If we can't have elements, can we have special weather events?

[Lyrinn]

Poorly worded title but I have no idea how to say this in one line.

Popular opinion seems to be that elements (which are currently useless) needlessly make combat tedious or complicated or create imbalances between classes/jobs, so we probably won't see these come into play anytime soon.

So how about doing something cool with weather? One of the things I thought was neat about FFXII was how weather could allow access to new parts of a map or cause special enemies to spawn. For example, when it rained, water levels would rise and you would be able to kick down some trees to make bridges. Snowstorms would cause high level ice elementals to spawn around the map. If I remember correctly, certain hunts or special bosses could be found only during certain weather (can't remember names of the mobs or maps off the top of my head since it's been years since I played it, but I vaguely remember a chocobo mark appearing only during snowstorms, a dinosaur boss in a sandstorm, and a dragon (Tiamat?) spawning only during sunny/clear weather).

Currently, the only aspect of gameplay affected by weather is fishing but I'm sure there's open world content that can be added to utilise weather effects. Even treasure hunts could offer different spawns and/or loot based on when the chest is dug up.

[Enkidoh]

The trouble with that is, if FFXI is anything to go by, having weather-based content appear can only lead to endless frustration trying to find the right weather effect to spawn in the required area - an example of this was FFXI with the quest to unlock SMN - trying to get all those weather effects was down right frustrating, as some required effects only spawned occasionally (blizzards, heatwave) and only in certain areas that were difficult to get to.

Given the main design ideal for ARR seems to be 'ease of accessibility', I don't see something like content based around rarely-occurring weather effects being implemented.

[Lyrinn]

That's why any weather-gated content would be optional. Besides, people already wait for hours trying to catch raincallers in Gridania for the FSH quest, I don't see why we can't have FATEs or NMs or something just out there. Maybe it's just me, but every time I teleport to Coerthas into a blizzard, I expect something dangerous to be lurking out there - and I get disappointed every time.

[Seraphe]

The trouble with that is, if FFXI is anything to go by, having weather-based content appear can only lead to endless frustration trying to find the right weather effect to spawn in the required area - an example of this was FFXI with the quest to unlock SMN - trying to get all those weather effects was down right frustrating, as some required effects only spawned occasionally (blizzards, heatwave) and only in certain areas that were difficult to get to.

Given the main design ideal for ARR seems to be 'ease of accessibility', I don't see something like content based around rarely-occurring weather effects being implemented.

which sucks. I like the OPs suggestion

[Enkidoh]

That's why any weather-gated content would be optional. Besides, people already wait for hours trying to catch raincallers in Gridania for the FSH quest, I don't see why we can't have FATEs or NMs or something just out there. Maybe it's just me, but every time I teleport to Coerthas into a blizzard, I expect something dangerous to be lurking out there - and I get disappointed every time.

That is true though, and I agree having something that gives a 'cause and effect' aspect to content and gameplay would only be a good thing as it would add variety to the game (such as a blizzard weather effect triggering a monster spawn) - experience though I guess has just left me somewhat jaded about the reality of how such content is usually implemented - ala, terrible RNG and all that.

[Shioban]

"I CAN HEAR A RAINBOW"

Holy crap. did that searing-hot red weather NEVER show up. Took me a good week of weather chasing just to unlock Summoner.
Even ignoring the weather bit, without a Thief with Treasure Hunter you were screwed.

Final Fantasy XI
I Can Hear A Rainbow (Summoner Flag Quest)

Go out and fight leeches, they will drop a Carbuncle's Ruby, which is a very rare drop. Once you have the stone item, go to Windurst Walls and click on the door in the House of the Hero to talk to Ajido-Marujido. You will be told to experience all 7 weather elements. To do this, visit various zones until you have seen each type of weather pattern in the world (you will be shown a cutscene of the stone changing color). NOTE: You cannot acquire weather effects in towns or dungeons, nor can you obtain them from a Scholar casting the weather effect on you.

Red - heat - Valkurm, Rolanberry, Altepa, Yhoator Jungle, Meriphatud Mountains.
Orange - clear skies - most places
Yellow - sand - Valkurm, Tahrongi, Konschtat.
Green - wind - Tahrongi, Mhaura, La Theine.
Indigo - ice - Xarcabard, Beaucedine etc.
Blue - rain - La Theine, Pashhow, Rolanberry, Buburimu, Yhoator Jungle, boat rides
Violet - thunder - Konschtat, Jugner, boat rides
You will know you got the pattern by zoning and seeing a cut scene. If you don't get a cut scene, you didn't get the pattern. You don't have to be near the weather, just in the same zone as it.

Once you have all 7 patterns, go to La Thiene Plateau and find the stone circle at G-6. Trade the stone to ??? and you will get flagged to be able to change jobs to Summoner.

This is a MMO if it doesn't Happen to be the desired weather for you then bloody hell. You have TONS of options you can do while you wait and check back again.

If all content would be 100% non troublesome for every situation we'd just have same stuff everywhere.

The issue with that is, a lot of people who play FFXIV:ARR don't actually have the time to wait for the weather, or to come back to check.

The casual players are a rather large group in FFXIV:ARR, they greatly outweight most other players. They would be the most frustrated and screwed over if they had to wait for a particular type of weather for weeks if not even months simply because they only have an hour or two to play every-day (if even that much). You can apply this logic to any specifically timed events in the game.

The development team already said they're strictly avoiding these sort of gates (until such a time it's proven otherwise that the majority of people want it).

[Seif]

This is a MMO if it doesn't Happen to be the desired weather for you then bloody hell. You have TONS of options you can do while you wait and check back again.

If all content would be 100% non troublesome for every situation we'd just have same stuff everywhere.