Out with the new in with what makes engaging environments

[RegaDosei]

FFXIV's environments are stunning, the world (as of now) is fairly vast, redundant, but large. It's a shame that we as users don't get to experience it. I don't feel that this issue comes up because of there being nothing to do in it. More that, all of what we're expected to do is too accessible. Now, i've traveled around Erozea for fun. I do it quite often, and i can say that I've ran in to dangerous territory, had good times with friends and created some very good memories. This game can offer these experiences. The real problem is, you have to seek them out, out of the way of your daily leveling (guildleve's)

I would like to address:

Teleportation Travel to anywhere you please, and any given moment.

This feature, although handy. Destroys the sense of an open world. And with it, defeats the purpose of having one. This makes FFXIV into the defacto of hack & slash action rpg. With this element, there is no world, just lobbies and community.

With the implementation of teleportation we gain:

• The ability to travel where we want (after already had been there)
• Being able to meet people hastily.
• Returning to town with ease, to pick up guildleve's during a party session.

Without teleportation we will lose these things. A very important measure for players who log on for an hour, do their leves and log off.

And i'm sure many feel that, "Well, do you realize how long it would take to run to BW?"
A costly price. We would require transportation methods, such as Chocobo.

With it we lose:

The opportunity to explore, enjoy the scenery and chat with players as we head to quest or whatever. These are the times where players can talk about battle strategies, or just get to know each other after parting up. These opportunities I feel are very important when playing MMO's, the excitement of getting ready to do whatever you're planning. Preparation for adventure!

I feel that many players are losing sight of Erozea. Complaining that it's too small, or rather empty.

I've spoke with players about this in game. Some have agreed to this issue and desire it's deletion. Others are cynical and suggest, "If you got a problem, don't use it."
This however is not an option for users who desire this play style.

If a group were to teleport, I couldn't say "Sorry, guys. I enjoy the walk "

This would frustrate a lot of people.

Secondly, once transportation is implemented such as Chocobo, boats and airships, we won't use them after the first few times. It's simple. They're slower. We like to be efficient. It's a gamers nature.

I'm not a radical. I dont feel that the concept of teleporting be removed completely, but at least make it a little more difficult for us to travel.

• Limit the amount of accessible locations through teleporting
• Make it come at a price. (100 anima for everyone is too much)

One thing about FFXIV is that nothing comes at a cost. Everything is easy, painless and simple. This entail becomes boring in time. MMO's are everlasting becuase of the people you play with, the adventure it comes with, exploration, content and difficulty that frustrates you day in and day out. All for one thing. Reward!

It's time for a little FFXIV S&M everyone. If you want to experience a world that consumes your time and poses a challenge, get on your subligar and demand difficulty reform. I know many other aspects fall under making this change. But teleportation is a key overlooked factor.

I do hope that the devs recognize this as a series flaw in the games design. As content pours in to the game with new areas to explore, it will seem like very little if we can teleport to and fro.

*I would appreciate if we stay on topic, I understand that devs are fixing the battle system first because it's the most important thing at this time.*

[tymora]

I thought so too initially. It might seem like a spoil-sport for new comers but you'll get used to it.
Actually there are a lot of nooks and crannies you can't reach via teleport.

Perhaps they can get rid of the "you get the teleport after hitching a ride from friends" part.

In general, keeping travel to any destination under a tolerable amount of time is good design.

[Xatsh]

teleport is extremly extremly limited if you are not very casual.

Play this game for 20+ hrs a week, and those anima needed for teleport will be gone.

you get 6 anima per RL day:

Now check out this:

Battle Leves 2 camp locations : 10 anima in region, 16 anima outside region
Crafting Leves: 4-8 anima usally if you stay in region, 6-12 anima outside region
Gathering Leves: Gona cost you 4 anima to get there and 2 to get back at least.
Grind party: you will be in uldah, and most party camps are not in Thanalan, so looking at at least 10anima round trip

If you actully play the game and do alot you are looking at something like this a week (Staying in Uldah's Zones):
Leve days x5 x2camps = 50anima (2 camps and back to uldah)
Crafting Leves x5 1 camp = 30 Anima (1 camp and back to uldah)
Grind Partys x2 1 camp = 20 Anima

There is 100 Anima with just about 25hrs of gameplay.

Add in NM camping which is multiple regions, Faction Leves which are multiple regions, and any activity more then just those above like Gathering or Grindparty on non-off leve days. And a crafter who does all the leves with multiple camps. Quest that you are doing, storyline stuff. You are looking at around 160-180anima a week to teleport everywhere.


So if you are not extremly casual 100anima a week used/42 a week gained, See the issue there.

Crap if you are hardcore you would need 4 times the maximum anima alloted a week to get around.

You cannot warp everywhere unless you only play the game like 10-15hrs a week. which is what teleporting is for, saving the casual people with very limited playtime from having to walk everywhere.

[RegaDosei]

All of those calculations imply that you yourself do all the teleporting, therefor it's a bit exaggerated. But I see your point.
Where it be just right, too much or too little. This system itself will pose as a better alternative to transportation.

On the note of Anima usage, I play a fair amount, and I can say that between my LS and I, never are we in a spot to where we cannot warp somewhere.

