Can we talk about Aether Currents?

[Halvos]

I'm sorry but Aether Currents was just a dumb mechanic.
Now hear me out here because I have a way to fix them so they are less dumb.
Okay so you know how the last Aether current is tied to the story progression of the area and you'll get the last one in either the last or second to last story quest in an area before you never come back to that area for story reasons?

Yeah let's remove that and make all aether currents available from the start
Or just remove them all together and make it so you can fly when you complete the last story mission in an area.

No one gains anything with Aether currents as they are, either let me get flight to do the MSQ or give it to me when I'm done with the MSQ in an area, as they are now they're just a waste of time.

[Stormy Dawn]

I think in concept the idea is to encourage players to explore the map and learn where potential hunts are and maybe potential gathering nodes. But yeah, I agree. It's a really pointless system.

I don't think it's overly egregious or anything. I don't seem to dislike it as much as some people, but I won't defend its existence either. Like you said, if they don't want you to fly until you have reached a certain progression point in the zone, then just tie it to a single quest.

[Rhyagelle]

No, they aren't.

It encourages players to explore the map, the very same people who--if the currents didn't exist--would complain that the world is large but there's no reason to see all of it or sections of it. And if quests were used to achieve that, those same people would just complain about that too.

[Halvos]

Originally posted by Rhyagelle:

No, they aren't.

It encourages players to explore the map, the very same people who--if the currents didn't exist--would complain that the world is large but there's no reason to see all of it or sections of it. And if quests were used to achieve that, those same people would just complain about that too.

Oh wow, I'll go to every corner of the map... once and then fly over it all, wow such a good fix to that issue.

[Aidenel]

literally just:
Whenever you talk with a story npc, use the compass, 10/11 of the currents are withing 200 yards of quest npcs.

[Halvos]

Originally posted by Aidenel:

literally just:
Whenever you talk with a story npc, use the compass, 10/11 of the currents are withing 200 yards of quest npcs.

No matter how small of an annoyance it shouldn't be one without some value given, Aether currents as they are give no value to the player and thus are bad.

[Artos]

Originally posted by Rhyagelle:

No, they aren't.

It encourages players to explore the map, the very same people who--if the currents didn't exist--would complain that the world is large but there's no reason to see all of it or sections of it. And if quests were used to achieve that, those same people would just complain about that too.

Yeah but currently going early to get all currents doesn't benefit player at all. You are still forced to wait for that story quest to get them all. Most maps are already divided into 2 halfs. First half now, second half 15 quests later. I don't see an issue with letting players collect them all and "explore map" early, but I do think its lame you get flight literally at the end of the Zone/Map.

After all you might be 20,40 or even 80 quests from finishing the xpac and being able to do anything in that Zone.

Imo, Currents should be responsible for increasing mount speed. It would encourage people to collect them and players wouldn't feel "cheated" once Zone is done.

[Aya]

Even SE knows collecting current is annoying, that's why they reduce the required current in past expansions by half.

[weiss]

Originally posted by Halvos:

I'm sorry but Aether Currents was just a dumb mechanic.
Now hear me out here because I have a way to fix them so they are less dumb.
Okay so you know how the last Aether current is tied to the story progression of the area and you'll get the last one in either the last or second to last story quest in an area before you never come back to that area for story reasons?

Yeah let's remove that and make all aether currents available from the start
Or just remove them all together and make it so you can fly when you complete the last story mission in an area.

No one gains anything with Aether currents as they are, either let me get flight to do the MSQ or give it to me when I'm done with the MSQ in an area, as they are now they're just a waste of time.

the idea behind it is that you explore and you find quiet nice places when you do them aaand you are happy when you have them all.
if you want easy flying, play WoW. even tho on some expansions was it not so easy to achieve it but they made it easy again =P

Originally posted by Gordon21:

Originally posted by Rhyagelle:

No, they aren't.

