The FFXIV Map: Quest Markers

[ejiboo]

[Blog Post]

I think we should use markers as shown in the picture here rather than those that we use now, which tell you the exact location of the [npc] you need to talk to.



this new idea would promote exploration and familiarize us with our surroundings much like how we did with FFXI, where there was almost no direction at all other than the ranger's widescan ability, ha!

when i first started playing FFXIV, i had no idea that to find the position of my next objective i could simply hit the map button from within the journal. the NPCs would always tell me that they marked my map but i never saw it so i just used the information they gave me and began to explore where i think my next objective may be. while it was somewhat frustrating because the dialogue didn't pinpoint the location very well, it was also pretty neat figuring it all out on my own...until someone enlightened me with the map button from within the journal. haha. wow that was a trip.

i decided to keep the marked location somewhat vague but localized in a way that wouldn't be too time consuming to explore every inch and obviously mor dhona is a pretty unforgiving zone to have a marker like this in but it would balance itself with wide open areas, etc. i also like that it resembles an actual mark on your map, of which i'm sure SE would make look more 'mark-like'.

i think my idea here is a very generous and happy medium between the two and with ARR being even more beautiful and totally reworked zone-wise and to some extent with the graphics, this would give us an opportunity to traverse and learn to love our new environment!

how do you all feel about the current quest objective markers, what i am proposing and if there is anything you think may be better?

[Rau]

Leves do exactly this, except use a gradient circle to mark the area.


I think they just mark a single NPC to spare most people the headache.

[Tiberious]

Unfortunately it looks like ARR is adopting a much more "western" view of how quests operate so I fully expect that we will be doing the following: Press enter on quest NPC, press enter 2-3 more times, run to specific green dot on map, press enter a few times (or battle something), run back to quest npc, press enter a few times, collect loot. Rinse, repeat. Welcome to what everyone wanted!!!!!!!

[Orophin]

Sounds like you just want to eliminate the step to have to go into your quest journal and instead be able to pull up your main map and see the markers directly on your map for whatever quests you have. I think it's a good idea, I just don't remember it being specifically mentioned how they're handling that. I remember seeing screenshots with quest markers on the minimap, but nothing comes to mind about the main map

[Mjollnir]

Pre Mines of Moria, LotRO didn't mark quest goals on the map. It led to a constant barrage on the /shout channel of "Where do I go for x quest?" When you were tied to that zone for a couple of hours doing said quests, you a) had got sick of giving/seeing people give the same answers and b) knew exactly where the locations/requirements of the final quests were before you knew how to get the quest.

I'm not for having my hand held through the storyline, but the quest markers do cut out this unnecessary spam. I think a main difference between the "Western MMO" feel and FFXI in this area is that in a "Western" lots of folk will be doing the quests for XP and progression, whereas you have to admit, the vast majority of quests in FFXI gave relatively small reward (except for a story), so were mainly avoided (I did do 95% of the quests in that game btw!). In FFXI you really had the feel of you or your group going on an adventure, whereas when there are ~50 folk doing the same run-to-and-fro all shouting for answers because they can't RTFQ or look on a website, it gets tiresome fast and detracts somewhat from the fantasy feel.

Hopefully though, the resultant quest from said marked-NPCs in FFXIV will provide enough task with which to encourage the stone-by-stone exploration. It's really down to the quest design team ensuring that we have a need to visit each outcrop/cave that the area designers have put in!

[Hakaisha]

The new quest system sounds quite boring...

I do hope that's not the new way to exp.


I do like the idea of not showing the exactly where to go.