ZoningFollow

I was perusing the Jumping thread when someone mentioned Zones.

Am I the only one that doesn't like this idea? I don't know how it's done in FFXI, but I would hate the way they handled areas in FFX and XII to be implemented in an MMO. This is one of the things I think Blizzard got right. Instead of walking to an invisible border, the screen suddenly going dark, then your character is magically in a new area, I would much prefer the more freeform method Blizzard has implemented in Azeroth's overworld, with seamless (read as: loading screen-less) transition.

Has Squeeix released/hinted/leaked anything that might lead us to believe they are leaning towards one method or the other? I really don't know.

Oh boy, I can see the flames already.

Edited, Jun 17th 2009 12:47am by IDrownFish

Zones please, unless the technology has gone miles ahead of where Vanguard was.

Vanguard tried the no zones thing and it was a horrible mess. Instead of zoning your character would just freeze on screen for 3-4 seconds while you did an imaginary zone.

Keep zones, but make them a lot larger than in XI. ex) Valkurm, highlands, la theine are all a zone now.

i've said this in a similar thread already so i'll paraphrase it for you

there may be exceptions to this NOWDAYS but i don't know for certain... technology could very well have come far enough to make seamless worlds and still look good... but at least for ffxi's time this is the rule they went by

Separated Zones = Things Load at beginning (entering) = if u have a loading time anyway utilize it = put better graphics that load at beginning per zone! = but also loses a sense of immersion through load times but increase through graphics

seamless zones = hardware has to continuously load information = less resources elsewhere = must lower graphics to save resources = increase in immersion through seamless zones but decrease in immersion through lesser graphics

so basically

Zoning Pros: higher graphics
zoning cons: loss of immersion and pauses in game

Seamless pros: keep immersion
seamless cons: must lower graphics

when you look at wow vs xi its the same... but wow pulled off a seamless world by putting a lot of style into their environments

style = visual appeal
graphics = visual appeal
style =/= graphics

two different roads... i think both are quite viable... in my own opinion though, if zoning is going to make a better graphics, then that is what i prefer, but thats just me

I'm for zones, but larger, region-sized zones.


Ironically, seamless MMOs like WoW seem smaller, in terms of the game world.

Edited, Jun 16th 2009 10:58pm by Kirbster

I like zones more than seamless world, but base my opinion only on personal preferences.

From what I can see, no zoning would be one mark of a "next-gen" MMO, which I'm sure they're working towards. So I'm pretty optimistic that it'll be one big seamless world.

I agree with Bocomi, I'd rather have zoning and better graphics really.

I don't know about Vanguard...

But seriously, the technology is there, and a lot better than that.

With current technology (actually, 5 year old technology), you can just walk and the scenery changes as you go. No pausing, no loading, no nothing. Probably around a 50-100 yard stretch where the landscape and scenery transitions between the two zones, to make the illusion that there is not a hard line.

It's not that hard to store zone data in a buffer.

Double post, don't mind this one.

Edited, Jun 17th 2009 10:35am by GraelCanidae

zones have saved out lives many a times in ff11.
when things turned south we zoned it. whats going to take its place?
if u can't outrun the monster then ur pretty much dead unless theres a specific range at which they stop.

imagine running thru yhoa jungle to kazham on foot w/o sneak/invis and w/o zones....... can u say goblin riot.

im all for zones. make they really really really short (almost instant), and also find a way to fix the chat so that when u zone u don't miss chat msgs.

Edited, Jun 17th 2009 11:11am by Leyego

/shout = entire world. go.

nah, they'd probably put a distance limit on it, but still an amusing idea.

I honestly don't care if they have zones that you need to load before entering or not. It is nice to have a system like WoW where it is mostly seamless but whenever I zone in FFXI I imagine there is some sort of transitional terrain that my character is going through, blending what I saw in the last zone into what I'll see in the next zone. Just as long as when I'm being followed by a mob I wont die because my character is trying to zone...that was incredibly annoying.

I would appreciate it if you didn't have to zone before you enter and while you're in a city...that never did sit right with me.

Pretty much.

I get pretty pissed off at any game that has a loading screen in this day and age. If you have a loading screen in your game, there better be a damn good reason why it is there.

In an MMO? I cannot think of a damn good reason other than changing to a different physical server.

I dont want to see zones. WoW and Lotro are both open world games. Lotro is sorta zoned in that when you change zones the screen gets a little blurry during the transtion but you can still see the upcoming zone and what not so it still feels like an open world. Nowadays most mobs will stop chasing you and run back to their spawn point after awhile so zoniung to avoid trains isnt needed

I'm in agreement with a lot of people here. I would like to see larger zones, but not give them up altogether. FFXIV is going to be a growing entity. In the years that follow its release, its going to have tons of content added. I personally believe that it will be easier on that process by keeping some sense of a zone. It will probably reduce lag in the initial stage of its release as well. It is supposed to be "competitive" with cutting edge technology when it first comes out. Add tons of players and that could potentially cause serious complications.

Im pro-zones...easier to measure distance...(i.e. Bob-how far to windy? Joe-Eh, about three zones.)
plus the agro thing. lol

I hope its a seamless world, personally. I like being able to see what is ahead of me. When we use zones to escape a situation, I have to say it seems a bit cheaty, and an abuse of the way zones work (Even if I have done it myself, I can't say I approve of the ability to do it).

I'd much rather see a seamless world with methods of escaping monster fights legitimately. This could be done numerous ways: Spells/items that cover your trail, safety areas like outposts with guards you can run to, or maybe even just having monsters that decide to stop following you when you run far enough away for example. Even the ability to say... swim or jump could perhaps aid you in avoiding a monster that can't climb or doesn't like water.

We honestly need to be weaned somehow of our zone dependency, and be given options to get away from unwanted aggro.

Edited, Jun 17th 2009 6:03pm by Kerozene

There are plenty of current games that still have loading screens. Resident Evil 5 and MGS4 for example.

Every game still has zone lines, the difference is where they're placed. WoWs for example is between continents and etc. In ffxi it was in between each area. What I'm hoping for in ffxiv is seamless in between areas with zones in between different regions.

The only reason the loading screens are justified in WoW, is because different continents are literally different physical servers.

Every "Server" (or as Blizzard calls them "realms") in WoW, is made up of multiple different servers. Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, The Outlands + Draenai Starting Zone + Blood Elf Starting Zone, Northrend, Instances, and the Raid Instance Server. (Not to mention non-realm specific servers like battleground servers, arena servers, character servers, and the login servers)

In other words, every "server" in WoW, is actually a network of six different servers. So when you see loading screens, it is because you are moving to a different physical server.

Hince why I said "A damn good reason." I can accept that a single server isn't capable supporting the entire world. But it should at least be capable of supporting a significant quantity of zones without the need for loading screens.

And ESPECIALLY it should be capable of supporting an entire city... Though I wouldn't mind if cities were on a dedicated server that you had to zone into. Goddamn, the lag in major cities is a bitch in most MMOs. If that would help the lag, that'd be cool with me.

Edited, Jun 17th 2009 6:49pm by Karelyn