Airship Content, Bringing Back the Nostalgia & Maybe a Feasible "House" for All (+FC)

[Shougun]

This thread is dedicated to bringing back that classic nostalgic moment of getting your airship, that feel of wandering around a small section of the map and then BAM YOU - YOU - have an airship, oh my gosh yes.. and that music as you feel free.

For the housing part in the title please stick to the end or scroll down, it's not the sole point of this thread so you may need to address them separately if you like one concept but not another. But just imagine when you wander around your ship in games like FF7, 9, 10 where you have sections like chocobo stable, barracks, trophy and map rooms. Also we've been inside the Prima Vista inside Kugane, so that'd be another reference (for FFXIV).

First lets get the nostalgia background music going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGx90aCr18

Now, the
How:
Tl;dr - call your airship via a key press, you'll be drawn out of the map into the world map where you can travel on the world map. Ideally this will feel like transitioning between above and underwater like in 4.0 (fairly smooth experience). You may land at specific areas at least when you have docking/landing rights (lakes, specific open areas, dock above aetherytes - which will be helpful for 1.0 zones).

In FFXI there was a worldmap built that you saw when on a boat or airship, much like you'd expect in the other FF games. LONG ago SE discussed that they were either making or going to make a world map (like 1.0 to 2.0 era).
Image:

Further details:

Here we have two major routes, imo. I'd like to suggest one that's a bit restricted but for the purpose of adding value to all things. In this route A, the idea is you can call your airship from the ground and a rope will be dropped down from above and you'll be brought into the world map (it'll pull you up as it loads, but once loaded will cut the pull scene so you can fly asap, ideally it'll be a wait time like swimming transitions). If you have an aetheryte you can teleport into your ship but that'll be a later upgrade.

When on the world map you can choose to dock your ship above any aetheryte you've unlocked rights to (which will normally be obtained by visiting there, but can be locked like aether currants sometimes behind quests). You may also land your ship in large bodies of water and unique open areas that SE determines. Your ship will be instanced to you, so you will not see a giant pile of ships sitting on top of each other. You may see party member ships or random ships go through the sky but the visuals will be controlled so that your experience is never a giant cluster mess (priority to your experience).

When your ship lands you leave and can ride your mount around the zone.

Now the alternate you might ask? You press your face against the ceiling of the zone, or enter via an aetheryte / teleport if it's a non-flying zone. You can fly on the world map with your air mount but airships are faster. When you want to enter a zone you press your face against the floor of the world map, if it's a non-flying zone you must enter at designated zones (like aetheryte). The reason why I don't suggest this one as much is because giving mounts a large distinction helps keep everything helpful. You use your airship, you use your flying mount, they each have their place - nothing (should) be left behind or devalued.

To add some areas will require you visit first of course before you can land/use that zone, or maybe some require special equipment to fly over/through (like shielding against a giant sand hurricane), in this way SE can control where and how you approach or see because like flying mounts there is some element of control they need. For example you might have an area you can't fly over because Garleans own it (you blow up lol), there is a sand storm, wind currents need attuned, or you can fly over an area but don't have landing rights yet - there are many ways to go about this so it feels fresh and not like a bunch of invisible walls (keep it as open as possible without ruining progression of content, I get zones should be unlocked in an order in general).

However also on the positive side of unlocks, picture the only way to get to a new island or sea city is by coming to shore via your ship. If it's a new island you're like an explorer landing ship at shore, you get off your ship, you get on your mount and ride ashore, at the top of an outlook you look at the shore and see your own ship that you could walk back onto. As if it was a set piece of that area with physical mass (you can always call it, its not stuck there lol but it can be seen)... I feel you'd get a really different experience if you piloted your way to a new land and could look back at your work like that ("I came here from there" experience).

Of course can also picture something like making your way through canals and docking at a huge port city (like a FFXV water city), and you can find your ship among other ships, which would feel quite unique of an intro. Please note ships that reach a certain size might need a different intro or perhaps come with a landing craft, just so size isn't an issue lol. Or that you're climbing a great tree surrounded by corrupted aether or a hurricane (like Clerya or Lifa FFIX) and after calming the storm you're able to land on the canopy and continue a different route. There is a Garlean fort and large damn blocking the way, Junon like, and you lead an attack with your own ship's cannons, breaking down a damn so you can sail into the complex and take out a power core for the floating city above. I say these examples so people can see beyond just "this lets you get places", an airship can change the way you approach some content if SE utilizes it in that way - its not just transportation it can be a change to how these areas are unveiled and experienced.

Where to obtain an airship?


Via the main story quest. Legit serious. But it'll be a tiny little dingy, through the main queset it'll upgrade a bit perhaps to the size (or literally) cid's ship you see in the MSQ (level 50). The ship will be able to become MUCH larger and ornate over time, and investment. If SE wants to avoid retcon but also provide the ship earlier in the gameplay it could be a side quest (a side "main quest" if you will lol), but I still mean "quest" reward (like mog room was in FFXI). I say retcon because if it's via MSQ then it has to be new MSQ content.

