Why is the Post-MSQ Content so Passive in Endwalker?

[HappyHubris]

I don't think it's that the engine isn't capable of stuff, they just didn't code it in the gameplay code. I think that's because they designed it as a "traditional MMO" where you click things always, unlike recent ones where chopping trees is more realistic than "target and click and wave your hand around while a bar loads".

The thing is, a traditional MMO typically weaves more open world combat into it's quests. So you might have to fight your way to an objective in the open world to proceed, giving the player something to do. Whereas FFXIV tends to have a sparse world and prefers to instance combat or spawn a token mob during quests. Some of the fun of other MMOs is fighting your way into a temple to grab the object or scouting a jungle and beating back beasts to find the lost princess or whatever.

Whereas FFXIV loves its "standing around and endlessly talking" cutscenes.

[AmiableApkallu]

The thing is, a traditional MMO typically weaves more open world combat into it's quests.

Even the single-player Final Fantasy games that I'm familiar with feature unavoidable, random encounters when you're walking about the over world. So, FFXIV seems somewhat odd in that regard.

[Arkdra]

The thing is, a traditional MMO typically weaves more open world combat into it's quests. So you might have to fight your way to an objective in the open world to proceed, giving the player something to do. Whereas FFXIV tends to have a sparse world and prefers to instance combat or spawn a token mob during quests. Some of the fun of other MMOs is fighting your way into a temple to grab the object or scouting a jungle and beating back beasts to find the lost princess or whatever.

Whereas FFXIV loves its "standing around and endlessly talking" cutscenes.

Be the change you want to see in the world and just do some random fates while progressing the patch msq. Like, I am broadly with you in the sense that I think if you just burn MSQ, the game's pacing flies out the window and it sucks. But much to my chagrin, the majority of players treat this game like a visual novel and want to engage with the systems to the absolute minimum they possibly can.

[HappyHubris]

Be the change you want to see in the world and just do some random fates while progressing the patch msq. Like, I am broadly with you in the sense that I think if you just burn MSQ, the game's pacing flies out the window and it sucks. But much to my chagrin, the majority of players treat this game like a visual novel and want to engage with the systems to the absolute minimum they possibly can.

FFXIV doesn't give us an engaging world compared to something like GW2 or Classic WoW. No meaningful secrets to find; no challenging world mobs; low mob density; very straightjacketed FATEs. I do play FATEs during the MSQ just to add combat between endless cutscenes, but that doesn't give us an interactive experience.

[Rekh]

FFXIV doesn't give us an engaging world compared to something like GW2 or Classic WoW. No meaningful secrets to find; no challenging world mobs; low mob density; very straightjacketed FATEs. I do play FATEs during the MSQ just to add combat between endless cutscenes, but that doesn't give us an interactive experience.

Eureka and Bozja is how all open world locations should be desined. this way all they have to do for relics is use the open world and some lore/relic story. Or at least start out with bland story-based open world and then update them with Bozja-like encounters in future patches. It's less work for them than having to create brand new zones like with Eureka