The Mysteries of Vana 'Diel

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Originally Posted by MDenham

In all honesty, I think it's just a case of "the devs didn't want to program in different vision angles per mob family", and sound aggro wasn't angle-dependent, so they just went with that.

But that's not nearly as entertaining as your explanation. :D

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Thanks for the props :P

You do make a valid point though, and I wouldn't doubt if something like that was indeed a factor. However, I do like to give the original devs credit when it comes to designing the creatures and the environments in the game. Rarely does anything happen by accident. Scenes in a movie, graphics in game, text in a story - it is all planned out, written, re-written, re-drawn until it is the best it's going to be by the deadline.

Wow, this thread is amazing. I just read through the whole thing and I'm fascinated by all of the secrets that Vana'diel has! I never did things like the tablet quests, nor have I done extensive research on different mysteries in either the Midlands or Aht Urghan, so I'm quite impressed after reading all of this. I might just have to go do some exploring myself to renew my interest in Vanadiel. Time to go saddle up my old chocobo, Drumsticks. :O!

That aside, question. What's up with the ruins in Altepa? I know the desert was the Galkan homeland originally before the Anticans came and drove them out, but are the Galkas really that advanced? Or was that another instance of a Zilart era settlement? And what's with the Anticans themselves?

Annnd as I was walking back to my dorm room, something else hit me. I remember that, as part of the avatar quests, a doll would appear and take the memories of those who had given you the tuning forks. It was also part of the SMN AF line, where there was a taru, Uran-Mafran, that used the dolls to try and absorb the power of the Protocrystals (I think? It's been AGES since I've done the SMN AF quest line). What was up with that? What happened to the taru? I didn't do the Waking the Beast quest with Carby Prime if that explains what happened (mostly lack of people to do it with), but I also don't remember the SMN AF storyline either very well if it explained what happened with him. x.x I just remember he was an energy thief draining all of the power from the celestial avatars.

Actually, mid-writing this I decided to go back and watch the cutscenes via Youtube... and now I'm even more confused. D: He lost the Mana Orb but he vanished and said he still has his goals to fulfill and I have no idea what's going on now. x.x

I believe the Quicksand Caves were at least partially constructed by the Zilart, due to the chamber of oracles being there. All the murals and crap though, that was all us. Also, I could be wrong, but I think the ruins used to be above the ground, but the anticans have slowly caused it to sink over the years.

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Originally Posted by Jandel

I was wondering...
Are tarutaru the most clever race in vana?
I mean, with their high INT value... Or is INT specific for magic and not, say, for logic reasoning and so?

Hope the question makes sense O.O

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This reminds me of D&D when it came to INT and WIS. Just replace WIS with MND for simplicity. INT would tell you its raining, MND would tell you to cover yourself. So taru are really booksmart, but don't have the common sense of the Elvaan.

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Originally Posted by Urthdigger

I believe the Quicksand Caves were at least partially constructed by the Zilart, due to the chamber of oracles being there. All the murals and crap though, that was all us. Also, I could be wrong, but I think the ruins used to be above the ground, but the anticans have slowly caused it to sink over the years.

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Nah, the anticans drove the galka away, but their digging and lack of maintenance of the buildings caused the desert to take hold of the area.

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Originally Posted by Kensagaku

Annnd as I was walking back to my dorm room, something else hit me.

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Sorry, brah. I guess my "Indoor Ultimate Frisbee League" idea didn't turn out as well in practice as it seemed in my head when it was 3:50 AM and I was really drunk...

The galkas built and maintained the Quicksand Caves. However they dug too deep and awoke the sleeping Antica who did not take too kindly to having their nest disturbed. You can see how easily the sand is taking hold of the Galka ruins. Its logical to assume that the same thing happened to the old Zilart ruins which are buried deeper beneath the Galkan made ruins.

We have yet to see the actual Antican home - I doubt we ever will.

Alright, heres a few I have been pondering.

#1 What exactly allows adventures to stand on the "water" in Al'Taieu
#2 What is stopping the Antica hordes from wiping out Vana'diel (they number in the millions if i recall)
#3 How did the teleport crystals get to where they are. I once thought it was crystal line related but, Altepa, Yhoater, and the past deny that fact

On Blue Mage, I think a battle against your inner beast would make a great 99 cap Hint* Hint*
On Abyssea Aht Urhgan, Take into consideration Zazarg is in Abyssea - Uleguerand there is a good chance the area was
a) consumed by the darkness of the far east due to the Al'Teiau party failure
b) destroyed by Odin and Alexander in your absence
c) suffered a similar fate to the middle lands

As a final note, not a big mystery but, why do the Hpemde monsters drop High Quality organs more then Normal Quality? Coincidence? or are they somehow more commonly well built making High Quality basically normal quality. But since there is no low quality drops, LQ -> NQ and NQ -> HQ thus explaining the drop rate.

@Zinato Q#2: I think maybe they have no interest in conquest. Did they not fight alongside the Shadow Lord?

I have some questions of my own, though. Like, what is it about a moogle spinning that changes a person's job?
How come plantoids eat beasts?
How come the weather never changes inside cities?
If Galka reproduce by reincarnation, do they...you know, come "equipped"?

Galka are indeed males (stfu haters)

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In an interview column of FFXI Vana'Diel official world guide Vol.1 written by Dengeki Brigade, the Event Director of FFXI, Nobuaki Komoto mentioned in p.133 that galkan sex is male.

Mr. Komoto: (Some lines omitted.) By the way, Galka never lacks sexuality, but they are all males. When you choose your character, he is described as "male", definitely (laugh). There are many people who misunderstand it, so I declare it here.

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They got the "tools" they just don't have the means to make a baby, in short "shoot blanks" but theres gonna be many who are too stubborn & continue to ram it down my throat "GALKA ARE DICKLESS THEY ARE ITS STFU TOHI! THAT PROOF MEANS NOTHING TO US UR JUST LOLMAD"

*ahem*

I don't think Anticans can "sneak" outside Altepa, the only way Antican *could* is if they where taken by others (a male & female) & left to breed, its been done before in the storyline but with a single antica but failed.

Zeid kills the Antican in "Burden of Suspicion" after finding out Engelhart's plan, with trying to have an Ant be an ally within The Bastok Republic. It was also a pretty awesome cs ether way ;p

Good thing in Abyssea they are all dead...Abyssean Antica would be pretty scary AoE mute instead of silence, longer petrifaction or terror...ugh scary lol