Platforming and puzzles in an MMO...

[Agoven]

It's vaguely been done but it's a shame that we have MMOs in 3D environments these days and nobody really adds in platforming and puzzles to get through dungeons.

I'd like to see dungeons that don't have time restraints and allow for players to solve through finding clues in the world and in the dungeons themselves.

Figure out how to pass through a dungeon whether it be use special classes and skills, popping the right switches...triggering traps. Heck that big round rock rolling down to sandwich you chase is sorta fun. Should totally see more of that sort of stuff.

I think the tendency is for many games to focus in on just enter area find big boss and kill but you can create a great story line just through puzzled areas that require some thought and exploration.

[Answa]

*gives you a big hug*

If this were done, I would agree that jumping and swimming would rock.

[Gramul]

I need platforming in a Final Fantasy MMO like I need platforming in a Zelda game.

Exploration is great though.

[Wolfie]

Dude, don't you know? Final Fantasy games aren't supposed to have puzzles or characters that move in 3 dimensions. It's supposed to only be grindan and linear story progression.

[Agoven]

Dude, don't you know? Final Fantasy games aren't supposed to have puzzles or characters that move in 3 dimensions. It's supposed to only be grindan and linear story progression.

Actually there's been plenty of little puzzle type elements in FFs of the past. Moving switches and opening platforms...opening one closes another that sort of stuff.

Hmm...how about a Mimic chest...

[Answa]

Actually there's been plenty of little puzzle type elements in FFs of the past. Moving switches and opening platforms...opening one closes another that sort of stuff.

Hmm...how about a Mimic chest...

She was obviously joking.

[Agoven]

She was obviously joking.

He hee...I'm totally recovering from a cold...I wasn't exactly serious either...hence the mimic comment at end.

[Tsukino]

FFXI had a several instances of this.

The earliest one was probably the "three-mage gate" where you needed one of each of the color mages to stand on a glyph to open it. The Eldieme Necropolis had levers that controlled gates, requiring more than one person to work together to progress. Beadeaux had a fairly unique system where you could voluntarily silence yourself at some machines in order to avoid being cursed (greatly reduced HP/MP and movement speed) when passing by other machines. Castle Zvahl also had a lot of drops to platforms at different levels, as well as teleporters. Many areas, mostly dungeons, had one-way drops and holes in the floor to other maps.

With Zilart the Quicksand Caves had pressure plates that required the weights of different races in combination to open doors, as well as one entrance that could only be used after activating several pillars around the entire desert. The Temple of Uggalepih had one-way drops and keys that were required to access certain areas. Ifrit's Cauldron had you avoiding flame spouts and carefully planning routes down one-way drops. And of course all of Tu'Lia, especially the Shrine of Ru'Avitau, had several key/switch areas and tons of teleporters.

In the Promathia expansion most level-capped story areas had some sort of classic dungeon progression gimmick. The areas of Promyvion under the crags required you defeat gates and use teleporters to continue to the end. Phomiuna Aqueducts had multiple levels, one-way doors, and keys, and there is an area that requires players to flip switches in a certain pattern to open a door for a story mission. Riverne used teleports and keys. The Sacrarium had a maze that shifted to different patterns with each game day. Fei'Yin was nothing but various kinds of different puzzles. Attohwa Chasm had a large mountain with a very confusing method of climbing that must be conquered under a time limit for a story mission and some other quests. Movalpolos required people to use furnaces to rotate gates. Ulegeurand Range had very strict paths and drops you had to take to get anywhere, and IIRC one even required you moving your character mid-air to hit a landing. And of course Lumoria had crazy teleports and was confusing like Tu'Lia before it.

In Aht Urhgan areas returned to a larger scale, and all of the dungeons had their own gimmick. Arrapago Reef had one-way drops and keyed doors. Halvung had many separate entrances and lever-controlled gates. Mamook got the multiple levels and one-way drops. Eventually they added something more unique with Alzadaal Undersea Ruins, which connected to many of the other areas with a series of teleporters.

The entire game had things like strategic placement of enemies you had to wait to turn their backs to avoid, hidden areas of maps you had to figure out how to traverse, and multiple maps to figure out how they connected to each other.

I don't know if any of the same area designers are working on XIV, but I'd love to see that same kind of classic dungeon crawling experience in it. Promathia in particular often felt like you were one member in an old-school FF game, while you worked with your party to figure out how to get through an area together.

[Kyitrai]

Eventually they added something more unique with Alzadaal Undersea Ruins, which connected to many of the other areas with a series of teleporters.

Great post, but for some reason I felt compelled to note that Sky had some rage-inducing teleporters first. lol

[Denmo]

Puzzles?


[SIZE="5"]PUZZLES?[/SIZE]


did someone say puzzles.