Radical Game Suggestion: Shut down the Aetherytes.

[RogueDK]

Yes. Really. Hear me out on this:

Square Enix is already using every trick in the book to slow down player progression: Multiple kinds of currency, limit on how many of certain currencies allowed per week, low drop-rate on certain items and limit on how many items that can be obtained per week from most recent raid dungeons.

So why not slow players down in a more "natural" way?
If the aethyrites where removed from the game it would force people to move around the world at a much slower pace. We would have to start using airships to move between the major cities, (Who ever uses airships at all anymore after unlocking the aetherytes in each city? The airships just sit there unused), and we would be forced to use mounts or even the chocobo couriers. (No one uses them at all - I think there are people out there that dont know they exist.)

[continued below]

[RogueDK]

[continued from above]

Another benefit would be to have people explore and enjoy the world itself. Eorziea is actually quite beautiful, yet most people would be unable to find their way around just outside a starter city without looking at their maps. They have been in the zone countless times but don't know the zone by heart. In FFXI I could find my way from any of the 3 starter cities to Valkurum Dunes for example, with my eyes closed. I knew the zones by heart. Every rock and tree. And it was a journey traveling from one place to another. Something I really enjoyed and made the game so much more "real" to me.

There would be whining if the aethyrites where removed. Yes to no end. But players would adjust and come to appreciate Eorzea all the more in the end.

Just because something is "old school" does not mean its outdated.
Bring back the more engaging worlds. Give us back the illusion.

Thank you for reading this. Let me know what you think. (I hope devs read this too at some point... I'm allowed to dream, right?)

[MistakeNot]

While I am not opposed to reducing - or even removing - the amount of teleportation done, a prerequisite for that must be that a large number of quests and questchains are changed/adjusted to drastically reduce the amount of back-and-forth required. Otherwise some parts would be just too painful. Especially the "Isn't this linkpearl nice. Now come back here so I can waste your time by telling you in person what I could just as well have told you in this conversation" moments.

And FYI - I use airships and chocobo porters as well as ferrys quite a bit. They are mostly cheaper than aetheryte travel, and reaches more places.

[RogueDK]

While I am not opposed to reducing - or even removing - the amount of teleportation done, a prerequisite for that must be that a large number of quests and questchains are changed/adjusted to drastically reduce the amount of back-and-forth required. Otherwise some parts would be just too painful. Especially the "Isn't this linkpearl nice. Now come back here so I can waste your time by telling you in person what I could just as well have told you in this conversation" moments.

And FYI - I use airships and chocobo porters as well as ferrys quite a bit. They are mostly cheaper than aetheryte travel, and reaches more places.

A valid point.
Yes the quests where you have to travel right across the world to talk to one npc and then travel all the way back again to continue the quest would need to be adjusted in my opinion. But then again SE only made them that way to make us waste time so changing them would be in line with what Im suggesting.

[axemtitanium]

This is not a localization issue.

[RogueDK]

This is not a localization issue.

There's no suggestions option in the feedback head forum. Lots of other people use this one to make gameplay suggestions.

[Dzian]

Sometimes I miss the days of actually having to go to content to participate in it. Like having to run to Alex if your wanna do Alex. Or goto insert name of that gnats place to do rav ex

I do also feel there's to much fast travel in this game. Especially in cities where you have mini aetherytes not even 15-20 seconds away from each other.

It's kinda sad when the only time I venture out into the open world at all is to do a spot of gathering or my scrips.

[Rufalus]

I think there's no turning back when it comes to existing content.
But I would want to explore the wilds of an uncharted continent far from Eorzea which has no aetheryte network established. This would be the island of old-school mmo adventures. A vast place with danger and no shortcuts. Rare monster drops, NMs, etc. Optional for the people who to play that kind of thing, while not interrupting the faster menu-driven teleporty, DF-popping Eorzea that other players enjoy.

[Zojha]

Optional for the people who to play that kind of thing, while not interrupting the faster menu-driven teleporty, DF-popping Eorzea that other players enjoy.

Until rewards come in and the once optional place no longer is optional.

You forget, right now, going the long way without aetherytes is an option - a true option even, since you don't even negatively affect other people by taking it. People just don't take it, because it's the less convenient and thus perceived inferior option. The same thing would happen if you turned the principle into a zone, provided it is truly optional and all the rewards can be gotten with equal efficiency outside of it.

Personally, I'm fine with the way it currently is. You do the journey once to get access to the aetheryte, then no longer need to do it. The 5th walk between Darnassus and Ironforge wasn't remotely as thrilling as the first anyway.

[Moomba33]

100% against this myself. The world of Eorzea is beatiful but slow travel should be a choice and not mandatory.
I do use airships if I'm already in one major city and heading for another. I sometimes hop on a chocobo porter for fun. However far more often I just want to get where I'm going. I would hate for my game time to be taken up by travel time especially for things like timed gathering nodes in Heavensward areas.