Cross-Continent Return

[Kellach Woods]

Yeah, I'm talking about IC use of the spell Return.

 

I've been building up Kell's personal beliefs and experiences, and with the recent (to him) news that his father passed away, I'm planning on him going back home for a bit to fetch a very personal thing, and pay respects to his father with his own beliefs.

 

Therein lies the problem : Kell's home country is on another continent entirely, taking him out of the game for QUITE some time. He's the only character that's involved in plots and other stuffs, so I'd like it if I could not remove him for some time. I still have to eat the trip to the place since his village is so much into the sticks it doesn't have an Aetheryte (also, y'know, this whole thing about another continent doesn't help with that).

 

However, if he could Return to Limsa Lominsa via the spell, I wouldn't feel bad for not switching to another character for so long even if I really should start playing some of my other characters. I really like them but... y'know, this game isn't friendly to alts.

 

So, use of Return IC and one to cross a whole lotta water? Okay or no? Opinions pls.

[Roswyn]

If I'm not mistaken.... (could be wrong here)

 

I believe the spell return operates differently aetherically than the spell teleport in the sense that it is less taxing on the body. Need a Sounsyy on that one I think. Also I really see no issue with it teleporting across large bodies of water.

 

It's a little handwavey, but nobody really incorporates very punishing details. Like "Can my linkpearl work underground in this cave?" or "I've ICly teleported 4 times today, I should be falling over..."

 

As far as from a lore standpoint, in order for it not to be able to work, the destination aetherite would have to be destroyed or there would have to be significant enough interference that for some reason the aether in your characters body would be unable to resonate with that particular destination.The aether in your characters body is broken down and then zips along, what I can only assume is a "lifestream" (lolff7) to be reformed by the aetheric device at your destination.

 

Is a large body of water enough to interfere with that? We really don't have enough information to make a call I don't think....  Personally, I think you're fine, though.

[Warren Castille]

In true No Fun Allowed fashion, I don't even consider Return a canon ability. If it's different than Teleporting from crystals, blah blah blah no one ever gets kidnapped etc.

 

I think I could be talked into considering that everyone's got an Aethryte they just naturally are more attuned to and are taxed less for teleporting (or... returning?) to, but magical transport just throws so many wrenches in normal RP for me.

[Kellach Woods]

Honestly, I wouldn't either for the exact same reasons you mention (then again, being kidnapped could be considered always being interrupted tho), but this is kind of a special case that has some in-game lore to justify I wouldn't be screwed over on travel time now that I actually have access to it. I have freedom of movement and wouldn't be otherwise interrupted, which is something that Kell didn't have when he first showed up, since he wasn't attuned to it.

 

This is more of a QoL handwave for me than anything else, really.

[FreelanceWizard]

I may be in the minority on this, but personally, I think you can use Return to bounce back to an Aetheryte to which you're particularly attuned, regardless of distance. It does, however, require significant spiritual strength ("Anima") to use Aetheryte travel. The other consideration is that areas bereft of significant Aether may not be physically able to support teleportation, though that's more of a conjecture on my part.

 

In terms of teleportation messing up kidnappings, well... there's lots of ways to keep a person from engaging the mental effort necessary to teleport, some more awful than others. :surprise:

[Aduu Avagnar]

Is teleportation even viable outside of Eorzea? we already know that Eorzea has a higher concentration of Aether than the other landmasses, so could that be what allows people to zip along the aetheric leylines?

[Kellach Woods]

The large amount of aether in Eorzea is what made me doubt this was possible.

[Marisa]

In true No Fun Allowed fashion, I don't even consider Return a canon ability. If it's different than Teleporting from crystals, blah blah blah no one ever gets kidnapped etc.

 

I think I could be talked into considering that everyone's got an Aethryte they just naturally are more attuned to and are taxed less for teleporting (or... returning?) to, but magical transport just throws so many wrenches in normal RP for me.

Gotta go with Warren here. Personally, I don't even use teleportation IC. It was my impression that only powerful wizards and those with strong aetheric connection could even use the aetheryte crystals. 

 

I feel like we need to set heavy limits on who can use teleportation and how. Otherwise, even on the surface, traditional methods of travel become significantly less meaningful. If we kept digging deeper into the societal impact such magic being widespread would have, we'd get into a world so far removed from our own that we couldn't even properly RP in it. 

 

Now I'm not saying it should require Louisoix levels of magic to use, but I think some natural talent and a few years of training are in order. We could even go as far as to say that more powerful mages can bring people with them.

[FreelanceWizard]

Here's the dev lore post on Aetheryte travel.

