The Great Library – Please bring a real library in Eorzea

[Onizuka]

Hello, adventurers!

After reading Fernehalwes' message in the localization section, I remembered about this post I never completed, and decided to do it now.
With all the new stuff arriving in Eorzea tomorrow, this is probably another atypical request and for the very faaar future.


As reported in the article Materia: A Matter of Mistery, regarding the origin of Materia:

“others speculate that it was born of Near Eastern wisdom that had long slumbered within the ancient tomes of the Great Library”

I'm not sure if that was the first time I heard about this “Great Library”, if someone else mentioned it in Eorzea and I can't remember it (in that case, if other adventurers remember who did, please share your memory), or if it's because I've the world Great always resonating in my head.

Anyroad, this Great Library's true position is uncertain, but I thought nonetheless: What if there'd be a real big library in Eorzea, for those lore-interested adventurers like me that would take their time to learn more of the beautiful and dangerous world they live in? I thought about two possibilities:

1. Ishgard would be perfect to have it. Having there a huuuge library, with many books and more arriving with new cargo (new patches). I mean, a real library with chairs and maybe its own music. I think it would be Great if there would also be a “balcony/porch area” next to the library, where you can hang out and sit there, to read and relax while looking at the panorama of Coerthas. Yes, I'm really saying you could borrow a book and bring it outside to read it while breathing fresh air (and maybe a future quest to purchase a “library card”, to bring the books outside of Ishgard).
If you might consider this content, please include the balcony!

Of course, as there're no clues when the Fury will allow us to pass through Ishgard's gates, this is a request for very future contents.

2. An actual location on the map, a big building that is the library (or the Great Library itself, and if it's beyond Garlean's territory then this would also be a far future content). Would be nice to have a garden nearby where you can sit down and read borrowed books there. And of course, always a nice music in the background.


Contents of the library might include:

- Normal books of different types: historical, regarding the beast tribes (I mean, more in-depth info than the ones the 3 lore-characters in the 3 main city-states talk about), about certain areas names on each region (I'm talking about all those places, like the Gelmorra Ruins and the Peacegarden: as I asked here, I think it would be Great to know more about them and their story), a full coverage on the kingdom, class and genus of Eorzea's creatures, a complete guide to learn all the meaning behind certain races' names (like Roegadyns, check here for a taste of what I'm talking about)... Stuff like this.

- “Prohibited Books”: The Dark Side of the Library, like with Materia Crafting. I'm talking about certain books written in Eorzea's alphabet, that only a True Eorzean could read.


These are just a few ideas, but I could go on and on when I talk about lore-related contents.

Thank you Yoshida-san and colleagues (and community reps, who I hope will forward this atypical request nonetheless) if you can take into consideration this desire to add a similar library in Eorzea, and if there're other lore-interested adventurers out there, let 'em hear your voice as well!

Cloudio Onizuka, historythirsted adventurer

[Holland]

That sounds great. I hope they add this.

And I have also noticed that lore has also been included in most of the sidequests implemented, its always nice to read the sidequests dialogs =D.

[Alzelia]

Great idea!

[Jobeto-Rin]

+1 to OP. I second this

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...edia-of-Eorzea

[Anonymoose]

As one of our resident lore-whores, I wholly support this. Content is a game's body, interaction is it's soul -- but lore is its character. It's a direct reflection of how much effort the team felt their creation was worth - whether they considered it more of a paycheck or more of a representation of their body of art.

It's hard to see in XIV at times due to the game being a disconnected series of individual "Once upon a time..."s, but the lore here is massive, and most of all it's cared for and loved - Ferne's posts really help drive that point home and, IMO, should prevent us from doubting this aspect of the game.

Getting back to your point, when I think of series that are truly loved by their creators, I immediately think of Star Ocean. The games may not be on the cutting edge in any departments, but their character shines through the lore - every item, every monster, and every piece of equipment has a history, an image, and a dictionary entry associated with it. Every lore-related term, every organization, and every person has a dictionary entry about your experiences with them. Every piece of the storyline is documented in the library.

Eorzea could GREATLY benefit from a library like this someday, even if just to explain the terminology and history of the things we take for granted. Much like the bestiary project, I'm totally behind this. I've been pushing for something special in Ishgard for a while (see sig) - my idea was a tavern/garden to hang out in but I'd love something this as well. (As long as the architecture looks like this. DEAR GODS, BRING THIS BACK.)

[Nabiri]

Yes please. :x
I would even love it if we could collect books in game, and store them in housing.

[Onizuka]

I remember that screen, Anonymoose! It would indeed be nice to have such beautiful taverns-gardens in our city-states (or also in certain spots on the map).

Well, I hope this library idea will arrive in Yoshi-P's hands. I'll patiently wait and cross my fingers until then!

[Picoman]

May well be the nicest idea i have heard since in-game Triple Triad.
Can i play Triple Triad in the Library and read the The Raven while sipping a cup of mulled tea?

[Ryel]

This actually sounds like a pretty awesome idea, hope to see this in the works sometime down the line after all of the major fixes are completed.

[Nyx]

This would be a great addition to the game. It would be great to not have to rely on other outside websites to piece the history of Eorzea together. I would love to have all the hard work that the Developers be easily made available to those who want to learn more! (Hey maybe the Circle of Knowing has a headquarters with a library where they store all of the history books!)