Expanding on Overworld Activities

[Destati]

Botw climbing would be nice, pretty sure we won't get anything like that ever or at all, but it'd make exploration less annoying.

God I've been playing that game so much that I've been trying to jump and paraglide off cliffs and climb things expecting the same results in FFXIV but winding up severely disappointed lol.
I know the odds of getting such mechanics in this game are less than zero, but less invisible walls would be soooo nice to have in zones.

[Efrye]

True, good jump puzzles are impossible in FFXIV until they change how you maneuver mid-air. People have mentioned GW2 a couple times so I'll used that as an example: it has some pretty challenging jumping puzzles, but you're able to redirect yourself somewhat mid-air, including slowing or stopping your momentum somewhat. This allows for more precise jumps. In FFXIV you jump in the direction you were moving in when you jumped and you go until you land. That makes even basic jumping puzzles quite challenging. But not challenging in a fun way, since it's only challenging because of mechanical limitations.

Funny story: This was brought up a lot during the alpha and beta of ARR, and the official reason for not implementing it was that in real life, you can't change directions mid-jump either. Jumping was clearly an afterthought back then, so the real reason was most likely that the mechanic was simply very low on their priority list. But even now, I doubt they'd ever put any resources into changing it.

[Roda]

Y'all just wanna play gw2. :P

Not that I'm complaining, more games could learn a thing or two about how to treat your open world.

[Destati]

Funny story: This was brought up a lot during the alpha and beta of ARR, and the official reason for not implementing it was that in real life, you can't change directions mid-jump either.

That's hilarious, because there are a lot of things in Final Fantasy that can't be done or seen in real life either, and yet they happen anyway.

[MrThinker]

I'm sorry, I don't get the reference.

Secret Cow Level, except FFXIV doesn't have cows, so they are replaced with a bovine equivalent that exists in game (specifically in the Sea of Clouds)

[Tyla_Esmeraude]

I would *really* like something like Besieged that's not faceroll difficulty (you had to really work it to defend Al Zahbi) or something that actually affects the world somehow, like Conquest tally. It made the world feel alive in XI. Like your choices actually mattered somehow. I feel that's one of the types of content this game is missing.

[Lilseph]

With alternate worlds coming in 5.0, they could use this concept to their advantage by having parts of other worlds bleed into Hydaelyn. In GW2 there were leyline anomalies which was a neat thing.

I don't think that SE wants to introduce new open world elements because it is different and they like to hide content behind instances. This WAS fine since FF14 was its own thing, but now people are done playing GW/GW2, WoW, BDO and other mmos and are moving to FF14 as the last successful surviving MMO besides TESO. With potentially millions more players making their way to FF14 with different levels of expectations, and hopes for this and that, it would only make sense for FF14 to adopt certain successful/familiar elements from other MMOs to help new players bridge and stay active.

I personally really enjoyed how GW2 did "FATEs" which build up events for other events etc... You sometimes see it in FF14 but very rarely.

I was reading individual responses carefully and I actually like this idea. Reminds me a bit of the fade rifts in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Some bleedthroughs in between the shards that actually threat people on both sides would be nice.

Y'all just wanna play gw2. :P

Not that I'm complaining, more games could learn a thing or two about how to treat your open world.

Certainly! GW2 did a good job with overworld elements. At least on my end, exploring was enjoyable and there was always something going on no matter where you were. However, they gave you actual rewards for completing these events, not just seals, experience that is useless once you're cap'd and less money than a teleport fee. Admitedly, it's been years since I don't play GW2 and I don't know how much it has evolved. I only played the base game when it launched and quit over the lack of end-game. I heard it's on a better place now, but sadly I don't have time to keep up with 2 MMOs.