[Platinumstorm]

Engaging environments require engaging design. You talk about exploration and secrets but everyone knows there isn't all that much to explore in the game. If people had a reason to go outside of their levequest areas other than for harvesting, then maybe it would feel like players were going somewhere with a purpose.

When the game was launched people were spending hours each day walking so that they wouldn't use up all of their anima. It was immensely boring because there is no purpose to anything in Eorzea; that's what led to today's system.

[Morticous]

I for one agree that the anima we konw today is a little over the top. Heres a few options to make it more realistic:

1. Any new add on areas will not use anima as well as the fact that when in them anima is null.
2. Lower anima to something like 20 anima with the current regen rate we currently have.
3. Seriously restrict anima teleportation designations to the lower end camps maybe up to the 30s.
4. Make it so that you can only teleport to areas in a certain range so that teleporting across the world is not possible.
5. get rid of it (I'm down for this option)


There is no adventure in teleporting everywhere and like the OP said, you cannot deny your teams teleport cause you would rather walk... :/

Anima is a lazy way to make it easy to get around hard mobs in travel. Or simply walk to get to their destination to add that one more complexity to the game. Good things take time.. no need to rush everything! (except for the quality of this trash game)

[Dragon]

I for one agree that the anima we konw today is a little over the top. Heres a few options to make it more realistic:

1. Any new add on areas will not use anima as well as the fact that when in them anima is null.
2. Lower anima to something like 20 anima with the current regen rate we currently have.
3. Seriously restrict anima teleportation designations to the lower end camps maybe up to the 30s.
4. Make it so that you can only teleport to areas in a certain range so that teleporting across the world is not possible.
5. get rid of it (I'm down for this option)


There is no adventure in teleporting everywhere and like the OP said, you cannot deny your teams teleport cause you would rather walk... :/

Anima is a lazy way to make it easy to get around hard mobs in travel. Or simply walk to get to their destination to add that one more complexity to the game. Good things take time.. no need to rush everything! (except for the quality of this trash game)

I think this would be an excellent idea for SE to at least consider if nothing else.

[ObeiKinstar]

Agree to get rid of anima or take points down tremendously.

It's not something that will be done until more travel options are released, but it needs to be done.

Most of the people that dont want the removal of anima is just due to the fact they are so used to it imo. Removing anima would prolly set alot of ppl to flame, but the fires would die down after a month or two.

I prefer to run every where I go and save my anima to use when doing activities with other players. Rarely do I go under 80 anima

And I certainly play 20+hours/week

[Ruinaru]

I think that instead of, or perhaps in addition to, the reduction or abolition of anima, the reduction in the number of teleportation destinations would help a lot.

FFXI had about 6 teleportation destinations in its prime: Dem, Holla, Mea, Altep, Yhoat, and Vazhl. All of these except Vazhl had a chocobo renter right there, allowing you to teleport to one of a few central hubs then rent a chocobo to get to where you were going quickly and safely.

The benefits of this system: Reduced travel time without eliminating it. Left a little bit of a timesink there without causing frustration to players. Allowed players to learn the lay of the land better, making them more at home in and attached to the world. Created landmarks which every player could instantly recognize: the Crags.

Now, there were also Outpost warps for every region in the game, but those required decidedly more work to gain access to.

My suggestion for XIV:

Create some reason for the Aetherial nodes and the aetherytes in each camp to experience a large loss of energy, preventing a strong enough connection to players to teleport directly there. Add massive growths of crystals in each region, only one or two in each, which become the hubs for teleportation. This way we can keep the camps with their aetheryte crystals as sources of Guardian's aspect, HP/MP recovery, etc, while having a reason that they can't be teleported to any more. Allow us to rent chocobos from these crystal hubs and voila, I think most people will enjoy the world a little more.

I think with the deaspected crystals popping up all over the place, this would be an excellent way to introduce this change fluidly.

[Xeak]

Forgive my double post, but I figured my last was getting too long to continue with what else I have to say on this topic.

When I first heard that FFXIV would be based around casual play I thought "great, solo content for if I ever get sick of people." But then I started playing and I found there is too much solo content. Leveling itself is a solo task unless u get with some linkshell members to go grind until your fatigue kicks in. I won't go on about fatigue because I know it will be gone soon

I quit FFXI many times, but had always gone back a couple months later because of all of the player interaction that no other game has, and maybe will never have. I liked the party system (not saying to bring it back in FFXIV) because it forced you to meet players you wouldn't otherwise meet and started bonds of friendship that wouldn't break even after everyone has left the game, because you still have those great memories and you may be in contact with them in some other way still.

I don't mind keeping the amount of solo content that the game already has, and I'm appreciative of the dungeons being introduced that do force parties, but we need more ways of player interaction. Dungeons will probably be done with linkshell members instead of strangers, though I'm sure plenty of people will still be in a city shouting for parties for the dungeons. I would love to see content that got random players together to form strategies to complete their tasks. Even though Eco-Warrior (does anyone remember that?) fell out after the first 2 years or so in FFXI, it was something that forced strangers together because it took tons of strategy that veteran players didn't care for but noobs were itching to try it out.

And yes that's also a hint at adding more noob content for people to enjoy instead of hard leveling to r25 before being able to do anything of real joy.

That's all for my 2 cents ^^