User blog comment:BannedLagiacrus/Discussion of the Week: 3rd and 4th Gen. Online Halls/Cities/@comment-5178018-20170508124829

Loc Lac will forever be the home of my hunting experiences.

My least favorite though... probably Dundorma. Just wasn't a very fun place to be at all. Lacked a lot of energy, which, for G Rank, is pretty important. The OST got pretty obnoxious after a while too.

Dunno whether or not I'd say they've been getting more generic, as I don't really see that as a bad thing. They've been improving bit by bit, but in an enclosed fantasy world there'll obviously be limitations to the variety of guild halls we may see. To that extent, they've done a pretty good job throwing variety in so far.

The most important factor, I feel, is whether or not that place feels "alive" enough. As though people actually come in and out of there almost constantly, and enough that some may even be willing to call it something akin to a home. Loc Lac and Tanzia did this superbly, though since 4th gen focused on a nomadic group it wasn't as great there- yes, people went through a lot, but you could never gain that endearing "I'm home" feeling. Though in X/Gens I think they at least did better than 4/4G/4U since its hub is pretty much an extension off the main village.

I don't know whether or not each hall should have a unique feature to it, as it really depends on what that feature is. If it's something actually fun and interesting and can actually have something to be gained out of, then sure. But if it's going to be something that can be completely dismissed from the game's overall experience like Dundorma's theater, then... no.

If I could ever go back to Loc Lac I most certainly would. But, alas, heaven intangible.

If I could improve anything about Dundorma it'd be the general atmosphere. I know it's a throne room- but it's also so supposed to be a place where rough and rowdy hunters come through. The two just don't blend. If maybe the throne room were a separate area to the hub, then maybe I'd like it a bit more.

Dunno what kind of theme I'd want out of the next online hub. Frankly, I'd rather them do the work and me be (almost) surprised.

NPCs most definitely bring out the atmosphere of the place. Well, if you actually pay attention to them, at least. I shouldn't really need to go into detail about the clothing and designs of characters attributing to how an area can be perceived, or how having just one "friend" with you can change your entire outlook on a place. Loc Lac was filled to the brim with quirky individuals that you met on a regular basis, and that most certainly brought the place more life than imaginable. Though, I suppose it also had its own little cutscene to introduce some of said characters, but you catch my drift.

Do I hope future hubs add more story? I don't see why not. The dance between village and hall can get a bit tedious but I don't think it's all that bad either. If only the offline village has story and the hub simply is for the sake of online play than it'll obviously get a bit strained. 4/4G/4U overcame that lack of connection with its ProcGen quests but flopped when it came to Apex hunts. I think Gens did the job perfectly with village requests. Whether they go further with it, that may be a bit risky, but I'm open to a bit of experimentation.

(Though they really need to re-implement cutscenes into hub/village introductions, as it really does add just that much more to the experience)