Message to Developers about Map redesigns...

[stoned]

copy paste ftw. jumping,ah,mailbox,pvp. yes this game got flamed for not having any of these and they need fixed. then they need to adress the delay built into the game.

[MugenMugetsu]

What is with your "I don't like this, so to hell with everyone else" attitude? Take your own advice: why don't YOU grow up and learn how to use and read the redesigned map, which by the way, will be much IMPROVED--that's the point of the REDESIGN. Something obviously did not mesh with the map design when the game was launched, and it still isn't working. You think new people are gonna be PUMPED UP when they start out in The Black Shroud and look at the map they have to deal with? No, they're gonna be like "Screw this" and hang out in LL and Ul'dah instead, unless they're a masochist like me.

~ OP of this quote was Luxley.

In response...I am grown up. That's why I have no trouble navigating through The Black Shroud and using the map to do so when necessary. I understand everyone's concerns and I realize that I am in the minority. However, reading the map for The Black Shroud is 10000% times easier than reading the maps for Yuhtunga and Yhoator Jungles on FFXI. If you played XI, I'm sure you know what I mean. It isn't difficult at all to navigate around The Black Shroud. I don't understand why people are complaining so much about it. My biggest complaint is that camps are so far away from each other and if I have leves for one camp in The Black Shroud and leves for another camp in the Black Shroud the camps are usually all the way across the map from each other. With the addition of Chocobos this has become less burdensome and less time consuming and doesn't bother me as much.

As far as The Black Shroud's map being a little overwhelming.... this shouldn't discourage players. This should encourage them to want to learn to navigate the area and become as familiar with it, and how to navigate it, as possible. It is absolutely essential that every player be able to read their maps correctly. In my opinion, the map for The Black Shroud is VERY easy to understand. The upper levels and paths to them are bright green while the lower level is a darker shade of green. Not too difficult to understand. Either way it doesn't matter as the redesigns are gonna happen either way and I have faith that SE's redesigned maps will be just as good, if not better (hopefully better), than the current maps and terrain designs.

[CrystalObsidian]

I see your point OP, people need to learn to accept things the way they are and not whine so much.

However, I'm kinda looking forward to the map redesigns. I myself, can navigate everything pretty well. But the Black Shroud is a nuisance, I still need to open my map every minute or so to make sure I didn't veer off onto the wrong road..

And I can't say I'm a fan of the duplicated terrain either :/ I'm not trying to whine of course, just saying it will be helpful in lots of ways when the maps are redesigned.

[Synfrag]

Please do not change the current layout of the maps of the world and cities. Adding things such as Mog Houses, etc. is fine but please do not change the existing World Map and City map designs. Too many people are whining about having a hard time finding their way around in places such as The Black Shroud, for example. My advice to them is to grow up and learn how to use, and read, your map. The world designs and city designs are perfect the way they are aside from the fact that some additions would be very welcome. A complete redesign of World Maps, City Maps, would be very upsetting to me as I have spent a great deal of time familiarizing myself with the existing layout of the World and Cities. Please, please, PLEASE, Yoshi P., do not allow a change to the designs of the maps. I love how beautiful and lush The Black Shroud is and heard from a friend that when the world map is redesigned areas will be more open which would take away a lot of the beauty and lushness of areas such as The Black Shroud. This would be a great disappointment as I have traversed the maps as they are currently, and have familiarized myself with them and would not want to have to learn completely new map layouts. I absolutely love the maps and world/city environments as they currently are. Of course, additions to these would always be welcome! As for those of you who do not like the current map layouts and find areas such as The Black Shroud to be "too confusing"...Grow up! This is an MMO geared towards adults. Be an adult and LEARN TO READ YOUR MAPS. They are fine as they currently are. No map I have encountered thus far has been anywhere nearly as confusing as the Yhoator/Yuhtunga Jungle Maps on XI, which, after taking the time to learn them, became VERY easy to navigate. Thank you for your time, and I hope this message is well received and any plans to change the map designs are abandoned or are at least under consideration for abandonment. Focus improvements in other areas. There is absolutely no need to change the design of any areas unless additions are being made to those areas and the change is to accomodate the addition(s).

Wow OP, I'm usually not to overt at calling people out but holy **** <edited by moderator> Lets go over why, shall we?

1. Too late, they are almost finished with the redesign already.
2. Maps are being re-designed to add a sense of forward momentum, or progression into what is currently a bleak and stagnant world. NOT because people can't navigate them.
3. Major additions are being put into the world to do that.
4. Why would you spend time running around in a world where everything is the same? Sure, some mobs are different but did you find super secret hidden forests of chocolate covered magic mushrooms? Because you are obviously tripping.
5. You criticize people for not using and or reading their maps which are largely written in a gibberish language (Much like your post)
6. <edited by moderator>

[Synfrag]

~ OP of this quote was Luxley.

In response...I am grown up. That's why I have no trouble navigating through The Black Shroud and using the map to do so when necessary. I understand everyone's concerns and I realize that I am in the minority. However, reading the map for The Black Shroud is 10000% times easier than reading the maps for Yuhtunga and Yhoator Jungles on FFXI. If you played XI, I'm sure you know what I mean. It isn't difficult at all to navigate around The Black Shroud. I don't understand why people are complaining so much about it. My biggest complaint is that camps are so far away from each other and if I have leves for one camp in The Black Shroud and leves for another camp in the Black Shroud the camps are usually all the way across the map from each other. With the addition of Chocobos this has become less burdensome and less time consuming and doesn't bother me as much.

As far as The Black Shroud's map being a little overwhelming.... this shouldn't discourage players. This should encourage them to want to learn to navigate the area and become as familiar with it, and how to navigate it, as possible. It is absolutely essential that every player be able to read their maps correctly. In my opinion, the map for The Black Shroud is VERY easy to understand. The upper levels and paths to them are bright green while the lower level is a darker shade of green. Not too difficult to understand. Either way it doesn't matter as the redesigns are gonna happen either way and I have faith that SE's redesigned maps will be just as good, if not better (hopefully better), than the current maps and terrain designs.

Wait, you do realize that by "Map Redesign" they don't mean the thing you look at to find your way right? It's the zones that are being redesigned not the paper map thingy. It sounds like you might be confused, if that is the case then I apologize for my last post.

I think you may need to spend just a little more time reading the forum threads. Especially the ones related to the progression and feeling of accomplishment in relation to XI. That is what this is meant to do. Hell, in terms of navigating the new world there is a good chance that much of it will remain the same but with different environment variables, mobs and such.

In any case your please is, as you stated, that of the minority and faaar too late to the game.

[Orcishgrappler]

The maps NEED to be changed. I'm in shock that anyone likes them the way they are now.

[Velhart]

You really don't realize how badly these revamped maps need to happen. Both looks and technical reasons.

Copy/Pasted terrain is so obvious and is a complete insult to the Final Fantasy name, which always promises quality. Simply copy and pasting areas without using methods of illusion to make each area feel different was extremely lazy and thoughtless on their end.

Also, there is a lot of terrain issues that need to be adjusted. The polygon count is so high, and people's graphics cards are taking a serious heating issue because a lot of useless terrain people can't even get to (Example: The depth of the water, you can't even get in the water, why make it go to the bottom?). You definitely notice this if you walk into a new area (Like GC area). My graphics card is usually 89-95% degrees when I am in the game. I was in a new area and temperatures went down to 78 degrees.

Change needs to happen.