Please do not make group quest open world areas.

[Erudain]

I've seen this "elite mobs areas for parties" in a lot of MMORPG, I've seen both MSQ and sidequest tied to them.
There's usually no problem at launch or during the first months of the content, since well of course, that content is new...

The problem starts when time passes and content becomes obsolete, either because you only need to run it once (MSQ, once & only sidequest rewards, etc) or the rewards become outdated. What happens to the late comer then? they get stuck waiting for other late comer, or someone who wants to help them run content which won't reward them.

Few things suck more than getting stuck in a MSQ because you have to "get to X item and activate it" in an area packed with elite mobs with no way to avoid aggro in it, and no one helping because it's a dead zone/content.

[Seryl199]

I've seen this "elite mobs areas for parties" in a lot of MMORPG, I've seen both MSQ and sidequest tied to them.
There's usually no problem at launch or during the first months of the content, since well of course, that content is new...

The problem starts when time passes and content becomes obsolete, either because you only need to run it once (MSQ, once & only sidequest rewards, etc) or the rewards become outdated. What happens to the late comer then? they get stuck waiting for other late comer, or someone who wants to help them run content which won't reward them.

Few things suck more than getting stuck in a MSQ because you have to "get to X item and activate it" in an area packed with elite mobs with no way to avoid aggro in it, and no one helping because it's a dead zone/content.

The thing is, the way these areas are being described is that they will present a challenge to a solo player. Not that they will be impossible, or even very difficult. It was suggested that you "may" want to reach out for help with these areas, but in no way was it stated that a party would be required.

[Edellis]

I suspect it'll likely be similar to the camps that guard the Relic Weapon requirements. I personally found those areas pretty fun, but the moment you draw one too many you're basically screwed and are almost forced to run, which just aggros more.

Sadly, it isn't really made too much easier with multiple people, because they aren't really hard in the first place. They just have alot of HP and hit hard. The moment you're able to outlast them is the moment they're easy. Now, if mobs throw off ridiculous AOEs that need to be dodged, come grouped with healers and/or buffers, and require more than solo tank-n-spank, then i'm 100,000% for that. That's fun.

Thats my biggest gripe with the S-rank marks. They don't really have any mechanics, they just require enough people to outlast them.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I remember days when mobs would literally "charm" you and make them your pet in the open world for hours upon hours. Zones in these games are a complete joke and just a waste of time. I don't understand how people can call it a Final Fantasy game when the open world mobs in the older games were actually quite challenging. In this game the mobs level of difficulty is right outside the gates, you know the ones i'm talking about where one sword attack can kill one.

[Gunspec]

I remember days when mobs would literally "charm" you and make them your pet in the open world for hours upon hours. Zones in these games are a complete joke and just a waste of time. I don't understand how people can call it a Final Fantasy game when the open world mobs in the older games were actually quite challenging. In this game the mobs level of difficulty is right outside the gates, you know the ones i'm talking about where one sword attack can kill one.

What are you talking about? "charmed for hours upon hours?" And unless you are fighting level 20 mobs at level 50, you won't be one shot killing anything. And while some final fantasy enemies were pretty tough, mostly those in the final few dungeons, the vast majority of final fantasy enemies are basic attack fodder. If you want a real Final Fantasy experience, MP wouldn't regen automatically and casters would have to sleep at inns or use rare ethers to be effective.

The type of logic in this thread is exactly the same thing that was being shouted in WoW before flying was removed. People cite a dangerous world as helping you make friends and have a meaningful experience. You REALLY need the game difficulty to crank up to make friends? You can't find meaning in a game unless you get slaughtered by mudcrabs? I keep thinking of all of the barren group quest zones in other games I've played, and I don't want to see that repeated here. Tediously strong trash enemies + Flying mounts = people avoiding enemies even more than they already do. That's it. Stop daydreaming about epic meaningful adventures of friendship and magic.

In reality, we're probably going to see a few new powerful enemy types and beast tribe areas that are a bit more dangerous than before because we don't HAVE to run through it a million times a day. The developers would have to be crazy to drastically change the core world content that players would experience after investing hundreds of hours with their characters.

[Twilite]

See there you people go, wanting SE go much further with this and making the game frustrating for yourselves. When they do all of that, you then start complaining some more and want them to do this and do that. Make up your minds.

[Cirgellon]

See there you people go, wanting SE go much further with this and making the game frustrating for yourselves. When they do all of that, you then start complaining some more and want them to do this and do that. Make up your minds.

You do realize that a gaming community has more than one person, right?

[Seryl199]

See there you people go, wanting SE go much further with this and making the game frustrating for yourselves. When they do all of that, you then start complaining some more and want them to do this and do that. Make up your minds.

No one here has asked, "SE, please make open world content raid level difficulty where I am required to wipe over and over again to make it to the next aetheryte, then wipe more in an attempt to make it to the hut where the mender is to repair my gear." Instead, many players are pleased that the wolves have teeth, instead of trying to gum you to death. Many posts in this thread are in accordance with this change of open world, and many of the dissenters seem to be misinterpreting the level of difficulty that is going to be presented.

[Gunspec]

Many posts in this thread are in accordance with this change of open world, and many of the dissenters seem to be misinterpreting the level of difficulty that is going to be presented.

Yeah, I agree we're misinterpreting the level of difficulty. I think SE knows what they are doing, and it will be fine. But there is definitely a vibe in this thread that "punishing is better", and I've seen too much of that in other games. Games where, after 200 hours of solo playtime, the questing zones suddenly become impossible to solo and I'm forced to look for friends to help. Except, since the game doesn't create a need for group play earlier (Secret World) or has mechanics that make group play almost impossible (Elder Scrolls Online) you can't find anyone to assist you with the final few zones of the game. People either don't play that far, or the content is no longer relevant and the zones are pretty much empty.

I've still never finished the last zone of Secret World, because "you have to fight one enemy at a time, and if you pull a second one by mistake you will be in trouble". After giving up on that game because I couldn't find anyone to assist me, those aren't words that I'm delighted to hear.

However, I'll restate, I think it will be fine in FFXIV. I can't imagine devs are talking about allowing some kind of solo dungeon while simultaneously forcing parties on quest zones. Maybe there will be hard world content, but then they will deliver on the npc accompaniment they've been mentioning. Or maybe my chocobo will finally become a man and start fighting like the hero I know he is. Yoshi-p won't let FFXIV become a wasteland of tough mobs and no players like other mmos have done.

Let the bodies hit the floor, for I have a wand and a book.

We're on a floating continent, fighting an army of dragons, I've got a bow and arrow, none of this makes sense.

[Felis]

We're on a floating continent, fighting an army of dragons, I've got a bow and arrow, none of this makes sense.

There are bears in Dravania. And wild Chocobos, very dangerous. They can run faster to you than you can shoot to them ^^