I've been playing for about a year and a half now with some little gaps in-between and I've been stirring up a sentiment about the clash between quality of life features and immersion/gameplay that I would like to share.
Sky for the past year has been for me a place of rest and comfort from all the stuff happening irl, and traversing the realms and living in them, whether alone or with the friends I made along the way, is one of the key aspects that draw me to the game.
As I've been playing however, I've began to notice an overall shift as how the game is structured, from aviary's spell shop that leaves forgotten ark really forgotten, from the map overhaul that turns knowing where the map stones are useless and takes away the tangibility of interacting with them, to the aviary beta that has been floating around, where every portal is cramped up at the front for the sake of convenience. As such, I would like to share my perspective about this situation from the perspective of someone who wants to play the game rather than just interact with it.
From personal experience, I believe that one of the games strongest suits is ambiance, immersion and most notably exploration, going through the realms time and time again experiencing the gorgeous landscapes and scenery, finding little crooks and crannies you didn't know before. In my book, one of the main parts of a game where you fly through a vast world meeting new players and forming bonds is said flying through a vast world, getting to know it intimately as your own home.
So riddle me this: if one of the points is experiencing the world and it's immersion, why would I want so much features that diminish that experience by transforming what once was a means to interact with said world in just another UI screen like any other.
What I mean to say is that, from a game design perspective (not a professional opinion, I am open to dialogue), I believe that taking things away from the world hurts the experience more that it helps, because sure, it is more convenient to have everything close and ready for candle running over and over again to the point of burnout in which you straight up pass through many social interaction opportunities to the point you quit the game for some time because you get tired of it and how lonely it would get, but I do not believe that's either healthy nor fun.
That brings me to the Aviary Beta screenshots. I have to acknowledge that each individual has their own way of playing and that is one of the most beautiful parts of sky, but the thing is: people who want convenience already have old home, with all the things they need tightly compacted in that little isle, I like aviary because it is more spread out, it leaves space to be lived in and for you to experience it, to see the spirits living their lifes and see other players passing by, I love going through the main path collecting wax, waving to the guy at the boxes and making my way to the café to greet granny (and for those who say the walk from spawn to the portals is a kilometer cannot be serious because I can fly through it all in 3-5 seconds max, and as I said before one of the primary parts of the game is flying, y'all are impatient I'm sorry).
In summary, I know that most people just candle run and prefer to go around zooming the fastest way possible a thousand times over just to complete everything and get their so desired cosmetics, but from someone who finds this game really special, am I wrong for wanting to play the game? To see it lived in? To explore it and look for the creations other left behind in that tiny spot hidden away? To traverse it and appreciate the care that was once put into it? I don't want to dismiss other styles of gameplay, but genuinely baffles me seeing people say that new aviary is better because that cramped thing is frankly ugly and useless given that old home still exists.
TL;DR
I personally believe that playing the game involves going through it and experiencing it rather the just messing with a bunch of UI and cramped poorly designed spaces just for the sake of utility that serves a spiraling cycle of burnout and loneliness contradicting the premise of a social and exploratory game. New aviary is frankly ugly and some of y'all are impatient to a whole other level as to not want to fly through some seconds of road and prefer a cramped design that already exists in old home, diminishing the experience of others who like to take the long path.
Sorry for my poor English, it's not my first language. Thx for reading!