FC ships will not be given, the current airship system will be upgraded a bit and one of them can turn into the FC's main (but wait for the housing section for more details on that). You do not need a house to build one though, a system will be added to manage building an airship without owning a house. As for where they will be stored I'd suggest back to another thread I made on Cid's garage. Link: here. The tl;dr is that we help cid get a giant workshop, which we can SEE and construct further our ship. FC will have a special section of the workshop that they can work inside (it wont be too hard to start out with a reasonable one, but the epic dreadnought class ships will drain your piggy banks like a pre-nerf buffed up Eureka would your patience ).

What can this offer us, besides an airship? (housing addressed later)
Tl;dr - a lot.

I wont discuss housing-like in this part, but just assume that's also something important (and again if you're wondering why I think it could be feasible despite previous memory issues with our current system then please stick around). Edit: Also note the date of this post, if something has been done now the idea was likely posted before that (like ocean fishing).

• Ride NPC (early in the game, you can use your own later) airships and boats via the world map, getting a huge FFXI nostalgia hit x1 (you may skip the experience at any time, at the beginning or by visiting the captain)
• Ocean content, traveling vast seas to find new islands and savage dungeons (use aether current reasoning "pathing out the winds" so players sail before they fly over certain areas)
• Fishing off a boat, a classic experience - you can land in lakes of certain areas. Add a rowboat in some zones too for fishers of smaller lakes (too small for airship)
• Fishing in the sky
• Wonderful top view of a zone, including 1.0 areas - may float above the world map overlooking a zone you love
• Unique views from inside some zones via unique land places, some "landing" places are more like a dock such that like the prima vista in Kugane you actually float at a distance from point and leave via mount/boat to shore (meaning if your airship has a viewing deck/windows you will be treated to very unique and pretty views of an area, SE will hand choose these as to avoid views that are not meant to be)
• Pirate content, being boarded or boarding other ships
• Air and Sea fights, a bit like pirate content but also consider you may have some fights on your own airship where you fight levithan like creatures managing your ship's position and cannons while also fighting as one would do. Also ship to shore, like onto forts - blowing a hole into defenses so you can make safe land and storm the keep.
• Consider there may be some sort of new PvP zone that utilizes floating islands and some of the mechanics made from this system (designated pvp system, no unwanted destruction of your stuff).
• We can revisit 1.0-2.0 areas again that are normally locked away, say a special part of the Black Shroud hidden by thick bramble and trees (SE can revisit areas like they're new).
• We can revisit 3.0 areas with new flying islands, bring some of that FC content out of the FC (we'll talk more about that later)
• LOADS of new crafting and glamour content, like beyond glamour also consider the ship would need upgrades for speed and like concepts (perhaps how high the ship can go, unlocking new floating islands.. or the moon )
• May be able to lead into whole new underwater content, via submarine (airship goes into the water, like in other FF games).
• Nostalgia x2, the world map we don't have gets added
• Nostalgia x3, airships become a legit content piece (if you love airhips at least, which I do- one of the big items I think about when I think FF, music, art, moogles, chocobos, being other usual thoughts).
• New method of travel, up out of the zone fly over from Black Shroud down into Thanalan - this could be helpful as well for old story missions where a special landing spot is the waking sands (so you don't have to make that dang trek 800 times).
• A home/base of operations is nearby, well almost always - certain zones may have disastrous weathers you can't bring your ship into, or you don't have flight clearance (new area or enemy area). However, you can go up into your ship in most places, a place you've customized to be your home, relax, do the things you need, and head out for more action. (will add more detail in the house section).

...This nonsense about everyone gets a "house/-like" feature? And FC get benefits too?
Tl;dr - while semi-inaccurate but paints a close enough picture is the houses in Skyrim where you can choose themes and upgrade sections or Garrison if it was an epic portable airship where you can control the interior design via options (like inn rooms in FFXIV appear different based on area they're located in). This should greatly reduce the amount of memory required to store and pass around at a given time; however, if SE was able to solve the memory issue that hampers wards currently I'm not opposed to going even further beyond then and upgrading this airship system to that complete non-node based concept. I am just trying to make sure and suggest something that could actually or at least 'more likely' work, but still give enough homely feelings, customization, and features that it has a place to exist in the current world space as we know it.

Further Details:

Right, so clearly houses take a lot of data. Ideally, imo, we get a Wild Star housing system where everyone get's their own massively customize-able place.. (without the destruction of anyone's current loved content), but that sounds super unlikely. So, attempting to being far more reasonable I've got a system I'd like to suggest.

These airships exterior have many slots for upgrade/visual customization, perhaps you might imagine like your squadron (different units with different options). It'll take data but no where near 200 slots of info, say for example the chassis is X with Y plating/colors or mast is Y with Z flags. Now the insides also have upgrades and slots, but these are like "did you build the crafting quarters?" yes/no. What theme is that room? Thavnarian theme~ Etc. Such that the amount of info an airship takes is VASTLY lower than housing, but you still can customize it with many of the great features of housing. You may imagine the data our squadrons take in total could almost reach the total amount an airship would need to be very customizeable and feature-full - which isn't nothing but neither is it something insane to ask.

