The Art of Unlocking: Exploration and Crafting

[Biggs]

I like the way it is now, an I rather not change it.

Well your definitly going to hate all the changes coming if you like the way it is now then.

[Zeref]

what about have a class call cartographer.
Groups of adventurers can accept quests from guild or watever it's called.
then proceed on exploring, while cartographer needs to be on team.
as the group exploring, cartographer's data will increase.
you can turn in the quests at based on your data, and you will get maps, based on the data you got, as quest reward.

since eventually, people will complete all areas,
so cartographer should be able to work on something that require drawing. e.g. scrolls.

You know, I've actually seen a cartographer class in one of the indie online RPGs i've played when I was a kid, they definitely did something interesting, cartographers were able to craft maps of zones after exploring them, there were like three maps for each area, spawn map, dungeon location map (game was filled with little sub-caves and stuff) and just general layout map, higher levels were able to markup levels of mobs and jot down boss locations, they used to sell those maps and the need never ran out because maps essentially had durability. as a fighter they basically used giant quills and brushes and were essentially an ink mage class concentrating on buffs and debuffs.

Its actually pretty sad, this was all done by three guys in a basement using an old 2D engine that was closer to nintendo visuals than to what PC was at the time, ended up shutting down because the game basically had 20 people on at peak hours. Get your head in the game Square, I'm not saying this would necessarily fit in XIV, but you were being outdone by a couple of unemployed kids ten years ago, what's your excuse now?

[Lamentor]

Let's all look a few years back to FFXII. I personally think the way that the map was handled on that game was near perfect. You explore and it would fill in as you explore. You can buy the map, and it outlines the rest of the area, but the unexplored areas are still slightly darkened, and are brighter once you have explored them.

The only thing different since this is a MMO, would be to possibly have some of the out of the way, higher level areas, with end game content, maybe have a small quest to obtain the map. Of course, if you didn't want to do the quest, you could just fill in the map yourself.

[SnickleWhiskers]

Most of the reason you folks don't want to go explore is because you already know you're not going to see anything amazing. Oh look a marmot that's level 30 instead of level 3.

[Douten]

Let's all look a few years back to FFXII. I personally think the way that the map was handled on that game was near perfect. You explore and it would fill in as you explore. You can buy the map, and it outlines the rest of the area, but the unexplored areas are still slightly darkened, and are brighter once you have explored them.

The only thing different since this is a MMO, would be to possibly have some of the out of the way, higher level areas, with end game content, maybe have a small quest to obtain the map. Of course, if you didn't want to do the quest, you could just fill in the map yourself.

This is a good idea. If purchasing/questing for map is available I've always felt it shouldn't show everything about the map. To build on the idea, for example, when you buy the map you just get to see what the area are. When you explore on top of that perhaps the map can show the area where certain group of mobs spawns, DoL locations, NPCs marked on the map, etc. This will encourage exploration, but not force it for those who's not into that kind of things.

[Jinko]

Most of the reason you folks don't want to go explore is because you already know you're not going to see anything amazing. Oh look a marmot that's level 30 instead of level 3.

This is true, but aren't we talking about 2.0 here for the most part, maps will be much more interesting then. (we hope)

[Roaran]

I'll just add my experience with the map.

It honestly ruined exploration completely for me. Sure there are a few nice areas, and sure the areas themselves are bland. But if you walk into a dungeon, you can see the map, you are already to able to form an image of what you're about to see and it ruins completely any feeling of exploration.

Then the outside areas... the bounds are set and all the areas are known... Once you've seen one area, you've seen it all.

I think having maps already revealed was a huge mistake... I understand there's lore.. the lalafell or w/e that journeyed and made the maps... but with meteor coming to explode Eorzea, I think this is a great opportunity to revisit what I think was a huuuuge mistake.

[Metin]

I like the idea, i'm not against purchasable maps either. Perhaps much more detail available on purchased maps and purely discovered areas are more roughly "drawn".

Probably been said but just throwing in my approval ^^

[Maxthunder]

I think SE should do what they did in FFXI. Meaning we buy the maps as well as some being quest related map. I found that either buying the maps or questing for maps was in its self rewarding. Now to black out the maps as we walk thru the zones I would have to disagree with anything like that. Now to leave the map blank thats fine till you either buy the map or quest for it. I would love a book to hold all the receipts we make and or can unlock. Now ill go even furthure and say with the new jobs of whm and blm, SE needs to take away the animas and give the whm teleport spells as well as blm's having their warp, and warp 2 spells. Also sneak and invis would be a nice addition as well for mages to have. Part of what made FFXI fun to explore was not knowing and you are running thru a zone w sneak/invis up. In ffxiv there is no sense of danger. Exploration in FFXIV is either walk past certain mobs or depending on the area you are in you either get lucky as some spots are full of monsters that are sight only so walking and such dosent help, it is just by luck that you may or may not get by certain monsters in certain zones. For those of you that will say it can be done, I say im sure it can if and only if the monsters are in a placement (sight aggro only) that you can get thru. I have gotten all crystals (thats what I call them) in all but 2 zones.

[Mireille]

Let's all look a few years back to FFXII. I personally think the way that the map was handled on that game was near perfect. You explore and it would fill in as you explore. You can buy the map, and it outlines the rest of the area, but the unexplored areas are still slightly darkened, and are brighter once you have explored them.

The idea of buying an incomplete map and then filling in the details through exploration is pretty good. Someone who just wants to get through to the next connected zone can do so just by acquiring the map for the zone, but fine details have to be found to show on the map. This might include gathering points, caves, smaller settlements and npcs.

Maybe give DoL or DoH sub jobs that can be used from time to time, rather than as often as battle and magic jobs. Armorer can fix/create Magitek armor (since they're being released and mounts will be usable in battle), Blacksmith can fix/create Magitek weapons, Carpenter can be a cartographer and create treasure maps once every few days (once a week as guild quest?) that unlock quests, Botanist can plant and grow vegetables in these player housings we're getting (indoor garden). DoH and DoL should not get left in the dust when it comes to jobs and advance skills.

A bit off topic, but what might make sense would be to allow each DoH class to create artwork objects that include maps. Since we will have player housing it would be nice to add sculpture (armorer or blacksmith) to those gardens, paintings (carpenter weaver leatherworker) on the walls, and statuary in precious metals and stones (goldsmith) to decorate the tops of furniture. You could even have quality randomization included in the craft attempt where adding the materials may produce one of several tapestries of varying quality. The crafter might select a theme like battle and dragons though their material choices. I suppose it would even be possible to do portraits of other characters by entering their character name in a box. Alchemists would make fish tanks, and of course everyone wants a pet Snurble.

I think the idea is everyone can garden, but I think someone with botany leveled should get better quantity/quality results. To use XI as an example elemental ores would be something that would require botany at a certain level to obtain them from gardening.