One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[charliesheen]

Everyone wants loading screens back? What is this insanity?

[Tonka]

Everyone wants loading screens back? What is this insanity?

I'd rather have 4 or 5 unique zones with loading screens than one massive monotonous zone.

[charliesheen]

I'd rather have 4 or 5 unique zones with loading screens than one massive monotonous zone.

Why can't they just have more variation to the world.... ? I don't really understand why people are asking for loading screens, it's pretty bizarre. They should just make 'areas' different within the giant zones and have the music change in said areas. Isn't that what they were aiming for but haven't delivered?

And so I repeat, loading screens... what is this madness?

@Richard: I'm always #winning! I'll blow your mind with my torpedoes of truth.

[Mack]

Why can't they just have more variation to the world.... ? I don't really understand why people are asking for loading screens, it's pretty bizarre. They should just make 'areas' different within the giant zones and have the music change in said areas. Isn't that what they were aiming for but haven't delivered?

And so I repeat, loading screens... what is this madness?

No one is asking for loading screens, people are saying if that's the compromise then so be it, considering we teleport everywhere anyways and there's loading screens there isn't there?

[charliesheen]

No one is asking for loading screens, people are saying if that's the compromise then so be it, considering we teleport everywhere anyways and there's loading screens there isn't there?

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

[Mack]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

Well I've read this entire topic and for the most part people are saying if that's the compromise then so be it, they ma not say it straight up but that's what I get from it because obviously if we can have seamless zones with variety no one would ask for loading, that would be insanity.

[Cyruance]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

Cities are actually part of the zones they reside in, if you go from one zone(region) to another you hit a loading screen. People would want at least that much variation between the zones and given the apparent technical design of XIV, it probably is something they'd have to accept to get the type of zone differentiation they want.

This seems an odd thing to be nitpicking at here, the desire is a more diverse world no matter how you cut it.

[Zahak]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

I agree SE could make more unique areas without loading screens. Wouldn't bother me at all if they did have to make smaller zones though. But again..don't think they would need to.

Still hopeful of some kind of mention be it in a dev comment (crown) or in the letter from the producer. Would be extremely surprised if Yoshi did happen to add a small snippet of text concerning this thread though. Don't really see that happening so I await our friendly forum moderators. *lays out dead lalafell for Malboro Bayo bait* <_<

[Chrees]

Ah hah, but there is really no need to 'compromise'. I only read a couple of pages but it seemed like people were asking for loading screens. It's perfectly within their means to have giant zones with varying landscapes within them, just like when you travel from the outside region into a city.

As for teleporting, that's entirely different. I never said the game should have no loading screens as that's impossible. What I am saying is that asking for them where they aren't required... what is this madness?

Apparently it's not possible, and this is the answer we were given to "prove" it, if you will. Now whether or not it's true doesn't matter, but for the moment this is all we have to base our assumptions on:

PC Gamer: Recently, players have been posting videos of terrain they think was copy and pasted (eg. 1, 2 – maps showing all the relevant areas). Is that the case, and if so why?

Hiromichi Tanaka: Since FFI, we have always used the same design to show the scenery. We have one map divided into different parts, and then we use those parts. Otherwise, the data size is going to be terabytes. So, from the memory size point of view, it’s important to compile the data size. That being said, because we wanted the game to be seamless, we do understand there’s a lack of variation. So that’s why we do want to have more unique aspects in the area, depending on what area of the game it is. However, even for the 3D version for other MMOs, using the same data is quite common in designing the game.

PC Gamer: I understand when it’s elements of a landscape, like a tree or rock. But these seem to be whole areas, to an extent that you don’t see in something like WoW.

Hiromichi Tanaka: One of the explanations for that is the size of the parts of the data that we use. Back in the days of FFXI and even WoW, the memory of each part was much less than what we have to use now. These days, because of the graphics, the same size of the parts costs more memory size. If the PC itself has that same size of the- has got larger in the same manner, then we can increase the map in the same way. But the same size of the data is now like ten times more memory size, so that’s really costing the game data size.

PC Gamer: If WoW could do it then, why isn’t it doable now?

Hiromichi Tanaka: One of the reasons why is because of the quality of the graphics – it’s different from WoW. What we’re trying to do in each part is costing more memory. Basically that’s the difference. WoW was designed a few years ago, before FFXI. FFXIV is designed with the latest graphical technology; that’s why it costs that much of memory data.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/11/15/in...happy-players/

[Rowyne]

They should just make 'areas' different within the giant zones and have the music change in said areas. Isn't that what they were aiming for but haven't delivered?

If they cannot do a true redesign, then, yes, this is what needs to happen (making the subzones truly unique, with different landscapes, monsters and music).