Any plans to include vistas in ARR?

[Elexia]

I think getting cutscenes as we enter dungeons and progressing through them is already suitable enough.

So we don't need platforming for anything beyond that >.>

[Duelle]

I think getting cutscenes as we enter dungeons and progressing through them is already suitable enough.

Except when most groups make you skip said cutscenes, they might as well not be there...

I was fond of holocrons due to the fact that they introduces you to the lore of TOR in a way. You could read up on it at your leisure and catch up, as it were.

I can get into vistas, though I would focus it more around historic/important places in each zone. XI would have benefited from a makeshift memorial outside Garliage Citadel to explain why it matters. Could also pull something Gameworks used to do for the Lunar games and have lore and history explained in a library, but with the MMO twist of it starting a sub-quest or objective to see that place so that everything is revealed to you or comes together. This is assuming we get some sort of codex, of course.

[NefarioCall]

I can get into vistas, though I would focus it more around historic/important places in each zone. XI would have benefited from a makeshift memorial outside Garliage Citadel to explain why it matters. Could also pull something Gameworks used to do for the Lunar games and have lore and history explained in a library, but with the MMO twist of it starting a sub-quest or objective to see that place so that everything is revealed to you or comes together. This is assuming we get some sort of codex, of course.

Although i'm not much into achievements, i recognise they are going to be a part of the game-play no matter what. From the achievement standpoint, lots of 'points of interest' can be added, but even without some kind of reward, i think the idea is still valid. A short CS broadens the viewing range of an area, or for those who like optional reading (eg Skyrims books), locations providing lore background would add a great deal to the area.

I think that having some kind of 'Codex' to save gathered information to / make a check list of need not be attributed to 'achievements' (although it will). It would simply be a good UI decision to help a player stay organised on this aspect of their adventure.

[Yrusama]

Although i'm not much into achievements, i recognise they are going to be a part of the game-play no matter what. From the achievement standpoint, lots of 'points of interest' can be added, but even without some kind of reward, i think the idea is still valid. A short CS broadens the viewing range of an area, or for those who like optional reading (eg Skyrims books), locations providing lore background would add a great deal to the area.

I think that having some kind of 'Codex' to save gathered information to / make a check list of need not be attributed to 'achievements' (although it will). It would simply be a good UI decision to help a player stay organised on this aspect of their adventure.

When you say "optional reading" FFXIII-2 came to mind. There were some riveting story elements that were otherwise unclear without the Datalog. One should never have to read anything beyond the game's main focus, but adding some side info can only help.

I'm in favor of this idea. There doesn't need to be platforming at all (although I think it'd be kinda fun), and what he's proposing is such a small, brief distraction from the main game that it's really not something people should bash. In FFX there was an NPC you could talk to in the Calm Lands that would explain the canyon you needed to cross to get to Gagazet, and during his explanation there was a brief cutscene where the camera soared over the canyon. It was not difficult to get to, and it didn't take much time to watch, but improved my perspective of the Calm Lands greatly.

Edit: I forgot about the Goblin Footprint in XI. If we had something like that - a spot on the ground we could check or some other thing to interact with - it wouldn't be at all difficult to reach. It could be at the entrances to each zone. We can already re-watch cutscenes in our inn, but sometimes you just want to take in the sights while you're in the area.