Next FF MMO should be open-world.

[Jeeqbit]

Hunts have sometimes attracted over 100 people. Big FATEs such as Foxy Lady, Ixion, Archaeotania and Chi have actually attracted as much as 600 people and congested instances to the point nobody else can enter.

Just because FFXIV splits areas up into multiple zones doesn't mean they are not large. It's just a design decision to do it that way.

It is also worth considering that some other games don't actually put a lot of effort into that extra space. You can generate bumpy terrain pretty easily and throw some random rocks, trees and other things onto it and say look, our world takes 10 minutes to travel across, but is there anything really interesting across most of it? In FFXIV, the entire area has a purpose and there is barely any of it that is not used for a quest, FATE or other activity at some point and that is also a design decision.

You might think some of it is not used but if you have done all of the sidequests, class/job quests and every other activity there is, you do discover that everything actually had a purpose.

[tatatatatata]

Hunts have sometimes attracted over 100 people. Big FATEs such as Foxy Lady, Ixion, Archaeotania and Chi have actually attracted as much as 600 people and congested instances to the point nobody else can enter.

Just because FFXIV splits areas up into multiple zones doesn't mean they are not large. It's just a design decision to do it that way.

It is also worth considering that some other games don't actually put a lot of effort into that extra space. You can generate bumpy terrain pretty easily and throw some random rocks, trees and other things onto it and say look, our world takes 10 minutes to travel across, but is there anything really interesting across most of it? In FFXIV, the entire area has a purpose and there is barely any of it that is not used for a quest, FATE or other activity at some point and that is also a design decision.

You might think some of it is not used but if you have done all of the sidequests, class/job quests and every other activity there is, you do discover that everything actually had a purpose.

Uhhh... what? Let's take Sea of Clouds. Half the map is not used in any way and is just empty filler that only has FATEs. You don't go into them even in sidequests. The middle and eastern portion are practically unused. I think it's kind of ridiculous to say that the entire area has a purpose. I mean compare that to Elden Ring where the world is both far bigger (even if you add up all of FF14's maps) and far denser.

[Jeeqbit]

Uhhh... what? Let's take Sea of Clouds. Half the map is not used in any way and is just empty filler that only has FATEs. You don't go into them even in sidequests. I think it's kind of ridiculous to say that the entire area has a purpose. I mean compare that to Elden Ring where the world is both far bigger (even if you add up all of FF14's maps) and far denser.

You go through most of it in the MSQ alone and its sidequests. Anything which has a bridge to the rest of the islands is used for that, which is almost all of it. The northern islands unconnected to anything are used for the Void Ark quests. The island to the top right corner is used for a dungeon. The island at the bottom right has sidequests and a sightseeing log entry. The nests that extend from the islands are used in quests. One of the islands takes you to Ishgard and then they all get re-used for job quests, crafter/gatherer quests, the beast tribe and as you mentioned, FATEs. You actually have plenty of reason to go to all of the islands for hunts as well. Let's not forget that all of the trees, bushes, plants, rocks and water areas are intentionally placed to become gatherering nodes that are regularly used by gatherers.

[Ath192]

You go through most of it in the MSQ alone and its sidequests. Anything which has a bridge to the rest of the islands is used for that, which is almost all of it. The northern islands unconnected to anything are used for the Void Ark quests. The island to the top right corner is used for a dungeon. The island at the bottom right has sidequests and a sightseeing log entry. The nests that extend from the islands are used in quests. One of the islands takes you to Ishgard and then they all get re-used for job quests, crafter/gatherer quests, the beast tribe and as you mentioned, FATEs. You actually have plenty of reason to go to all of the islands for hunts as well. Let's not forget that all of the trees, bushes, plants, rocks and water areas are intentionally placed to become gatherering nodes that are regularly used by gatherers.

Be that as it may I agree the overworld isn't one of this games strong points. If anything it's the worst part of it. I don't feel free in this game with everything being locked behind the MSQ or instanced. Never in this game did I feel anything could happen. Only one thing can happen (when the content is brand new). The MSQ. In XI I still remember accidentally getting to places I definitely shouldn't have been at level 10 or whatever, and most times I didn't live but it was exhilarating.

[tatatatatata]

You go through most of it in the MSQ alone and its sidequests. Anything which has a bridge to the rest of the islands is used for that, which is almost all of it. The northern islands unconnected to anything are used for the Void Ark quests. The island to the top right corner is used for a dungeon. The island at the bottom right has sidequests and a sightseeing log entry. The nests that extend from the islands are used in quests. One of the islands takes you to Ishgard and then they all get re-used for job quests, crafter/gatherer quests, the beast tribe and as you mentioned, FATEs. You actually have plenty of reason to go to all of the islands for hunts as well. Let's not forget that all of the trees, bushes, plants, rocks and water areas are intentionally placed to become gatherering nodes that are regularly used by gatherers.

Now you're truly grasping at straws here.



The aether currents are basically cover the region that you get led to through the MSQ and the sidequests (+ the southeastern part of Voor Sian Siran for the rescue quest). Even back in HW they were limited to a tiny portion of the map. Outside of I believe TWO TOTAL sidequests and Bismarck EX unlock, you do not go to the interior parts of Ok Vundu Mok and Ok Vundu Vana other than for fates and hunts, which really is unengaging to say the least. There are no gathering points there either. None of the job quests bring you into the interior of Sea of Clouds. That's quite literally half the map.

[Jahf]

One of the best aspects of playing FF11 to me was the vast Open World, entering those beautiful areas while exploring Vanadiel, was a large highlight.

[Jeeqbit]

Now you're truly grasping at straws here.

No I am not. You are ignoring that gatherers, hunts and FATEs exist.

The aether currents are basically cover the region that you get led to through the MSQ

The MSQ definitely has a solo battle with Haurchefant at Vundu OK' Bendu, which is just above the bottom right of the map. The beast tribe takes you to explore the Vanu's rivals in the Vundu territories in the middle of the map. As I previously mentioned, the Void Ark quests cover the north of the map and the dungeon quest covers the north east.

Just picking up today's Vanu quests shows exactly how used this territory is.