Open World elements in FF14

[Skiros]

1. Daily hunt bills take you all over the map.
2. Finding your weekly mark takes you all over the map.
3. Scouting A ranks takes you all over the map.
4. Spawning S ranks takes you all over the map depending on the condition.
5. Fate farming takes you all over the map.
6. Sight seeing log as you mentioned takes you all over the map.
7. Side quests take you all over the place as well.
8. Gathering takes you to a number of gathering points around the map.
9. Treasure maps take you all over the map depending on where the X is.

All of these things are popular and done by many people.

FATEs are supposed to do this and some of them used to only be seen when you were close to them, but the problem is that nobody activated them because they were unaware of them.

Exploration =/= going all over the map. Please get better at reading comprehension. The only thing that actually resembles exploration is the sightseeing log because some of them are in hidden nooks and crannies. Flying around the map is not exploration:

Many activities we do in the open world are "fly from the aetheryte to your destination".

Exactly. One of the biggest reasons why the earlier zones of Eureka felt explorable is because you can't fly.

[Jeeqbit]

Exploration =/= going all over the map. Please get better at reading comprehension. The only thing that actually resembles exploration is the sightseeing log because some of them are in hidden nooks and crannies. Flying around the map is not exploration:

Exactly. One of the biggest reasons why the earlier zones of Eureka felt explorable is because you can't fly.

Finding B, A or S marks is not "fly to a specific destination" because you don't know which spawn point it's at. Treasure maps can involve looking in nooks and crannies because you are figuring out where the exact X is from a vague, zoomed in picture of the map and it can involve several dig attempts. Gathering isn't done at any specific location because they are dotted all around the place so you get to explore and gather where you please.

I do personally feel satisfied that I have been everywhere on the map once I have done all of the quests including the sidequests and job quests. The cabin in Outer La Noscea is used in job quests and so is the cabin in The Fringes. This is the sort of game where everything has a purpose or a quest it's used for. I would like if that wasn't how it is but like everything the maps are designed around the stories or at least there is no part of the map they don't use for them.

[LianaThorne]

Finding B, A or S marks is not "fly to a specific destination" because you don't know which spawn point it's at. Treasure maps can involve looking in nooks and crannies because you are figuring out where the exact X is from a vague, zoomed in picture of the map and it can involve several dig attempts. Gathering isn't done at any specific location because they are dotted all around the place so you get to explore and gather where you please.

- Hunt marks: Locations are very much publicly available and in hunt trains you're literally provided coordinates of where to go. Hell, when EW started people were shouting mark locations to help out others and make finding them easier.

- Treasure Maps: Same thing as above, locations are easily found and you really don't have to put a ton of brain power into it.

- Gathering: The gathering log exists and shows you exactly where to go depending on what you're looking for. There's no exploring needed.

I get your point of what you're trying to say but I wouldn't classify things that the game obviously points you to as exploration.

[Irenia]

Hunts are interesting in that they are one of two truly "open world" pieces of content in the over world, but the community put a structure over it, creating a system of reporting and hunt trains.

Same thing with Eureka, actually. I imagine the intended play pattern was for players to group up and find a place to level, dealing with whatever shenanigans happen as they come, whether they are weather changes or NM spawning. The community put a structure on this too, creating NM trains.

Note I have a specific definition for "open"; I contrast it against "instanced" - the former invites interaction with otherwise uninvoled players, the latter denies it. Gil is open, tomestones are instanced. FATEs are open, treasure maps are instanced. Quests are instanced, and your recommendations are all variations of questing, making it less accessible by removing signposts in order to facilitate wandering the map.

I believe the team wants their lore to be accessible and easily found if you want it; it's why 8 man raids have normal modes now, after all. Plus the fact that we live in a world where the inter is ubiquitous is also important. Regardless of their value, these may be the reasons why they wouldn't want to do what you ask. After all, back in ARR, sightseeing logs were unmarked on the map, and they made the conscious decision to move away from that design.

[Jeeqbit]

Yes it is. You fly to specific spawn points to check whether they are there. That's literally flying to specific destinations.

