Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

[LyonheartLakshmi]

Could the city of Al Zhabi be expanded from its current form of 2 zones to 3 or more, in order to spread out the player population and help decrease lag in each zone?

Before the release of ToAU, much of the player population would congregate in Jeuno. While the majority of players there still congregated in just one zone (Lower Jeuno), having 3 other zones with AH access gave players options for spending time in less crowded, and therefore more responsive, areas for browsing the AH.

Currently, there is only one zone in the new ToAU city for the purposes of accessing the AH. This results in huge lag any time that you have to do anything in Whitegate. And the most visible place for lag is at the AH in Whitegate. If even one more zone with AH access could be added, I think it would help out quite a bit. Whitegate would probably still be the new Lower Jeuno, but the new zone could be Aht Uhrgan's version of Ru'lude Garden.

[Icemage]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Either that or give people a reason to congregate in Jeuno again. Whitegate has become the hub for player activity that Square-Enix wanted, but trying to open your delivery box or check the AH in the zone is painfully slow and often unsuccessful.

Something really needs to be done, for sure.


Icemage

[Caspian]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Perhaps a new warp taru? This time one that will send you to AU after completing certain conditions.
I'm sorry, but there's no reason for me not to have my HP constantly set in Whitegate, otherwise, I have to either get a tele or outpost to kolshushu, then run to Mhaura, wait on the right boat, then wait on a 10 min. boat ride. Not to mention its just to easy to get anywhere from AU.

[Jei]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Add some Colibri Pugils you can merit on around Qufim with 3 minutes spawn time.

Add Assault agents in Jeuno

Add Runic portal in Jeuno

Add entrance to Alzadaar sea ruins all around the world.

[Truece]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

There is (or should be) an NPC in Al Zhabi that is an AH representative. So, as long as he wasn't captured during Besieged, you can do your AH-ing from this NPC in Al Zahbi, without all of the lag of Whitegate.

[Nazo]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Currently, there is only one zone in the new ToAU city for the purposes of accessing the AH.

No there isn't, you can access it in Whitegate or Al Zhabi (so long as the AH NPC isn't prisoner).
It would be nice for a warp Taru to Aht Urghan (or a whm spell that has the same effect as the Olduum ring) though.

[Omniblast]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Reduce the recast of all recast items.

Olduum Ring, Empress Ring, Signal Pearl, etc.

I mean if I can force my chocobo to come out every 30 seconds, and actually RIDE an animal to death, why can't I teleport or call out my fellow or get more exp? EVERYONE LOVES more exp.

Reduce the recast time of all timers will solve a lot of issues. Another big issue is people quitting because the game has become too much of a time sink.

[Raydeus]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Perhaps a new warp taru? This time one that will send you to AU after completing certain conditions.
I'm sorry, but there's no reason for me not to have my HP constantly set in Whitegate, otherwise, I have to either get a tele or outpost to kolshushu, then run to Mhaura, wait on the right boat, then wait on a 10 min. boat ride. Not to mention its just to easy to get anywhere from AU.

Maybe the same Whitegate warptaru would work, just that after 50 warps or something it becomes free of charge. (I only use that one anyway because ISP are easy to get and having Warp to Windy is very useful)

And of course a warptaru that would send you to Aht Urgan from Jeuno using Conquest points and/or Beastcoins.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

Reduce the recast time of all timers will solve a lot of issues. Another big issue is people quitting because the game has become too much of a time sink.

All MMORPGs are timesinks, if people quit one, its likely due to real life priorities being changed. I honestly don't think most people quit an MMORPG based on the games design - those that do usually are just trolling a forum for attention when they do so or just saying their goodbyes. They quit it because they realize they don't have the time or no longer have the time to play it.

Out of all the goodbye threads I've seen, quitting has pertained to that whole Real Life thing. Times change, friends come and go - that's just life. SE can't do a thing about that.

As for more EXP... dear god, how many more EXP bonuses are needed here? I can understand Legal Fish's interest in skewing things more favorable to low levels, but more EXP opportunities for high levels? We have enough.

Empress Band, Sanction and then the people who nagged me for Corsair Roll when another buff would be better for EXP per hour. Not to mention the 5 minute respawn of mobs in ToA zones. We just got another great TP burn camp, too.

