FFXIV 2.0 Screenshots from E3

[Ropeydonkey]

...Most of the huge problems have less to do with the system itself and more to do to the interface (e.g. switching from say PUG to PLD easily)...

This x1000

The main thing (besides 'FFy-nes') that makes XIV (and XI) different from a lot of MMOs is the job/class system and how you can do it all on one char. So why make it a pain in the **** to switch between jobs? Mannequin system should go a long way to fix this, but at the moment the prospect of switching to a not-often-used class and the subsequent 30mins of dicking about in storage/retainers to find gear, load macros/abilities is more than enough for me to just log-off instead. Life's too short.

If changing job/class takes 5 mins, then that's 4 mins and 59 seconds too long. Sure, cooldown etc. OK, don't let us do it in battle, but ffs make it quick and easy.

[Croy]

After that, I'm most concerned the scale of the world.
So we're going back to small zones like FFXI, right? The screenshots we were given imply otherwise, but I remember them saying they were incapable of doing the seamless world thing. The talk of estates and trains gets me excited for a huge world with a lot of stuff in it that requires time and effort (or the substitute for those, currency) to get across, but I'm still worried about entering a valley and getting a loading screen every time I wanna go somewhere different. Right now, I'm tempted to settle for a smoother transition between Thanalan & The Black Shroud. The stark difference between the two and the complete lack of visual connection before the transition reminds me of the zoneline between Meriphataud Mountains and The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah. "We had to put it in, but we didn't feel like making a transitional zone, so bam, you're here."

In one of the interviews last week Yoshida talked about how there is 4-5 'smaller' zones in each region but these zones were still all 1 X 2 Kilometers. Furthermore in one of the new zone 'maps' they released in the the 2.0 PDF they showcased a zoneline leading to Coerthas and it had a huge white capped mountain in the distance as well as a rocky and sparsely populated terrain but the grass was still green and their were still some trees in the black shroud zone. One of the other things about the new zones is they are going to have 3-4 "Landmarks" that you can see from the distance and in one of the maps it shows a landmark for zone far off into the distance. By having these changes I think a good deal of the transition issues should be alleviated (Not fixed but certainly smoother and less jarring then current version). Seeing as Northern Black Shroud seems to be as big if not bigger then its current iteration I don't think you will need to worry about the world 'shrinking'. The reason they are going the FFXI route is so they can make the terrain more varied and dynamic since they won't need to share assets over a larger region.

Streaming would be preferred if I had to choose between it and zoning, but I would put better zone structure in well ahead of streaming if it meant a return to what FFXIV 1.0 is like.

[Raldo]

I find it easiest to imagine Thanlan cut into six pieces, and making the assumption that the new zones are approximately the size of each of the current-Thanlan pieces. Ul'dah, Central Thanlan (Black Brush regions), Eastern Thanlan (Drybone regions), Western Thanlan (Horizon regions), Southern Thanlan (Broken Water regions), and Northern Thanlan (Bluefog regions).

Even cut up, these zones are rather large, so I think it should be fine.

I don't think any company should choose to do streaming unless they can fix the issue of "I just changed logical zones, but the monsters haven't loaded yet... OHMYGODTHEY'REEVERYWHEREI'MGOINGTODIEARRRGGHGHGHGH GHHHHHH!". Everyone remember trying to get to Bluefog before they changed it? Birds? What birds? Oh god, birds everywhere.

[Croy]

I find it easiest to imagine Thanlan cut into six pieces, and making the assumption that the new zones are approximately the size of each of the current-Thanlan pieces. Ul'dah, Central Thanlan (Black Brush regions), Eastern Thanlan (Drybone regions), Western Thanlan (Horizon regions), Southern Thanlan (Broken Water regions), and Northern Thanlan (Bluefog regions).

Even cut up, these zones are rather large, so I think it should be fine.

I don't think any company should choose to do streaming unless they can fix the issue of "I just changed logical zones, but the monsters haven't loaded yet... OHMYGODTHEY'REEVERYWHEREI'MGOINGTODIEARRRGGHGHGHGH GHHHHHH!". Everyone remember trying to get to Bluefog before they changed it? Birds? What birds? Oh god, birds everywhere.

I'd agree with this if the 2.0 concept maps didn't have deviations in the terrain XD. The translated maps seem to hint that there will be 'new zones' on top of the old ones so its possible they might combine two sub-regions into one map (It looks like they are combining Central Coerthas with Eastern Coerthas as the 'forest zone' line is on that map. In the new Northern Black Shroud there is the marker "New Zone" that leads off the south western side of the map. Next to it is the land mark "Ancient Eorzea Stratum" I mean that could just be the replacement zone for Camp Crimson Bark but they might be changing up some of the more unused zones a lot. I mean we still haven't seen a thing of what Mor Dhona is going to look like in 2.0 and that large space only had 2 camps.

[Pikarya]

Assuming I got my letters right, the missing region is Saclh'an.

I'll never understand why they use that ugly fucking font to shit on everything in the game. It looks retarded.

