Friends Helping Friends with Aether Currents?

[Tyjacon]

Or they could get rid of map aether currents completely since their only function is to waste time...

It all depends on your 'opinion' of what 'wasting time' is to you.

Playing a game is wasting time to some people.

[lezard21]

It all depends on your 'opinion' of what 'wasting time' is to you.

Playing a game is wasting time to some people.

Generally, yes, but in this case no. It's not a matter of opinion.

Aether currents could only serve 2 purposes: 1) encourage exploration outside of the MSQ path or 2) gateway so that you don't zoom across the map while doing MSQ

Except 1) is done a lot better with Sightseeing logs, hunts, job/role quests, sidequests, beast tribe quests, etc. and Aether Currents don't tend to be too far off from the MSQ path so you don't end up exploring much (best examples would be Churning Mists were the entirety of the top of the map is left unexplored)

And 2) you can achieve exactly the same result by unlocking flight at the end of the MSQ for a particular area, which is kinda what currently happens since a most of zones in Stormblood and all in Shadowbringers have the last MSQ of a zone giving you the last Aether Current.

So as you see, Aether Currents are a waste of time due to the facts I've described. Facts are not opinions.

[Conundrum]

Generally, yes, but in this case no. It's not a matter of opinion.

Aether currents could only serve 2 purposes: 1) encourage exploration outside of the MSQ path or 2) gateway so that you don't zoom across the map while doing MSQ

Except 1) is done a lot better with Sightseeing logs, hunts, job/role quests, sidequests, beast tribe quests, etc. and Aether Currents don't tend to be too far off from the MSQ path so you don't end up exploring much (best examples would be Churning Mists were the entirety of the top of the map is left unexplored)

And 2) you can achieve exactly the same result by unlocking flight at the end of the MSQ for a particular area, which is kinda what currently happens since a most of zones in Stormblood and all in Shadowbringers have the last MSQ of a zone giving you the last Aether Current.

So as you see, Aether Currents are a waste of time due to the facts I've described. Facts are not opinions.

This.

I would also add that they also actually screw up progression through the zone because many people will run around and do the currents as soon as they access a new zone. Therefore going to parts of the zone they wouldn't see before the story takes them there.