Lack of Uniqueness in Towns

Is it just me, or do the cities feel more like Theme orientated than race?

For instance -
Gridania - Forest / Nature City
Uldah - Rough Brick/Metal City in the middle of the desert
Limsa - Fisherman City

I'm not one for segregation and enjoy the mixture of races in the towns, but one of the things that always felt "Final Fantasy" was the very slight nod of racial pure towns, For Example:

FFX - Mt Gagazet - Home of the Ronso Tribe
Guadosalam - Home of the Guado

FFIX - Black Mage Village - Home of the Black Mages
Cleyra - Home to the Cleyrians

I'm not trying to be facist, i swear :P. But these themes of "birth place" we're exceeding predominant in the towns. Of course it helped that we head storylines/characters in our party to go with them.

Towns also had a certain touch of uniqueness to them, in a way that made them feel that each city had something of their own to give. I feel that I feel FFXIV lacks this.

EG: FFIX Burmecia - Realm of Eternal Rain (Town is in ruins and it is always raining, in a sense that the gods themselves are weeping for the loss of their home and its people)

FFVII - Costa del sol - A Summery Resort town - A place to "relax and unwind". You could even buy our own "Beach House".

I can go on and on with more examples, but you guys get the idea.

It seems that Final Fantasy series, that had multiple races, always had that town which belonged to that race. And you always entered/left feeling like a tourist in a foreign city. I like that explorative feeling.

I suppose in some senses, Gridania has that, with their own unique race and their intollerant views of "outsiders of the forest"

So i'd like to see Cities/towns that had a purpouse, other than just host NPCS. Make them interactive, unique, interesting. Make them memorable.

I think one reason it might feel this way is because Eorzea isn't really a "homeland" for any of the races.

Unless my understanding of the lore fails me, Eorzea was kind of a backwater frontier that the 5 races traveled to around the same time and started to populate and uh, "civilize" (is that the right word?)

It would be interesting to see a few areas populated mostly by one race, with notable distinctions in architecture and style, but for the most part Eorzea is kind of a melting pot.

(And since Highlanders are supposed to be the first people to populate Eorzea, we should definitely get our own special towns! :D )

Maybe in future expansions, if/when we get content outside of Eorzea, they could have cities that were founded by one specific race that are really unique in their aesthetic to match that race. That would be pretty cool :)

Yeah i'm a little vague on originations and the lore surrounding this.

I think in some ways making towns look racially specific when we have 2 "tribes" of each race, is a little more difficult, but still gives a great oppurtunity to do so.

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Originally Posted by Vaen

I think one reason it might feel this way is because Eorzea isn't really a "homeland" for any of the races.

Unless my understanding of the lore fails me, Eorzea was kind of a backwater frontier that the 5 races traveled to around the same time and started to populate and uh, "civilize" (is that the right word?)

It would be interesting to see a few areas populated mostly by one race, with notable distinctions in architecture and style, but for the most part Eorzea is kind of a melting pot.

(And since Highlanders are supposed to be the first people to populate Eorzea, we should definitely get our own special towns! :D )

Maybe in future expansions, if/when we get content outside of Eorzea, they could have cities that were founded by one specific race that are really unique in their aesthetic to match that race. That would be pretty cool :)

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Yea, none of the races orginated here. Also we have to remember we're on like the 7th reset of nations and cultures, which gives a huge amount of time for intermingling and change. I'd be cool with expansions in the future seeing areas of origins, or new races

I was talking to my LS about this very thing this morning, although I was suggesting a bit more lore on the races and how they came to co-exist peacefully together. Were there wars? How did they Unite into a melting pot of races. What is the society of each race like? Is there racial tension between certain races?

I don't RP but I love the details :D, gets my creative side going.

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Originally Posted by Razorboi82

I was talking to my LS about this very thing this morning, although I was suggesting a bit more lore on the races and how they came to co-exist peacefully together. Were there wars? How did they Unite into a melting pot of races. What is the society of each race like? Is there racial tension between certain races?

I don't RP but I love the details :D, gets my creative side going.

