Do you want to explore the whole world?

[metagloria]

Some games, including most Final Fantasies, eventually open up with a complete world map that comprises the entire surface of the planet. When you think about this realistically, especially when you start flying your airship around the entire planet in a matter of seconds, you realize how ridiculously tiny this planet must be. In response to that, some games retain realism by not pretending to give you a full world, but only a few regions on what is presumably a vastly larger world map that you never get to see (FF12, Chrono Cross, etc.)

Which way would you rather have it? Do you like having the freedom to see the whole world, even if that world is unrealistically small in scope, or would you rather be constrained to a small area and never get to see the full enormous world?

[escobert]

I wanna see it all!

[chionos]

It depends on the game, I think. I know I loved the old JRPGs with full overhead map-worlds and all that. It didn't matter to me that they were tiny planets: I wasn't playing for the "realism." I can live with the way some games try to give some feeling of freedom and exploration while keeping a realistic vision of the game-world (FFXII is a good example), but what I can't stand is linearity in a game that feels like it should be expansive. Games like FFXIII end up not expressing at all the real extent of the world while trying to force on the play a sense of grandeur and epicness, which in the end just feels disingenuous.

I also really like games that are huge in scale, fully explorable, with huge overhead maps that are just pieces of a grander overall world. TES is clearly the best example of this.

[VeloZer0]

The whole thing. It really gives you a sense of scale and a feeling that what you are doing is important to the whole world rather than just some regional issue.

[Wolf Kanno]

Depends on the plot. Games like Suikoden and Persona have shown that you can have a really epic story with lots of high stakes without having to see the whole world. In fact I am honestly kind of over the whole "save the world" thing cause it just feels overused and often feels like a cheap way to scale up the conflict without ever needing to really show the big picture. You just say the bad guy has the power to cause some serious damage, darken the sky in the world map and somehow that is going to make me feel like the fate of the world is in my hands? The other issue is that most writers are too lazy to write out a good motive for the villains to cause that kind of global problem.

[Sephex]

I don't mind either way. As long as the story, world, characters, and many other aspects remain interesting, the game can take place on a tiny island for all I care.

[Miss Mae]

I'm not really fussed. I do like it when things loop, but I'd rather see more effort put into a smaller space than not enough effort put into a larger space. I'm not really bothered so long as there are wonderful settings for me to run around in; I'm a big fan of exploration!

[Christmas]

I would if there are things to look forward too.

Then again, most RPGs I have played do not.

So that is when the mods come in. I remembered I installed a brothel mod in Skyrim or Oblivion. I spent forever to look for it and when I have finally find it, I could feel that my life is completed.

[Pete for President]

There's nothing wrong with small planets

It really depends on what's in there really. I'd choose a tight package (i.e. Dark Souls' Lordran) over a bloated land (i.e. FF12's Ivalice) any day.

[Psychotic]

EVERY. LAST. INCH!

[Shorty]

Yes, I feel compelled to explore every single part of the map.

[Pumpkin]

I don't mind either way. As long as the story, world, characters, and many other aspects remain interesting, the game can take place on a tiny island for all I care.

[Bolivar]

In JRPGs, sure, you always want to have that "complete" playthrough.

In The Elder Scrolls, no way. 1) it's unreasonable and 2) the world is so big, in part, so that you can have completely different playthroughs and stories for everytime you create a new character.

[chionos]

In JRPGs, sure, you always want to have that "complete" playthrough.

In The Elder Scrolls, no way. 1) it's unreasonable and 2) the world is so big, in part, so that you can have completely different playthroughs and stories for everytime you create a new character.

Guess I've been playing TES wrong.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

"No Stone Unturned" achievement unlocked.