Ffxiv's Zones Looks Extremely Bad and Outdated

[Harlot]

First of all hi everyone. I have been playing ffxiv for few months now, i am a WoW refuge and firstly let me tell you this. I am enjoying every second of it. Specially my class(Black mage), trials and dungeons. And see, thats the thing.

When it comes to trials, dungeons(for example dohn mehg), raids, character models, primal models, animations everything looks wholesome, beautiful, and exciting. But when it comes to zones... Like i can't convince myself that dohn megh, lakshmi and these zones belongs to the same game

Zones looks ugly, dull, extremely empty and dead. They looking like they came out of a game released in 2004 like Metin2. Even few zones in Metin2 looked better then the zones in final fantasy xiv.

There is almost no grass, no detail, no air partical, no shine, textures are ugly and getting uglier and uglier every expansion. Its just they are huge empty, zero detailed places. And strange enough situations gets worst and worst every expansion. In arr there are zones that looked quite good in my opinion. But when it comes to shadowbringers or stormblood... I can become no where close to say the same thing. Specially few zones in stormblood i straight up feel like i am walking on the mars. It is that empty, dull and ugly. Like i don't understand. Like i am looking at the trials, character models, dungeons and there is nothing wrong. Like skill animations are what this game is best known for. But when it comes to zones its like a different game. Thats why i hate doing quests sometimes. Because zones looking so insanely ugly i often feel like i am playing a extremely outdated game.

I think zones need more air particles, shine, detail, more life, and specially more grass, more grass and more graas cause like there is none. So far i am seeing that final fantasy did everything rigth that wow couldn't. But when it comes to zones i can't say the same thing. Take shadowlands zones as an example. Look at ardenweald, bastion. Sometimes i wanna go back to playing wow just because of bastion and bastion only. Because they are that good looking. I wish the same thing would go for final fantasy but the art team that does rest of the things good doesn't seem like putting the same efford into the zones. Cause they be looking like they created them in one hour with the laziest mentality.

[DeafJohn]

Are you sure your graphic settings are not set to low?

Everything looks amazing to me compared to WoW. Especially as you noticed the animations are just gorgeous.

Having both games open out in the zones, side by side WoW looks like a cartoon compared to ff14.

[Harlot]

Yeah all of my graphic settings are at ultra. Same thoughts goes for me too. I think final fantasy looks way better then WoW except like i said, zones. Like i can't even begin to compare bastion or ardenweald to the fringes(the peering stones) for example

[ksuyen]

I set my graphic setting to second from max, and it looks amazing. When the new engine release (they are currently working on it), it would be even better.

[Canadane]

When the new engine release (they are currently working on it), it would be even better.

wut
Did you mean WoW or something because I don't recall any news about a new graphics engine in XIV.

[Alien_Gamer]

wut
Did you mean WoW or something because I don't recall any news about a new graphics engine in XIV.

At the digital can fest Yoshi said it was something in development but no details beyond that. I got the impression that it wasn't far along and it would be a few years.

[Thaciscokidd]

At the digital can fest Yoshi said it was something in development but no details beyond that. I got the impression that it wasn't far along and it would be a few years.

https://gamingbolt.com/final-fantasy...engine-someday

The way its worded maybe the next Xpac after Endwalker.

[kaynide]

Of course absolutely entitled to your opinion, but comparing Ardenweald's screenshots seems very comparable to like... Lakeland. I do agree, when flying, zones can look rather bland and you start to see texture edges/blocks... and that the game could use some TLC regarding rendering or seeing from far away.

It's also a difference in design; WoW is stylized to look like a cartoon, whereas FFXIV is... what... "try to look realistic, but in an anime style"? Realistic can unfortunately seem rather bland compared to a color-saturated world like in WoW or even Guild Wars.

[ksuyen]

I can see they will add more details but the textures are limited by the old engine unfortunately. Also they need to sandbox zone due to the graphic load. Multiplication polygons causes lag - and they are prioritizing gaming experience.

[Krotoan]

looked up the game you referenced (Metin2):


... really?

I'm not personally a fan of most of the zones on the First.. but saying there's no detail in them and comparing it to.. that up there?

..... REALLY?