One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Sigmakan]

Yeah Mack I have a feeling they'll probably just pass along the ideas in this discussion and we'll get a "We have no current plans at this time to rework any of the zones past frontier hubs" which would be a very big mistake on SE's part. At minimum they need to address the progression from area to area and make it more significant. Above all else I think this has to be a top priority for them.

Once they roll-out this battle overhaul it HAS to be #1 priority. Anything else would be just . . . dumb

[EdenArchangel]

Continued attention will lead to change. ^^

[Aistaraina]

Farcry 2 had a a huge seamless 50km squared map, with much higher graphic quality and diversity than any of FFXIV's zones. So what's their excuse?

I'm going to go with, "memory issues due to high resolution textures.", or something along those lines. Too lazy to find the direct quote.

And i'd be the first to call bullshit. It's nearly impossible to have memory issues on modern PCs. And the 360 only has 512MB RAM and Farcry 2 looked amazing.

Then again... Farcry 2 also ran on a heavily modified CryEngine, so it had world streaming, which, as we all know, Crystal Tools does not. Source of the problem? Hell no. I'm sitting in Uldah at the moment, FFXIV is eating about 700MB. They can pump this A LOT more.

[Enthy]

Walking through the "zone tunnels" in FF14 takes longer than a zone screen in FF11...

I'm pretty sure SE could cut out those tunnels and add shorter zone screens than what was in FF11.

Then make the smaller zones more interesting.

[Mack]

Walking through the "zone tunnels" in FF14 takes longer than a zone screen in FF11...

I'm pretty sure SE could cut out those tunnels and add shorter zone screens than what was in FF11.

Then make the smaller zones more interesting.

Yea no kidding.

[Siobu]

Walking through the "zone tunnels" in FF14 takes longer than a zone screen in FF11...

I'm pretty sure SE could cut out those tunnels and add shorter zone screens than what was in FF11.

Then make the smaller zones more interesting.

I must agree you make a wonderful point.

I do not understand the purpose for such long, drawn out choke-points between areas. Is it to divide our world? To present the illusion of boundaries throughout Thanalan and the Shroud? In the end, we are still in the Shroud. Whether it takes 5(+?) minutes to run to Emerald Moss or not, we are still in the Shroud. We take out our map, and we can see it. We look through our mini-map, and we see it.

I do not believe the tunnels add to the illusion of a seamless world (as we are still confined by zoning), but actually detracts from it.

But, we must also consider this as well: If there was something worth seeing on the other side of that tunnel, the trip along the way would not bother us.

If the tunnel stood between new areas, a new level range, a new experience, defined goals, progression...

If when we crossed into the new areas, and we hit 'M', and our map has changed to something new... Then I do not mind tunnels. Or seams.

Traveling there should mean something. When a lower ranking player sees a higher rank preparing to travel, they don't sit and wonder where we are going. They know where we're going. We're already there.

Thanks again every one.

[Nabiri]

Totally agree with the OP. It's saddening. At the very least chocobos and airships should help some, but.. it's just not the same as with XI.. Where you were pushed to new areas to explore and level in. I loved the milestones. XIV doesn't seem to have any, and it's far less enjoyable for me than XI was. I'm trying hard to stick with this game. It has the potential to become great.
The game world is nice, and the races and clans are interesting. But for me that's all the game has right now.
I have a hard time finding motivation to log on, as there really isn't anything for me to accomplish.
I like leveling/ranking and skilling up but there's nothing to do with those ranks right now so they feel very empty.
If SE can fix this game and put in a feeling of accomplishment and milestones I'd be willing to start all my characters over again to actually have a fun start and get some satisfaction from this game.

[Richard]

This thread has been first on Hot Topics ever since Sio posted it the night before. Good job guys keep up the discussion and lets hope for a dev post.

[Siobu]

This thread has been first on Hot Topics ever since Sio posted it the night before. Good job guys keep up the discussion and lets hope for a dev post.

Thank you, I very much hope all of our thoughts, ideas and opinions reach them. Even silently.

In the end, it simply comes down to: Where is the incentive for expansion beyond our world, when we never have to leave home? When 3 zones in the game alone completely cover all possible progression for our characters?

Why would they bother to create new areas, when we clearly do not need them? Wouldn't it be a mess to add new high level zones, on top of the starting zones which are already serving as high level zones?

Would the zones have purpose? Definition?

Is it enough to want for adventure and a long, experience-driven journey to inspire change?

I anticipate all other changes they are currently working on. However, I believe as others have said, that the world itself needs so much more than bandaids. Hubs are a great start, but this wound is not a flesh wound. It's far deeper than that.

I don't know how safe it is to keep building on top of this foundation. Eventually, if too much weight is added, would it be too much work to go back?

So many questions! What are your thoughts?

[Richard]

I don't know how safe it is to keep building on top of this foundation. Eventually, if too much weight is added, would it be too much work to go back?

So many questions! What are your thoughts?

Spot on and i think this is what the hopes and desires of this discussion is about. Fix it sooner than later because the latter will be 100% harder. We need Adventures in Eorzea not Bandaids in Eorzea :P