Area redesign - Discussion thread

[NefarioCall]

Yoshida: Changes will be made to both the geography and the design of the areas. Some areas will be changed rather drastically, so I'd love if you all could discuss how you think the changes will be made while you're all looking forward to it.

At Yoshi's request, lets talk area redesign.

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I think personally, it is critical to give each section of the major starting zones a unique character.

There is a beautiful white tree on the north side of the Black Shroud. This tree immediately says to me, I AM HERE. I AM NOT THERE.

Beastman tribe camps, outposts, or just random one off houses, campfires, unusual vegetation and so on. All of this i think would be critical to giving each area character.
There is lots that can be done with geography too. The long draw distance is great for view points, or secret paths etc..

Discuss!

[Laiferr]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...e-Zone-Long-OP

Should we not keep this discussion in the above thread, since there are already many great suggestions in there?

[NefarioCall]

probably on account of the name not screaming area redesign, despite its over 1000 responses, i did not see it when looking for one. Thanks.

[Starlord]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...e-Zone-Long-OP

Should we not keep this discussion in the above thread, since there are already many great suggestions in there?

You did it to mine and to his.. please just let us do our thing and stop trying to stop excitment, Thank you

[Laiferr]

Starlord, there's no need for the attitude, he thanked me for linking him the useful thread

[Starlord]

No Attitude, just when exciting news happens from the person that's recreating the game I believe it should have its own thread but Im not going to argue, because argue is never my strong point so have a blast :P

[NefarioCall]

I was not aware they are going to redesign the cities as well. o_O

[Onidemon]

At Yoshi's request, lets talk area redesign.

---

I think personally, it is critical to give each section of the major starting zones a unique character.

There is a beautiful white tree on the north side of the Black Shroud. This tree immediately says to me, I AM HERE. I AM NOT THERE.

Beastman tribe camps, outposts, or just random one off houses, campfires, unusual vegetation and so on. All of this i think would be critical to giving each area character.
There is lots that can be done with geography too. The long draw distance is great for view points, or secret paths etc..

Discuss!

I think we should also have small villages. We can get quests, items, shops, etc from these and it makes more sense to have a bunch of smaller villages then only 3 main cities.

Other mmos have these and FFXIV should too!

[giftforce]

Omg, please tell me I didn't just make a duplicate thread.

[Kiara]

Great thread. I was going to start one also based on that latest Yoshida-san interview.

On the highest level for the Area / Map Redesign:

• The current massive "1 Area" per Nation (Thanalan, The Black Shroud, La Noscea), should be broken up into Smaller Areas (thematically, design-wise, artistically).

• The Smaller Areas should coincide with Player Progression: Rank 1 - 10 is Smaller Area A; Rank 11 - 20 is Smaller Area B; Rank 21 - 30 is Smaller Area C, etc.

• Each Smaller Area should be Visually Distinct, Thematically Different, but still provide a sense of a cohesive world. For example, in FF XI, Crawler's Nest and Rolanberry Fields were very different and distinct, but it was believable that they both could coexist in the same region.

• There should be some noticeable and unique Landmarks in these Smaller Areas. These "Landmarks" can be anything from a massive Crashed Airship (like Mor Dhona), to a unique type of Magical Vegetation that only grows in that area, to a Giant Waterfall, to an area that is the ONLY home of a type of a creature (e.g., Black Mandragoras!).

• Send the players out to other lands as they progress further in the game: Don't let us be stuck in Thanalan, La Noscea or The Black Shroud forever. The game should encourage and push the player to progress not only through distinctive Smaller Areas within the Region, but also send them out to other Continents / Major Areas (like send them to Coerthas or Mor Dhona or future Lands like our version of Sky or Sea).

Now as to specifically how the team might change the Geography and/or Design of each Area as they develop it (as Yoshida-san is asking us to discuss)...

