I think everyone knows that my main focus on the XIV forums is to push for the world to become more "Immersive".

Now before you cringe and cry about that word, immersion can be done very well without effecting your playstyle, and just make the world feel more alive. Let's walk away from the telport and travel debates for now and look at ways to make the world feel more alive, more dyanmic!

Map changes are one thing, but without context even the most amazing map is going to feel a bit drab.

For now I beleive that a bestiary is still something that can "Spice up" the drab world we are exploring everyday, give us a goal to strive for. Even without rewards completing a bestiary is just one more thing for people to strive for and complete, one more activity among the new instalments of content. Givin that the developers are interested in spicing up the zones and making them a little more "Deep" I think a perfect addition to this thread is beyond the bestiary give the larger or more important areas a "Bestiary" like page as well.

Give us something nifty to read about the area once we unlock the page "Perhaps through exploration with the new up-coming map system?"

For a good relatable example let's say.... the new Amaal'ja base Zahar'ak

Zahar'ak
A stronghold erected by the Amalj'aa, its name meaning "like a rock" in their native tongue. Its location was said to be chosen by thaumaturges who, through ancient rituals, divined the position to be auspicious for waging war. Beginning life as a humble frontier outpost, over time Zahar'ak grew to become the foremost Amalj'aa base in all of Thanalan, boasting an intimidating array of siege engines and troop conveyances as well as a facility for breeding war drakes. Recent moons have seen a sharp rise in activity at Zahar'ak, which has sparked disquieting rumors among Ul'dahns of a full-scale assault on the sultanate.


Sure this is available on the loadstone but why not have it available in-game as well? I think having tid-bits of information like this before I waltz into the enemies fortress gets me more "Into" the area.

This is why I am making a new suggestion to spice up the world.

[SIZE=5]World Tomes:[/SIZE]

The basic priniciple behind World Tombes would be to give the larger more important areas of the game some context when going into them, wether it's discovered when you reach a new zone or hear about it from a NPC, I think having such lore available is cruical to making a area feel "Alive"

In XI (yeah yeah) Much game lore was provided by NPC's in small quips here and there and compiled by players, still many people don't know what happened at Gusgen mines or why it is haunted by so many ghosts. A few keen people who did quests revolving around the area and other such things as the nature of the NM's in the area cobbled together the reasons behind the area a tragic mining incident left many souls to haunt the area.

I think Developers have an idea about why a zone exists or why certain things appear in certain areas, we have so manyt mysterious objects and areas in the game that we have no idea what they are for, or who used them.

I'm not saying every bar-stool should tell me it's life-story, or that every mysterious object have some sort of tool-tip beside it. But a little bit of context can go a long way while still being able to leave a air of mystery and awe.

What does the community think? Do you think having world tomes would be a good idea? How would you implement them? Or should the lore remain just strewn in bits of information by NPC's for only the more discerning individuals to peice together?

I'd love to hear the communities thoughts before I edit this post some more. Go at it!