Liniar vs Non-Liniar

Standard RPG format suggests a single path to the big boss with room for side-quests. That's all well and dandy but for Online Games people want to see an open-world concept. I think thats why Lensmoor's Wilderness is so popular, it conforms to that concept and gives you the feeling like you are truly in an open world.

There are pros and cons to making a linear (straight line) zone over one that conforms to the open world idea. However, it's not as cut and dry as that. The option exists to make multiple paths to the same goal without making it an open world area, it would instead turn it into a circle, or even a three forked path. You still have an ultimate goal, an ending challenge over an area that just merely exists to be there.



I think for 'Dungeons' (also caves/evil strongholds/ect.) I prefer the linear layout, for towns and upper-world areas the open world concept is better.

So, what's my next zone going to be, Linear or Open World? The one I'm working on right now, the one in the Tikolian Desert is starting to lean more on the linear side. Although I'm looking at doing something about that.

More details will be coming later, but for now just know that zone is really starting to take shape now, and I think it can escape being entirely linear without compromising the premise of the zone.