[Poll] Should the game be multi-zoned? [UNOFFICIAL]

I will leave my opinionated comments out. But this is a vote to get a feel for the player base who enjoys the current game's design with the mini-map you run across and every zone in the game is divided and in no way linked to one another? Or would you, as a player, rather be able to explore a giant world that merges lands together to create one world?

 

Sorry, but no... If this were to be an "open world", it would need to charge a monthly fee to support the servers for all the different shards, and no one would be able to play on the same server for performance reasons... This is one of the drawbacks of having an "open world", it cost a lot of money to maintain servers and why they chose this model...

 

Yes unfortunately this is will not happen

 

You need a third option.

" I understand this is a small team with a limited budget and that an open world system may break the camel's back so I can live with the current system because I can still enjoy the game as it is anyway."

 

If they could pull it off, I feel a contiguous world would be way more immersive than many little "zones"... But they have already went into at least one reason for this approach - zones make the game "modular" so the devs can easily "unplug" a zone and replace it with a new "custom" zone for events and stuff. Also the loading times will supposedly go away once the game is optimized someday. Still too early in development to notice, but after launch it should mean the difference between a static, scripted game that can only be updated in huge chunks, and one with dynamic and episodic content that is constantly being tweaked and updated- a more "living world"... hopefully.

 

Now for my opinions. I just can't get in to this game. I can get past the new combat features, undeveloped combat sounds, and everything that an Alpha should be. But what I cannot look past is the current design path that shows the game broken apart into small zones with copy/past zone walls and the same entrance / exit to every where I go.







Now lets also not forget the 'grand' idea of these cool instances where you get grabbed off the trail to discover something interesting or get ambushed by thieves, or cow?




And now every time you go to explore one of these areas, leave it, or get dragged off to fight cows, you get a lovely one of these!

 

I vote for the giant open world.

But I like the current system and I can live with.

 

Guild Wars 2 is free.

 

They have a bit more money to play with?
Didn't think it even had to be said

Edit: and even with all that money they managed to make a game so horribly ugly, well that's my opinion but I only played it for about an hour before uninstalling so might be bit unfair of me

 

These threads are starting again? I like the overworld map, I think it needs to have a bit more things to do on it to flesh it out though.

So funny when people make voting and try to sway people in the wording.

 

NWN was zoned based and worked just fine for immersion, pvp, faction wars, crafting, etc. Of course an overworld map did not exist until NWN2 with NWN being more title to tile travel. There are numerous reason for this design decision that the devs have laid out many time. This will eventually lead to the world being much larger than having to create endless, useless space. Honestly it wouldn't be the same game that was pitched during KS if they changed that feature, and it is very unlikely it will ever change. Maybe if they got Star Citizen money from the start, but definitely not at the current funding.

I will admit I hate the edge "doorways" which I feel is worse than the seams in NWN; however you need something other than the fade out effect to know you are "at the edge". I am hoping the "doorways" are replaced with something more non-discrete eventually. You can transition with any edge, so the doorways are nothing more than an idiot light to mark borders.

GW2 is not free. You have to buy the game. They also had private funding. Based on estimates of staff size, average salaries and length of development many believe it cost around $20-30 million to develop. However, I don't think you can compare these 2 games as I believe them fundamentally different games. Like comparing Thief to Tribes.

 

It's so transparent too...

 

I'm not sure what exactly the point of this is. There is absolutely no chance that they're going to go back and change it now. The game is just too far along.

 

This has all happened before, and will happen again.

 

Of course open world would be nice. Its not in the cards. I LOVE the overland map though!

EDIT: it will be far more bearable once the zones are pre-baked. and load times get closer to "instant"

 

Maybe (hopefully) the zones will get (a lot) bigger too? That would help with the at least some of the constant zoning complaints. I've heard some talk about it on these forums...

 

Exactly this is a Dead horse.

Sorry but as you say this game is not something you can get your head wrapped around with it set up like it is and you KNOW it is not going to change . . . . .? ? ? ? ?

 

I don't think the "popularity" of Guild Wars 2 needs a lot of server power...

 

This way is much better than having to use separate shards or servers which would split the community up into tiny shards

 

...Since ten days.

After eight years in the making.