Your Thoughts On "Encyclopaedia Eorzea" Books?

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Originally Posted by b00

How did they manage to do that? I've only just recently started looking more into the lore behind this game, and the encyclopaedias look awesome.

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I retracted this in another thread and forgot I said it here too, but I was mistaken.
I was getting my lore books mixed up.

I’m thankful they exist -perfect example, I recently woke up and decided I wanted to know more about the Heavens’ Ward. I learned a tiny bit about one of the dudes from a DRK quest, but online, some kind soul was sharing info they’d picked up from the supplemental material. I welcome any opportunity Square takes to further flesh out this world (well, these worlds).

My issues with them are: availability, price, and shipping.

I've mentioned it before but a 50 USD book, plus a 40 USD shipping fee, for the chance that the package will be stolen before it even reaches my zip code...? I want the physical book, don't get me wrong, the romance of having it on the shelf and pulling it out for cross-referencing something; but I'd happily pay -ok, not FIFTY, maybe 30 bucks- for a digital version I can be sure I'll get immediately instead of relying on the odd quote posted here and there on the interwebs.

In-universe narrator? No problem, even makes me feel more immersed. I don't care if it becomes "retconned" later, even science books have upadted editions as the sum of human knowledge expands.

Well since this was brought up again I might as well give my opinions on it.

I have mixed feelings on them. On one side they are very well done, not cheap looking and provide lots of lore information. On the other hand this stuff should be found in some way in the game itself (I dont really like Bozja that much but its notes system is awesome) and I really dont like that its written from an ingame perspective...

These lore books are often fantastic to be a reliable source for discussions..but thanks to their idea to make it from the scholars view (thus keeping themselves open to change information later down the line) there is always a chance that the information will be outdated and false one day.

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Originally Posted by Alleo

Well since this was brought up again I might as well give my opinions on it.

I have mixed feelings on them. On one side they are very well done, not cheap looking and provide lots of lore information. On the other hand this stuff should be found in some way in the game itself (I dont really like Bozja that much but its notes system is awesome) and I really dont like that its written from an ingame perspective...

These lore books are often fantastic to be a reliable source for discussions..but thanks to their idea to make it from the scholars view (thus keeping themselves open to change information later down the line) there is always a chance that the information will be outdated and false one day.

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About 70-90% of the information in the lorebooks are in the game. (I'd say about 70% for the first lorebook, and 90% for the second lorebook.) It's just that the lorebooks serve as a good way to consolidate that information, rather than have to hunt down obscure leve descriptions and Triple Triad cards. (And there's also a lot of lore in the game that isn't in the lorebooks, due to simple pagecount logistics reasons.)

I'm also a little frustrated with the diegetic viewpoint of the lorebooks, but I accept it as the best way to handle having a printed (ie unpatchable) lorebook at all, since this is a living story which often has to change based on non-story reasons, like game balance. I believe the writing team (Ishikawa and... I think John Crow?) had mentioned before that a lot of the "big revelations" weren't confirmed and planned out at the time the plot hooks had been laid out. The writing team just leave things open-ended in case they can come up with a plotline, and sometimes these pan out, and sometimes not.

Those books are great. Sadly, the only way to read those - for many people - is to get an unofficial PDF. I've been on the waiting list for ages now. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford them at launch. I wish they made a digital version, so this amazing work would be more accessible.

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Originally Posted by YianKutku

About 70-90% of the information in the lorebooks are in the game. (I'd say about 70% for the first lorebook, and 90% for the second lorebook.) It's just that the lorebooks serve as a good way to consolidate that information, rather than have to hunt down obscure leve descriptions and Triple Triad cards. (And there's also a lot of lore in the game that isn't in the lorebooks, due to simple pagecount logistics reasons.)

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Oh I know but I would still love to have a more central place to get them and maybe even more lore through the note system. I will keep dreaming about every single dungeon having one of those, maybe even one for each big boss.

About possible changes: I am fine if some aspects of the lore are a bit flexible but I guess at least stuff from the old ages or for the races should be right. But since this is from an ingame view even that could theoretically change. (Also how do these scholars get all these information on our story? ... Its Tatataru isnt it? She is selling our stories out to these guys!)

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Originally Posted by Alleo

Oh I know but I would still love to have a more central place to get them and maybe even more lore through the note system. I will keep dreaming about every single dungeon having one of those, maybe even one for each big boss.

About possible changes: I am fine if some aspects of the lore are a bit flexible but I guess at least stuff from the old ages or for the races should be right. But since this is from an ingame view even that could theoretically change. (Also how do these scholars get all these information on our story? ... Its Tatataru isnt it? She is selling our stories out to these guys!)

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They got it from the newpapers... lol those journalists are having a field day with the information they use and I bet the wandering Minstrel is adding his own in. Sprinkle in the heavensward book that Count edmont wrote and a dash of Tataru you have the Encyclopedia Eorzea and a lala with a hefty purse!

If anyone doesn't already have a copy, they've announced today that reprints will be available April 12, 2022.

Amazon has both volumes for preorder as well as the Square Enix store! I preordered mine on Amazon today