Did this bother anyone else?

In Final Fantasy X, when you enter a new area, it's completely separate form the area you just left.

Moonflow to Guadosalam*
Guadosalam to Thunder Plains*
Thunder Plains to Macalania Woods
Macalania Woods to Macalania Lake/Temple
Bevelle to Macalania Woods
Macalania Woods to Calm Lands
Calm Lands to Mt. Gagazet
Mt. Gagazet to Zanarkand*

*these aren't as bad as the others, but still disjointed

Whenplaying through this game, I was always really annoyed by how abruptly one area ends, and the next starts. For example, in the Thunder Plains, as you start to get closer to Macalania Woods, there should be more trees as you get further, until you're in a forested area. Instead of how the game is, where you're literally on a plain-area, and all of a sudden there's a woods.

I feel this was poorly done, and broke up a sense of immersion and realism for me (yes I know this is Final Fantasy.) I also feel that it made the game seem more linear, as you're basically traveling down one path the entire game, and it's like, "OH, OKAY, I'M IN A NEW AREA NOW." But you can't stray from the path to explore the area, which is contained in a box.

Did anyone else feel this way? Feel differently? Not care at all?

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Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs

In Final Fantasy X, when you enter a new area, it's completely separate form the area you just left.

Moonflow to Guadosalam*
Guadosalam to Thunder Plains*
Thunder Plains to Macalania Woods
Macalania Woods to Macalania Lake/Temple
Bevelle to Macalania Woods
Macalania Woods to Calm Lands
Calm Lands to Mt. Gagazet
Mt. Gagazet to Zanarkand*

*these aren't as bad as the others, but still disjointed

Whenplaying through this game, I was always really annoyed by how abruptly one area ends, and the next starts. For example, in the Thunder Plains, as you start to get closer to Macalania Woods, there should be more trees as you get further, until you're in a forested area. Instead of how the game is, where you're literally on a plain-area, and all of a sudden there's a woods.

I feel this was poorly done, and broke up a sense of immersion and realism for me (yes I know this is Final Fantasy.) I also feel that it made the game seem more linear, as you're basically traveling down one path the entire game, and it's like, "OH, OKAY, I'M IN A NEW AREA NOW." But you can't stray from the path to explore the area, which is contained in a box.

Did anyone else feel this way? Feel differently? Not care at all?

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I know the feeling, it was weird how even the floor changed like a direct line, and everything was boxed in, when i think back too ff7/8/9, its like entering a cave or dungeon only one connects too the other.

I think its the absense of the world map that your on about, since we don't get too freely explore it. There was hope when we got an airship, as in previous titals as soon as you get transport theres freedom, but nope not in 10, shame really.

I didn't care.

Ironically despite how much I slag off this game I didn't really give a dang. I guess my suspension of disbelief was tainted by the amount of Mario/Sonic games where you inexplicably change from one zone to another and I just came to accept that sort of thing.

Its fine, they are all separated by cliffs, everyone knows cliffs block climate

Transition zones would have been nice, yeah.

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Transition zones would have been nice, yeah.

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This.

It's just like the world map of all the other FFs. Forests are neatly contained shapes. It's like finely trimmed facial hair on the planet.

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Originally Posted by ReloadPsi

Ironically despite how much I slag off this game I didn't really give a dang. I guess my suspension of disbelief was tainted by the amount of Mario/Sonic games where you inexplicably change from one zone to another and I just came to accept that sort of thing.

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Wow, I never thought about that before, but you're totally right about Mario and Sonic! Probably why it didn't bug me about FFX either

The "map" is extremely disjointed and tiny. Not only is each area of the map completely distinct and you jump from one complete area to another, but most of the areas seem small and narrow. I agree that it is poorly done, and FFXII did it much, much better (I did not think it was possible for a world without a world map to feel huge, but FFXII proved me wrong).

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Originally Posted by Cim

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Transition zones would have been nice, yeah.

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This.

It's just like the world map of all the other FFs. Forests are neatly contained shapes. It's like finely trimmed facial hair on the planet.

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Yeah, but there are plains separating them, so it doesn't feel so forced.

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Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs

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Originally Posted by Cim

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Transition zones would have been nice, yeah.

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This.

It's just like the world map of all the other FFs. Forests are neatly contained shapes. It's like finely trimmed facial hair on the planet.

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Yeah, but there are plains separating them, so it doesn't feel so forced.

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Well, certain areas in FFX are done well -- like Besaid -> Kilika -> Luca, but maybe that's because you take a boat between each (S.S. Winno, S.S. Liki, don't remember the order at the moment). But I do remember thinking upon my earliest of play through(s) that the transition into Guadosalam via the Moonflow is very nice.

As for the Calm Lands -> Gagazet, I think the area where the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth isn't too bad, it seems like it's getting a bit more mountainous.

I found the transitions good enough, but the exit from the Thunder Plains was very sudden. Then again, it emphasised the sense of relief that Twilight Rikku felt when finally getting through it!

I'd honestly never really thought about this before, but you're quite right. Now this is probably going to bug me for the rest of my current play through.

The transitions from Thunder Plains --> Macalania --> Calm Lands --> Gagaslut are especially weird, but I haven't stopped up and paid it much attention. Video games do this all the time so it's become more of a norm. It'd almost be weirder if they did the transitions seamlessly.

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

I'd honestly never really thought about this before, but you're quite right. Now this is probably going to bug me for the rest of my current play through.

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:D You're welcome.

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Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

I'd honestly never really thought about this before, but you're quite right. Now this is probably going to bug me for the rest of my current play through.

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:D You're welcome.

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It's one of those things you probably can't unhear/unsee. Still, I'm surprised I didn't notice before now. It seems so obvious in retrospect.

I think I was also used to it from other games such as Everquest. Where you'd be in a jungle, then you'd walk through a zone barrier and find yourself in a desert :P

It never bothered me and I don't think it ever will. It brings somewhat of an element of surprise first time through. I like surprises.

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Originally Posted by Cim

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Originally Posted by Jiro

Transition zones would have been nice, yeah.

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This.

It's just like the world map of all the other FFs. Forests are neatly contained shapes. It's like finely trimmed facial hair on the planet.

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Ditto. Maybe Spira just has an incredibly specific topography.

I actually never really thought about it before - that whole world felt weird. And narrow.

I thought XII was even worst in that sense. You have some nice transition areas where everything blends in like Rabanastre, the Sandseas and so on, but then you have areas that are completely random.
In X, the weirdest one was the Macalania crossing. A freezing lake on one side, a huge forest in the middle, thunder plains to the other side, Bevelle and then the Calm Lands..