Thread: No flying in 5.0: Would it be better?

Originally Posted by Solarra

Can you give an example?
How would HW and SB be better without the flight-only accessible areas and nodes? You seem to be suggesting we've lost something here, that these areas would have been 'better' without flying. Better how?

I've not said nor even really suggested that flight it itself a diminishing factor. My position was stated quite explicitly. Between maintaining convenience above all and allowing for that convenience to be delayed in favor of better design, I'd take the latter. That is all. My concern is the role flight plays presently, not three-dimensional travel in itself.

I love flight. I just don't like content waste or disposable design.

Nonetheless, here are some examples of how leaving flight in its gimmick or anti-content state circumvents or outright prevents would-be meaningful design considerations:

- Use of vertical space and movement thereabout. --> Rope bridges, traversable ladders, improved climbing physics vs. "just take the forced longer route until you can ignore togography via flight".
- Mob placement and design as to satisfy both travel and grinding. --> Mob camps, group and pack AIs, non-hostile mob behaviors, ecosystemic movement, dynamic spawns, FATE integration and prelude, etc., vs. "just fly down to whatever mob you want, when you want it?"
- Joy of movement. --> Realistic flight that allows for acceleration from descent, turns appropriately, and maybe even rewards knowledge of wind currents or conservation of stamina in moving from peak to peak vs. "don't you ****ing touch my physics-less three dimensional transform mode of ignoring <would-be content>."

In short, content doesn't have to be convenient while still be interesting, if the inconvenience is considered short-term. But at the same time it doesn't have to be as interesting from the air if flight is considered purely a tool for convenience or mechanical disengagement.