Why have a house you may ask if an airship offers many if not all housing features (but customization)? Well you can't hand place objects. What will happen is you purchase themes (maybe come with tiers), such that you may choose Ul'dah theme tier 2 giving you a very rich Ul'dah visual with all the objects related to it (some themes from NPC, many crafted by our player base). Imagine your inn rooms in this game, each inn room is decorated in a theme for you already and they look really pretty (Kugane inn vs Gridania inn).

For these areas SE doesn't tell you where all the objects are located, that's already in your game files - it just says you entered the area (saving SE a lot of server memory/transferring). With the airships there will be information sent like "is a type S ship with Limsa type A theme inside, has four rooms two upgraded" vs when you load into a house in this game where it is like "okay these 500 objects are at these XYZ positions". So as you can see an airship like this would be a lot lower stress in terms of storing and sending.

Your airship will let you choose themes but it'll place all the objects in specific spots, meaning SE isn't storing 500 variables to do so - they're storing one or so (few) items that will turn into an completely and neatly designed room. This also means your house, if you have one, is still the place to show off your creativity, BUT if you weren't creative or not lucky to get a house then your airship can function as your home (a home that'll follow you).

Also of think of it another way, those games that let you be creative but all you make is a silly square and meanwhile others make this beautiful forest somehow out of twigs... Airships let you have a beautiful area without being creative, but houses let you be creative - meeting two different demands and not necessarily stepping over each other. Also if you house has many features you deem necessary but ugly (say you want a crafting room but don't want it in your house) then now you've saved space in your house for something else.

You may think of it as a much more portable, visually appealing Garrison from WoW (except lets avoid some of the gil issues it created yeah? lol). HOWEVER, I want to note that I am not opposed to it having more memory intensive features (so if that's what you'd like to see we're not at odds lol). This idea was suggested for two reasons, first by being more memory efficient SE might be able to create it more likely (because obviously the current ward system has problems expanding), and second the feature set described and this approach means that players who have a house can be included and those who don't have a house do not need to be excluded from any features either.

Now for personal airship features, the airship will be a long term project outside of your own character to work on, it'll include many important features over that time (please consider quests and such to make the content growth more interesting even):

• A beautiful home that doesn't require you to be an architect (those who are creative can have two beautiful homes now)
• Imo needs a special Howel's Moving Castle door that, like FFXI flower quest, lets you leave out a different area- in this case if you own a house, an appartment, or a FC room, you can enter your airship and exit into one of the above places (after binding them via some magic that costs some gil). This will help keep value in houses/inn rooms, keeping them nearby and feeling like an extension of the airship (leave your airship into a shrine dedicated to your waifu/manfu, come back aboard your ship with a shameful grin - no one will know).
• Gardens/pots (amount depending on size of ship and how you dedicate a room)
• Stable to manage your chocobo(s) - please see chocobo thread for more chocobos
• Retainer bell to access your retainers in more locations - however there will not be a market board (it is important to keep visits to town in the game as a thing)
• Via moogle quest you can earn a mail box
• Trophy cases and mannequins act as a way to customize visuals further than choosing themes (say a room has a few cases, you may place your Bahamut trophy in it)
• Orchestration of course
• Aquariums and photos/paintings being another customization option
• Many themes to choose from, these themes are purchases from NPC like beast tribe and many are made from crafters (like a binding coil of bahamut theme)
• These will include room choices, some unlocked via quests or limited to specific ships, like bedroom, bathroom, viewing deck, armory, trophy room, barracks etc
• Many visual choices for the outside of the ship, from dyes and objects to different base ship choices (type of ship will decide how many rooms you have on the inside)
• Crafting rooms to help boost crafting like FC (but to make the larger rooms will require insane gil sink, so probably FC only ships have all of the objects - you as a player will focus on like "alchemist room")
• To make inn rooms more important I think it would be great to add a series of quests/patronage to the city to unlock their decorater for your ship. Of course there will be variants players can craft, but imo the Inn rooms are great and their style could be brought into your ship such that you never forget about inns because they become a content piece. Beastmen also being another idea, like an Ixali themed piece of tras-- glory.

Squadron / Barracks:
I listed these because as I believe through the MSQ you should start your airship I think you might get to the point your ship is large enough it needs a crew. Here you will find you can train your squadron in flight and they will even stay in the barracks if you make one. Your crew size will increase such that you can always have crew for your ship but also with your ship your squadron will get new retainer like mission options, the power of your ship being a factor in these missions to get them there (this doesn't lock your ship away from you, we just assume they did it when you weren't looking lol).

FC

Why is this bolded? tl;dr FC that doesn't own a house is just as viable and valuable as one that does, thanks to an airship. It also for those who have houses, even large ones, now have a huge project with their FC (a long term, grandiose project).

Further details:

FC even when they don't have a house may now build all the facilities one may expect of a FC. No garden because no house? Wrong, garden in the giant airship they've pumped all their resources into. No crafting station? Wrong. No place to put their epic trophy for beating ex savage?

