I think Square Enix's next MMO should be set back in Ivalice.

[EirolOcarrol]

FFXIV including the Wow formula

I, personally, am very lethargic of the themepark formula. It would be very nice to see a sandbox MMORPG with the polish of Final Fantasy. I supported the idea of Final Fantasy XIV becoming more like EVE Online in the 1.0 days. But was rebuffed by many in the community saying that EVE was too niche.

That I'm still afraid of. That Square Enix would think it too risky, still. But I would love to play something that were as open as EVE, but without the confusing nature of EVE, as something easier for players to understand like Final Fantasy XIV. As well as the great Fantasy aesthetic sense and lorebuilding of Final Fantasy XIV. Or, for that matter, something akin in some ways to the better aspects or features of ArcheAge or Black Desert Online, without the monetization practices of either game or company.

I think that both of those games would be more successful with Final Fantasy XIV's monetization sensibilities, and design sensibilities in general. I think that the genre needs some change, and people are growing tired of the themepark formula. Sandbox games like Minecraft are now very popular. And the MMORPG community has been asking for more sandbox games for a bit of time, now. To the point that some are going out of their way to fund sandbox style online RPGs on Kickstarter.

If nothing else, Final Fantasy hasn't been afraid to reinvent itself over the years. It would be nice to see that desire to innovate in the Online RPG sphere. Faults of Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 aside, that kind of reckless ambition and passion is something that I can respect. 1.0's retainer system, for instance, was a daring attempt at immersion that didn't go over well. But I revere that kind of passion to take chances and do something different. Especially in a genre that has become so standardized, instanced, and unimmersive. I want someone to think outside of the box and try to redefine what it means to be an MMORPG. I wish more people were interested in creating immersive virtual worlds, rather than filling checkboxes of previous successful games.

Personally, my dream game would be for the next Final Fantasy game to be an innovative VRMMORPG that tries to redefine the entire genre, and focused on immersion and creating a believable virtual world before all else. Final Fantasy XI's airship system, and 1.0's planned airship system was a lot more immersive and believable than 2.0+'s airship system.