[Akashimo]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

I think Conquest areas really need more exp and/or bonuses to make up for the ToAU 5 min respawn at the rate things are going. And maybe a Conquest Mastery you can get as a key item by spending 56k CP to get a 75% bonus instead of 50% on emp band with 8k total bonus while in a Conquest Region along with one of the sanction effects for the same amount of cp.
Edit: Oh and grants Killer Effects like Tatami shield if your country controls the region :O

[Legal Fish]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

1) Add a Warp Taru in Stronghold. Be cute, make it be the long-lost father of the two brothers and we'll have quest full of cutscenes of sibling rivalry, father loveness, and new warp powers.

2) Add a Conquest based mini-outpost outside Nashmau

3) Add a Chocobo outside that little device that Olduum ring takes you(disappears when main Chocobo NPC is captured)

4) Make double the amount of airships for each route cutting the wait time in half.

There, I fixed all the major travel problems. Oh wait, add a quest that lets you teleport to different levels of the Ulg. Mountain. Now I fixed them.

Players in Jeuno can use Tav Ring to get to the Father Warp Taru or take an airship(maximum 5:30 wait) to their home nation and outpost warp to Nashmau. Or they can use that ring and having a chocobo there is plenty helpful.


For Conquest areas being more popular:

1) Make all outside monsters pop 5 mins (I mean what the hell? Why hasn't this happen yet).

2) Change Conquest into an interesting system. Make EFs more worthwhile, especially with rewards.

3) Exp Bonus somehow. (Maybe gained from how well of a job you do on EFs, eh eh)

Bam.

[Haggai]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

I suspect that SE is planning on adding more to Aht Urhgan, east of Whitegate. As you can probably see, there is a gate east of the Hall of Transference. The guards posted there speak as if there is something of interest back there, but you're just not allowed.

Also, if you look at the Besieged map, you can see the the Aht Urhgan region (where Al Zahbi znd Whitegate are) is called West or Western Aht Urhgan.

SE also said that all of Aht Urhgan has not been revealed yet. I doubt that they were just meaning Al Zadaal.

[Murphie]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

All MMOs are timesinks, but FFXI is a timesink from the word go, whereas many other MMOs are far more casual until at least endgame.

Not that I'm complaining. I have played FFXI long enough to know what I'm in for when I boot it up.

[Lmnop]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

I always thought that Besieged should be spread out among 2-3 different zones. Like White gate along the port with Al Zhabi spralling from the west side to the north, thus making West and North Al Zhabi. Then during Besieged attacks, you'd get system messages that go across zones (as they already do reach White gate) so that people would know to zone over if one section or the other was in trouble.

patch notes for the update that makes new zones: "While all the adventurers were updating, all 3 factions attacked and completely demolished Al Zhabi. The survivors and all of white gate banded together and rebuild the town better than before!"

All MMORPGs are timesinks, if people quit one, its likely due to real life priorities being changed.

If the game weren't such a time sink, change of priorities wouldn't interfere with the game so much. =)

But seriously, more ways to travel is what I think this game needs most. I know, we already have chocobo, spells/abilities, warp tarus, rings, airships, boats, etc. However, we need more ways to travel to Aht Urgan short of Warping there. There is currently no reason not to set your HP at White gate Mog house exit.

There is currently no reason to even see Tavnazia.

I haven't flown on an airship for over a year. I hate jeuno because I can't quickly reach an outpost.

These things need some fixing. I agree with Tav --> Aht Urgan thing (right in the middle of that square below the guy you get currency from. That way you'd just run up stairs, talk to guy, press right button once [scrolls down the exact number of options so that Silver is selected], run around the corner and Warparu to nation or whatever). Would be nice to give people a reason to pass through Tav.

[Murphie]

Re: Will more Whitegate / Al Zhabi zones be added?

The game does need more travel options to more locations than it currently has. Insisting that people ride a boat for several minutes (after waiting a near equal amount of time for it to arrive) just to get from one zone that they have already been to to another that they have already been to is a bit ridiculous.

More ports would be a step in the right direction. Or more Outposts, even. I see no reason why the three nations can't expand their outpost system.