FC that are houseless will have ALL the features a house could offer, well except the customization levels of a house.

More importantly, if your FC is sitting on it's thumbs wondering what it can do.. now they have something insane to work on. Of course getting into a decent airship wont be too bad, but imagine that dreadnought class airship that is so large that you can have your whole FC in the ship and each person be in a different room and not see each other. One section could be a literal open field of FC chocobos grazing (inside the ship). A gil sink like no other. This airship, this grand FC airship, should also be visible to other FC members (or at least in the options menu) such that when your FC has a really large one you can see them in the distance. You're in Thanalan and you can make out a smudge in the sky of your FC's ship four zones over. You're in Kugane and your FC ship is making the Prima Vista (raid airship from FFT) look like a tiny cargo dingy. But it's going to cost fountains upon fountains of gil (again not to start out, so all FC can be part of the house benefits - but to get the really fancy looking stuff can be quite an achievement).

The airships currently built in the game wont be removed and when the system comes online should let FC decide if they want to upgrade one of them into living standards, as their main base ship, at some cost, the other airships will become specifically attack ships part of the war fleet (you may visit them docked in Cid's workshop but they wont fly, outside of missions). SE may allow the warships (non-main base ships) to be piloted by certain ranks as well but that decision would be up to SE and if they wanted a FC to do that, because it might lead to more server info being needed (but it'd also lead to perhaps some more gil sinks, and opportunities to fly around). Also concerns on gil generation tools, which is why I worded them 'war ships' such that the main ship gets the gil generation objects (like garden, and whatever new content they add as if everyone can take part I'd encourage more content around it) and the warships can be customized and continue to function as their retainer mission aspect too, but they might not be allowed to have certain customization like gil generators (depending on how SE feels about that balance to the economy, a FC with 8 gil generators may cause issues lol- so it might be wise to let each FC have one core/flagship and the rest be explicitly side warships). All new airships will be built in Cid's workshop and will be visibly built (you can see the progress over stages). For another thread I have an idea for the basement but at this time can let the basement still build the airships too, but it'll be cooler to be in the physical representation of Cid's workshop.

Consider a dreadnought ship class may also be large enough to dock smaller ships to it, so you may be able to see your assault fleet docked to your base station.

The upgrade path for player ships shouldn't follow the crafter only route of upgrade like the FC does, or perhaps there are ways to get pieces you need via gameplay means as a player ship. Like you can craft it up, but alternatively you could do missions for different factions and GC to get the parts. Just it is important not to require a group of crafters to make something neat for the player version, whether this means a different upgrade path or more options is okay (and pair these multi-path options with the 'rolling mountain' style of content delivery too, where as the peak moves forward other things get a bit easier, like what you see happen to hard content as it opens up to the more casual base- of course certain things like behemoth class ships should probably always be hard).

Ways to peacefully (hopefully) add value for SE, in this help further push the idea that it can work for SE.

Tl;dr- SE may be able to sell old airship designs from other FF games as statue / in game model combo (like Shiva / Odin / Ultima, except this is a statue + in game airship GLAMOUR). Glamour in caps because it wouldn't subvert the upgrade path, you still need to upgrade the ship's features/size (but the visual could be glamour'd via this system), so for example if you needed to upgrade/add a room for a furnace for crafters, a FF7 chocobo stable, or upgrade exterior plating for travel to the moon - you don't get to skip that by buying the mogshop item. More detail later but also can have seasonal themes.

• Sale of airship statues from other FF games (Lunar Whale, Invincible, Highwind, etc), that include in-game glamour (not features) to your airship
• Depending on design route either seasonal theme kits or just the concept that these housing cash items have even further reason to be looked at (as players would own an airship)
• After reviewing to make sure it doesn't create a P2W scenario may also allow players to buy additional decorate-able airships like one can do with retainers

Images (imagine them as statutes):

Further detail:

To the easier straight forward idea, as we know we have Odin / Shiva / Ultima statues - here you could get say a FF7 Highwind / FF9 Invincible airship statue (which is pretty cool) and then get a glamour for your airship that changes some of the design of the ship (may consider interior too but the cost to develop would increase a lot, so the statue would need to be more expensive as a result (I imagine at least)). There might be some gil saving because you don't need to pay for visuals in game BUT there shouldn't be any feature sets you can purchase off the cash shop (like you shouldn't be able buy a ship that comes "done" and you don't need to upgrade anything, none of that).

Potentially you may also be able to sell some very large high quality "FC" level ships, like the giant airships that start to feel like cities instead. Those could make some really awesome desktop statue pieces (like those giant WoW statues).

Just please do these two things: A. Don't take content out of the game, so Garlean battle cruiser doesn't become cash shop only - rather use your FFI-FFXIII + FFXV ships and stuff like that B. Don't make anything in this system feature exclusive to the cash shop, if you make a big chonky ship on the cash shop make sure you have an equally beautiful chonky ship in game first. Also consider how ownership of the glamour would work, since they'd be expensive and shared (do this before to minimize any issues) - like the person who buys the glamour owns the glamour item (to prevent anyone from kicking you out after you apply to your FC the expensive glamour and now you can never get your digital side of your purchase back).

