The feeling that Island Sanctuary is missing: nurturing rather than exploiting

[Iscah]

I haven't played any of the other farming-based games that Island Sanctuary is usually compared to, but this week I picked up a cute game called "Summer in Mara" which is a crafting-focused RPG and the core of it is an island base that is not unlike Island Sanctuary in its basic goals and scope. You have a vegetable garden, animal pens and a wider island where you can cut down trees for wood and mine for stone and metals.

However, it has one big ingredient that Island Sanctuary is lacking, which is that you're not just endlessly taking the island resources but also replenishing them. One of the earliest lessons is that you can't just cut down trees but also have to plant seeds to replace them, and leave offerings for the mountain spirits.

In addition to the instant feeling that you're nurturing the island rather than endlessly exploiting it, it gives you a feeling of stewardship and connection to it – "I planted that forest". And you choose to grow the resources that you need in an arrangement that suits you but also that looks pleasing, and this gameplay loop can go on for quite some time.

It's so much the opposite of IS's dreadful mammets with their "cut down the trees and exploit all the nature!" attitude, and that basic change makes the whole thing so much more satisfying.

An additional thing is that in Mara the items you are crafting directly relate to the wider story of the game, usually requests from other characters. I feel like this is something that could have been achieved in FFXIV – receive more messages and requests from other characters so you're constructing things for them, not this endless arbitrary list of creations for unknown buyers. At very least, have some key quests where people ask you to make something special for them, rather than just turning up to say hi and having no further connection to the plot.

TL;DR I went into Island Sanctuary with no expectations of what it should be, but it feels wrong, and this other game feels like it had the same basic idea and did it right.

[Colt47]

The other problem is that since this is an MMO, it has the added social pressure to want to optimize the usage of time. Basically, it comes down to having the knowledge of doing X things each day is optimal, and missing a day means there is no way to catch up to others because the wheel of time spins and keeps going forward without the player.

The only way to really make island sanctuary a casual experience is to detach the entire notion of resets and make it just like a single player experience. They got to let people catch up or move at their own pace.

[DPZ2]

TL;DR I went into Island Sanctuary with no expectations of what it should be, but it feels wrong, and this other game feels like it had the same basic idea and did it right.

The "same basic idea" comes from titles such as Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing and Minecraft, to name a few of the more popular games belonging to the 'farming sim' category of RPGs. I'm happy that you enjoyed Summer in Mara.

The problem is that the Island Sanctuary wasn't designed to be a farming sim game. It has elements of a farming sim, sure, but it's more of a mini-game that focuses on gathering and has some aspects of crafting and playing the Market Board without having to compete against other players. It was never meant to be a stand-alone game such as those listed above.

It holds some players interest and is "meh" for others. And, depending on the player in question, either of those are perfectly valid opinions.

Those who find it "meh" have plenty of other things to do without ever touching the Island, although I will admit that those jean cutoffs you get for completing level 10 are nice for glamour.

They got to let people catch up or move at their own pace.

I blame this attitude on Fear of Missing Out. There are a huge number of players who haven't even reached level 90 yet. The mini-game was intended to be content post level 90. There is no need to speed through the Island Sanctuary content (or even do the content at all) unless you really want the glamour items, minions and mounts you can get at level 10 and beyond.