Ghunzyr Wrote:Call me old, but I LIKE when stuff isn't always open because time moves in a realistic manner. I have the same complaints about the world's time as Amil (by the way, welcome!), just as I had the same complaint in EVERY world other than Azeroth and Earth itself. I, for one, enjoyed that it was always night time when I was adventuring in Warcraft. I think time sensative stuff is great, and makes sense. Not all animals hunt at the same time, and if you don't see something open, or have a hard time finding something because its naps when you go hunting, tough luck, that's life! Think about how much more immersive the game would be if it was like that? My dream would be fore a roleplayer server that was like that, so we could live and play in a realistic world, and then super quick time on all the "normal" folks' servers.
But in effect you're damning other people to only playing at X time in game when it might not be in their control. You use Warcraft as an example, but you made a conscious choice to play on a server where the times you played were consistent with evening times in the game.
What about people who, for example, are forced to only play at a certain time because of their job? Or because of where they live in the world? What happens, then, when their optimal time to play happens to also conflict with the time that guild shops, craft shops, or general shops are open or closed? Do we just shrug our shoulders and say that's too bad, and that they should try and revolve their time on a video game better, even if it conflicts with their real life?
You're basically hoisting role playing sensibilities or desires upon a game which, while it is an MMORPG, is still vastly populated by more people who simply want to come on and play a game, without having to fret over whether that shift at work has effectively ruined their chance to buy something until 24 hours later, or even further along depending on their schedule.
SE isn't exactly in the business of role play-specific servers, either. In fact, most MMOs aren't. WoW has been the exception, not the rule, with maybe one or two other MMOs of the mainstream variety showing a little recognition to role players. As such, what is best for the masses is better than what is best for the vocal minority in this case. It's not always that way, but in this case, well ...
If it isn't obvious, I'm not so much demeaning as much as I am trying to play some devil's advocate here. What you may feel is more immersive is, in turn, going to cause more strife for other players. And, I am sorry to say, really sort of has a selfish tinge to it, if you consider other people's real life schedule causing them to miss out on something for an extended period of time "tough luck".
Edit!: Oof, I know I am turning this entry in to a freaking thesis, but I do want to add one more thing.
Keep in mind there is logic behind the way the game works when it comes to time, too, from a game mechanics standpoint. As people may recall from FFXI, different days of the in-game week could have an effect on things such as combat, magic, and even synthesis. It also had a big part in the changing of region control, and while that may not be something we ever see in FFXIV, we don't quite know what they may have in store for us.
Not only that, but the FFXIV devs have effectively told us that they want to make the time of a character's in-game birthday also have some sort of effect to their skills or stats or what have you when it occurs. I don't know about you, but I'd like a nice little boost once a week myself, not once every literal, real-life year.
So, in short? There's a lot more to it than just "immersion".
A friend to the end to depend on you can.
I walk through the sea, swim through the sands.
To the edges of the earth, to your rescue when you hurt,
Only thing I learnt is I'm not Superman.
~Giant Panda - Strings
I walk through the sea, swim through the sands.
To the edges of the earth, to your rescue when you hurt,
Only thing I learnt is I'm not Superman.
~Giant Panda - Strings
