Retention of Anima System!

[Rowyne]

I concur with regards to much of the world being unused, but that seems, to me, to be a slightly different issue than the world itself being unattractive. @_@

Actually, this is the heart of the problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La9nLBfH44c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA7GGnyNwEs

It's not that the zones are vast, it's not that they're largely unused, it's not even that they're inherently unattractive (because they're not). When you step into one of the five major zones for the first time, each has their own beauty.

(Well, maybe not The Shroud. The Twelveswood feels like Yuhtunga Jungle married a medieval forest.)

Anyway, it's that after you've run around for about 30 seconds, you've seen pretty much all there is to see for the rest of the zone. There's no variety due to the large amount of copy/paste. I don't think I've ever played an MMO before where I could get lost without constantly doing a map check. There are no defining features to the landscape. It all looks the same.

Ever been to Kansas? The land is 100% flat, no trees, you can see for miles and miles all the way to the horizon. No variety. Everything is the same. It's sort of surreal. There's a joke about the speed limit (it's 75/MPH, as opposed to 70/MPH like the surrounding states). It's faster to help facilitate getting you out ASAP.

Right now, FFXIV is too much like Kansas.

P.S. I'm a big fan of Coerthas, myself (much like how it reminds you of Oregan, it reminds me of the wilds of Northern Michigan). I'm hopeful that it will still have some of that same feeling, but get the revamp it desperately needs, just like the rest of Eorzea.

Oh, and I'm fine with the anima system. The alternative would be flight paths like many MMOs. This keeps it unique (and in a good way, IMO).