 

A very salient point it makes is that adventurers typically have sufficient spiritual energy to traverse the Lifestream. Mundane travel isn't eliminated because the vast majority of people don't have sufficient anima to teleport ("As a result, only a fraction of the populace can utilize aetherial travel habitually, which is why chocobos, airships, and other forms of transportation still play a major role in Eorzea"). Adventurers are a tiny subset of the overall population of Eorzea, so really, teleportation is already heavily limited in lore.

[Marisa]

Huh. I guess "How?" would be my big thing. I mean, surely there must be more training involved than the main story's "Go touch it!" quest, right? Like, okay, so you're super spiritually strong and your name-tag says you're an adventurer. So you pay the toll, walk up to the aetheryte, and then what? Wish really hard until it takes you where you want to go? 

 

I dunno, I guess I'd always assumed it was like Warcraft mage teleporting, where even if you're good at it, there's a chance you'll come out the other end as a charred corpse...

[Iex]

In the case of prisoner....

 

I would assume the health of the prisoner would affect the their ability to teleport. Also, I would assume the person may need to know where they are currently located... basically able to 'locate the stream' to take them home. The Titan MSQ revealed a few things about teleporting Pre and post the fight, mostly you need to know both start and finish locations to succeed. (Not to mention warded cells to cut off the aether of the prisoner from the outside world to prevent teleporting or scrying for the missing person) Also, highly unstable aetheric areas would make it risky at best to try to tap into the stream. (Hence why you can't teleport into trouble such as last bosses.)

 

The RETURN spell, however, I think is a beast of a different color. It seems more of a OOC mechanic for the game.

 

When Grave uses teleportation it normally involves tapping to the aether and mapping out a route, given he has the time he can carefully map out how he wants to go about doing it and not cost much to his person. In a rush I have him suffer consequences... from sickness to disruptions that could attract creatures from the void finding a weak spot between the worlds and piercing the veil.

 

If we want to turn it into a pure IC thing. "Return" would be more... of a VERY common place your character teleports to so it is like... driving while half asleep to work (don't do this)... you have such a memory you can pull it off as long as you are on the right route, so it may not work as well if you are in unfamiliar areas. Similarly, the more expensive the 'route' indicates the further in the stream you must travel indicating a more exhausting and perhaps more dangerous teleport.

 

Edit: It should also be noted return only works for Cities (well... I think), so we may be able to assume the Aetherytes there have some EXCEPTIONAL quality that allows them to shine like major cities at night in space. Easier to find, easier to get to and given enough practice if you know what you are doing... little effort for aethericly inclined individuals. (aka cost 0 return)

[Sounsyy]

Huh. I guess "How?" would be my big thing. I mean, surely there must be more training involved than the main story's "Go touch it!" quest, right?

 

So, I did as Camate suggested and visited the guards around the city-states aetherytes. Here's what Nicia in Gridania had to say:

 

 

What is aetherial travel?

Before one might understand aetherial travel' date=' one must first understand the substance that makes it possible - aether. What is aether you ask? Why, only the source of all being! Though it cannot be seen, it is everywhere... or should I say, it is [i']everything[/i]. Aether flows around us and within us, and without it we would cease to exist.

 

When we die, it is believed that the shock separates our spirits from our corporeal forms. Our bodies are then broken down and are absorbed back into the aetherial river, while the soul is left to journey to its final destination in the afterlife. Some call this "returning to the lifestream." However, our ancestors discovered ways in which, through meditation and focus of spiritual energies, one could reduce her body to aether without losing the grip on her soul, in turn allowing for travel upon the Lifestream. These methods have been given the names Return and Teleport.

 

 

What is an Aetheryte?

As you travel through Eorzea' date=' you will oft come across large floating deposits of a crystalline substance known as aetheryte. The one before us here is a fine example. It is said that aetheryte is the solid manifestation of the planet's lifeblood, aether, and that [b']by touching it, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal.[/b] This is called "attunement."

 

Normally, when one's body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest - or one's "home point." This is why upon losing consciusness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte. In other words, aetheryte act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow. And, because signatures of past attunements are maintained within our bodies, it is possible (with some spiritual training, of course) to ignore the pull back to the strongest resonation, and travel to another beacon. Many refer to this as "Teleportation."

 

What is even more amazing is that when teleporting, we can "carry" those with whom we have created a bond, such as an adventuring party - assuming they have previously attuned with the desination aetheryte.

 

 

What is the difference between Return and Teleport?

As Return merely involves allowing the body to be drawn back to the strongest aetherial beacon - one's home point - it is fairly easy to execute and requires very little spiritual exertion. Usually, a few moments of rest is all that is needed before it is safe to attempt another jump. Teleportation, on the other hand, comes with a greater price. A great deal of spiritual energy known as "anima" is required to fight the natural flow of the Lifestream and guide one's body and soul to a comparatively weak aetherial beacon. If one's body lacks sufficient anima, teleporting to a location may prove impossible. Luckily for most of us, anima is restored quickly and should not prohibit regular travel.

