Bit of a selfish ask, Do you think 6.0 zones will return to the high fantasy of HW's?

[Wind-Krysvein]

The amount of space might be the same, but the zones are usually explored via the MSQ, so there would be less MSQ per zone on average to get through all of the zones, unless they increase the MSQ.

I don't think you understand the concept I'm trying to paint.

Of course there would be less MSQ "per zone" since there are twice as many zones. However, the total amount of MSQ would still be exactly the same as before, because you'd literally just be taking the story and splitting it equally in parts. Sure, individually two smaller zones would have "less" MSQ in them per zone when compared to one big zone, but what does it even matter if the total amount of MSQ remains exactly the same?

Please tell me I don't have to keep explaining this further.

[Ultimatecalibur]

I don't think you understand the concept I'm trying to paint.

Of course there would be less MSQ "per zone" since there are twice as many zones. However, the total amount of MSQ would still be exactly the same as before, because you'd literally just be taking the story and splitting it equally in parts. Sure, individually two smaller zones would have "less" MSQ in them per zone when compared to one big zone, but what does it even matter if the total amount of MSQ remains exactly the same?

Please tell me I don't have to keep explaining this further.

You are actually the one who doesn't understand.

Same actual time spent in a zone is not the same as perceived time in zone. 12 zones means an increase in time spent on transitional story (story focused around arriving at, introducing to and leaving from a zone) between zones a the cost of a decrease in time spent on story set in zones. You either need to increase the total story or you end up with 12 zone each having less than half the story of 6 zones even if the 12 zones and 6 zones have an equally long msq.

[Wind-Krysvein]

You are actually the one who doesn't understand.

As a matter of fact, I do. I had already begun to wonder if the argument you present in your message really was the one being made and, unfortunately, it was. This verifies yet again that neither of you have yet understood what I'm trying to say.

Same actual time spent in a zone is not the same as perceived time in zone. 12 zones means an increase in time spent on transitional story (story focused around arriving at, introducing to and leaving from a zone) between zones a the cost of a decrease in time spent on story set in zones. You either need to increase the total story or you end up with 12 zone each having less than half the story of 6 zones even if the 12 zones and 6 zones have an equally long msq.

Yes, here it is. The fundamental roadblock that prevents you from getting my point. Let me spell this out for you in a way that you cannot in any way misinterpret:

Imagine the Tempest and the underground caverns leading to Memory Amaurot. When you approach/enter the first Amaurotian building (the one with the elevator) the zone changes.

Memory Amaurot is now its own zone. All the cutscenes remain exactly the same, so no MSQ is added. Would this cause problems for the flow of the story? Of course not, because for all intents and purposes, Memory Amaurot is already its own area.

So what are the benefits of this, you may ask? Why the loading screen?

The devs can now take advantage of the fact that the areas have been separated: they proceed to add more small details and tweaks to Memory Amaurot, making it more in line with ARR in terms of map design, all made possible by the loading screen. (Whether Amaurot actually needs said extra details is not relevant to the point so do not bring it up. The area used is just an example.)

This is, in essence, what I am getting at. Whether even this explanation could finally manage to get across to you or not, I don't care, for I am done cluttering this thread. Present any further arguments directly ingame, because I won't be reading any here.

[linayar]

The devs can now take advantage of the fact that the areas have been separated: they proceed to add more small details and tweaks to Memory Amaurot, making it more in line with ARR in terms of map design, all made possible by the loading screen. (Whether Amaurot actually needs said extra details is not relevant to the point so do not bring it up. The area used is just an example.)

It may not be relevant to your point, but it is relevant to my point. I have no problem with loading screens, but they're definitely not worth having just to add "small details" to what is essentially the same area. Loading screens are better as shortcuts between two separate zones, not to divide the same zone into smaller zones.

The exception being if they are planning to add a lot of content to a zone that would require separating the zones.

[Iscah]

The devs can now take advantage of the fact that the areas have been separated: they proceed to add more small details and tweaks to Memory Amaurot, making it more in line with ARR in terms of map design, all made possible by the loading screen. (Whether Amaurot actually needs said extra details is not relevant to the point so do not bring it up. The area used is just an example.)

Would they want to do that, though? Would they put more work into each zone or would we just get the same thing in two halves without the ability to fly between them?

[Ultimatecalibur]

So what are the benefits of this, you may ask? Why the loading screen?

The devs can now take advantage of the fact that the areas have been separated: they proceed to add more small details and tweaks to Memory Amaurot, making it more in line with ARR in terms of map design, all made possible by the loading screen. (Whether Amaurot actually needs said extra details is not relevant to the point so do not bring it up. The area used is just an example.)

And you completely misunderstand how development works. Time is what allowed the ARR zones to be so detailed. Splitting the existing zones in half would not suddenly allow them to have ARR levels of detail. You would only get that level of detail if you either halved the total number of zones in each expansion or made all the zones half the size they currently are with no additional zones added.

[linayar]

I don't think you understand the concept I'm trying to paint.

Of course there would be less MSQ "per zone" since there are twice as many zones. However, the total amount of MSQ would still be exactly the same as before, because you'd literally just be taking the story and splitting it equally in parts. Sure, individually two smaller zones would have "less" MSQ in them per zone when compared to one big zone, but what does it even matter if the total amount of MSQ remains exactly the same?

Please tell me I don't have to keep explaining this further.

It's what Ultimatecalibur said. The total amount of MSQ is irrelevant when you have less MSQ per zone. The more important factor is what you do in each zone, otherwise there is no reason to have that extra zone and even having to have a load screen to get there when you have less to do there.