FFXV has an enormous map!

[escobert]

and again, there's the question of content density.

it's unproblematic to make a map that is bigger than africa, but filling it with content is a different thing all together

http://www.izurvive.com/#c=-50;-38;3

7 cities, 3 airfields, dozens of smaller towns and villages, multiple military bases and more being added every patch with 95% or so of the buildings enter-able. Then there's the player made bases and camps spread around everywhere. it most defiantly is not a wasteland void of things to do.

Forgive me, I have never played DayZ, but by things to do, does that mean scripted interaction, or just things to look at? Would 6 cities instead of 7 make a quantifiable difference to the game, and narrative (being a survival game, does it have one?), or is it simply a demonstration of a developers 3DS Max prowess?

I think the big worry is a lack of meaningful content, a reason for being, instead of it being simply filler substance. Real life is full mostly nothing. I'd rather my video games not be a completely accurate portrayal of what I am trying to escape from when I fire up the old gogglebox!

There is no story in DayZ. It's a completely sandbox open world multiplayer zombie survival game. DayZ is very much a portrayal of what a Zombie Apocalypse would be like in real life. You must eat, drink, survive the elements. you can break your leg and not be able to walk, you can be shot by a 12 year old that you never saw from 1000 meters away and never hear the gunshot before screen says "You Are Dead". you must repair your vehicles, keep the fueled and running ect.