• They could use some of the more distinctive, beautiful areas in the game that are currently wasted because they are filled with Rank 60+ Mobs that are too dangerous to SP on (or are places that are too far away). Here are some examples:

* The Black Shroud *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Bentbranch region (キャンプ・ベントプランチ) (same as it is now, but with less tunnels :P)
• Rank 11 - 20: Five Hangs region / Mirror Lake (鹿落五橋). Open it up more, but have a whole region be in and around a GIANT LAKE with Harbors, etc.
• Rank 21 - 30: Sorrel Haven (スカンボの安息所): It's a gorgeous area, with flowing Rivers and a GIANT MANA TREE! This is already in the game.
• Rank 21 - 30 (Alternate): The Tam Tara Deepcroft / Mun-Tuy Cellars (タムタラの墓所) (Dungeons). They're fine as is.

* La Noscea *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Bearded Rock (キャンプ・ビアデッドロック) region (as it is now).
• Rank 11 - 20: South Bloodshore BEACH (サウス・ブラッドショア). The lower level Beach area (expanded a bit more), would be a distinct, "ocean side" battle area, with a gorgeous view. It could be like a "Valkurm Dunes" area for XIV. There are quite a few Beach / Coastline areas that are currently too small and unused.
• Rank 21 - 30: Cassiopeia Hollow (浮海月の巌穴) - Unique and different as is, already in the game.
• Rank 21 - 30 (Alternate): The Isles of Umbra (幻影諸島です) - If you've been to The Isles of Umbra, it's a BEAUTIFUL area, high above the lands, with cliffs and climbing areas and then the huge open view overlooking the oceans. If they made this area usable for this rank, that'd give a unique experience as well.

* Thanalan *

• Rank 1 - 10: Camp Black Brush (ブラックブラッシュ). It's fine as is, for a basic Desert Starter area.
• Rank 11 - 20: Nanawa Mines (ナナワ銀山) - It's a Mining Dungeon area. It's different from the outside areas and they can keep their work on this.
• Rank 11 - 20: The Footfalls (Deep Canyon Area) (足跡の谷) - If anyone's been to The Footfalls (it's found via the Lower Canyon area going to The Docks (to get to the Ferry from Limsa -> Ul'dah)), it's a deep Canyon area, with Tall, Mountainous Walls, and Ravines. If they developed this area out more, added some cool Nausicaa Overgrown Spore Foliage and made THAT the Rank 20 Camp, that'd stand out far more than Drybone.
• Rank 21 - 30: Burnt Lizard Creek (with MORE of the Temple Architecture) (リザードクリーク): If anyone's seen the Hidden Temple in a cave in Burnt Lizard Creek, it's BEAUTIFUL and completely unused. (>_>) If they developed out more of this hidden Temple Architecture and added it to the area around Burnt Lizard Creek and maybe added something like an Active VOLCANO with Flowing Lava, that'd be a great Rank 30 area that'd be visually distinct.

Besides those quick examples of re-using current areas (but moving them around geographically), the team could also:

• Create brand-new Environments / Textures / Themes to really make Zone Progression stand out. Examples:
  • Thanalan: Start out with Desert.
  • Then progress to an Aetheryte / Magic-Infused Crystal Mining Area (a completely distinctive more "enchanted / fantasy" instead of the brown, normal Nanawa Mines.
  • Active Volcano with Flowing Lava in another Smaller Area.
  • Gridania: Start out in the basic Forest area.
  • Then progress to an Elemental Energy-infused portion of the Forest that stands out from the earlier area, like this from Final Fantasy X:
    
    http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/fina...5/?full_size=1

And also, for the Zone Redesigns, I hope Team Yoshida is also considering:

• Monster Placement and Layout. This goes hand-in-hand with the Zone Redesign, as right now, you see Star Marmots everywhere. You see Coblyns all over Thanalan. You see Dodos or Aldgoats throughout La Noscea and Thanalan, really adding a sense of "sameness" without being distinct.
  
  Right now, you see a Rank 1 Mushroom at the start of Gridania, and you see a Rank 40+ Mushroom that looks exactly the same at higher level camps like Crimson Bark.

I hope we see Drakes / Guivres be selectively and distinctively used to really set apart an area, so that when we see them, we feel like, "Oh wow, XYZ is home of the Inferno Drakes! Cool!" instead of seeing Drakes / Guivres in every single region.

It's also important to remind the Team to not forget about Siobu's amazing "One to Fifty Zone" thread with lots of good information and contributions from so many players!

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...e-Zone-Long-OP

No matter what, I look forward to the major redesign that's happening! Keep up the good work Yoshida-san & Team!