[Rocl]

Dalamud is going to crash into Mor Dhona and it's going to pull the Crystal Tower out of the ground because they are both

Spoiler: show

MADE BY THE ALLAGANS!!!!

and ripping the Tower out of the ground is what's going to fuck up the world, not Dalamud crashing, obviously because the Tower will dock into Dalamud and instead Dalamud will just sort of be hovering with the Crystal Tower being the bridge between Hydaelyn and the Lesser Moon.

Inside Dalamud is Bahamut.

prove me wrong.

[Gokulo]

Or Odin

[TacoTaru]

Allagans are snails and snails lack the ability to construct large towers out of crystal or devices to bring the moon down upon Hydaelyn. Your move, Rocl.

[solracht]

Dalamud is going to crash into Mor Dhona and it's going to pull the Crystal Tower out of the ground because they are both

Spoiler: show

MADE BY THE ALLAGANS!!!!

and ripping the Tower out of the ground is what's going to fuck up the world, not Dalamud crashing, obviously because the Tower will dock into Dalamud and instead Dalamud will just sort of be hovering with the Crystal Tower being the bridge between Hydaelyn and the Lesser Moon.

Inside Dalamud is Bahamut.

prove me wrong.

http://mooglebox.com/images/allagan-snail.png

EDIT: GDI TOO SLOW

[Cichy]

Dalamud* will be hanging like cocoon!

[xopher]

Dalmung?

[Rocl]

Allagans are snails and snails lack the ability to construct large towers out of crystal or devices to bring the moon down upon Hydaelyn. Your move, Rocl.

Nael van Darnus is an Allagan. Checkmate, atheist.

[miokomioko]

2.0 final boss.

[Sephiroth]

While not entirely relevant since your point still stands, but there's a missing region that connects The Black Shroud to Thanalan that's not in the game. Technically it would transition well if they had made the zone. Pretty sure you frequent the official forums enough to have seen the thread, but in case you hadn't (or anyone else hadn't)! Going to spoiler the map since it's huge like xbox, but it can be seen here:

Spoiler: show

http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/8/...dmap-large.jpg

Assuming I got my letters right, the missing region is Saclh'an.

It's not just the terrain that changes from desert to forest, there's also a massive height increase somewhere along the line. If you head up past Nine Ivies to Verdant Drop it becomes clear that the Black Shroud is on top of a mountain or some shit whereas Thanalan is closer to sea level. I think they just designed some maps and stuck them together however they wanted.

[solracht]

2.0 final boss.

orz, I was thinking the opposite:



Helm comes off and he's a snail.

[miokomioko]

there's also a massive height increase somewhere along the line. If you head up past Nine Ivies to Verdant Drop it becomes clear that the Black Shroud is on top of a mountain or some shit

I don't think Verdant Drop implies height... To me, it's just massive chasms in the ground, implying patch black depths under the hollow ground.

Helm comes off and he's a snail.

damn I lol'd

[Sephiroth]

I don't think Verdant Drop implies height... To me, it's just massive chasms in the ground, implying patch black depths under the hollow ground.

Hmm you could be right. I've never thought of it that way. The lore doesn't seem to explain it, much like a lot of things in the unused areas. Those ruins far north of Treespeak could use some lore too. But maybe that will be one of the landmarks in V2.

[Tyche]

Thinking about reinstalling this. A few things, is the horrible chat/search interface better than release? Is it easier to level up than it was? Beginning was incredibly saturated with people camping exp mobs. Should I just wait for the new 2.0 release (is there even an ETA for it?).

I think I was level 20 before I decided to just say "fk it" and uninstalled.

Also, is there a good resource to do some new player research about which jobs suck and such?

[Spider-Dan]

Smaller, but not small. When everyone freaked out about not being able to read a god damn map, they asked if he was going to go to a letter,number system and he said the zones would still be too big without doing AA, BB, etc.

I think the maps would be a lot more readable if the numbers all started with X and Y.

That way, instead of relying on stupid people to know that when you read off coordinates, X comes before Y, someone would just say "the cave is at Y23 X12" and it would remove all ambiguity.

[Rocl]

Thinking about reinstalling this. A few things, is the horrible chat/search interface better than release?

Chat interface is a bit better, there's a new search function, though it's doubtful anyone uses it.

Is it easier to level up than it was? Beginning was incredibly saturated with people camping exp mobs.

This shouldn't be a problem any longer, lol. Leveling is pretty easy, I imagine a few weeks at most to get your first 50? Then again, I may be thinking stocked w/ 99 leve allowances and all.

Should I just wait for the new 2.0 release (is there even an ETA for it?).

This winter. By waiting you'll totally miss out on the goobbue mount and even the epic Snail Battle planned for 1.23 though, bro.

I think I was level 20 before I decided to just say "fk it" and uninstalled.

Is it wrong that I remember rank 18 was the beginning of surplus? Ugh, just terrible.
Also, is there a good resource to do some new player research about which jobs suck and such?[/QUOTE]