Requiring a permit to cross the bridge was bad writing, change my mind.

[Supersnow845]

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You have yet to actually explain why a linear story necessitates a linear design other than “it’s the way it is” especially since ARR directly refutes it because ARR is just as linear in its design but it doesn’t actually enforce linear progression through the zones

All stories are by function linear, because they move in one defined direction, that doesn’t mean that the locations that surround the story need to be linear. This is like “non linear world design 101” even looking at other MMO’s, take something like RuneScape, its later installments have a very linear storyline to them, does this make the world linear? No it just says “do whatever the hell you want”. What is it about 14’s story that FORCES the world design to be linear, especially using your example of raktika which you again took out of context the “you will be full of holes if you go there” is just playing into an arbitrary block they themselves created as the level range physically can’t block you

It also leads to you ignoring or misinterpreting points, I never said the tempest was a good design, I said if they went more open they could retool the tempest to be more open while still effectively blocking off amurot. Like let’s say you can hear a rumour in a town in Lakeland if you complete a quest, that rumour is that Bismarck can be awoken with a special rare item in Ill mheg. If you get said item you can awaken him and access the tempest (minus amurot) early, or thus gets skipped if you do the MSQ directly. It makes Lakeland seem more alive, quest rewards are more than useless pity gold and the world is more open. This would also be combined with actually rewarding exploration of zones outside of where the MSQ goes