FFXIV dungeons are a little bit too linear?

[Colorful]

Anyone else remember Blackfathom Depths from back in WoW? I remember getting lost there with my party more than a few times, one of my most memorable experiences in MMOs. I'd kill for a dungeon similar to that in FFXIV, but alas all we'll get is "We don't have enough staff to do that without sacrificing another dungeon, the Diadem too, oh, and the MSQ will be even shorter than 3.1", or whatever.

[Culfinrandir]

Unfortunately all that will happen is that people will:

A) Complain it takes too long or is complex
B) Find the quickest way & ignore rest
C) Assassinate the characters of those who don't want to do B).

They did do a multi route option in Coil I believe and it ended up with people only doing the minimum required to get through.

Can you blame the developers for not wanting to spend more time and money creating exciting routes like the O'Ghomoro Mines only for most of it to remain completely ignored once the initial mapping achievement is gained?

[AstralKaos]

Would love something other than what's on offer right now, even if it was just once every other patch. Who cares if people will optimize the route, it'll beat doing yet another linear "dungeon" the first few times.

At the same time, make something that isn't insultingly easy, doesn't have to be crazy, just something a bit tougher.

And please! Stop with the mob clear required door opener stuff on ever damn corridor, one or two is fine to block progression for speed runs... but dungeons ever since this design choice started getting more heavily enforced have been kind of dull; One of the reasons I used to enjoy (used to, keyword) tanking a dungeon was doing big pulls and managing CD's properly to survive, same as a healer... it had an element of actual skill that benefited a run, as a bad healer or tank wouldn't pull them off so well.

Not saying make them pure big pull speed run havens, just please, less emphasis on these current designs and layout choices.

[Colorful]

Unfortunately all that will happen is that people will:

A) Complain it takes too long or is complex
B) Find the quickest way & ignore rest
C) Assassinate the characters of those who don't want to do B).

They did do a multi route option in Coil I believe and it ended up with people only doing the minimum required to get through.

Can you blame the developers for not wanting to spend more time and money creating exciting routes like the O'Ghomoro Mines only for most of it to remain completely ignored once the initial mapping achievement is gained?

U'Ghamaro Mines is everything but exciting..

[Phireblast]

If they were to do a multi route option, they would need to provide different incentives to go each path so people wouldn't always choose the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, people prefer the hallway design of dungeons. There hasn't been a single structurally interesting dungeon to me in ages outside of Aetherochemical.

I've given up on anything that requires some complexity in this game to be done right or at all.

[RukiaFae]

If they made it rewarding people would. The harder routes give more rewards. Or th he could make them all the same length and time just slightly different. Either option would work. They just need to be creative.

[Gunspec]

I remember getting lost there with my party more than a few times

And that's the reason it doesn't happen. Granted, I loved that dungeon in its original form, but mostly due to running through it by myself when I was a much higher level. If you ran it with people when it first came out, you'd either be ignoring most of the hallways, rooms, and mobs, or you would be hopelessly lost. We're playing a game where most dps can't even find their limit break button.

Now maybe they could make a zone or something similar to these ideas. That way you could explore to your heart's content, but you wouldn't be shackled to 3 or 7 other people who would probably not be interested in the same things that you are. Personally I'm a bit upset that diadem pretty much requires a decent sized group even to fight rank 1 mobs, and you need other people just to enter the zone. Personal and small group exploration is thrown under the bus of massive groups spamming the easiest grind.

They did do a multi route option in Coil I believe and it ended up with people only doing the minimum required to get through.

Not to mention the sacrifice pulls of Turn 1. I don't think I've ever been in a group that killed the mobs properly. Groups only kill trash if there is a locked door preventing them from proceeding. I honestly don't think you can blame SE on this one. They understand their player basis on the matter, and a small amount of people that like to soak in the sights isn't going to make them change their design philosophy on dungeons.

[DragonSlayer45]

Yeah, the dungeons layouts are disappointingly linear. Almost as linear as the entirety of Final Fantasy XIII. I think the only dungeon that's slightly less linear than the rest is Toto Rak. If I remember right, you have a choice of which path you can go down, even though they all lead to the same destination and lead to the same boss in the end. I think even 1.0 had non-linear dungeons with Cutter's, Aurum Vale and Toto Rak.

I wouldn't mind midcore content designed to add exploration to dungeons. The bosses are fun albeit easy, but the trash and dungeon layout are always the same.

[xXRaineXx]

There is a point and it is called immersion, which is quite important in a game which claims to be a RPG (and not a gear farming glamour simulator).

RPG=Role Playing Game - A game whereas you role-play within the story. I think this game nailed that. WARRIORS OF LIGHT UNITE!

[Stanelis]

RPG=Role Playing Game - A game whereas you role-play within the story. I think this game nailed that. WARRIORS OF LIGHT UNITE!

Yeah right, I think I now get why the dungeons are linear.