[Suggestion] Festival Center, Amusement Park

[PaluMatzu]

I'm very disappointed there aren't any festival like areas. Could have been freakishly photogenic, maybe even romantic (FERRIS WHEEL, COME ON!!) with fireworks and everything. I for one would have LOVE taking a photo of my character while he watches a bunch of fireworks in the distance. How is this not a thing yet?

[Lambdafish]

Let me introduce you to the Gold Saucer...

[Vidu]

The prime time to take pictures of your character with fireworks in the background is the anual celebration of the game during august each year. I've taken quite a few screenshots of my character during that time and having those fireworks actually connect to an important event makes them all the more special - compared to fireworks that would just be there all year around.

I also have to admit that I dont see much value in spending ressources on things that would be nothing but a background for a screenshot - so unless you can come up with some sort of gameplay involved in that Ferris Wheel, the question to me isnt "Why is that not a thing yet?!" but rather "...why should it even be a thing?"

[PaluMatzu]

The answer to that is not all events coincide with August. Maybe its an anniversary, or a birthday, or hell, even the day you first started playing FFXIV. Not only that, but the only wide open fields where one can just lounge at for screenies and hangout locations are either combat fields, or cities cluttered with other characters. Why not a grass field?


Either way, it's not like it'd just be backgrounds for screenshots. Oft too many are the players who make videos to tell stories just for the fun of it; adding more non-combat areas designed entirely for setting up a celebrational or festival-like theme would add a sense of surrealism (if not flat out realism) that may be hard to find at times.


also, how many people do you think would declare all out war just for a chance at attending a Japanese-style festival? those things are famous for a reason

[Vidu]

The answer to that is not all events coincide with August. Maybe its an anniversary, or a birthday, or hell, even the day you first started playing FFXIV. Not only that, but the only wide open fields where one can just lounge at for screenies and hangout locations are either combat fields, or cities cluttered with other characters. Why not a grass field?


Either way, it's not like it'd just be backgrounds for screenshots. Oft too many are the players who make videos to tell stories just for the fun of it; adding more non-combat areas designed entirely for setting up a celebrational or festival-like theme would add a sense of surrealism (if not flat out realism) that may be hard to find at times.


also, how many people do you think would declare all out war just for a chance at attending a Japanese-style festival? those things are famous for a reason

I'm pretty sure we have a lot more scenery in this game than just battle fields and the main-cities? There are the housing areas for ones, with quite a few nice view points. The whole shroud is basically just a forest, you have lovely grass fields in La Noscea, not even to mention the Azim Steps, the Rubysea, Yanxia... there are lots and lots of beautiful areas in the game, if you care to look for them. In the shroud you'll also find a chapel, designed specifically for celebrations, specially the one of the eternal bond, obviously. But the whole area around that place is quite lovely too.

While I'm not totally oppossed to your idea, I would ask you to consider why seasonal events are seasonal, limited time events - both in- and outside of the game.
For me the answer is pretty obvious: Because they would quickly become mundane and lose everything thats special about them, because they wouldnt be special anymore. I would have nothing against a japanese styled festival (and infact the Little Ladies Day is based on the Hina matsuri), but I'd prefer that to be a seasonal event, during the appropriate time (so probably late summer?)

I'm afraid to say that SE doesnt seem to care to much about people who are focussed on roleplaying - I'm guessing thats kinda what you're getting at with the story telling part there - and adding areas just for the purpose of taking screenshots and videos seems like a bit of a waste of ressources to me, specially considering how beautiful most areas in the game already are.
Want a grass field? La Noscea, Sea of Clouds, Yanxia and the Steps would like a word with you - and there are probably more areas that I'm just forgetting about right now.

As for fireworks - bring your own!
Personally, I wouldnt want fireworks in the sky to be an all year thing - it should be reserved for special occassions and the only occassions this game needs and should consider are those in relation to the game, not anyones personal celebrations.

[Jojoya]

The answer to that is not all events coincide with August. Maybe its an anniversary, or a birthday, or hell, even the day you first started playing FFXIV. Not only that, but the only wide open fields where one can just lounge at for screenies and hangout locations are either combat fields, or cities cluttered with other characters. Why not a grass field?


Either way, it's not like it'd just be backgrounds for screenshots. Oft too many are the players who make videos to tell stories just for the fun of it; adding more non-combat areas designed entirely for setting up a celebrational or festival-like theme would add a sense of surrealism (if not flat out realism) that may be hard to find at times.


also, how many people do you think would declare all out war just for a chance at attending a Japanese-style festival? those things are famous for a reason

If your desire is fireworks, there are vendors during events that sell fireworks and magicked prisms you can keep and use year round. Not quite the same as the displays SE puts up in the sky but still useful for screenshots.

Art assets are one of the most time intensive aspects of creating a MMO. They can't afford to make areas that have no other use except to look pretty in a screenshot. Try to please you and then every other players wants to be please with their particular version of a scenic spot for screenshots. As Vidu says, there are plenty of very scenic areas already in the game waiting to be used and if you get at the proper angle (or elevation in areas with flying), you can hide or minimize the appearance of hostile creatures in your screenshot. One of my favorite spots that doesn't require any trickery is the bluff next to Reunion in Azim Steppe. Gorgeous view, especially if you're there at 5:55 Eorzean time waiting for the sun to start rising.

As Lambdafish said, the Gold Saucer is already there for a year round festival type venue. It may not be exactly what you're looking for but it's what SE has chosen to give us.

[briarth0rn]

It'll never happen, but I'd love to be able to hang out on a balcony on top of the Gold Saucer itself. A huge view of the desert, the ferris wheel up above, maybe some unique minigames or a gate or two? But I can understand it'd be a lot of work for a pretty small thing, content-wise.