It encourages players to explore the map, the very same people who--if the currents didn't exist--would complain that the world is large but there's no reason to see all of it or sections of it. And if quests were used to achieve that, those same people would just complain about that too.

Why? Sightseeing? Because the maps are devoid of content other than a few side quests that pop up after doing certain msqs. Some people like looking at their surroundings and some don't.

you are devoid of content.

[Soul Walker]

As opposed to the constant bashing this community thrives on the minute someone says they don't like something...

I think Aether currents should be 50% side quests and 50% exploration. I think that they need to really put these aether current spots in an area that the devs would think are screenshot worthy. Like an actual sight seeing voyage.

[Halvos]

Originally posted by weiss:

Originally posted by Halvos:

I'm sorry but Aether Currents was just a dumb mechanic.
Now hear me out here because I have a way to fix them so they are less dumb.
Okay so you know how the last Aether current is tied to the story progression of the area and you'll get the last one in either the last or second to last story quest in an area before you never come back to that area for story reasons?

Yeah let's remove that and make all aether currents available from the start
Or just remove them all together and make it so you can fly when you complete the last story mission in an area.

No one gains anything with Aether currents as they are, either let me get flight to do the MSQ or give it to me when I'm done with the MSQ in an area, as they are now they're just a waste of time.

the idea behind it is that you explore and you find quiet nice places when you do them aaand you are happy when you have them all.
if you want easy flying, play WoW. even tho on some expansions was it not so easy to achieve it but they made it easy again =P

Originally posted by Gordon21:

Why? Sightseeing? Because the maps are devoid of content other than a few side quests that pop up after doing certain msqs. Some people like looking at their surroundings and some don't.

you are devoid of content.

Oh wow such difficulty, mindlessly walking to the edge of a cliff or some rock in the middle of now where, wow such scenery of the same tree copy and pasted one hundred times. I honestly don't know what you mean by easy flying, there's nothing hard about clicking auto run and waiting while your character slowly makes their way to the current.

It's just pointless and boring.

[Ralf]

How else are they going to sell SDS Fenrir?

[Halvos]

Originally posted by Ralf:

How else are they going to sell SDS Fenrir?

Wait I didn't even know about this, what the, did they really only make you waste time with aether currents to justify you spending money on their ♥♥♥♥♥♥ micro transactions?

For the record I'm not making that claim, I just didn't know Fenrir is faster

[Slaanesh]

Originally posted by Halvos:

Originally posted by Aidenel:

literally just:
Whenever you talk with a story npc, use the compass, 10/11 of the currents are withing 200 yards of quest npcs.

No matter how small of an annoyance it shouldn't be one without some value given, Aether currents as they are give no value to the player and thus are bad.

Than go back to that ♥♥♥♥♥♥ WoW system with their wayfinder achievments to unlock flying after hours of play

[Halvos]

Originally posted by Slaanesh:

Originally posted by Halvos:

No matter how small of an annoyance it shouldn't be one without some value given, Aether currents as they are give no value to the player and thus are bad.

Than go back to that ♥♥♥♥♥♥ WoW system with their wayfinder achievments to unlock flying after hours of play

Why does everyone keep bringing up WoW like it matters to me, I've never even played WoW, why is the existence of a different system justification for another ♥♥♥♥♥♥ system?

[weiss]

Originally posted by Halvos:

Originally posted by weiss:

the idea behind it is that you explore and you find quiet nice places when you do them aaand you are happy when you have them all.
if you want easy flying, play WoW. even tho on some expansions was it not so easy to achieve it but they made it easy again =P


you are devoid of content.

Oh wow such difficulty, mindlessly walking to the edge of a cliff or some rock in the middle of now where, wow such scenery of the same tree copy and pasted one hundred times. I honestly don't know what you mean by easy flying, there's nothing hard about clicking auto run and waiting while your character slowly makes their way to the current.

It's just pointless and boring.

like it is in every other MMO or every other game which has an open world. you just described all open world games when you stray away from the story path.
with that opinion should you stop playing any open world games because they do it all =P.