was sold almost instantly. An apprentice cook is having a subtle breakdown over the moral conundrum of wanting so badly to be able to cook a dish that can only be sourced by fish that can only be found after the appearance of a sea monster, to much the same effect of having just butchered a delicious unicorn. You're introduced to pirate politics, an entertaining inn keeper, yellowcoat recruits, elitist municipals... There was just so much, and without attention being drawn away from it all yet.

And yet even that could have been far more, especially in Ul'duh, where the wall, which clearly houses residences and shops, goes completely unused, or Gridania, which weirdly obscures its connection to its nearby residences.