 

Then why, you ask, must we pay gil when using Telport? Well, after the Calamity, many of the existing aetheryte camps were destroyed. To relocate and rebuild them required a large sum of money, much of which was lent by certain men of business from Ul'dah. The gil you pay when either leaving from or arriving at an aetheryte goes to paying off that debt.

 

 

Just to be thorough, I went and talked to Sundhimal in Limsa Lominsa and Nenebaru in Ul'dah about Aetherytes as well. They say almost verbatim the same thing, with only slight variation of wording on the flavor text in between the important bits.

[FreelanceWizard]

Edit: It should also be noted return only works for Cities (well... I think)

 

You can actually bind to any Aetheryte for Return. When I'm doing leves in an area and I'm undergeared, I'll usually bind to the nearest Aetheryte. My typical bind point is Revenant's Toll, actually.

[K'nahli]

In true No Fun Allowed fashion, I don't even consider Return a canon ability. If it's different than Teleporting from crystals, blah blah blah no one ever gets kidnapped etc.

 

I think I could be talked into considering that everyone's got an Aethryte they just naturally are more attuned to and are taxed less for teleporting (or... returning?) to, but magical transport just throws so many wrenches in normal RP for me.

 

Gotta go with Warren here. Personally, I don't even use teleportation IC. It was my impression that only powerful wizards and those with strong aetheric connection could even use the aetheryte crystals. 

 

I feel like we need to set heavy limits on who can use teleportation and how. Otherwise, even on the surface, traditional methods of travel become significantly less meaningful. If we kept digging deeper into the societal impact such magic being widespread would have, we'd get into a world so far removed from our own that we couldn't even properly RP in it. 

 

Now I'm not saying it should require Louisoix levels of magic to use, but I think some natural talent and a few years of training are in order. We could even go as far as to say that more powerful mages can bring people with them.

 

I agree with both of these posts personally. I always felt that teleporting was something reserved for people of significant skill/spirituality or whatever you want to call it and was of the opinion that when just anyone can use it then it's a bit of a gimmick to make RP more convenient. Though, keep in mind I am also someone who is not really in full support of casual air travel either.

 

In the case of prisoner....

 

I would assume the health of the prisoner would affect the their ability to teleport. Also, I would assume the person may need to know where they are currently located... basically able to 'locate the stream' to take them home.

 

I don't know about that because...

 

Level 30-50 Spoilers or thereabouts

 

 

...the scions are pretty much in perfect health and even if they were conveniently blindfolded for the trip or something, then I doubt that they couldn't make an educated guess as to where they were. Mor Dhona isn't exactly a non-unique environment and it is host to only one, "small" Garlean facility.

 

 

[Iex]

Edit: It should also be noted return only works for Cities (well... I think)

 

You can actually bind to any Aetheryte for Return. When I'm doing leves in an area and I'm undergeared, I'll usually bind to the nearest Aetheryte. My typical bind point is Revenant's Toll, actually.

 

Doop! I fail at this game =P

[Aduu Avagnar]

In true No Fun Allowed fashion, I don't even consider Return a canon ability. If it's different than Teleporting from crystals, blah blah blah no one ever gets kidnapped etc.

 

I think I could be talked into considering that everyone's got an Aethryte they just naturally are more attuned to and are taxed less for teleporting (or... returning?) to, but magical transport just throws so many wrenches in normal RP for me.

also, regarding return/teleport.

 

you cant return/teleport whilst in combat, or if you move. So one can infer that it takes great concentration, if you were coshed on the head, had to dodge something, other reason to do anything other than focus on the spell, then it doesn't get cast.

[Marisa]

In true No Fun Allowed fashion, I don't even consider Return a canon ability. If it's different than Teleporting from crystals, blah blah blah no one ever gets kidnapped etc.

 

I think I could be talked into considering that everyone's got an Aethryte they just naturally are more attuned to and are taxed less for teleporting (or... returning?) to, but magical transport just throws so many wrenches in normal RP for me.

also, regarding return/teleport.

 

you cant return/teleport whilst in combat, or if you move. So one can infer that it takes great concentration, if you were coshed on the head, had to dodge something, other reason to do anything other than focus on the spell, then it doesn't get cast.

Weeeeeeell... That's kind of a recent development. Not to say that the change isn't reflected in lore, because it might be, but we used to be able to teleport in combat. But it was pretty darn abuseable (I did so many quests by running in, grabbing the quest item, then teleporting the hell out). So early on, they patched that out. However, the patch didn't seem to work, because despite saying otherwise in the notes, you could *still* teleport in combat. Then the patch after that they finally, truly disabled it.

[Aduu Avagnar]

oh I am well aware, but I always took it as such before the patch as well, you know, common sense and all that...