Linear, linear, linear

[Deo14]

This is, frankly, entirely an "us" issue (as in the players). They used to create dungeons with multiple paths, optional side areas, etc.. What did we the playerbase do? Find which path was "optimal" for the fastest clear, and completely ignore anything that was optional. Case in point - every single ARR dungeon I played, the only way I ever got the map completion achievements for them (which involves exploring all of those side paths) was to queue as the tank and insist on going to them. This isn't about SE. This is what we did as players when they created non-linear content. I'm not surprised at all that SE simply started designing the content the way we insisted on playing it anyway.

That's understandable in MMORPG, but people don't meta game single player games like that, especially on the first playthrough. Open world, branching dungeons, elemental resistances and similar systems will be taken advantages of or minmaxed, but in single player games, it doesn't matter, you're not peer pressured, if you find some cool stuff you can do or cool places you can go, then just do it.

FF16 already has those easy mode rings or whatever, and it's up to you if you want to use them or play the game properly. If people truly want to metagame 16, they would just use them, but that's not the case for majority of players, they do want to play the game. Which is why you can't just put FFXIV and other FFs into the same basket, FFXIV has reasons why everything is so linear, and other FFs just don't have any excuses and should do better. After all, what's the point of RPG when you have so little choices? Why won't you make movie or some show instead?

[Thurmnmurmn]

Funny enough, I remember the exact same thing being complained with ff13. Which to be fair, it's totally warranted. Gone are the days of exploration in JRPGs apparently

[NekoMataMata]

This is, frankly, entirely an "us" issue (as in the players). They used to create dungeons with multiple paths, optional side areas, etc.. What did we the playerbase do? Find which path was "optimal" for the fastest clear, and completely ignore anything that was optional. Case in point - every single ARR dungeon I played, the only way I ever got the map completion achievements for them (which involves exploring all of those side paths) was to queue as the tank and insist on going to them. This isn't about SE. This is what we did as players when they created non-linear content. I'm not surprised at all that SE simply started designing the content the way we insisted on playing it anyway.

But then you could say that it's SE's fault for not putting anything interesting in the optional paths that motivates people to deviate.

[Renalt]

Probably because every "alternate" path would usually be a dead end with a dinky ahh potion or straigjt up vendor trash for a reward.

No extra bosses, no hidden objectives that gives extra rewards when fulfilled (gil, minions, orchestrion rolls, glamours, something), is it any wonder players started taking the path of least resistance? If anyone is to blame, it's SE being SE and throwing the baby out with the bath water instead of finding a way to feasibly accomodate both players that are willing to explore the dungeon they're in, and the ones trying to set an any% world record speedrun in Sastasha.

Hauke Manor comes to mind. Forget getting all the keys, don't explore upstairs. Just kill the final boss and be done with it.

People use to for extra gear...but we level soooo fast now that the effort and time to get it is dwarfed by just doing the dungeon and reaching the next dungeon in what feels like a couple of moments.

[TheMightyMollusk]

But then you could say that it's SE's fault for not putting anything interesting in the optional paths that motivates people to deviate.

Wouldn't really matter what they put there. Sooner or later, people would just ignore it to get the content over with. Dungeon gear isn't incentive enough, because it doesn't last long enough to be worth the effort; minions, mounts, and other collectibles are one-and-done, so nobody cares to keep going for them again and again (and if they're tradeable, they'd either be some low RNG chance of dropping, or guaranteed drops that won't hold value for long, so it still wouldn't be worth it); experience, gil, tomes, and materia are easily acquired from so many other sources that it'd be pointless; and, as criterion dungeons show, just having more interesting fights isn't enough for people to care if the rewards aren't worthwhile.

It's really just an inherent flaw in daily repeatable content. Eventually, people just want to get it done fast, optional stuff be damned.

[Catwho]

Fine Wax used to be quite valuable and a reason to farm Haukke Manor. Not sure it is any more.

FFX16 has some fairly open areas once you get deeper in the game. I am about 7-8 hours in and just hit [REDACTED] which feels about as open as the XIV overworld areas. There are side quests, and lots of obvious items and slightly more hidden chests scattered around the towns and landscapes to explore. Sure, if you mainline MSQ you can just keep going in a straight line forever, but where's the fun in that? So I've been poking around, taking wrong turns, trying to see if I can go up ladders or fall off cliffs into rivers.

[TheDecay]

which feels about as open as the XIV overworld areas

Are you sure that's a good thing? FF14 is an MMO. A single player game's open world elements should be far more organic and open than that of an MMO, which has constraints due to technology and the need for multiplayer.

[MonsutaMan]

It looks increasingly clear, with the release of FF16 and the current design trend of FF14, that CBU3 is only capable of creating linear corridors.

Maybe they need to hire some interns from Bethesda.

Beth, like SE, used to be great.......

...Now its Fromsoft & Take-Two.

SE is still riding the XIV-WoW wave, which is dangerous because the majority of them went back to WoW.

WoW doing what it did for XIV only solidifies it as the best MMO ever, because it made XIV the "Best" mmo ever for a moment (WoW still trash tho....to me....).

[Renalt]

Oh I absolutely WOULD!

[WeissTuna]

It's a single player game meant to tell a story. I don't mind it being linear vs our mmorpg tbh. Some side quests are interesting, while others are lacking. I've already counted dozens of comparisons to XIV in how your character turns in quests, some of the sound effects, the story structure and layout in just my 13 hours of play. It's starting to get really funny.