Removal of loading screens

[SugarSoldier]

Back in the 1.X Version(s) of the game, the world was 1 huge area, without "real" loading screens. In later 1.X versions, the game's major cities were divided into separate areas via loading-screens. This was mainly because of the PS3.
This problem still exists today and is especially apperant in Limsa Lominsa, with it's upper decks.
Since the PS3 is no longer a supported and with the PS5 now released - it is time we ask for "uninterrupted" cities (or even a whole game-world) - just like in the old days.
And what would be a better time to ask for major improvements like this, than the "final" expansion of this game('s current story)?!
Endwalker should not only be the end of the currently ongoing story - it should also be the end of FF14 as we know it - in purely technological terms, of course.

[SomeRandomHuman]

Doubt it. They've denied many things due to server limitations or some other excuse. Otherwise this would have happened by now if it was going to.

[OdrN]

First, 1.0 had some loading screen between areas like Shroud and Mor Dhona. Second, 1.0 had big areas but they were also empty, full of copy/past assets and very laggy.
The actual game code is way too messy to allow big open areas to become a reality again (Kholusia is already out of memory, reason why the dwarf tribe is in Lakeland).
So if I would love to have a full open area (I hate loading screen) this is definitely not happening in this current game.

Nevertheless, I could see this happening for the original city states (and the return of the aquarium of the Hyaline in Limsa Lominsa?) and I hoped for it when they announced the revamp on some 2.0 maps to allow fly but that didn't happened. As we can see the full rendered Lower Secks from the Upper Seck in Limsa and vice versa, and considering the most recents cities are composed of one area, that seems possible to me.

That being said, that would leave Ishgard on the side as this city was created from scratch and not recovered from 1.0 like the others and I don't see how this city could be remodeled into one, the two parts being totally independent (looking from the heights of the Pillars, we do not see anything resembling Foundation, same from below).

I support the idea, but I think they have more pressing issues for the moment.

[Tint]

This problem still exists today and is especially apperant in Limsa Lominsa, with it's upper decks.

Limsa is the only city wich I would use as a counter argument. The city is so crowded that the split between upper and lower decks makes sense to me.

The other problem is that the newer maps are not designed in a way to fit seamless together.

[Larirawiel]

The actual game code is way too messy to allow big open areas to become a reality again

Hi, i have heard this from various people, that the code base of the game is messy. Is somewhere a reliable source for this?


Thanks


Cheers.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

1.0 did have loading screens, they were long narrow pathways between zones where you would see players phase out and in.

[Jeeqbit]

Back in the 1.X Version(s) of the game, the world was 1 huge area, without "real" loading screens. In later 1.X versions, the game's major cities were divided into separate areas via loading-screens. This was mainly because of the PS3.

I doubt PS3 is the reason because there is already a render limit and anything beyond that limit doesn't get rendered, even if it's there. Most things only render from a certain distance too.

The problem with everything being one uninterrupted area is that one server program would have to process all of the events and battles. At the moment each area has its own server program and several areas are bunched together onto a single machine. Perhaps you have seen how slow the server gets at a hunt or fate, taking a few seconds to knock you back as it cycles through each person one at a time.

There already are not really loading screens if you use an SSD so it's not a problem, but we have been told there will be a multi-million dollar upgrade of the server equipment sometime after 6.0.

[Larirawiel]

The problem with everything being one uninterrupted area is that one server program would have to process all of the events and battles.

Seriously, Blizzard solved this problem already in 2004. You had loading screens when you made a continent switch or when you entered an instanced area. But those situations were very rare. In FF14, which is younger than WoW vanilla you have loading screens everywhere. And now we have 2021. I cannot understand that it is still in this game.


Cheers

[Shougun]

It's easier to make hyper diverse environments since you can just wave off transitioning terrain, but it would be neat to have a loadless environment in the future (I'm thinking next mmo kind of future, since it could be insane amount of work and potential catastrophic issues when trying to merge our current stuff).

Maybe they can make screen transition effects and move the teleport animation through that to give a similar element to changing water / land (for drives that are fast enough it would appear sort of loading screenless).

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Seriously, Blizzard solved this problem already in 2004. You had loading screens when you made a continent switch or when you entered an instanced area. But those situations were very rare. In FF14, which is younger than WoW vanilla you have loading screens everywhere. And now we have 2021. I cannot understand that it is still in this game.


Cheers

They'd have to do a lot of terrain and map work to remove them.

Almost none of the maps would line up or have good transitions of they just "got rid of the loading screens". They weren't designed that way.

Wow was. Simple as that.