[Suggestion] Make Zone-Borders more clear (on the map)

[Andra]

Okay. I used the search-function and couldn't find any topic about this. So...

It happened to me twice so far. Both times while i was doing gathering leves. And now i think: Zone-Borders should be more clear on the map! (Please...)

So this is what happened:
I activated a fishing leve today, R20, The Black Shroud, Camp Tranquil. So far so good. I used Guardian Favor for SP bonus. The fishing spot was very far away. At the east end of the map (at the lake right south of quarrymill).

The spot was at position 46, 50. And i saw the aetherial node longroot was kinda on the way. And also the lower way seemed to be a bit shorter then the upper way. Since i don't have the aetherial node for longroot, i thought to myself: Hey, why don't take the lower way and get the node at the way?

Of course i was thinking: Hmmm. There could be dangerous monsters ahead. Which would be way to strong for my R20 fisher. But that falls under the category "experience"... so i went ahead.

I was crossing the bridge at 41, 50 and BAM... "Only the Monke Onke" aborted." Then i remembered that crossing zones aborts leves. Okay, now, i forgot it, didn't pay attention and that was my own mistake. I wasn't very angry or anything. But then i remembered another time when that had happened to me.

I was doing a R40 Botanist leve at Halatali and got agro from one of those little "baby" scorpions. So i was running away. Haha! Who wouldn't? Since it would've killed me... so i was running and running, all over the wide open map and BAM, there it happened too. My leve was aborted...

The little creeper was following me all the way to the zone! Only after i crossed the border it returned to its territory. But by that time... it was already to late. I also think that might have been some kind of wrong programming. Since it was strange that it followed me THIS far. And SE already adjusted the system again, so this should not happen anymore. Still!

So this is why i would like to see more clear zone lines...
If i would've seen the border of the zone on my (mini-)map, then i would've probably turned around, trying to lose the melting by walking into the other direction.

Also, it's quit hard to remember where all the zones are. Especially on a map so open wide like Thanalan. You know it's somewhere between the camps and the nodes. And you can kinda "see it" if you walk over the map, cross the invisible zone border, and there are just no monsters around you, you're already wondering about that (maybe...), and then they suddenly appear all around you. Shock!

But if you're fleeing, or just looking for the shortest way, or traveling long ways (without a Chocobo under your back! ), you don't always pay attention to those little things. Or maybe someone killed all the mobs in Thanalan, and that's why the area around you is totally empty. Muhahaha. (<= that's supposed to be funny!)

Well. I love the big maps, and the invisible zone lines. But it would be nice to see the borders at least on your (mini-)map.

[Dreamer]

I'd rather address the core problem, rather than changing the maps. Once you're a few steps from crossing a zone boundary while doing a leve, it'll pop up a small message to the effect of "You are about to leave this region. Your leve will be aborted."

[Evenstar]

Yea, a small pop up window that warns you should do the trick. They can give you like a few seconds to turn back and if you don't do that you simply drop your leve.

If they change the graphics it would just look odd, like in WoW. You could see when you were changing maps, but it just didn't look right.

Edit: Good post by the way. Someone with a problem and an idea how to fix it without going into berserk/emo mode. We need more of those!

[Andra]

Once you're a few steps from crossing a zone boundary while doing a leve, it'll pop up a small message to the effect of "You are about to leave this region. Your leve will be aborted."

If there's a message like that, then it's probably only shown in the system message, which i've deactivated, because i hate the system message spam in my main window. I also havn't activated the optional textlogs window, since i've problems with it. Still have to adress that, though. =(

So...

Yea, a small pop up window that warns you should do the trick. They can give you like a few seconds to turn back and if you don't do that you simply drop your leve.

This would be nice! Something you just can't miss.

If they change the graphics it would just look odd...

Uh, sorry. Maybe i put that wrong. >_< I don't mean them to change what you see on the area around you. I don't want some glowing, flowing shiny balls like in Aion which tell you that there's a zone. No no no! I would like to have something that shows you the borders of the zone either on your Minimap-Compass-Thing or on your Worldmap (when you press M on your keyboard). Only there should be some clear and visible borders. Like, just for example, a color overlay that shows you where you are and how big the zone is you're in.

That however, would probably cause problems with the color overlay while doing leves. I don't know. Depends on the color, maybe. Some big red lines around the zone would also probably look very... dull... so i don't know if that would be a good solution either. But i guess SE could think of something. ^.^

Edit: Good post by the way. Someone with a problem and an idea how to fix it without going into berserk/emo mode. We need more of those!

Thank you. I really don't have a reason to go into berserk mode. To much stress anyways. :-P

[AlexiaKidd]

I would like the zone lines to be a little more clear to as it's annoying when you are on /follow to come back and find you have run half way across the map in the wrong direction because you crossed one of these invisible zone lines.

Would be great if they could figure a way so you didn't disconnect your /follow while crossing a line but if they just made the lines a little more clear that would also be a great help.

[Dreamer]

I would like the zone lines to be a little more clear to as it's annoying when you are on /follow to come back and find you have run half way across the map in the wrong direction because you crossed one of these invisible zone lines.

Would be great if they could figure a way so you didn't disconnect your /follow while crossing a line but if they just made the lines a little more clear that would also be a great help.

I personally wish they would remove /follow altogether. Botters abuse the hell out of it.

[AlexiaKidd]

I personally wish they would remove /follow altogether. Botters abuse the hell out of it.

Well we can't remove things from the game just because of botters. SE tried to get around RMT with lots of things and most of the things they did caused problems for everyone. Like everything being done server side to stop hacks but that just meant everyone had crazy lag. RMT and Bot's will happen regardless of what they do.

I personally use /follow when we are running to the next camp to grab a drink and go to the toilet. Then when I get back the person I was following follows me so they can do the same. Or if someone is at the door I can quickly /follow and go answer and not worry that I will be left behind.It does have many uses and it is useful but to remove it just because of RMT and botters is not the answer. SE just needs to get the Special Task Force on the case to sort them out.

[SirEdeonX]

This actually happened to me on a leve. Just once, cuz I learned not to run away anymore ;P death began to be the answer

[Tahlia]

Happened to me ages ago whilst running into one of the dungeon maps in the region. Soon as the map changed the leve cancelled. Not sure if they fixed that or not since then.

As a visual indication of zonelines I'd probably go with how it was done in FFXI WotG and have guard gates with sentries posted there. However have it be that you need to talk to them to pass like the blue mages that guard access to the Alzadaal ruins.

For the map and mini-map you could have these gates shown with a larger, more noticable icon than the small green arrows we have. And also make them searchable from the map menu much like how you can currently select an atheryte camp and have it show on the map.

I've never really been a fan of zonelines though mainly due to the lack of transition.

[Xenor]

Maybe you should have taken the long route, not the longroot.