You'll have to approach this side idea carefully, in case there is some system that would cause chaos if duplicated, but may consider allowing players own multiple airships at once like a retainer. It should be seen that you /really/ don't need a second airship and it's just for people who for RP or whatever reasons wanted another because they can.

There are two concepts to keep in mind above for interior design and seasonal themes, the first system style I've pushed is because I want the system to exist and so I tried to think of ways that would work within SE's memory design (I believe the first pushed idea wouldn't be greater than chocobo saddle bag and actually would cost less space, and at least much less than a normal house). In that the first concept might actually be considered "feasible" without trying to fix some deep code issue. The second concept I've only vaguely referenced because I don't need to detail it much, it's just a house as you'd expect but obviously this system isn't memory friendly and I REALLY want to make sure that EVERYONE can have an airship (so while neat, I think less likely to ever happen - not against if it's actually an option to pick though, that'd be cool!).

So because the second one is easier to address, if it's a true house then bam.. any cash shop housing item is covered. Easy talk lol. Having everyone have a house will probably increase housing item related purchases, since you greatly increase your possible buyer pool but like I said before I am concerned asking for no-limit (instanced as we talk on the forums) housing just isn't possible.

On the first idea, how seasonal items would work is via themes or augments to a room. For example you might have Ul'Dah theme going on and you could augment it with Moonfire Faire decorations. Imagine you have a room full of your decorations and then you put some lights in the room and replace a few items - as you may do in real life. Here for example some items would be replaced with seasonal items, a corner light now a christmas tree, food on the tables become theme'd to the festival. Each year could have slightly varied decoration placement and replacement. So now you have an item that can be added to each seasonal and thus to the cash shop, but it also uses resources already made in the game lowering the cost a little so the devs can spend more time on making sure the replacement/placement is good (you're purchasing the layout replacement basically). Furthermore under this first idea system (that airships and houses can co-exist) that the theme item for the airship doesn't take place of the items from the house and so you've got a new desirable item that doesn't devalue the other ones (say if you owned a seasonal theme of Christmas for your airship that wouldn't make the Christmas item itself devalued since that single item would be for your house rather).

Hopefully with statues of epic ships from other FF games, allowing players to fly on their favorite classic airships of other games (lunar whale?), multiple airships for those who just want to go nuts in options (like some people own multiple houses not for the garden but just cause), and finally making sure that the seasonal items are valuable to the airships means that SE can further justify investing or at least looking into the concept of strongly featured Airships for FFXIV.

Total thread tl;dr - With an airship content updoot (upgrade, imo lol) you will be able to:

• Have serious world map nostalgia like single player FF games
• May be able to add some chocobo content like FFIX (not just on the world map though, more on that concept here)
• Enjoy more entries into zones like landing your ship by the Waking Sands entry
• Because you still travel via these it wont be like teleporting, you will see the land you pass so even if you enter an area say like Waking Sands via airship it wont make the world feel small like a teleport could (you see the land at all points). Meaning more immersive travel (you can still teleport but seeing as airship may be cheaper, some may enjoy the slightly longer but visual treat of an airship).
• Doesn't remove the importance of mounts (because the airships will not function in tight spaces or aka they're for lakes, oceans, and the world map and not for you to crash into all the peaks of Coerthas - you'll rather crash into all the peaks of Coerthas with your chocobo mount ).
• Have the option to now enter new areas of 1.0/2.0 content, new zones (as SE adds them of course). A previously inaccessible area accessible (like a thick wall of trees blocking off an area, or an island off the coast of Limsa). Old content, new life (even if it's just landing your airship outside of Costa Del Sol and fishing in the ocean looking at the beach).
• Ocean content (sailing), including islands
• Pirates and boat fishing nostaglia of FFXI
• A housing-like system that all players can enjoy even if they are not creative or not lucky enough to own a house (because their server is too full or the areas availble are too small/not pretty for them)
• Does not require the memory of housing such that SE might be able to make it work.
• Will not invalidate the housing system, for those who wanted a high detail customized place they'll still have it. In fact they can use the airship to carry off some features they don't want their house to bear (so their house can be even more creative focused). It's true if you only care for the features and not the customization that an airship might be all you need, but then that's good because you wont be taking a spot from a player who would want that customization detail of the housing system. Win win~
• Adds more content for gathers/crafters/dow/dom (process of upgrading, and the content it would reveal as well)
• Adds more content to squadron and GC
• Massive new project for FC, make those dreadnoughts and their fleet of ships - you now have a very long very visually upgrade-able path for your FC. Dreadnought (the huge ships that make cities look small) could be like asking an account with literal max gil to drain the entire account. Of course it will have options that are more normal such that a normal FC can be feature-full and satisfied with it's visuals.
• Opens up for some unique airship content, using the features for special sections of the game like your FC fighting Bahamut Prime - weaving in and out of attack zones, launching off hooked cannons to stay close while he flips upside down and around the world map (flying by actual cities in the game), while still fighting via the methods you know and love (normal combat lol). Possibly Gumi (Kingdom Hearts) inspired mini game for the Golden Saucer. Or a MSQ could have a large airship battle, with some significant meaning as you enter the field with your own.
• World map can be used for other things, like cutscenes or back drops in fights (like bahamut example). Perhaps say you fight on the moon and it's crashing into the planet, could have the world grow in size and when close enough use the world map curved as what you're approaching (literally crashing into a specific area on the map).
• Also I imagine some systems could be used in a sky/sea pirate sort of PvP mode.

