One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Draven]

The world doesn't even make sense. I mean Thanalan's desert suddenly transforms into a forest at the Shroud zone line? Where's the transition? I always felt there was a region missing between those and even on the world map it looks like there should be a desert area that turns into a grassy area followed by a river and then grassy before going to forest. Shroud itself makes no sense. If you've ever been north of Nine Ivies you'll see the area is miles above the ground, yet on the world map it's all flat.

You gonna tell me, and we could compare both XI and WoW, that these games didn't have drastic zone differences when they changed? Valkurm to....anywhere? Or Ashenvale to the Barrens?

People please check your expectations of things that they might change for realism. These zones are not gonna change to transition better. Better get that in your head, accept it and let the team worry about something that they can accomplish worth doing to make the game better larger than on a cosmetic scale.

I'd prefer the team spends more time on creating new areas for exploration rather than spend time remaking areas to transition better right now.

[Richard]

You gonna tell me, and we could compare both XI and WoW, that these games didn't have drastic zone differences when they changed? Valkurm to....anywhere? Or Ashenvale to the Barrens?

People please check your expectations of things that they might change for realism. These zones are not gonna change to transition better. Better get that in your head, accept it and let the team worry about something that they can accomplish worth doing to make the game better larger than on a cosmetic scale.

I'd prefer the team spends more time on creating new areas for exploration rather than spend time remaking areas to transition better right now.

This whole thread is not centered around transitioning between zones. That is more of an afterthought. Creating more zones to bandaid the old ones is not fixing the problem it's just exacerbating it further. They are doing the right thing by reworking a lot of the original mistakes tanaka and his team made and they ALSO need to work on the way the world is laid out. It's a HUGE failure I don't care how you angle it.

The team CAN accomplish it and they SHOULD consider doing it for the betterment of this game. They are called starting areas for a reason because its the first place you start. If the starting areas suck hard how do you think the overall outlook of new players is going to go? They are not going to bother drudging through crap upon crap to *hope* they get to something better at the end. They will just not play. SE wants money. SE wants subs. SE NEEDS to fix the things that matter. Period.

[Daedae]

You gonna tell me, and we could compare both XI and WoW, that these games didn't have drastic zone differences when they changed? Valkurm to....anywhere? Or Ashenvale to the Barrens?

People please check your expectations of things that they might change for realism. These zones are not gonna change to transition better. Better get that in your head, accept it and let the team worry about something that they can accomplish worth doing to make the game better larger than on a cosmetic scale.

I'd prefer the team spends more time on creating new areas for exploration rather than spend time remaking areas to transition better right now.

Why would they create new zones for exploration? NEWS FLASH! A tremendous part of the current map we have is filled with monsters we cannot hope to kill. So there are your 'new areas for exploration!'

I never understood why they made the zones as massive as they did, and filled them with so many useless things likes R99 basilisks when they couldn't even give camps like Drybone landmarks. If they cut off 50% of our current world and map, I doubt anyone would notice for weeks. Seamless is overrated, I'd rather have a variety of zones, I don't care how unrealistic it is. Giant, overgrown canaries are unrealistic and I want them too.

[Richard]

You should have put a [dev] tag around this thread so they will actually take a look at it. OP is speaking volumes of truth here. This thread needs to explode with feedback and get looked at in seriousness. SE dropped the ball in their 2-5 years development time with trying to reinvent the wheel. They needed to stick to their XI roots, all of what made XI an amazing game. It might be a long shot but maybe we're being too fearful about our future, they might have 10 more zones planned and might be fleshing them out as we speak - who knows for sure right? Maybe Grid will actually get a mulligan and they'll turn it into something that a 5 year old wouldn't come up with. Doubtful I know.

Give the OP a huge thumbs up for this and make sure this thread gets noticed.

[Rowyne]

You should have put a [dev] tag around this thread so they will actually take a look at it. OP is speaking volumes of truth here. This thread needs to explode with feedback and get looked at in seriousness.

I agree, but I can't even find a [dev] tag that comes close to describing this issue. :/

[Meph]

I totally agree with all whats said so far.
We do know that they will revamp the black shroud, but does the dev team even know about this big issue?
Would be nice to hear anything about this from the Dev Team.

[Richard]

I totally agree with all whats said so far.
We do know that they will revamp the black shroud, but does the dev team even know about this big issue?
Would be nice to hear anything about this from the Dev Team.

exactly why this thread needs lots of community attention without the aid of gifthorse and make this something we really strive to get.

[Meph]

exactly why this thread needs lots of community attention without the aid of gifthorse and make this something we really strive to get.

Thats why i thought i'll push this thread even though my englisch isnt that good :P

[Richard]

I totally agree with all whats said so far.
We do know that they will revamp the black shroud, but does the dev team even know about this big issue?
Would be nice to hear anything about this from the Dev Team.

The whole seamless world thing sounded like pure gold being given from the dev team two years ago. The realists in this community realized way back then that it was going to fail and cause copypasta zones with slack detail.

Them toting a seamless world aside I believe that they now know they blew it from the get go and need to rethink things. Whether it comes with a background storyline or just an outright apology and plan to fix it, I think SE needs to rethink how you explore in this game to make it feel more like a vast, vibrant world. Each zone is large enough to house 3-4 smaller sub zones, each with it's own individual mob list and unique feel.

Quick example I threw together: http://www.gwcdn.com/albums/images/4...0a2b004f5e.jpg

Thanalan is broken up into directional zones. Each red line would be a zone line (yes a loading screen OHHH NOOOOO SOOO SCARRRRRY). Much like traveling from Windhurst > West Sarutabaruta > East Sarutabaruta > Tahrongi Canyon > Buburimu Peninsula and then eventually on to Valkurm Dunes, SE can design each subzone to have a progression path. ITS NOT THAT DIFFICULT. Will it take time? Of course it will. Will it be easy? No probably not. Will it improve this game? You sure as hell bet it will.

Give us diversity and give us a plethora of options. Every MMO needs to be overflowing with both to succeed.

[Meph]

This is a big issue and i would be very happy if SE would just put in a first step the foes like Richard's example earlier.

Quick example I threw together: http://www.gwcdn.com/albums/images/4...0a2b004f5e.jpg

Further changes would be welcome but i guess for now to put the monster so there are different areas with different level range would be the easiest way to make Eorzea a bit more dangerous.