What improvements would you like to see in the environment?

[Shougun]

A more interactive world, in 1.0 some of the monsters had extra personalities like Snurbles (big fluff balls) might cure you, Goobbues may eat mandagora, etc. Critters whose purpose is to add life to the area but not be killed (not every squirrel needs to die SE lol, add some butterflys more often). On that not all monsters need to be aggressive, or the same type - it's true many wont notice the difference in aggro type but it's still a cute touch even if it's no longer emphasized so hard like an old school mmo. Includes some sort of faction system where it makes sense (like how goobbue eat mandgora). The Pixie swing actually functioning would be neat, the train tracks in thanalan actually having a train that functioned. Improving collision detection such that there are far less to no objects that have a generic "can't be here" shield, like some tents you just can't land on (usually related to beast tribes, maybe they can use localized phasing if the need, but not just beast tribes), removing invisible walls whenever possible. Was mentioned in greater detail in another thread but utilizing their new fate system but turning it into a zone context, allowing you to improve the fate of the zone (pun not intended)- when it says you make the place safer then it should show that (like the broken down houses getting some workers to repair it, and progress on that over the stages). Chocobo hot and cold / archeology (one being a repeatable mini-game the other taking that mini-game and add some one time opportunities), other chocobo content also welcomed. FATEs/monsters sometimes dropping chests or quests (that mix up your gameplay loop).

Secret quests and interactions, some useful, some cute. Legend of Zelda secret quest in WoW comes to mind, a quest that you had to start by dying and talking to an npc lol. Like perhaps if you pray at all the twelve stones something happens, or if you pray at yours on it's particular representation. Cave that can be uncovered by a quest, or maybe DoH, might find a underground hotspring that gives you a buff while in the area. Camps that you can rest at for like buffs (generally taking some of the best road trip / camping ideas from FFXV, that are possible would be neat- camping/tents imo are pretty FF in general). Buffs can be neat things too like double duration sprint, faster recovery, change your appearance, w.e. On secrets it would also be trying to add some element of mystery to an area, like plants may start to glow, fire flies appearing around, the water starts to trickle into the air (rivers dry up as it fills the sky), etc.. alien and at least the first experience being this absolute "WHAT THE.. .. THAL.. ?!?!". Large tower in the zone, mist rolls in hyper thick down the mountain wall like a tsunami, low rumble, fog slowly fades again to reveal the tower has moved cross the zone and is facing a different direction.

Weather effects can help, and do help, first time you get the special weather for example in North Shroud is like "waaat?". So I absolutely encourage using weather to tell a story too. Perhaps a zone is known for flash floods, so actually have that. Torrential rain that comes in as a thick wall from a specific direction, or a sandstorm, so you get that cool experience as it comes at and over you.

In discussion of weather improvement to graphics related could help, like wet shaders that give the impression of pools of water built up and evaporate. Snow can build up as well. Deformation in the steps you take in snow would be quite cool. Should be rare, to not be frustrating as all heck, but might have some weather effect your character (hyper snow storm makes it slower to move, not by much just enough to make you go "oh wowwwwww" lol). Improved water to gain a 3d element, ripples, etc. Volumetric fog and elements added to clouds (if it keeps their pretty appearance at least), would be great to use by mountains and other certain areas. Improved lighting could help, especially next to improved fog and clouds having the light change as it passes through different materials (include plants for extra subtle beauty). The current flora is not bad but could be improved in detail (includes ground cover flora like flowers and grass), and perhaps gain physics like when you walk past them or cast big damage spells (especially neat if the weather can utilize that for great effect). Not sure how many could use it but ray tracing in certain situations would probably be eye popping, like stained glass areas, reflections of course, particularly computer melting benchmark testing area would be Mor Dhona and all that crystal lol.

Not entirely related to environment but, part of it, bringing some role play mechanic to jobs that encourage identity of each job without damaging combat balance. Like Dragoons being able to jump much higher (to avoid annoyance it can be as simple as tapping vs holding jump, or a toggle), in zones they've unlocked flying, and take no fall damage. Maybe one mage can cast slow fall, another stand atop water, etc. Try to rework movement abilities so they don't purely skim the ground, if possible (like if you're a ninja and you blink, maybe it might calculate a basic height and distance and if that line drawn to the point was acceptable it would just blink you to said location- meaning you could blink yourself onto a roof top in Kugane for example- this, like dragoon jump, may need a "if you can fly" and "near vista?" check though, perhaps for ninja it would also count town and wouldn't teleport them right on top of vistas lol). This relating to other concepts too, like crafters would gain a lot more goof items, goof potions for alchemist, etc. Things that are just for the fun of it.

Going off comment of ninja and dragoon though would be trying to make the movement smoother (through any means possible, like improved animation / animation blending and canceling) - trying to make the act of moving itself more enjoyable. Perhaps some more opportunities, with the improved collision detection (ie not the kugane tower where you stand on nothing to get to the next step lol), to use all of that- some more opportunities to get around (before flying makes it all up and down).

Personal desire to see hunts get a bit of a rework twist on them where the living variant drops one more reward from the loot table, yet on death they leave a void mark / pyre fly (FFX) mark that you can interact with to get a rough estimation since death (quality of the spirits in location), and can use that area to kindle a fight to help purify the area (or calm the spirit)- these fights you can optionally weaken the spirit further but each stage down reduces the loot (but obviously makes them easier). The fights getting a classic screen shattering and phasing the area to your group, or self. Encouraging hunting competition while also prevent a true damage to players being able to loose opportunity to take part in hunt content due to whatever reason, slow pc, cross server train of doom, etc (also broadens it up). Bring unique items back to NMs, now that they're far more accessible, these items doing cool theme'd effects and working very well as 'heirloom' / leveling items (but not replacing the current tier's end game).

More world bosses, like Odin, etc, but also with more involved with them- like with Odin his spear may be found in a separate location charging up, players can find and prevent it from returning to Odin to remove some of his move set, meanwhile Odin before being pinned down can make great leaps around the map (generally just within a ring around where found, but still pretty serious leaps that includes damage)- DoH / DoL can work together at node stations to create an aether dome that prevents Odin from moving around as freely, occasionally a node will be marked by Odin and he'll call down spirits to attack that node and so some players will have to break away to help. Multiple phases, much longer fight, but multiple phases rewarding players so it's not end of the world if you can only participate in certain parts.

Open world would obviously not be feasible but removing the border between some areas that can be would be neat (like the two Limsa(s)). If they want to add airships, yes please, they can have leaving the borders of zones, ideally, seamlessly move you into a world map (like other classic FF games), and you can then fly out of one zone into the world map and into another all with a seamless like experience (can use something close to what is used for water transitions, for some it'll be near instant, others might need some wind gushing by lol).