Idea: Hazard Zones

[RaideDuku]

Have areas that are somewhat like Exploratory Zones, except it would be something released on patches that there isn't Exploratory Zone released. I'll use DT as an example.

In some of the zones there are areas that are lousy with Tural Vidraal of various power and other powerful monsters. They seem to be drawn to these areas for some reason. People are generally warned away from the areas, but the beasts are getting a bit too numerous, so the best of the best of hunters are being allowed in to thin the herd, so to speak. When you enter the zone, it's an extension of the zone it's in. So a lot of the graphics and textures would be used here, as well, in the hopes that it saves on development time. Can even use a simple remix of the zone's music. There would be a small base camp that will help repair and supply. There is a special currency that you can collect in this zone, either by beating FATES, or completing quests that can be daily. (For example "Collect 50 Vidraal Leather", where you have to kill 50 beastkin in the zone). There can even be a gathering one, with the catch that stealth doesn't work here, and mining will draw agro if there's enemies nearby. Better clear out the area before you gather. You can use this currency to buy, well, a bunch of stuff. Mounts, Minions, Music, furnishings, glamor outfits, materia. Just a whole mess of stuff.

The big thing is though, is that these areas would also be part of the Relic Weapon quests. For the first weapon, you have to get materials to make a tool to properly use the materials in the area. Then you have to get the materials to make the weapon with those tools. Once you make the first one, you don't have to do the tool quest again. AND IT SHOULD TAKE TIME. I've always been a big proponent that the best gear should take either effort, time, or money to get. You ok with effort? Do Savage. You got cash? Get crafted. Relics should take time. Don't want to do any of those? Then you probably don't need BiS gear, because what would you be doing with it? (not that Savage or crafted items don't take time, it's just relics should take way more). If you make it easy (coughmandervillecough), then they lose what makes them special.

On top of this, you can also occasionally find Artifacts. These items would go into a collection, and would give a bit of lore of the area. I sort of think of the old Archaeology skill in WoW in this. Yes, you can get dupes, which might give a tiny bit of the special currency. Collecting enough unique ones will give you extra prizes (like at 1/3, 2/3, and full collection, you get a minion, glam, and then finally a mount. Plus you get a bunch of neat lore about the area the Hazard Zone in connected to, for example).

As far as the story...there is none. It's just an area thick with big monsters you kill. The story is saved for the actual Exploratory Zones. Those areas would also continue the Relic Weapons but instead of improving the physical properties of the weapon, you improve the magics in the weapon to improve it. This would be the stat altering step of the process.

So, basically , again, using DT as an example

7.0 Urqopacha Hazard Zone - That valley that Wuk Lamat had to go down into to get the wild alpaca.
7.1 Yak T'el Hazard Zone - some giant cenote cavern.
7.2 First part Devil's Triangle
7.3 Second part Devil's Triangle
7.4 Shaaloani Hazard Zone - Dunno, I just want more Shaaloani.
7.5 Final Devil's Triangle area

The whole idea is just to give people that want to gnaw on that tasty tasty bone of grinding have that option, but make it easier on development time to make the areas.

I dunno. I'm having insomnia and I've had this idea in the back of my head, so now you all get to suffer reading about my shite idea. Frankly, grinding for the sake of grinding bores me, but I realize that that's what some people like, so hey, they should get their content, too.

Edit: first person to say "It's a good idea, that's why it'll never happen" shall have Wuk Lamat shouting Spheeeeeene on repeat in their nightmares every night, go be bitter in another post.

[hydralus]

So essentially you're asking for another Eureka/Bozja.

[VeyaAkemi]

So essentially you're asking for another Eureka/Bozja.

They did start the post by literally saying "Have areas that are somewhat like Exploratory Zones".

[RaideDuku]

I mean, yeah? It's what people want apparently, and the Devil's Triangle is already happening. This is just a way they can put a zone like it in every patch, instead 2 or 3 patches.

[hydralus]

I mean, yeah? It's what people want apparently, and the Devil's Triangle is already happening. This is just a way they can put a zone like it in every patch, instead 2 or 3 patches.

I guess I came into the topic expecting new ideas, not "The same thing, but more of it".

[Remarus]

So you basically want the thing City of Heroes did forever ago. I don't hate the idea, especially if it were to have something like a Hamidon raid (big zone-wide raid that requires coordination to actively kill and drops primarily rare crafting materials) ever few hours with Giant Monster spawns occasionally (mini-raids). Could be some fun extra content, but we already do have SS Ranks and World Bosses (like Formidable) as-is. May be a new containment zone for that kind of content?

[Jeeqbit]

I'm not opposed to new areas, but if it's easier for them, they could just extend the existing ones a little with these new little sections.

In some of the zones there are areas that are lousy with Tural Vidraal of various power and other powerful monsters. They seem to be drawn to these areas for some reason. People are generally warned away from the areas, but the beasts are getting a bit too numerous, so the best of the best of hunters are being allowed in to thin the herd, so to speak.

From the developers' point of view, this is what a typical FATE is lol. They are powerful from the perspective of a player that still uses Standard and lost all their keybinds/hotbars and obviously SE designs everything with that worst case scenario in mind.

Can even use a simple remix of the zone's music.

I wish they would do... literally anything else for FATE music. Even that.

There is a special currency that you can collect in this zone, either by beating FATES, or completing quests that can be daily.

Which is more or less covered by FATEs, beast tribes, custom deliveries and leves. There is precedent for unique currencies for relics when FATE farming though.

There can even be a gathering one, with the catch that stealth doesn't work here, and mining will draw agro if there's enemies nearby. Better clear out the area before you gather.

When I first really got into gathering, the developers very quickly nerfed the concept of needing to sneak around enemies to do it. Just another of the things they removed from the game, except this time there really wasn't a good reason - everyone has a battle class and everyone can get a chocobo to fight for them while they gather. It only served to remove fun from the game by removing the threat.

If you make it easy (coughmandervillecough), then they lose what makes them special.

I think they probably got the message on that by now. Think they are returning it to be more like Shadowbringers.

On top of this, you can also occasionally find Artifacts. These items would go into a collection, and would give a bit of lore of the area.

To a degree, we get this with things like Sightseeing logs or the field notes we collected in Bozja. Whether lore interests enough people I'm not sure, because they discontinued lore FATE chains when the Shadowbringers experiment didn't replicate the success of the Azim Steppe.

[Kaurhz]

This is why they need to rework or reband hunts and certain FATEs for that matter, e.g., a shorter cooldown so that people are always out in the world doing something.

[Iscah]

This sounds like in reality it would just result in the same amount of creativity spread thinner.

Either the enemies are copy-pastes of other enemies (making them basically FATEs) or they introduce unique mechanics that could have been used to put more variety in the other exploratory zone.