[Kalise]

I don't think that SE wants to introduce new open world elements because it is different and they like to hide content behind instances. This WAS fine since FF14 was its own thing, but now people are done playing GW/GW2, WoW, BDO and other mmos and are moving to FF14 as the last successful surviving MMO besides TESO. With potentially millions more players making their way to FF14 with different levels of expectations, and hopes for this and that, it would only make sense for FF14 to adopt certain successful/familiar elements from other MMOs to help new players bridge and stay active.

Yeah, the death of other MMO's will cause an influx of players from other games...

So having better overworlds will be important for retaining new players, especially those that are coming from the likes of TESO/GW2 that have some great overworlds.

I thoroughly enjoyed TESO's overworld... If only because it allowed me to play like I play in other TES titles (That is, by signing up with the Dark Brotherhood and then running around murdering everyone and stealing their stuff to make fat stacks of gold to spend on... Having fat stacks of gold!)

GW2 also had a great overworld. I think my only criticism at the time was that it was a shame that so many cool and interesting overworld events were only temporary... Like, you had special story events happening every few months that would create new FATEs or alter existing ones in fun ways... Then the event would be over and you'd no longer have them

Admitedly, it's been years since I don't play GW2 and I don't know how much it has evolved. I only played the base game when it launched and quit over the lack of end-game. I heard it's on a better place now, but sadly I don't have time to keep up with 2 MMOs.

Same here... I haven't played GW2 in yonk either...

Though my reason for leaving was how unbalanced WvWvW PvP was... How everyone tried to transfer over to the winningest server to get easy rewards at the cost of making actual PvP terrible because it was just zergs of massive players from the overpopulated server destroying both smaller ones...

(Of course, I still had some fun... Mostly picking off small groups as Thief because I have no shame)

[guardin]

So... In Duty Fantasy XIV, it's a pretty established fact that the overworld areas in the game are a little lacklustre.


So I wonder, can we think of any ideas for what could be implemented into future overworld areas that might be interesting ways to get people interacting with overworlds again?

Personally, I have a few of ideas:

1) Jump Puzzles.

Jump puzzles are cool. You can also try and get around the whole "Just fly to the end lol" aspect by have them be activated via a usable switch which prevents mounting (Like some of the side quests that auto-fail on mounting)

If they are re-doable every so often to allow for rewards multiple times it could get people into zones while they come to jump about the place for loot.

2) Shinies (EQ2, also similar to Archaeology in WoW)

Randomly spawning "Shinies" that upon looting gives a random collection item from a pool that is based on zone and area (For example, shinies near a river or lake might give pebbles, fish fossils, aquatic plants etc. While shinies in a forest area might give butterflies, bugs, moss etc)

Upon finishing a set of a particular type of item, they can be turned in to give a snippet of lore and some reward(s) such as a unique glamour item, minions, mounts, housing items.

Of course, this would only last a temporary amount of time due to eventually people completing all the collections... But depending on how many sets there are and the rarity of some shinies, it could last a while.

3) Zone Events

Essentially, zone-wide FATE type events, whereby something major happens (Like maybe bandits are being aggressive in the Shroud, maybe Imperials are making an attack on a zone that has one of their bases in, maybe Sin Eaters have come to attack a ShB zone) and players need to participate in zone activities to help defend.

Activities such as:

* Gathering exclusive items to aid NPC's in the defence.

* Crafting exclusive arms and armour using unique materials provided by different outposts.

* Participating in FATEs and combat activities alongside NPC's.

With the reward being a zone specific currency with the amount being dependent on your contribution. This currency could then be spent on zone themed glamour items, minions and other fun items.

they need to look at Zelda and ff15 for the best overworld activities and how to make the world feel alive. You need to be able to get lost in zones. fall in holes, climb mountains, find hidden areas. Have storms knock you out the sky forcing you to walk. Have fates that arent boring. Make fates rare so when you see it you run to it because the fate actually does something. I.E You see a village on fire and npcs dying so you go to help and ominous music plays as you watch everything fall apart and the sky get dark.

[Duskane]

add beast master as a limited job and turn it into pokemon go out and grab some monsters to fight them with other players