Map System

[Cryengine]

Hello there.

I find this game very interesting and i like it so much. I started playing mmo's since 2005 and i'v been jumping all around the mmo's. However FF14 is a breathtaking game and i'v been playing it for the past 3 weeks. But the Map System in this game is very very very complicated for new players. I wish the map system in this game is much simpler and understandable . I mean you have to take a full course on how you can use the FF14 Map. I dont know if it is just me or others have been having this issue.

[Martin_Arcainess]

Welcome to XIV Yeah the map system for some can be very ?_? I guess it depends on what type of person you are, I like the artistic of the map but I'm quite a good map reader so wondering where to go never been much of a problem for me.

here's some tips.

If you notice area has a Green tick or a golden ! it means that's where you need to go for the quest.

If you go into your Journal and then click/select the quest it will bring up the map on where you need to go.

Explore everywhere! Unlocking more of the map will be a great help later on in the game.

But yeah I never had much trouble but were all different

[RiversideGuy]

Both FFXIV & WoW have very similar issues with their maps... as in they represent only a vague idea of what the terrain really is like. Mostly having do with terrain obstacles, like hills and such. It can look very smooth on the map, but you can be facing a steep hill seemingly blocking your way.

One thing helpful "over there" is quest locations may have a down or up arrow, giving you an idea if it is located above or below your position. Can be very helpful. I have heard FFXIV used to have such a feature, but apparently there was much crying about how it made the game too easy, so SE removed that feature. When I hear about this kind of thing, I just wonder if the "crying" comes from those who have already gone through the MSQ line, have leveled to cap and are enjoying end-game raids and such. Not to mention the whole "pitch black at night" thing FFXIV does that the other guys don't. I find myself very frequently waiting for daylight because traversing some areas are very very hard in pitch black night.

[Niwashi]

I actually thought the game's mapping system was quite easy and intuitive, except that it does get a bit more complex when dealing with multiple levels. In the original ARR regions, there's only a few limited areas where that's even an issue and they're easy enough to learn, but Heavensward expanded that problem without providing a solution to it.

Not to mention the whole "pitch black at night" thing FFXIV does that the other guys don't. I find myself very frequently waiting for daylight because traversing some areas are very very hard in pitch black night.

Check your game's "System Configuration" settings. I think you've got it set too dark. At night, it may well be too dark for things like trying on outfits, as colors can be a little hard to make out, but aside from that you should be able to see fine for the most part. (The nighttime game world is actually quite pretty.)

[SerosJourney]

you'll get used to it ^^

for sure

[NettoSaito]

It can be a bit confusing at first, but for the most part all you have to do is click on a quest, and click on the button to show it on the map. From that point you can either warp to the nearest location you have open, or you can click the arrows on the map to change to the next area until you find where you actually need to go. Also you can check quests to track them so that they will point you in the right direction.

[RiversideGuy]

Thanks much Niw... as it is I have an environmental issue as well. Play mostly day time and live in apt. with TONS of windows, so it's incredibly light in here... meaning a "darkish" screen can be impossible for me to see stuff. Seems my immediate vicinity (in-game) gets lighted up a bit, but it's thinks like traversing around a space like Sylphland where I need it more "lit up." Or the sometimes convoluted paths one has to take doing Amalj'aa dailies.

Checked System Config... is it Character Lighting that I adjust?

NB: did some googling, character lighting is about the light on one's character (and those around you) not the environment. Just did the Slyph dailies and it was the end of the "day" so took me twice as long as it would if I cojuld really see more than 10 feet in front of my face!

[Niwashi]

Checked System Config... is it Character Lighting that I adjust?

System Configuration -> Display Settings -> Gamma Correction
is the one that can brighten or darken the entire screen.
For a brightly lit room like yours, I'd set it (and perhaps the Character Lighting one as well) to maximum.

(Or is that setting platform specific? I know PS3 and PS4 have it. I expect how it's accomplished behind the scenes would be different between consoles and PCs, but the desire to have such a setting would stay the same, so I've always assumed it was offered on any of them.)

[RiversideGuy]

Ah, yes I have a gamma control, but if I set it a bit higher, all highlights get blown out more than they can be now. I'll play with it, but it usually makes things very ugly!

[Mikedizzy]

Hello there.

I find this game very interesting and i like it so much. I started playing mmo's since 2005 and i'v been jumping all around the mmo's. However FF14 is a breathtaking game and i'v been playing it for the past 3 weeks. But the Map System in this game is very very very complicated for new players. I wish the map system in this game is much simpler and understandable . I mean you have to take a full course on how you can use the FF14 Map. I dont know if it is just me or others have been having this issue.

I had this issues when the game first came out...it will get better and you will learn how to use it effectively...it just takes some time and use and more play time. Hang in there you will get, I never thought I would and I have come to like it.