3.27.2019 - Responded to Yoshida's interview question on new transportation and added a cash section that hopefully adds new things to the game but takes nothing away while adding to the value that SE might have in designing such a system as it might cost them less / make them more / sell an expansion better (Lunar Whale / Invincible / Highwind / Etc but doesn't take away in-game content options).

Similar / related threads:
(Newer, post 2.0)
Kalise's with Player Owned Ship (house), with a nautical feature/transportation focus: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...Ships%E2%80%BD
Con_Carne's with Airships as transportation: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...386758-Airship
Esmoire's Airship Housing thread: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...irship-Housing
Daedal's, full featuerd instanced housing: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...layer-housing.
(Older, pre 2.0)
Hycinthus's, Guild Housing & Floating Cities (Airships) http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...loating-Cities
Prymortal's, Novelty/Expensive Airships (probably would be described as a house now but this is pre-housing): http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...a-Buy-Airships

[WellFooled]

After the huge disappointment FC Airships and airship content in general was in Heavensward I would love to see them take another go at it. Your concept has a lot of merit.

[Shougun]

After the huge disappointment FC Airships and airship content in general was in Heavensward I would love to see them take another go at it. Your concept has a lot of merit.

Thank you - I felt the airship content in this game really doesn't do the series it's due (airships have always been a huge highlight to me personally playing the Final Fantasy single player games, and to be honest FFXI occasionally when I was on time.. nightmare when you missed the timer though lol). I get that it might feel like a lot of work for "side content", but after seeing blue mage and thinking of some ways that it might be a good use of resources (by making it content relevant) I feel we are in a space that could justify giving Airships another solid look. In this way I was hoping to make it not so in your face that if you hated it you didn't need to bother with it too much, but that it wouldn't feel like some content to forget about, it would be more than just "side content" at least if you wanted it to be. You'd never forget about it if you liked it, it'd be there with you as your giant Final Fantasy nostalgia drip (with a purpose).

I reference blue mage in that they've shown they will consider making content for the sake of making content; however, in this case I think airships can be used at all stages such that even current game activities will be helpful (I see some people have dropped blue mage currently since it doesn't offer "current" value, I know some haven't this thread isn't to argue if people loved blue or not lol).

I'm especially hoping they consider it because I believe beyond the significant nostalgia, new approaches to some gameplay opportunities, and the long missing FC progression components, that this may actually be a feasible way to get everyone a personal place called home without doing anything damaging or disruptive to the housing system that some enjoy (because it's variable light and doesn't require sending or receiving nearly as many variables as the housing system does).

I have my bias on what I'd like to see done with the housing system (Wild Star) but any change is really tough, maybe impossible for SE's system, and possibly rough for some players too.. but~! with airships no one loses and especially people who were kicked out of the housing system before because of many reasons and FC will now gain a lot of value. Like a small but lasting feeling I miss was having my own space to log out in, I try to log out in inns in this game but since they're not mine it feels so much lesser; however, with an airship you could climb out of the zone into your ship's cabin and snooze there making the experience personal and available.

People who were outside the system before can gain a lot because some people just want a nice looking place without having to place every object (like I have a few rooms with nothing to do in them cause I'm like.. uh, someone decorate this plz lol), yet while not having to decorate you still have some customization power (choosing general themes inside - with SE beautifully decorating for you, feature build up like building out rooms, and of course outside ship looks), also because some servers cannot even fit enough houses in (full servers) or it's a plot/location they don't like you now don't have to worry about that. At least I believe so- the total variable storage and transfer of something like an airship as above is a lot smaller than an entire house (500 objects vs maybe 12 outside variables and 20 inside, it would be akin to transferring your squadron info in piecemeal bits since its not all needed at once).

FC gain a lot because now any FC can become a FC of equal value in terms of functionality of a FC with a house, maybe the novelty of having a house will be important to some but at least they wont be missing out on anything (can have their crafting rooms, stables, squadron missions, etc) - also if everyone can readily have these functions SE may be able to add in more FC content without concern of people losing out (meaning besides the massive group project that airships can be, it also means there are even more things people can do together as a FC team).

It's a lot of work vs just saying "add some pretty ships" but I'm rather hopeful that it could be a thing (and it's a lot less work than asking for a Wild Star housing system lol, although this post isn't just about housing it's about bringing that single player Airship back in a fierce vengeance), since it hits such a huge nostalgia point (imo, airships are a huge thing in previous FF games) and hopefully because it avoids some of the very intense loads a house may put on the game while offering loads of new and alternative options for gameplay (new ways to fight, travel, new content growth path, teamwork, etc).

