Rough Start (Mapping Trouble)

[Snuckerpooks]

I just recently purchased FF XIV for the PS3. I am a level 15 archer.

Before FF XIV, I had played WoW since vanilla, and GW2 since beta for MMO experience. Coming to FF XIV, I found the battle mechanics, crafting, and inventory to be just fine. The one problem I am always battling though, is that I feel absolutely lost in the world.

When a quest requires me to change zones, I am completely baffled. The map feels useless unless you are in the projected zone needed. The world map feels utterly strange and sometimes overwhelming.

Is there a way to overcome my frustration of navigating this map? In GW2 there are also clear partitions of zones, yet I never had problems navigating nor having the sense of "Where the #&%@ am I?" Yet, in FF XIV, it feels so easy to get lost and feel no direction. How can I use the map more effectively?

I want to love this game, but can't get around how much the map is used and how much of a barrier it creates.

[CandyCotton Marshmallows]

The map takes a bit getting used to. In Beta, I hated it. I've since adapted, combination of learning where things are and adjusting to how to navigate it.

If you can't find yourself, you can click the center on character button on the left side or close/open the map. You'll notice two things at the top, the first is the main zone, the other is the secondary zones ... So Black Shroud would be a main zone, Old Gridania, South Shroud, etc would be sub zones of the main one.

Clicking on things in the quest journal or the quest thing on the side of your screen will show you where that objective is; if it is in your zone it will focus on it, but it will also hide other objectives ... not sure how you clear that other than open close the map, because I'm on PC and hitting M a couple times is just as quick for me than screwing with mouse menus (I do this instead of clicking 'center on self' or whatever it is called).

Take a few minutes and play with the map. Arrows bring you to the next section and will bring you back, but each map is independent in a way. It centers on itself, it does not position itself from the map you came from ... so knowing where you are will help you navigate a bit. Make sure you are zoomed in enough that the text shows up.

It does take some adjustment, and how do I miss my 'Carbonite addon' map in WoW (no other game map really works as well as that one, including the default WoW map system as well). But with a bit of playing with it, adjusting to it, and getting familiar with zones and the relation of the zones to each other, I have nearly zero issue with it even though I'd prefer it to be made differently.

Not sure how it reacts on PS3, but there are resources out there to help you familiarize yourself ... I did a quick search on the interwebs and found this:

map

you can try to use that to give yourself a general familiarization with the map, or help you specifically where you are questing; or to assist you as you play with the map until you feel comfortable with it.

I definitely know the feeling though; I remember my first time visiting Org in WoW; it may seem simplistic to me now, but it was my first MMO, my first game anything like that on a PC, and I didn't even know how to use the map. I was trying to follow a friend and kept getting lost with them going up and down the staircases and around corners. It was quite overwhelming and after I adjusted I felt a bit silly that I was getting lost like that.

[icausewipes]

I just recently purchased FF XIV for the PS3. I am a level 15 archer.

Before FF XIV, I had played WoW since vanilla, and GW2 since beta for MMO experience. Coming to FF XIV, I found the battle mechanics, crafting, and inventory to be just fine. The one problem I am always battling though, is that I feel absolutely lost in the world.

When a quest requires me to change zones, I am completely baffled. The map feels useless unless you are in the projected zone needed. The world map feels utterly strange and sometimes overwhelming.

Is there a way to overcome my frustration of navigating this map? In GW2 there are also clear partitions of zones, yet I never had problems navigating nor having the sense of "Where the #&%@ am I?" Yet, in FF XIV, it feels so easy to get lost and feel no direction. How can I use the map more effectively?

I want to love this game, but can't get around how much the map is used and how much of a barrier it creates.

It will get better, but the PS3 version is frustrating so try to pick up the PC version if you can.

[Snuckerpooks]

Thank you for the kind advice. I'll give it another shot!

[Shi Neko]

If you're in mouse mode (L1+R3 toggle) you can navigate the map with a mouse cursor (l2 = left click, r2 = right click) and doing so you can use R1 when you're hovering over an adjacent zone name to switch to that map (for instance, central to south shroud, move cursor to the "south shroud" and hit R1, map change!)
As far as highlighting quest/leve objective, hit select twice usually, until cursor moves to duty list, then up/down d-pad to select the item,a nd hit x, map pops open with location. If it shows world map, use the above map change process to zoom into the areas.

[Highangel]

i've been completely lost many times 1 time i died and spawned back at my home city, and could not find my way back. Almost gave up on the game, but then i googled the maps some more and got a better overview. I guess you can get used to it, but i don't find it very coherent.

[Snuckerpooks]

The map in the post above has made a world a difference. While I might not know exactly where a quest might be when changing zones, using this in conjunction with the default (MAP) function of the journal it is not that bad.

[Omgarsh]

I play the PC version but apparently the PS3 version has a really bugged out map. One guy in my FC yesterday was trying to unlock Garuda HM and on PS3 it told him to go to Mor Dhona to talk to the Twin Adder guy, who should be in Gridania.