An Eorzea that is more 'alive' and dynamic. - A suggestion for the future of Eorzea

[Nakiamiie]

Hello!
I very well know it is not currently in the planned projects of Yoshi P. and I am writting this thread in the hope that it will become. Obviously, there is many pressing matters right now that need attention, but the facts remains, a world that is more alive would do very much good. So, hopefully, my suggestion will become reality sooner or later.
Here it is:

The world, as it is right now, feels very 'cold', mechanized. Everything is still except for monsters walking around, not aware of their own environment beside unlucky players that pass too close aggressive monsters.
The goods point of the current world: a changing weather, a moving night sky, wind in the plants.

The thing is, we need more to bring the feeling of warmth and a 'personality' to the world, make it 'alive'.

I was seriously disappointed when the personality of animals was removed (curious and flee behaviour). It is something like that that brings life to the world. So, there should be more 'personality' for the wildlife: predators attacking weak preys (rank 1 animals maybe?), aggressive animals that tries to stalks/ambush players rather than simply charge toward them, passive animals that tries to hide or get the attention of the player, herds of animals acting like herbs (when one flees, the other follows; the males try to protect the females if the players get too close of the females; etc).

Also, we should have a bigger diversity in the size of monster, very small ones and very big ones. Not only oversized monsters. Diversity in the world makes it less monotone and more lively. The same idea applies to NPCs and players.
We should have many more character customization (more colours, more styles, more special features [scars, etc.]), both during and after character creation.

We need a world that has more dynamic objects, make objects appears in the wild. I mean, for miners: chunk of ores, for botanist: flowers and herbs, for quests and leves: more actual objects that we can see. Glowing lights are nice, but not enough in my opinion, something is missing. It can simply be changing the look of a fence during a leve that asks you to bring planks to repair it, or adding tracks on the ground and broken trees when monsters are supposed to be ravaging an area.
More than few leves, for example, don't make sense in the context of the environment. Being asked to repair something non-existent at certain camps (fence and fortifications for example), asked to recover crates washed up in Limsa Lominsa... but they are located on the highest level of the city, etc.

Not only monsters should be more proactive, but NPCs too. Make the NPCs more alive, make them take a walk in the city, make them come towards players and ask them information or try to sell them something or come to you when you hold an item they need, etc. Be creative!

Another aspect is derived from a more dynamic, more 'alive' world. It is more mobility for our characters. Being able to reach new places in existing zones (remove invisible walls, make use able to climb on objects to reach new places, being able to jump to reach new locations, etc). This will allow developers to be more creative in the design of quests and leves, allow players to run a bigger diversity of player-run events (hide-and-seek, just to name one), and build new grounds for more interesting features.

Once again, I understand it isn't a priority now, but if it doesn't get on Square-Enix plan of action, it may never be the right time to do it and plan new features according to this new lively world.
I understand that some examples, you may disagree with, but they are examples.
The main point of this thread is to promote an Eorzea that is more 'alive'. If you agree with a world like that, please, lend your voice to the cause!

We can debate the details of it once it gets the attention of the development team.

[gifthorse]

A realistic and atmospheric world... in an MMO? What stuff are you on? That's crazy talk.

Didn't you hear? MMOs are supposed to be about automated actions (auto-attack) and stationary mobs with no behaviourisms other than to stand around, their only point in existince being to allow us to lvl up on them so we might get better stats/dps. Oh, and lest we not forget, the monsters that dare exhibit some behaviour such as being aggressive, why, they must henceforth be designated with some kind of visually repulsive symbol! Otherwise we wont be able to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible! Heaven forbid.

In case you didnt know, MMOs are about efficiency, not immersion.

What genre game are you even playing LOL?

This thread is whack. Dude, this shiz iz off da hook!!!111

[Kirith]

I kinda agree. Thinking about it, even FFXI NPCs were more alive in certain cases, like the errand boy in San'doria who would, well, run errands around the city, the street performers, etc.

Important NPCs are better in one place, but it would be more modern and innovative to allow some to walk around.

I was disappointed with the removal of monster behavior as well, but i will admit the affectionate nannies were a pain.

My suggestion is to randomize (within limits) a spawned monsters' size, make more mobile NPCs and re-implement monster behavior, just make it much more rare so you might get an aggro out of it once in a while, when you aren't paying attention, not once every time you need to fight those monsters.

[Nakiamiie]

A realistic and atmospheric world... in an MMO? What stuff are you on? That's crazy talk.

Didn't you hear? MMOs are supposed to be about automated actions (auto-attack) and stationary mobs with no behaviourisms other than to stand around, their only point in existince being to allow us to lvl up on them so we might get better stats/dps. Oh, and lest we not forget, the monsters that dare exhibit some behaviour such as being aggressive - why, must be designated with some kind of visually repulsive symbol! Otherwise we wont be able to get from point A to point B as efficiently. MMOs are about efficiency, not immersion.

What genre game are you playing LOL.

This thread is whack. Dude, this shiz iz off da hook!!!111

I really like your sarcasm, hopefully others will see it too, like developers, haha.

[Betelgeuzah]

Trying to shoehorn "immersion" to some specific aspect is foolish.

Some of us don't really care much for "alive" world as far as NPC's and other non-player activities go. They would rather see the game made more alive by creating environments in which players can interact with each other easily, making the world "alive" in that way.

[Nakiamiie]

Trying to shoehorn "immersion" to some specific aspect is foolish.

Some of us don't really care much for "alive" world as far as NPC's and other non-player activities go. They would rather see the game made more alive by creating environments in which players can interact with each other easily, making the world "alive" in that way.

I, too, like to see changes that make things easier to interact with. However, a world more 'alive' and easier interactions are not opposites. Both are valid changes that would be awesome to see in the game.

[Betelgeuzah]

True. Then, we need to consider what is most practical and what should be left aside, as you can't have it all.

I like your suggestion of size diversity, and that could be applied to color pallette as well.

Creating more actual objects sounds a bit tougher, as you aren't modifying an existing textures. I guess they could make paths for the existing NPC's to walk on, but that may become repetitive after a while.

Monster personalities sound interesting, I just hope the servers will be able to handle it.

[gifthorse]

Trying to shoehorn "immersion" to some specific aspect is foolish.

Some of us don't really care much for "alive" world as far as NPC's and other non-player activities go. They would rather see the game made more alive by creating environments in which players can interact with each other easily, making the world "alive" in that way.

"But SE cannot CONTROL player-to-player interactions! I think it is best if SE controls us as much as possible in order to ferry us from place to place in a meanginful way. Freedom gets in the way of development, since it is difficult to balance people's reactions to things. The game should remove interpersonal relations between players except at such times as SE sees fit.

The more the developers can control how we play, the better they will be at developing and balancing the content for us. Yet if they let the "players choose", they can't control anything we do and are left to guess what we may or may not do. Trial and error is not what this game or any game needs. "

[gifthorse]

aw dude, that's like da same thing u sed in that otha thread... doi

[Betelgeuzah]

But SE cannot CONTROL player-to-player interactions! I think it is best if SE controls us as much as possible in order to ferry us from place to place in a meanginful way. Freedom gets in the way of development, since it is difficult to balance people's reactions to things. The game should remove interpersonal relations between players except as such times as SE sees fit.

If player-to-player interaction had more significance for gameplay balance and design I would agree. But that's not the case.

I'm not against removing all freedom from the game for the sake of control, mind you. You are stretching my point.