Even zone design and traversal is formulaic

[Hycinthus]

I just returned and this is my 3rd attempt trying to get through Dawntrail MSQ.

Did it start in Endwalker? Zone design and traversal is:
Zone 1A - explore lower area, then go to Zone 2. (Only 50% aether current)
Zone 2A - explore lower area, then go to Zone 1 again. (only 50% aether current)
Zone 1B - explore higher altitude area, then flying unlocked
Zone 2B - explore higher altitude area; then flying unlocked

Like what is this again and again? and why must it be repeated in Dawntrail? Can they innovate and surprise us abit? I think what’s aggravating to me is I see formulaic everywhere with every expansion and patches. Everything follows a set rule. A set number of dungeon every patch, a set of pulls , a set of this that. Everything is following some set rule.


It just takes the immersion away because I just knew exactly when the second half of Aether currents will show up and those blue quests will show up.

Can they surprise us a bit and go create something completely new and random? And I’m not talking just about the zones anymore.

[Wasselin]

What would changing it up really achieve? Would it be more fun to finish Zone 1? Or maybe you want to finish only 20% aether currents?

[VeyaAkemi]

Did it start in Endwalker?

It started with Heavensward, though it is the least prominent there, where you only have access to a portion, less than half, of the Sea of Clouds on first visit, then you have half of The Fringes and The Peaks in Stormblood, then you half half Amh Araeng and Kholusia in Shadowbringers, then half of Labyrinthos and Thavnair in Endwalker, then half of Urqopacha and Kozama'uka in Dawntrail.

It's repetitive, but of all formulaic aspects of the game, it's the one that is least consequential, I think the only consequence is that you can tell you will be revisiting that map in particular, and so the first story segment there will be perhaps shorter.

[Hycinthus]

What would changing it up really achieve? Would it be more fun to finish Zone 1? Or maybe you want to finish only 20% aether currents?

All I'm saying is that it is very immersive breaking, knowing at at Urqopacha, I saw an aether current on a cliff, and I immediately knew it's locked away until I return for the 2nd time to this zone.

Like immediately I knew it's part of the formula, like someone got this planned on a spreadsheet already. Which I know they probably do.

And to your suggestion of 20%. Maybe? Surprise us. Design something new.

I know this is a small thing, but it's just part of a trend.

It started with Heavensward, though it is the least prominent there, where you only have access to a portion, less than half, of the Sea of Clouds on first visit, then you have half of The Fringes and The Peaks in Stormblood, then you half half Amh Araeng and Kholusia in Shadowbringers, then half of Labyrinthos and Thavnair in Endwalker, then half of Urqopacha and Kozama'uka in Dawntrail.

It's repetitive, but of all formulaic aspects of the game, it's the one that is least consequential, I think the only consequence is that you can tell you will be revisiting that map in particular, and so the first story segment there will be perhaps shorter.

Exactly.

[Gwenkatsu]

Did it start in Endwalker? Zone design and traversal is:
Zone 1A - explore lower area, then go to Zone 2. (Only 50% aether current)
Zone 2A - explore lower area, then go to Zone 1 again. (only 50% aether current)
Zone 1B - explore higher altitude area, then flying unlocked
Zone 2B - explore higher altitude area; then flying unlocked

Endwalker in fact was:
1A
2A
3
4
2B
1B
Plus 1A and 2A in EW were the higher area, while 1B and 2B were lower. It think that was a nice change of pace, and a lot of surprise to me.

Just kidding you, personally I can't stand it when they split the zones in 2. When I start a zone, I want to end it, then continue on. But that's just me, I guess.

[Jeeqbit]

Did it start in Endwalker? Zone design and traversal is

The formula we have today has been there almost entirely since Heavensward. Changes has been rare, but when it has changed, it's also become a part of said formula.

I think what’s aggravating to me is I see formulaic everywhere with every expansion and patches. Everything follows a set rule. A set number of dungeon every patch, a set of pulls , a set of this that. Everything is following some set rule.

To a degree it needs to though. If they don't have a set number of dungeons, and only have them when the story naturally demands it, the result is potentially just 1 or 2 dungeons and trials at the end. And then people would say that's predictable! But so are films predictable - we know the protagonist will win. It's about how they win.

Consistency with pulls is mostly to do with an issue that actually still exists in some ARR dungeons where you can pull something like 10 mob packs. And although it is easier to deal with now, the further back in time you go, a lot of healers could not handle it with the kit they had or it depended a lot on all 4 players being good at playing, which isn't realistic when there's almost always 1 or more new/returning players.

With consistency, I know what I'm getting so I can safely get a 6 month subscription.

You're right that you can predict how the story goes quite a lot by the level of FATEs in the area and knowing that you will get a dungeon at X1, X3, X5, X7, X9, X0 and trials at X3, X9 and X0. But if they didn't do that then it's not spaced out enough. ARR suffers from that where you suddenly do 3 dungeons in a row, then nothing for ages, and it's tedious enough that when I get to them it's time to sleep so I'm recharged to do them the next day.

[Kaurhz]

Everything about the game is formulaic, literally.

[Moomba33]

It's funny, when I played through Dawntrail I actually felt like the way the split zones were handled were a shakeup from the normal formula-both zone return visits happen soon after the first visit, compared to previous expansions where at least one of the split zones isn't completed until much later in the story after other zones have been finished.

I do agree though that a stronger change in formula would be appreciated. My main concern is the "change" would just be less zones overall.

[Gokki]

The formula can definitely change. each zone should be a mini-FFXIV with its own simple progression system like those Genshin events with colorful and smooth UIs.

[Kandraxx]

Everything in this game follows one base formula, that’s why I don’t believe 8.0 will be anything groundbreaking. If they changed the game to play more like WoW or GW2 with a lot more freedom of choice and how to play, and an OW that is not a pattern then some people might actually hate it.