Do you pay attention to maps environments?

[hugo.4705]

After watching the let's play about Sandswept Isles and all the details given by the devs about building a map, I wonder; do you care about interact-able objects, the beautiful landscape, and stories about the map you are playing? Or you simply do a speedrun and just pass to another one? I'm really curious about the general opinion on the subject. :D

[Hibiskus.8294]

I really like the map design in this game and i love to explore the maps more than i love to play the story ( i love the story but exploration is the best in this game with all the easter eggs and secrets i simply love it). <3

[Donari.5237]

I do tend to push through the story fairly fast on first release, because usually the release is around noon my time and I only have until 5:30 pm on Tuesdays to play. I don't want spoilers in forums, chat, or friend's discussions, so I want to see the big stuff asap.

 

After that I'm all about exploring every corner, listening to npc conversations, reading seeded books, experiencing new events, getting initial achieves organically, before I focus in on more achieves, collections, and whatever minimal farming I can make myself do.

[Chorne.8195]

I actually don't always do map completion. Rather I just explore the parts of the map I find interesting and don't visit the parts I dislike, usually due to overabundance of enemies ( coughbrandedcough ) or annoying gimmicks, ( coughbrandstormcough ) or because they're extremely monochrome and boring in appearance with their only redeeming features being a select few buildings/structures that don't have the constant annoyance of enemies that get in the way or previously mentioned annoying gimmicks. ( COUGHTHEENTIREBRANDCOUGH. )

 

I love maps like the ones in POF but in my play-through of it I avoided the Brand unless it was required for the story or for an achievement. ( I explored it fully for the funerary armor set and never returned. ) Orr was a million times worse. Still haven't gotten map completion there at all. I can't stand it.

I loved the maps in Maguuma though, because they were so interesting and creative in their design. There are lots of enemies, sure, but HoT nailed it. I never felt overrun or annoying by them, and the map exploration was brilliant.

[Sojourner.4621]

The exploration is my favorite part.... I rarely do learn everything about the map on a first visit, but I'll come back over and over to discover little nooks and hidden areas.

[hugo.4705]

About hidden areas, have you discovered the locked Inquest gate leading to an empty room with another gate, at the south in western complex area of sandswept isles? :s

[StinVec.3621]

I do not like to move on until I have fully experienced everything contained in a map, and sometimes even re-experience it all again before moving on.

 

This is why PoF disappointed me so much; I couldn't catch a breath to admire the landscapes and seeking out little nuggets in the corners was discouraged due to the enemy density, aggro range, ungodly follow distance and respawn rate. In addition, I could not even 'complete' a PoF map before moving on because several areas are locked off in each until you progress through 2 or even 3 more maps in order to boost mount masteries just so you can gain access to the areas that were artificially walled off in a previous map.

 

I've taken dozens of characters through the core maps (actually playing in them, not just running through), but only 1 has ventured into the PoF areas. Even with this one character I can't bring myself to step beyond the entrance portal into Vabbi as the thought of being pushed through yet another map as fast as possible because of its intentional design -only to have to return yet again at a far later point to 'finish' it- is so unenjoyable to me. I just don't think I can do another map with no freedom to explore the beautiful area due to onslaught after onslaught as I am herded into yet another map before it is 'completed'. And this is just one of the reasons. Another is the issues with the story that I can't bring myself to (attempt) playing for fear of disconnects and having to do it all over again. With forced story progress requirement blocking access to the next area being 'a thing' in at least one other PoF map, it is all actively telling me to not even bother with it. Even the griffon 'prize' at the end of the 'quest' isn't enough to get me to force myself through the thoroughly unfun map and story experiences. :\

 

The PoF maps are beautiful, from what I've managed to stop and see - I just wish I were permitted to actually see them when standing still instead of always in side glances through movement blur as I run from a horde of unrelenting enemies smack into yet another horde of unrelenting enemies.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

I just ...play the map, do what I come across, see what I see.

[Hybarf Tics.2048]

I used to explore when I was on foot, but bow with mounts it's too fast I don't have time, and with the one coming out next week it'll get even harder to even strop and look around, zoom zoom. :o

[castlemanic.3198]

I think when a new map comes out, I tend to get caught up in all the events or map completion, but there have been times I've gone back to look in wonder at all the stuff that's happened. I think the sandswept isles was my first time experiencing that, as it was just this new, friendly place in this hostile world that I kept wanting to go back and see again and again, and explore the little area and see how all the npcs would react. It was a great experience.

 

I generally don't do that when there are enemies abound. The enemies distract from the exploration imo and more often than not, I avoid areas with enemies in them because I'm in the mood to explore, not in the mood to fight. I've also in general just flown by enemies because I just wanted to get to a place.

 

But recently I began doing a thing in queensdale, taking a character, putting them in a casual clothing outfit, getting a basic weapon from a vendor, and rp walking. It was honestly a breathtaking experience, and I have 7 human characters, I've been through queensdale, but before that, I never took the time to explore. I look forward to doing something similar with other zones, but it's more difficult to do in higher level zones due to how deadly the enemies can be, and how that distracts from the exploration in my opinion. Some players would find enemies enhancing the exploration, and I've certainly had that mood hit me before, but I prefer peaceful exploration.

[Game of Bones.8975]

Initially, I run through things and after the story I go back to farm, redo things that interest me or check Achievements and see what I unlocked.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

I like the visuals of a place the first time I see it, but I get bored really fast and distracted by the all of the events and resources and stuff.

[Knighthonor.4061]

This game honestly don't have much in terms of open world lore. It's much less interesting compared to other games. It's the gameplay that's fun. The story never feel epic nor interesting most of the time in the open world. Where do we get the deep lore for open world content?

[Klowdy.3126]

Even if players don't pay attention to the environments, they still notice them. Not everyone takes time to explore every bit of scenery in detail, but if it looks horrible, people notice. It is in the best interest of all game designers to make a beautiful world, no matter how ignored it is, because everyone remembers the bad things that happen, but good is so prevalent, its passively ignored.