So I keep pondering on something regarding locations

Where exactly are Rolanberry Fields and Mamook at in the world? Rolanberries reference growing in the first, and Mammok Pears reference the second.

But these are Vana'diel zones. I can only think of a couple reasons:

1. Shantotto just randomly tosses rolanberries and Mamook pears into Eorzea using the same spell she used to get there.

2. Vana'diel exists in FFXIV. Crossovers are frequently referenced in the game (Doma, Students of Baldeseon, etc.) and could mean all FF worlds are part of FFXIV.

3. These locations actually exist on their own somewhere with no relation.

What are your thoughts? Would you want to visit these areas in FFXIV?

Third one would be the answer. All FF's aren't here, just a lot of references. These would be one of those.

A few days ago, my roommate and I were watching the movie Maverick. There was a scene where Mel Gibson's character got mugged by a bandit. The bandit was played by Danny Glover. Mel Gibson's character pulled the bandit's mask off, and there was a moment where the two of them looked at each other suspiciously, as if they knew each other from somewhere, then they both went "Nah..." as if it couldn't be him.

This was a cute, tongue-in-cheek "meta" reference to a different movie, Lethal Weapon, in which Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were partner cops. It doesn't mean the two movies took place in the same world, or that their characters in Maverick actually knew each other. They seemed to have some familiarity for that instant in the movie, but there was no actual relationship in the canon of the plot. The director just thought it would be fun to throw in there, for the audience.

It's the same here. Half of FFXIV is references to stuff in other Final Fantasy games. Sometimes they work it well into the actual story (Magitek, chocobos, everything having to do with Crystal Tower, etc.) and sometimes it breaks the fourth wall and shouldn't be taken too seriously (Shantotto, Lightning).

MMORPGs are especially notorious for being a huge collection of pop culture and "meta" references, especially in quest names and items. This is part of what makes them so fun and clever, but unfortunately, it also contributes to a feeling that MMO stories aren't "real" or don't matter. As much as I enjoy FFXIV, and the references to other FF games add to that enjoyment, I also sort of feel like Eorzea is not a "real" place. It sometimes just feels like a basin of FF references from other games I played before.

More importantly, how did rolanberries change from weird tree-growing giant berry-pod-things to strawberries?