Something needs to be done about the empty open world

[Jeeqbit]

I enjoy FFXIV dungeons/raids but it is one of if not the most instanced MMO I've ever played. The zones are beautiful but the content inside it is pretty meh, and there's almost zero interaction with the zones per se besides MSQ. The only thing that make me interact with the zones is gathering and maybe doing maps (which are also another instance) and that's it.

After that it's either follow a hunt train or queue-spam at Limsa/FC point. Even Bozja which could be amazing Open World content they turned into a big instance. The fates don't really affect the zone nor gives a sense of immersion (like meta events from GW2 or night mobs in BDO).

You mentioned hunts and maps. These were added to the game for the specific purpose of giving the game open world content. You can also go there to spawn S ranks a lot if you want.

Blue mage, the class that could've benefited from Open World gets all their relevant skills from... instances.

That isn't true. You can get almost all of them from the open world because a lot of hunt and fate bosses also perform the skills found in dungeons.

Open World cannot even be used for leveling most of the time, since it's far from being a good, viable option.

This also is not true. Daily hunt bills and beast tribe quests are great experience, but there is a limit to how many you can do.

[Vonleo]

I would be happy if they just added random NPC airships/cargoships flying to and from different zones. It would make the world seem more alive even if its just NPCs.

[Iscah]

IMO if the game isn't going to take advantage of the open world then those resources put to creating them should be moved to creating instanced content. As it currently is all the effort that goes into these zones are largely a waste after you finish the story.

Aside of the non-MSQ activities people have been pointing out, this is still a story-based RPG and it's fine for things to exist primarily to serve the story.

From a lore perspective it makes far more sense for some zones to be deserted anyway. If you're the first mortal to set foot in the ancient ruins in a thousand years, with the special permission of its dragon guardians, why should there be any adventurers there besides yourself?

To add to a previous statement, a certain population of players like me care about story-telling and lore above all, so it would be nice if there was more story-telling to discover outside the msq. There are side-quests of course, but they demand you fetch or gather something most of the time. And if by chance you do all of the side-quests available in a zone, that's it. You don't have a reason to go back to older zones for story-content.

The writers cannot possibly give you an infinite amount of lore to discover in a zone. Whether it's delivered by sidequests or some other hypothetical mechanism, it is inevitable that you will end up with "no reason to go back for story content" sooner or later.

In any case, FATEs also drop some lore tidbits in their events or descriptions.

[Melorie]

You mentioned hunts and maps. These were added to the game for the specific purpose of giving the game open world content. You can also go there to spawn S ranks a lot if you want.

That isn't true. You can get almost all of them from the open world because a lot of hunt and fate bosses also perform the skills found in dungeons.

This also is not true. Daily hunt bills and beast tribe quests are great experience, but there is a limit to how many you can do.

Maps at the end of the day are an instance. Most of ARR hunts are dead the second they appear and others have 0 mechanics, it's teleport - kill - teleport - kill. Blue mage most relevant spells are still from instances/trials, even Blue Mage "progression" - the carnival and important achievements are behind instances and good luck leveling a low level job with beast tribes... Or leveling your mid-level job doing your 3 or so quests that you kill 3 mobs and go back spamming an instance (palace) or another instance roulette to level. Still you're just doing a quest, you're not exploring nor interacting with the world. I mean I guess you walk on the map, if that's relevant open world content for you...

What I said still stands that the Open World content is meh, the quality is low and just because there's SOMETHING doesn't mean that people can't complain about it or ask for something better. I highly recommend anyone that thinks that FFXIV Open World is somewhat relevant to play any game that actually treats the Open World as a content, because y'all clearly think that putting a quest on a map, giving a slice of terrible exp for doing something or teleporting from map to map to try to hit a mob as fast as possible just to get a currency is an elaborated content.

Nothing wrong with being satisfied with what the game has, doesn't mean that the quality of it is good though.

[GavynG]

Yeah, I agree. Even if I do hunts, maps (which I enjoy), and boring 'ol fates with the same 'ol music, there still needs to be more to help make it's world more immersive. That's all the OP really wants, but for some reason people think what they're asking for is so terrible and focusing on how they called the world empty. I would take less zones in an expansion if it meant filling up the ones we already have with more lore and stuff to do, either way. It doesn't even need to be content that's designed specifically for the maps themselves, even. Just give people more to do in general that allows them to go to old maps that isn't just more damn fate grinding.

It's kind of the same issue I have with being told to just play another job when I want a little extra survivability or something. The jobs aren't just roles to me they're my character's "identity". I don't want to go from, say, a summoner to a fencing mage just to make my heal not shit. I don't think most people really get that. I hate job-hopping. It's an immersion killer. Bozja/Zadnor has been a godsend for me with all of it's CE's/Bosses, Raids, it's Merit system after rank 25, it's Lost Actions, etc.

[StormyFae]

Honestly, not only does something need to be done with it, it needs to have some kinda foundation that feels good to do, like really good.. The reason open world feels dead to me is what we are given in the open world doesn't feel that rewarding to do.. most things you spend hours gathering don't even sell that well compared to minions and other things you can get from dungeons, I'm a little scared to start blue mage as it makes me worry it to late to get alot of the things due to them being "instanced" locations, if we got a fresh limited job that starts at lvl 1 it would really make me feel more comfortable with starting blue out (And blue mage is really my favoirt final fantasy job after summoner (but smn doesnt feel good here to me)

I just think we need a hidden reward baby for secret housing or even hidden glamors or something that feels just as good as poping into a q and getting that one thing lol

[Vahlnir]

Majority of players including me don't care about fates, hunts and maps because they do not contribute to character power.

You must be part of a minority then, seeing as an actual majority cares about these things. Still, there is obviously more that SE could do to spice up the open world. I won't argue that at all.

[StormyFae]

You must be part of a minority then, seeing as an actual majority cares about these things.

I tell you why i don't care about fates

-- their rewards are trash for one... -- for two they are mostly jokes and puns with very few story worth.. even with the seals wow you get a minion are a card wow it so worth doing.. NOT (they just feel flat out stupid outside the ones that you have to wait for a set time on a set day for)

as for maps your limited on how many u can do honestly .. Most people only get it and do it one time a week then done..

as for hunts, ive looked over they okay but it has the same proplems as maps.. limited vs worth compared to what instance content does, the open world content feels worthless and like they put now effort into it

[Vahlnir]

I tell you why i don't care about fates

-- their rewards are trash for one... -- for two they are mostly jokes and puns with very few story worth.. even with the seals wow you get a minion are a card wow it so worth doing.. NOT (they just feel flat out stupid outside the ones that you have to wait for a set time on a set day for)

as for maps your limited on how many u can do honestly .. Most people only get it and do it one time a week then done..

as for hunts, ive looked over they okay but it has the same proplems as maps.. limited vs worth compared to what instance content does, the open world content feels worthless and like they put now effort into it

Like I said, there's more that could (and should) be done.

[GeminiReed]

I'm a little scared to start blue mage as it makes me worry it to late to get alot of the things due to them being "instanced" locations, ...

BLU is very doable. There are resources available and people (at least on Crystal) are very helpful with the BLU focused party finder parties.

... as for hunts, ive looked over they okay but it has the same proplems as maps.. limited vs worth compared to what instance content does, the open world content feels worthless and like they put now effort into it

If I need to grind tomestones organized ShB hunts are amazing. It's also great for farming augment material for the level 80 tomestone gear (Crystarium). I'll take an afternoon of that over grinding roulettes and all three Nier raids. I do like them, just not enough to do all three every week.