Flying in the game / New player perspective

[Emberhorn]

I'm just curious why flying is unlocked per zone and not just a reward for being high level.
I like seeing the background, monsters and everything. I literally pay more attention to the world design and its details rather than the story itself. But unlocking flying after a zone is completed makes no sence.
Why would I even fly in a zone I'm not going to visit ever again?
I would much rather like a quest that made you fly across the new map to unlock it (so you have a good view of the whole map before unlocking it) or maybe even having stamina while flying so you can not just fly around everytime. And even then, I don't have a problem with player who just fly to speed things up. Every one plays the game at their own time.

So after saying that, flying seems like an add on. Why is it here in the 1st place if we are not going to actually make it useful?
GW2 didn't had flying for a lot of time and it was fine. Genshin Impact or Blade and Soul don't have it either and were fun anyways. Exploration and movility are still fun without flying.
Now, if the game has flying mounts at least let us use them productively/efficiently. Adding mechanics to a game for the sake of having them makes no sence. The only players that actually fly are high lvl players helping their new friends that joined the game recently (like my self) and even then they have to wait for us walking the whole scenario on foot. So its not helping anyways.

I usually finish all the quests in an area before even unlocking flying and then I never go back again.

Also Endwalker feels like the slowest part of the game. Not sure if the maps are way too big for the slow pace your character moves. While using a mount is not really that different either. I started feeling like the game wanted to stretch itself giving more hours of gameplay that are just you walking and walking and walking and walking. With not actual content to do.
Sorry I don't wanna make fans upset as I do like the game too. But it literally makes 0 sence. WoW, Aion, Tera, GW2, PWI and any other game that let you fly after certain level, rewarding you, actually let you fly. In ffxiv it seems like an aftertought rather than an actual mechanic. I have to try Dawntrail now and I will surely enjoy it as I enjoyed most of the game. I just see this mechanic as a total missed opportunity and even as a penalty for most of the players that won't use it ever after unlocking it.
Thanks for reading! I know this is just ranting but I had to share my opinion with someone else xD
I do love the game and this is not an extreme downside. But it is something that actually is not useful from a new player perspective.

[Jeeqbit]

I'm just curious why flying is unlocked per zone and not just a reward for being high level.

This is because it is a story-driven game. They want you to go through the area and have the "on foot" experience, going through all of the story events without being spoiled by previewing them from the air.

Once you unlock flying, it's not the same. Every area is kinda the same once you can fly in it. You usually don't hardly focus on what's below while flying. So flying really does kinda ruin it a lot. You only get that walking experience once so best to make the most of it to appreciate the area, because once you can fly, why wouldn't you fly?

If you could bypass the story restriction on it by just simply leveling up, it would defeat some of the point of it.

Why would I even fly in a zone I'm not going to visit ever again?

Side content (such as sidequests) or endgame content. Of course, this will mostly be what "used" to be endgame content when that area was new. This could include FATE farming for relic weapons, fighting hunts and spawning S ranks, treasure maps, gathering, beast tribe quests, custom deliveries and numerous sidequests. There are also cases where the Main Scenario Quests might eventually return there briefly, even if it's years later.

If you don't intend to do any of the side stuff, then flying is mostly for the people who do.

I would much rather like a quest that made you fly across the new map to unlock it (so you have a good view of the whole map before unlocking it)

Well there are different ways to do it. This game's "lore reason" for flying is that you attune to aether currents. It's pretty common for games to want to "explain everything" and this is one of those games.

If you want to fly before you are able to, you can use this game's "taxi system" which usually involves a chocobo taking you somewhere. In the expansions this involves them flying and sometimes it is not a chocobo, depending on the region's lore.

So after saying that, flying seems like an add on. Why is it here in the 1st place if we are not going to actually make it useful?

Quite frankly, they added it to compete with WoW. It was added with the release of Heavensward, the expansion that features Ishgard.

[SannaR]

Op you are probably one of a very small minority of those that never go back to a zone once they've gone through the MSQ. Though I'm sure you generalized it as I know you would have (unless they changed them) gone back to other zones in order to complete Shadowbringers msq as you'd of needed to finish one of the role quests. Which I'm sure would have you visiting zones after the story has finished with them. The reason a lot of others go back to these zones are all that Jeeqbit stated. Heck starting in Shadowbringers one of the two world boss fates requires flight to even participate in them. Then there are the seasonal events or many of the cross over events with other games. The Yokai even asks you to grind fates from ARR, HW and Stormblood zones and you will not make it to as many fates let alone get enough credit for them without flying.

[Anemoshi]

You haven't gone back to other zones, but you might in the future, because there's a lot of content that forces you to go back. Societal quests, treasure maps, and FATEs alone will cause you to get very familiar with almost every region.

However, it's true that this setup doesn't accommodate players who do MSQ -> Raids/Trials -> PvP, not necessarily in that order, and aren't interested in the rest of the game's content.

That's totally valid and in that case, I can see how not unlocking flying right away would be annoying. Unfortunately this is one of those scenarios where the game is meant to accommodate the person who wants to take their time with the story and immerse themselves more easily. I find that when flying is available right away, I'm going to use it even though I like to take things slow, simply because my brain is dying to know what happens next in the MSQ.

Being forced to travel on land only forces you to slow down, and this is preferable for a lot if not most players. So, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't expect it to change any time soon if at all.

You shouldn't have a hard time finding someone who will fly you around to all the aether currents, though. This way you'll get done in no time.