[Enla]

I've been wanting FC airships for awhile, especially as the appeal of the wards has long since worn thin given how dead most of them are.

[VirusChris]

So basically flying houses?

... I SUPPORT THIS!

[Jandor]

Private airship given by the MSQ is something I've been wanting for a while. Little basic tiny thing to start out with that you can upgrade, either through the story or through sidequests.

For travel I prefer the 'ask the pilot mammet to move it above a zone' style, and then you can fly off the side of your airship and down to transition in to the zone itself, like the swimming transition but through clouds rather than bubbles.

[Rofel]

You the dude from the bike topic? I like these ideas!

After seeing the Prima Vista, I really would like to have something to the FCs. Being instanced isn't that heavy on resources and there would be no limitations.

Give us bigger airships! The Manacutter just isn't... cutting.

[Shougun]

I've been wanting FC airships for awhile, especially as the appeal of the wards has long since worn thin given how dead most of them are.

I visit my FC large house everyday, I see a single person by the market board maybe once a week. I live on the largest server in the game.. lol. I'm sure if you have friends who utilize it better it might feel nice but as a sense of natural meeting it seems pretty ...eh... I feel you could create just as well instanced content with meeting systems but that's off topic now lol.

I have high hopes that FC airship (revitalized) could be a great way for the FC to get together and have long term goals, besides also meaning any FC without a house don't have to feel bad that they're gimped (because now they're not).

So basically flying houses?

... I SUPPORT THIS!

For players, basically yes . For FC could be considered a mobile outpost/stronghold, at least given investment ^_^.

While I encourage SE to give it as much power as possible, I'd say the other benefit is this system has the high chance to be infinitely scale-able (to player population) and still feasible (requires less server stress than housing). I mean that unlike the housing system which is limited in a way that you can't have the plot or size you want if it's taken, here you can (which is really nice). Also the system wont kill the current housing set up either, which is another benefit for those who'd like both.

Private airship given by the MSQ is something I've been wanting for a while. Little basic tiny thing to start out with that you can upgrade, either through the story or through sidequests.

For travel I prefer the 'ask the pilot mammet to move it above a zone' style, and then you can fly off the side of your airship and down to transition in to the zone itself, like the swimming transition but through clouds rather than bubbles.

Yeee

I was picturing squadron but to be honest a mammet could be just as well, or perhaps you can now hire mammets into your squadron.. ~! I believe an auto pilot feature would be reasonable, but I think it would be okay to let people drive it themselves too.

Certainly might allow people to leap off their ship above a point with flying mounts, that could be fun and it wouldn't ruin progression of an area since you'd go splat with your flying mount without the aether currents first. Still want to be able to dock too though lol, like on some beaches, lakes, ports, or above aetherytes.

You the dude from the bike topic? I like these ideas!

After seeing the Prima Vista, I really would like to have something to the FCs. Being instanced isn't that heavy on resources and there would be no limitations.

Give us bigger airships! The Manacutter just isn't... cutting.

Ummm... the one where you can customize your magitek? Workshop w/ a color'd bike:


That one has a sister in a chocobo update: here. But that doesn't have bikes in it unless I forgot lol.

Or the water trail one? Here.

If not those might be thinking of another thread, but I'm interested if you can link it lol (we'll pretend one post is not offtopic haha).

Back on topic, I felt similar when I walked through the Prima Vista (and the floating island in the 3.0 pirate base raid storyline). I definitely believe FC could really have a new avenue for growth with airships (and the player) - right now there isn't much for a FC to progress on as a team, or even more specifically experience as a team.. an airship update could change both of those for the long term.

Manacutter definitely doesn't cut it .

[Shougun]

Yoshida recently had an interview that touched upon transportation, so I felt that would be a good time to update some items in this thread:

Q: In previous expansions, you added different forms of travel like flying and swimming. Does Shadowbringers not have anything like that?

A: Not this time. Instead, we're focusing on the game experience of repainting the world with darkness. Well, the only thing left that I can think of is zero gravity floating, so that can wait until we go to the Moon *laughs* Although, if you were to ask me what makes that different from flying, I wouldn't have an answer for you, and yeah, it's not much different from being underwater. Instead of adding new forms of travel, I think I'd rather go in a different direction, like content where everyone is flying regardless of job.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...w_with_yoship/

In response to this specific answer and relation to the thread I think airships could be a great avenue to adjusting how players may approach the world, and give SE some more tools to do new things (how to get to/introduce new areas, and new content). Like in FFIX they use Invincible to travel to Terra, or the Lunar Whale in FFIV and the Red Moon.

Also thought this might be a good time to add some reasons to SE that it might be able to be cost offset.

New section added to the OP thread:

Ways to peacefully (hopefully) add value for SE, in this help further push the idea that it can work for SE.

tl;dr: SE may be able to sell old airship designs from other FF games as statue / in game model combo (like Shiva / Odin / Ultima, except this is a statue + in game airship GLAMOUR). Glamour in caps because it wouldn't subvert the upgrade path, you still need to upgrade the ship's features/size (but the visual could be glamour'd via this system), so for example if you needed to upgrade/add a room for a furnace for crafters, a FF7 chocobo stable, or upgrade exterior plating for travel to the moon - you don't get to skip that by buying the mogshop item. More detail later but also can have seasonal themes.

