Not an open world...really

[MintyDog]

If there is something I cant stand in the outdoors open world design, is when its not really an open world but just hallways and paths surrounded by cliffs so that you cannot go anywhere without sticking to the trails that lead you there. This is more like one really big interior environment. Not only is it very frustrating trying to get somewhere, but it doesn't feel like I'm actually outside in a real world environment. There should be open valleys and ponds and rivers and dense forests but all there really is is obvious walls and chasms, not as design elements but as barriers.

[Acode]

Originally posted by MintyDog:

If there is something I cant stand in the outdoors open world design, is when its not really an open world but just hallways and paths surrounded by cliffs so that you cannot go anywhere without sticking to the trails that lead you there. This is more like one really big interior environment. Not only is it very frustrating trying to get somewhere, but it doesn't feel like I'm actually outside in a real world environment. There should be open valleys and ponds and rivers and dense forests but all there really is is obvious walls and chasms, not as design elements but as barriers.

It's not really "hallways" or pathways though. I would say the developers went the middleground between that and vast open areas though. And it fulfills the definition of Open World. It is Open World, they just used tricks to mitigate the performance issues caused by the NPCs. They still did a really good work on making the best out of it.

Tho I definitely agree, I think were it not for the immense CPU appetite of the game, we would have gotten vast open areas. ... Thats maybe something for DD3 though.

[Louis Cypher]

I can see where it is comign from. It is not as open as AC Odyssey, Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind or Horizon but still free enough to be called open world or at least open-world-a-like.

[rane]

Originally posted by Louis Cypher:

I can see where it is comign from. It is not as open as AC Odyssey, Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind or Horizon but still free enough to be called open world or at least open-world-a-like.

Bruh, Morrowind is literally worse than DD2 in its world design, it's all artficial unscalable mountains designed to make your travel anywhere far longer than it would be in a straight line.

[Hanalyd]

Originally posted by MintyDog:

If there is something I cant stand in the outdoors open world design, is when its not really an open world but just hallways and paths surrounded by cliffs so that you cannot go anywhere without sticking to the trails that lead you there. This is more like one really big interior environment. Not only is it very frustrating trying to get somewhere, but it doesn't feel like I'm actually outside in a real world environment. There should be open valleys and ponds and rivers and dense forests but all there really is is obvious walls and chasms, not as design elements but as barriers.

The definition of open world is different to everyone.
Especially if you're young and never been in that age where all games where extreme linear.
I bet in 40 years some kid will say the same thing you just said about a game that you find an extreme good open world game.

[Uugly]

DD1 is far more open world than this. Just the world is far smaller. Traveling in DD2 is not really fun.

[Arkady]

Originally posted by rane:

Originally posted by Louis Cypher:

I can see where it is comign from. It is not as open as AC Odyssey, Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind or Horizon but still free enough to be called open world or at least open-world-a-like.

Bruh, Morrowind is literally worse than DD2 in its world design, it's all artficial unscalable mountains designed to make your travel anywhere far longer than it would be in a straight line.

Tell me you didn't played Morrowind without saying it, on Morrowind you can levitate over mountains and avoid any natural obstacle things you cannot do on the overrated Skyrim

[Pink Eye]

Originally posted by rane:

it's all artficial unscalable mountains designed to make your travel anywhere far longer than it would be in a straight line.

How to tell someone didn't play Morrowind. You are aware that you can teleport around the map via the travel system in the mage guild, right? You can also set your own marks to teleport to via spells or scrolls. Shrines can be teleported too via scrolls as well. As for manually walking around, there's levitate and of course, the more fun option, acrobatics:
https://youtu.be/bxRSr_JoPf0?si=MgjAnrYrQyz1DZSj
https://youtu.be/NK-bSIi-vDI?si=M8u-i-c3ym7M7pHF

[SadPlatty©]

From my perspective - this isn't an "open world" in the sense I can walk literally around the map and end up in the same spot, but it is one in the sense that you can go most places not on paths.

Battahl for example isn't a hallway - if you want to compare it to architecture, then it would be a convention center, as you can walk in circles unimpeded and there are elevated paths and the like. You also cannot fully use "invisible walls" as a defense, as most open world games do in some capacity. Even something like "Metal Gear Solid : Phantom Pain" or whatever the full open world one was had them.

Lastly - areas you shouldn't be able to go (such as the ocean) also let you traverse them if capable. I installed the "better levitate" mod, set the timer to 10 minutes for the skill, and literally flew from Vernsworth directly to Volc Island Camp. Not only did I make it, but nothing broke with the game (placed a portstone, did some small stuff, and went back to start the main quests). Hell - you can even stand on the still sunken Gran Soren tower sticking out of the water (which honestly I expected to be non-physical geometry until my pawns spawned behind me on it).

[Sekiguchi]

I would agree it is not as open as typical open world games, but I like it that way.
Getting somewhere is a meaningless experience if you can just go a straight line.
There are many secret paths etc. to be discovered, so the game rewards you for thinking about how to best get somewhere.

[lumina]

It only seems that way early. The second part of the game is far more open. As you explore, you'll also find that there are paths through or over many of those cliffs. It's not nearly as restricting as it seems right away. There are shortcuts all over.

[Zeel Ara]

"Open world" is not a level design term, it is a game design term. It refers to the game world being open to exploration, rather than a series of zones or levels that the player has to move through in a specific order. The game could be nothing but *literal* hallways and still be an open world game.

[Kabirbd]

Originally posted by MintyDog:

If there is something I cant stand in the outdoors open world design, is when its not really an open world but just hallways and paths surrounded by cliffs so that you cannot go anywhere without sticking to the trails that lead you there. This is more like one really big interior environment. Not only is it very frustrating trying to get somewhere, but it doesn't feel like I'm actually outside in a real world environment. There should be open valleys and ponds and rivers and dense forests but all there really is is obvious walls and chasms, not as design elements but as barriers.

You don't even own the game. If you find a cliff, just change vocation to mage and jump.

Originally posted by Uugly:

DD1 is far more open world than this. Just the world is far smaller. Traveling in DD2 is not really fun.

Another private account who doesn't own the game. DD1 barely even had grass.

I don't get why people who don't own the game are most frustrated at this game than others who do own the game.
Even if you try to make an excuse of refunding the game, it still doesn't change the point that you don't have the game.
Unless it's just for clown award farming, in that case my mistake. Keep going.

[IchigoMait]

It's an open world game. Go on top of the town castle, look around and decide based on that, if you can see it you can go there. Also get to the end game, then you can explore even more, but yeah it's even more narrow linear paths that sometimes branch out, but that's river beds for ya.

Also you don't own the game, or you made the game private. No idea why even.

Seems you're just a troll farming for steam points, or by at this point you're just doing what other trolls are doing just because they're doing it.

[Dustreaper]

It's still a open world.

[1CMF]

Define open world. Also look up what a scripted space is in game and architecture design.

Multiple approaches to an objective satisfy the requiremnt. I would argue a bad open world map is just a flat open plain where you can walk anywhere.

Some boundaries are set in terms of elevation and direct paths or world boundaries due to it being a scripted space.

In order for a scripted space to feel larger and more interesting, it is often designed in turns and curves. Some roads do this so you don't fall asleep on long drives. It is also used in places like Las Vegas to trap and control traffic and manipulate your sense of time. Hell even grocerie stores do this to trick you into buying snacks at the checkout lane.

This is an open world utilizing effective manipulation of scripted spaces to make travel feel expansive. Problem is when you realize the deception...but EVERY game is a scripted space...you just get fooled easier in some than others.