Yoshida 14:21 wrote:
...we have a created a clear path for progression through content and gear.
Some of the worst news I could think of, really. Everything seems very guided and signposted. :\
Yoshida 1:14:02 wrote:
The level design [of dungeons] actually plays a big part in being able to play casually... we would like players to use the duty finder as much as possible...
That most dungeons are specifically designed for auto-grouped "casual" play worries me a lot. On top of the highly structured and tiered nature of content mentioned earlier, it looks like a pretty uninspired, and highly standardized, system.
Yoshida 22:00 wrote:
Weather will have the biggest impact on fishing... Other than that there won't really be any other effects from weather.
Well that's... rather lacklustre, isn't it? But I guess weather effects might risk "inconveniencing" a handful of players, right?
Yoshida 1:25:11 wrote:
transportation will be as it was in 1.0, so players won't have to wait [on timetables].... If players have to wait just for the chance to participate [in an event on an airship], it might be a big letdown.
Are you serious? What sort of casual audience are you targeting that can't stand even a six minute wait for a boat to dock?
Yoshida 1:35:09 wrote:
...all open-world content will be implemented through the FATE system...
Well, having events is nice, but I think you're certainly missing something about world design to not have things like notorious monsters and rare spawning materials in strange, tucked-away places on the map. You can only "save the village from bandit raids" so many times before it all starts to feel contrived. Allowing players to actually explore, to discover things for themselves, and to just
experience something without being guided and blatantly rewarded for taking part in a prefabricated event is essential not only for lasting appeal, but for forging genuine memories.
The game is seeming so structured, so cautious. It's like they're deathly afraid of doing anything that breaks from the predominant conception of a current-generation fantasy-themed MMORPG, so much so that they're going to create the exact kind of humdrum, tried-and-true, play-it-safe title that guarantees a failure in a post-
WoW market...