User blog:BannedLagiacrus/Discussion of the Week: 3rd and 4th Gen. Online Halls/Cities

Hello, and welcome to Discussion of the Week!

This week we look at the online hunting halls of the 3rd and 4th Generation!



Loc Lac City


This one has really stuck with many new MH fans and I can see why! I may have started with Monster Hunter Freedom, but this was the first true Online City I've ever been in for the series! Though it hasn't returned in the series as of yet, I really do hope that we get another online city with more that we can do like special request or some thing. My favorite part about this city was day/night system and the sandstorms caused by Jhen Mohran, which made this place feel more organic!

Yukumo's Communal Bath




Yukumo's Communal Bath was an interesting Guild Hall, mainly because of the hot spring. By using the hot spring, hunters could increase their stamina and health by sitting in it, giving them max for both without spending zenny. However, hunters needed to upgrade the hot spring by doing a few special quest for it, such as Zinogre + Rathalos and even Jhen Mohran. There wasn't exactly meals in this place either, more like drinks that hunters could buy for certain buffs like an increase in Affinity.

Port Tanzia


Loc Lac City's replacement in MH3U. I'll be honest, I love the atmosphere here and stuff but just really couldn't really gain an attachment to this place. I don't know why I couldn't, but I hope I'm not alone on this one. I do its story about Dire Miralis and the Tainted Sea!

Val Habar's Gathering Hall


Umm... I had a lot of fun times in this Gathering Hall during my MH4 - MH4U days, but the place itself is pretty bland in my honest opinion. It just doesn't have too much to bring it out like some other halls. It is like a cluster fuck of the previous ones. To not be too negative, I do like the inclusion of the little globe of the MH World (Give us the damn New World map already!) and the overall theme of this hall!

Dundorma's Elder Hall


I've always wanted to come to this place since MH2! Being able to save the town from Elder Dragons and bounties on some monster's head sounded so cool, but this is just not the real Dundorma. If you guys saw old school Dundorma, you would see what I mean. Though this isn't the real Dundorma, I still like the Elder Hall overall.

Hunter's Hub


Hmm... For the most part, I like this hub! I like the prehistoric-european feel about this hall and from it having so much going on around it. Look at all those airships flying around! Look at the Gou-... Oh god, what happened to that Felyne?!

Hunter's Pub


This is the most causal Gathering Hall I've ever seen. I love it! The atmosphere reminds me of a real life ship yet gives the feeling that the hunter is a pirate! I also like how this pub is based around Massacre Demon Diablos!

Questions

 * Which of them is your favorite? Why?
 * Which of them is your least favorite? Why?
 * Have the recent halls/cities been feeling more generic to you with each game? Why or why not?
 * What elements make a perfect Gathering Hall or Cities for you?
 * Do you feel that each online hall should have some kind of unique feature? Why or why not?
 * Do you hope to see these places return in the future? Why?
 * What would you improve about your least favorite? Why?
 * What kind of theme do you hope to see out of the next online hall/city? Why?
 * Do you feel the NPCs also bring more life to the place as well? Why or why not?
 * Out of all the old places from the 1st - 2nd Generation, which of them do you want to see revamped in a more modern way? How would you like to see them improved?
 * Do you hope that future Online Halls/Cities add more story for players? Why or why not?