How should The Black Shroud be redesigned?

[giftforce]

Yoshi wanted us to discuss it. I guess for further reference, there are already two threads with some random suggestions:

thread 1

thread 2


Anyways with that out of the way.

Although I have grown accustomed to the tone of the Black Shroud as it stands today, an atmosphere more befitting to the name is more what I envisioned when I first saw the concept art for Gridania and The Black Shroud.

If you've ever seen Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, the forest from that movie is more what I envisioned. Obviously I'm not suggesting a direct plagiarism or anything, just some adjustment to ambience. At least in some areas.

Another thing to address is the corridor-like nature of the layout. I think I speak for everyone when I say I groaned when I first saw the map for The Black Shroud. After Yuhtanga Jungle, I never wanted to see such a map again. And at least Yuhtanga Jungle had some maze-like qualities to it which alleviated the boredom.

The development team have also spoken alot about conducting players throughout the game, and maybe it's time they addressed the seemingly random positioning of certain features throughout the zones. There really doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to the position of some of the items on the map, as far as I can tell. Even considering the camps, some of them seem oddly placed. In any case, I think it would have been more wise to position some of the townships and spectacles more close to the main thoroughfare to give a sense of more variation within the zone.

Placing them so far off the beaten-track, although compelling players to adventure more, makes the rest of the zone rather tedious.

In short: reduce tedium and copy paste, alter ambience and atmosphere, restruture the zone to be more open, position interesting outcrops and structures to be more central to the main passageways.

Feel free to weigh in.

[NefarioCall]

No mind duplication. This is the Black Shroud centric thread then.

I want to see the forest have more character than just copy pasta passages.
I want to be able to climb up into the trees and see it from above.
Unique characteristics to each area like lakes and rivers that have identity rather than just passing along the roadside.
More like that big white tree..
And more than 2 levels.

The Shroud right now has only the lower level, an upper level, and the caves here and there.
I'd like to see some real highs and lows on terrain.
And for sure, it's a forest, have some one off houses and sheds around.

[Chezen]

Just speaking my mind, but I like the twists and turns of the Shroud.

What I would like to see, as I would like to see in all maps, is something to find in my exploring. There have been a few interesting places, but little in the way of interesting things, like rare/odd mobs, treasures, mini games, things of that nature.

[Seirra_Lanzce]

i want more goodies in my Black Shroud maze, not a complete redesign.. :C

[Volsung]

Burnt in the north/northwest
More swampy than it is in the southwest
dark and treacherous in the east
fall colours as you approach Thanalan
More emphasis on lakes in the west

Basically just accentuate what they were going for.

The landmarks that are already present (stone circle/amber bat/dead tree/white trees/tree in middle of lake/stump) should be more pronounced in the areas they are in, the tree in the middle of the lake is excellent. But where the dead tree is could be surrounded by others, same for the white trees, the amber bat looks random and the area around it could be spruced up. Let us on the stump (I dont know if you can now), stone circle area could have a more temple feel around it. etc.

[CoolBlitz]

Why redesign there was nothing wrong with black shroud? The only reason that place is empty is because there are no good leve there.

Try moving broken water camp to black shroud. I bet over 70% of population will move there.

[BloodLotus]

The shroud would be a perfect place for hidden ruins!

[Reika]

What I think they need to do, is remove a lot of 'walls' aka 'tunnels' Just by turning one tunnel-like region into an open area it would vastly improve the shroud. I would say the emerald moss on north and the tranquil area on east, excluding the sylphs area, should be made into open areas. They dont have to move any of the tree-like structures that are embedded into the walls at all. It would greatly reduce the copy/paste feel the shroud has goin on. Some twists and turns in some areas are fine, but for the whole thing to be like that... it is just ridiculous.

[Coldfire]

More moogles please... and more glowing trees! And maybe they could turn tam-tara into a 10+ levels area with some interesting nm at the end and only one gate at the entrace so it actually causes some work to get to it.

[Verecund]

They should add content. /end