Exploratory Zones - Do you hope they make a comeback in 7.x?

[Xaruko_Nexume]

Unpopular opinion it seems, but uhh, no? I really prefer the Endwalker way of doing things. Not a fan of Eureka or Bozja, at all, but I also never got to try them while they were current so maybe Id feel differently.

[Burmecia]

...old content and tome/item/light farming.

Unironically yes please.

[TaleraRistain]

So long as they don't try to artificially prop them up by tying the relic questline to them, I don't care what they do with them. I prefer a relic questline that gives you a variety of options. If there is new content designed for it, then I'd prefer it's more like Variant/Criterion or POTD that doesn't take you away from the rest of the game for entire nights at a time. This also helps the relic questline not be front loaded where if you didn't get there early then you aren't finishing it.

I'll try new exploratory zones if they put them out again and if they're not my cup of tea, then I can leave them to those who like that content. And if they don't have to try to please both the players that like that content and those forced there just for a shiny, then they can design the content specifically to be pleasing to those who like it.

[MisterNublet]

While I would hope that we wouldn't have to sacrifice content in this game just for the sake of other types of content, sadly, it appears that they would rather put out the absolute minimum that they can.

Since it seems that they can't "spare any expense" going forward, or develop more than one type of content, I'd prefer another exploratory zone over the absolute failure that was criterion dungeon and island sanctuary.

[Deveryn]

While I would hope that we wouldn't have to sacrifice content in this game just for the sake of other types of content, sadly, it appears that they would rather put out the absolute minimum that they can.

Since it seems that they can't "spare any expense" going forward, or develop more than one type of content, I'd prefer another exploratory zone over the absolute failure that was criterion dungeon and island sanctuary.

it's another aveyond alt!

[Kaurhz]

While I would hope that we wouldn't have to sacrifice content in this game just for the sake of other types of content, sadly, it appears that they would rather put out the absolute minimum that they can.

I can wholly agree on this point, it would be nice if they wouldn't need to sacrifice and substitute so much. Granted, it just isn't that simple anyway.

I'd prefer another exploratory zone over the absolute failure that was criterion dungeon and island sanctuary.

Personally, though, this is where I start to disagree, you aren't really accomplishing much in the long run for the development, nor the health of the game if you're more concerned with hitting a content quota, e.g., every expansion MUST have a deep dungeon and exploratory zone.

It eventually gets tiring, and to be frank, there is nothing in exploratory zones that they cannot do, or that they shouldn't be doing already in the open world. I would have liked to see the mechanics of exploratory zones as a more integral feature of the 'open world' content, that is to say I would like to see critical engagements in Thavnair, for example.

Further, it's worth keeping in mind that it took an exorbitant amount of time to 'refine' exploratory content, arguably nigh on 2 expansions worth. A lot of people forget just how barebones Anemos, Pagos and Pyros were in the grand scheme of things.

This is to say, that I think content such as Criterion Dungeon and Island Sanctuary should be given as much time to refine itself, as to what we effectively gave other areas of content.

That said, and to conclude, I think they should be looking to deviate from their comfort zone, not stick within it.

[Absimiliard]

As long as we never see anything like Pagos again.

[GTK0HLK]

I remind those who think content was cut this expansion to recall that they likely had so much hands tied this time around with 7.0 and upgrades and XVI.

As for Exploration Zones. I'd love it if it had alot of Community Cooperation like Eureka Currently has[with at least a increase in waiting, dk if it regressed since the last time I was there to grind]
With Variable Difficulty, so the content can be cleared, but much more efficient and beneficial for those with higher difficulty itches.

as I commented before, and in the other content thread.
If people could live/interact with the outside world within.
I definitely would.[timer increase, Voting for/against Instance Locking, and Convenience NPCS(Ret/Mail) and access to saddlebags.]

I would hope they make all content be inter-progressable.
Just like some think we may have a Fate Farm this expac<Hoping for Shb/EW>
[but it would be alot to clarify, as it goes into Relics only. or Bicolor vouchers. so I'll leave it there]

I do not believe this will drown out any other content, as far as I can see, CBUIII had their Dev Resources Split Heavily recently into non-XIV related things.

[Though an Excessive Hope/Cope of mine would be, that we may receive and have new Variations of Exp-Zones emerge.]

[DixieBellOCE]

Yes.

Eureka Pre-Echo difficulty.

Something that will last for two patches per zone of content.

[Saraide]

The zone content of bozja didnt really excite me, neither did the lost action system or the resistance level stuff. Delubrum, castrum and dalriada were alright raids but to me they would have been better without the exploratory zone shell.