The same could be said of the aether currents which you praised. Just like you didn't look at a map of where the aether currents are, you can not look at a map of spawn points.

You literally look up a map and use your minimap to look at the nodes. And if you don't know where it is, you use Triangulate and just fly in that direction.

I've not found any of these things necessary because the nodes show up in plain sight as I move around the rocks and hills.

Furthermore, I hope you realize that "exploration" implies that those details in the world have stories and lore attached to them. Otherwise it's not called exploration, it's pure padding.

So your definition of exploration is that there must be story and lore attached to it beyond that implied from just looking at ruins and ancient rubble. Well none of the content I listed does that or not in the way that you want it.

- Hunt marks: Locations are very much publicly available and in hunt trains you're literally provided coordinates of where to go. Hell, when EW started people were shouting mark locations to help out others and make finding them easier.

- Treasure Maps: Same thing as above, locations are easily found and you really don't have to put a ton of brain power into it.

- Gathering: The gathering log exists and shows you exactly where to go depending on what you're looking for. There's no exploring needed.

The same could be said of the sightseeing log and aether currents. Looking up the locations is spoiling yourself and no matter what "exploration" content gets added, you will always be able to spoil yourself by looking up the coordinates on the internet.

[sharknado]

Exploration =/= going all over the map. Please get better at reading comprehension. The only thing that actually resembles exploration is the sightseeing log because some of them are in hidden nooks and crannies.

This game is all about making your own fun. If people really wanted "exploration" it would come up more often, including question/answers time during live letters and the likely some content would be created. That's how Island Sanctuaries started. As there is only sightseeing log it seems there isn't much interest in this... and it's a one-off content. Repeatable tasks as those listed in previous posts work much better at having people in the zones.

[ZedxKayn]

It's very sad how bad expac zone design is. There shouldn't be a carrot on a stick like currents or the sightseeing log to encourage exploration, exploration should be its own reward. Those to me are just one of the many items on the FFXIV shallow content checklist I complete every expac, not something I do because I enjoy exploring the zones.

More condensed zones, sidequests that aren't obviously marked on the minimap and with a bit more thoughts put into them than "kill x amount of _ because ???" would go a long way.

[SeverianLyonesse]

This game is all about making your own fun. If people really wanted "exploration" it would come up more often, including question/answers time during live letters and the likely some content would be created. That's how Island Sanctuaries started. As there is only sightseeing log it seems there isn't much interest in this... and it's a one-off content. Repeatable tasks as those listed in previous posts work much better at having people in the zones.

Then I will plan on complaining about it more. I think the environmental design has been one of XIV's weakest aspects since Heavensward. EW's zones were literally five large circular bowls...and Thavnair. And part of that is ruined by flight which allows the player to quickly escape the denser ground level, but the earlier zones have a combination of denser level design and a lower flight ceiling that encourages a more immersive feel to the environment. And even comparing the earlier zones to stuff in say GW2 just isn't as richly designed.

I can say the same thing about dungeons and raids as well. Very sparse, linear experiences running through very beautiful backdrops. Everything is designed to look stunning in panorama, but generally lacking a degree of fineness that makes your immediate surroundings feel distinct/discrete/intimate.

[EgilTheStressedMage]

This Zenos yae Galvus rper is really committed.

[Jin-]

Then I will plan on complaining about it more. I think the environmental design has been one of XIV's weakest aspects since Heavensward. EW's zones were literally five large circular bowls...and Thavnair. And part of that is ruined by flight which allows the player to quickly escape the denser ground level, but the earlier zones have a combination of denser level design and a lower flight ceiling that encourages a more immersive feel to the environment. And even comparing the earlier zones to stuff in say GW2 just isn't as richly designed.

I can say the same thing about dungeons and raids as well. Very sparse, linear experiences running through very beautiful backdrops. Everything is designed to look stunning in panorama, but generally lacking a degree of fineness that makes your immediate surroundings feel distinct/discrete/intimate.

Would be great if Square took note from GW2 how open world content can be rich in content and exploration. Also they just released new expansion pack so more to explore.