Quote Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams View Post
An appropriate rest moment for this expansion as I would have pictured it would have been things like setting up camp at different levels of the Lunar Subterrain as was done in FFIV: the After Years in between boss fights. As for a specific sequence set in Sharlayan, I would have firstly omitted the existence of The Last Stand or the various University Living elements found in the city state in favor of something that gives off a more foreboding sense of tension. I may have changed the city itself from a hub to a hostile zone or even a dungeon.

Underneath a red sky, I would have the party camp out on the stony shores of the beach after emerging from a cavern connected to Labyrinthos, likely after having confronted a major threat in the zone before moving on to deal with the Sharlayan Forum. I would have substituted burgers for either canned goods retrieved from Labyrinthos or a freshly killed animal roasted over a fire, and rather than a cheery attitude the party would be more visibly shaken and emotionally vulnerable, which is the key to really being put in a situation where one must overcome overwhelming despair.
Huh...I didnt expect to hit the Nail on the head. You literally just want Misery XD

Now personally, your 1st post above would work with setting up camps, if the narrative was slower. Every single time something was done, then they'd have to take a break. And if aetheryites didnt exist, nor airships, and if the adventures and journey was ALOT more vast, like the next city behind A WHOLE day away, then needing to hunt and rely on rations/Canned good would make sense.
This is something that works in a single player story-driven game. But Im not confident it would be as favored in an MMO, the pacing...might feel kind of slow. To many slow moments with nothing happening isnt good storytelling. Sure it sets up the world, but you shouldnt need to spend THAT much time showing the view/reader the world.