FFXIV dungeons are a little bit too linear?

[Frysia]

I'd love to be able to explore Saint Mocianne's Arboretum.... That place looks like it would be really cool to explore. The first time I did it I was thinking how cool if dungeons weren't just one straight path and were more like the open world dungeons in FFXI.

Maybe in the future they can turn dungeons into something more closer related to how Diadem is in terms of how things spawn and respawn with multiple parties in one dungeon at a time, just bigger dungeons and random objectives to complete with different bosses to kill as objectives as well and bosses giving the tomestone reward.

[Zeonx]

I have been thinking this for a while, the straight line effect.

Point A to point B that's it, was thinking something like the Sea area in FFXI something like that would be cool to have, that place was big and puzzles and bosses to fight.

[IndigoHawk]

Dungeons are linear because players will find the shortest route and play it as though it was linear. Don't ask SE to waste resources making branches that people will only see on the first day until they discover the fastest path.

Also, FFXIV focuses so heavily on grind that players will become quite angry with each other if someone wants to explore one of the slower paths.

It would be exactly the same debate as watching cutscenes but even worse because people who want to see slower paths wouldn't even bring a new player bonus! They would just want to do something different and have fun, which is totally incomprehensible to many players who just want to grind rewards.

[Eimian_Eda]

Don't ask SE to waste resources making branches that people will only see on the first day until they discover the fastest path.

Thing is if they just removed their "Invisible walls", despite how much SE loves them, dungeons (and the world) would become so much more open instantly. No resource cost there.

[DragonSlayer45]

Don't ask SE to waste resources making branches that people will only see on the first day until they discover the fastest path..

While this is true, I have to ask: When did MMOs go from being time sinks to instant gratification speedrun zerg fests? Here's a rough map from a dungeon in Everquest:



Compare this to what we get in FFXIV:

[Morningstar1337]

While this is true, I have to ask: When did MMOs go from being time sinks to instant gratification speedrun zerg fests?

My guess, the time WoW launched

[DragonSlayer45]

My guess, the time WoW launched

I wouldn't point the finger at World of Warcraft either. I never played WoW, but I've looked at a few of the dungeon maps from that game and even it has a lot more substance built in them than all of the dungeons in this game.

-stuff about FF12-

While I don't think its fair to compare FFXIV to a single player RPG, but I agree, FF12's dungeon layout was marvelous. I still remember getting lost in the Great Crystal, couldn't use the map and was getting ambushed by Lv. 60+ mobs on the way to Ultima. Fun times.

However, even comparing it to other MMOs, all of FF14's dungeons are just Point A to Point B to Point C excursions.

[Klamor]

I wouldn't point the finger at World of Warcraft either. I never played WoW, but I've looked at a few of the dungeon maps from that game and even it has a lot more substance built in them than all of the dungeons in this game.



While I don't think its fair to compare FFXIV to a single player RPG, but I agree, FF12's dungeon layout was marvelous. I still remember getting lost in the Great Crystal, couldn't use the map and was getting ambushed by Lv. 60+ mobs on the way to Ultima. Fun times.

However, even comparing it to other MMOs, all of FF14's dungeons are just Point A to Point B to Point C excursions.

If you really look at FFXIV, it has more characteristics taken from FFXII than probably anything, anywhere else. It's part of why I enjoy XIV. I had been looking for an MMO-version of XII for a long time.

[Dotsusama]

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

Might be nostalgia blindness? I can only speak for myself of course, but I've found nearly every game from the PS2 on with dungeons to be incredibly linear, barring maybe the .hack franchise.