One to Fifty, One Zone - Long OP

[Bigglesworth]

I kinda think that little mini map in the upper left hand corner is partially to blame for this. How many times when doing behest/leves, or just running back to Uldah are we just looking at the little red dot in the mini map, and also running towards the little yellow cloud?

If that is all we focus on then we end up missing a lot of the enviornment around us. I swear if I were to be magically transported to Ronfaure I could navigate the entire zone with precision without a map with my eyes closed. Can't say the same for thanalan because A)zones are copied/pasted and B) we are given too much of a navigation crutch with the mini-map that it takes away from the immersion into the actual world.

[Siobu]

Thanks for the hard work, everyone. We've been calling for an answer here for over a week. Consistently (somehow!?) on the front page and hot topics. While I truly have no idea what's going on, I'll be here for as long as you are.

All we can do is make ourselves heard. And rest assured, I believe, it's impossible not to have noticed us. (Sorry, General!)


To recap everything for late arrivals skipping 70+ pages:

Once more, this thread calls for a serious evaluation of our current zones.

They are the size of regions, yet are soulless and lack any sense of progression or adventure. They contain enemies from 1-99 right across from our cities' entrances. The zones seem connected as an afterthought.

Although advertised and insisted as being "seamless," we still encounter loading screens when crossing into a new zone.

There is no room for expansion, no meaning or reason to add any new zones to the game. Not when the current zones free the developer's hands of ever having to create new areas. Because these zones do the work for them, by keeping us here until level 99.

When we make our first run to our first camp, we've already seen most of the world. When we're running back and forth between corners of the zone, we run past new players. Running in circles, instead of forward.

Are adding more camps to our current world truly the solution? Will more campfires, tents, and NPC's in Thanalan touch upon this core issue?

[Zantetsuken]

Siobu. Inspired by your drawings and some of the ideas other have posted, I've put together some of my own concepts for alternate texture looks in the different areas of each zone.

Here are the links:

Thanalan
The Black Shroud
La Noscea

The only issue with changing texture pallets for different areas of the zones is the loading them. We already have transitional areas for loading though and if they manage to make it a smooth transition, the new textures would be a simple fix that would add a considerable amount of visual variety to the zones. This, of course, in addition to mob redistribution.

[Cutriss]

The only issue with changing texture pallets for different areas of the zones is the loading issues. If they can work that out, it would be a simple fix that would add a considerable amount of visual variety to the zones. This, of course, in addition to mob redistribution.

That shouldn't be a problem. There's already some advance caching going on whenever you cross the zone lines in the middle of a region, so that would be an opportunity to swap textures.

[Siobu]

Siobu. Inspired by your drawings and some of the ideas other have posted, I've put together some of my own concepts for alternate texture looks in the different areas of each zone(...)

Thanks for taking the time to make these for us, Zante! I've just added them to the first post alongside the others.

[EdenArchangel]

Oh Zantetsuken... if only if only. That would be my MMO dreams come true ;_;

[Meph]

Really nice Zantetsuken!! I wish Eorzea would look more like this ><
I hope it's ok, i copied those pictures in the german thread too.

[Reinheart]

Siobu, is it ok to translate your OP in Japanese? gonna post it there with message saying NA forums got X pages going, with X views on this topic to see if they get into it there as well.

I got some free time at work so probably can do it

[Siobu]

Siobu, is it ok to translate your OP in Japanese? gonna post it there with message saying NA forums got X pages going, with X views on this topic to see if they get into it there as well.

You're plenty welcome to do so! Thanks for the kind thought, Reinheart.

[Eekiki]

That shouldn't be a problem. There's already some advance caching going on whenever you cross the zone lines in the middle of a region, so that would be an opportunity to swap textures.

You know what else they could do? Not make their "next-gen" game use a 7 year old version of DirectX.