There is an new trend emerging in the last few FFXI updates. Field of Valor was treated with steroids. Mog Tablets are souping up Signet while having us comb every square inch of mainland areas. Add-on scenarios entice us to spend our time scouring the oldest nooks and crannies of Vana 'diel. Others have also suggested as much elsewhere; there is a likely motivating factor behind these events. I think it is that old notion of making better use of "under utilized" areas.

In case the idea is unfamiliar to you (if you read player forums you'll hear this argument often), here's the gist of it. Some areas are more frequented than others, therefore the shunned zones should have new incentives added in order to make better use of them. This is only one of the many bizarre manifestations resulting from players being culturally influenced by leftist political ideas.

Truly, in all its weirdness, it is egalitarianism applied to areas. Call it "zone disparity" if you like, to make the spin more openly stated. The way some players talk you would think that we are being bilked out of our money every month if every single zone isn't equal to Bhaflau Thickets or Whitegate.

A typical player comment goes something like this:

"Well, if I go to Ranguemont Pass NO ONE is EVER there, so it is a WASTE!" they would say. A waste of what exactly? Some rationalize this as a waste of money paid for an expansion, or as time developers spent grueling over hot Promyvion floaty-balls instead of creating jizz inducing double-ended Ridills.

The simple and obvious fact of reality is that things have an identity, and so, are evaluated differently from one another. Saying that all the areas should ideally be equally popular is lunacy, and plainly not possible

It's also important not confuse the "equal area opportunity" argument for simply arguing for more viable merit camps. On most servers there is a genuine dearth of merit camping areas that should be addressed, but that is a separate issue.

Think about this the next time you are scouring Mog Tablets, or collecting the next add-on scenario item capriciously dropped from some goblin somewhere. There's a good chance you're acting as a result of someone's arbitrary agenda of equal area appreciation. It is a quest in vain for some vague sense of an underdog injustice that doesn't exist.