• Sale of airship statues from other FF games (Lunar Whale, Invincible, Highwind, etc), that include in-game glamour (not features) to your airship
• Depending on design route either seasonal theme kits or just the concept that these housing cash items have even further reason to be looked at (as players would own an airship)
• After reviewing to make sure it doesn't create a P2W scenario may also allow players to buy additional decorate-able airships like one can do with retainers

Images (imagine them as statutes):

Further detail:

To the easier straight forward idea, as we know we have Odin / Shiva / Ultima statues - here you could get say a FF7 Highwind / FF9 Invincible airship statue (which is pretty cool) and then get a glamour for your airship that changes some of the design of the ship (may consider interior too but the cost to develop would increase a lot, so the statue would need to be more expensive as a result (I imagine at least)). There might be some gil saving because you don't need to pay for visuals in game BUT there shouldn't be any feature sets you can purchase off the cash shop (like you shouldn't be able buy a ship that comes "done" and you don't need to upgrade anything, none of that).

Potentially you may also be able to sell some very large high quality "FC" level ships, like the giant airships that start to feel like cities instead. Those could make some really awesome desktop statue pieces (like those giant WoW statues).

Just please do these two things: A. Don't take content out of the game, so Garlean battle cruiser doesn't become cash shop only - rather use your FFI-FFXIII + FFXV ships and stuff like that B. Don't make anything in this system feature exclusive to the cash shop, if you make a big chonky ship on the cash shop make sure you have an equally beautiful chonky ship in game first. Also consider how ownership of the glamour would work, since they'd be expensive and shared (do this before to minimize any issues) - like the person who buys the glamour owns the glamour item (to prevent anyone from kicking you out after you apply to your FC the expensive glamour and now you can never get your digital side of your purchase back).

You'll have to approach this side idea carefully, in case there is some system that would cause chaos if duplicated, but may consider allowing players own multiple airships at once like a retainer. It should be seen that you /really/ don't need a second airship and it's just for people who for RP or whatever reasons wanted another because they can.

There are two concepts to keep in mind above for interior design and seasonal themes, the first system style I've pushed is because I want the system to exist and so I tried to think of ways that would work within SE's memory design (I believe the first pushed idea wouldn't be greater than chocobo saddle bag and actually would cost less space, and at least much less than a normal house). In that the first concept might actually be considered "feasible" without trying to fix some deep code issue. The second concept I've only vaguely referenced because I don't need to detail it much, it's just a house as you'd expect but obviously this system isn't memory friendly and I REALLY want to make sure that EVERYONE can have an airship (so while neat, I think less likely to ever happen - not against if it's actually an option to pick though, that'd be cool!).

So because the second one is easier to address, if it's a true house then bam.. any cash shop housing item is covered. Easy talk lol. Having everyone have a house will probably increase housing item related purchases, since you greatly increase your possible buyer pool but like I said before I am concerned asking for no-limit (instanced as we talk on the forums) housing just isn't possible.

Ono the first idea, how seasonal items would work is via themes or augments to a room. For example you might have Ul'Dah theme going on and you could augment it with Moonfire Faire decorations. Imagine you have a room full of your decorations and then you put some lights in the room and replace a few items - as you may do in real life. Here for example some items would be replaced with seasonal items, a corner light now a christmas tree, food on the tables become theme'd to the festival. Each year could have slightly varied decoration placement and replacement. So now you have an item that can be added to each seasonal and thus to the cash shop, but it also uses resources already made in the game lowering the cost a little so the devs can spend more time on making sure the replacement/placement is good (you're purchasing the layout replacement basically). Furthermore under this first idea system (that airships and houses can co-exist) that the theme item for the airship doesn't take place of the items from the house and so you've got a new desirable item that doesn't devalue the other ones (say if you owned a seasonal theme of Christmas for your airship that wouldn't make the Christmas item itself devalued since that single item would be for your house rather).

Hopefully with statues of epic ships from other FF games, allowing players to fly on their favorite classic airships of other games (lunar whale?), multiple airships for those who just want to go nuts in options (like some people own multiple houses not for the garden but just cause), and finally making sure that the seasonal items are valuable to the airships means that SE can further justify investing or at least looking into the concept of strongly featured Airships for FFXIV.

[TAS]

I thought airship content had such great potential. I think because the Heavensward Diadem turned out to be a flop, what ever angle they had planned to use airships outside of gathering expeditions (or as i like to call em, cutscenes with 24 hour wait times to get random drops you may or may not find useful) had gotten completely scrapped in the process...

I think since they ended up finding their footing with Eureka and Exploration content, they could find a new way to reincorporate Airships. Since Bozja is gonna be like a war zone, how cool what it be if there were special events where the Garleans were coming in for an air strike and you could use your FC or loaner Airship to fend off the impending raid?