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Actually speaking of this, I was hoping that in the future we would be able to use our power of the echo more effectively and be able to travel back in time multiple generations, take place in their fights/struggles, claim loot from generations past, and learn more, rather than just flashback cutscenes. They could basically multiply their content for any areas, by coming up with new storylines/famous characters for the various umbral/astral eras.

First, let's just pause a moment here to say that each city will be redrawn for 2.0 and more towns will be added.

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Originally Posted by Avraym

Is it just me, or do the cities feel more like Theme orientated than race?

For instance -
Gridania - Forest / Nature City
Uldah - Rough Brick/Metal City in the middle of the desert
Limsa - Fisherman City

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That's the whole point, Eorzea is not the birthplace of the 5 races. Some players already mentioned it, Eorzea was colonized by the 5 races in the past and over time became big hubs of mixed races. Of course, each city has a predominant race in its history, but that's no longer the case (with some possible exceptions).

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Originally Posted by Avraym

I'm not one for segregation and enjoy the mixture of races in the towns, but one of the things that always felt "Final Fantasy" was the very slight nod of racial pure towns, For Example:

FFX - Mt Gagazet - Home of the Ronso Tribe
Guadosalam - Home of the Guado

FFIX - Black Mage Village - Home of the Black Mages
Cleyra - Home to the Cleyrians

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What about the Beastmen places? They are pure race towns/strongholds. Also, we will probably see a little bit more of that in 2.0. Maybe we'll see real cities for the beastmen rather than simple strongholds erected in the wild, or real towns for the friendly ones like the Qiquirns, Sylphs and Goblins.

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Originally Posted by Avraym

I'm not trying to be facist, i swear :P. But these themes of "birth place" we're exceeding predominant in the towns. Of course it helped that we head storylines/characters in our party to go with them.

Towns also had a certain touch of uniqueness to them, in a way that made them feel that each city had something of their own to give. I feel that I feel FFXIV lacks this.

EG: FFIX Burmecia - Realm of Eternal Rain (Town is in ruins and it is always raining, in a sense that the gods themselves are weeping for the loss of their home and its people)

FFVII - Costa del sol - A Summery Resort town - A place to "relax and unwind". You could even buy our own "Beach House".

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Wait for Ishgard, it should bring that "uniqueness" feeling. Also, with the redesign of 2.0 we'll have a casino at one point and other fun features like that to bring out these feelings in Eorzea. They are making the 2.0 maps in zones exactly for that reason: exciting uniqueness.

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Originally Posted by Avraym

I can go on and on with more examples, but you guys get the idea.

It seems that Final Fantasy series, that had multiple races, always had that town which belonged to that race. And you always entered/left feeling like a tourist in a foreign city. I like that explorative feeling.

I suppose in some senses, Gridania has that, with their own unique race and their intolerant views of "outsiders of the forest"

So i'd like to see Cities/towns that had a purpose, other than just host NPCS. Make them interactive, unique, interesting. Make them memorable.

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Yup, Gridania sure has this feeling, slightly. I wish they made the city really xenophobic to outsiders, needing to complete a cleansing quest before being able to enter. As for Limsa Lominsa, being ambushed by bandits in dark alleys at night (yes, little random fights in town! Or at least something to increase the feeling of a "scum hub").

Right now, these exciting feelings are lessened for multiple reasons. The devs know it, Yoshi-P knows it, that's why they decided to redraw the whole map!! :D
Hopefully, in the upcoming months, we'll get to see images and features of the cities in-game in order to throw in our feedback before it becomes a final product hard to change. ;)

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Originally Posted by Nakiamiie

First, let's just pause a moment here to say that each city will be redrawn for 2.0 and more towns will be added.

That's the whole point, Eorzea is not the birthplace of the 5 races. Some players already mentioned it, Eorzea was colonized by the 5 races in the past and over time became big hubs of mixed races. Of course, each city has a predominant race in its history, but that's no longer the case (with some possible exceptions).


What about the Beastmen places? They are pure race towns/strongholds. Also, we will probably see a little bit more of that in 2.0. Maybe we'll see real cities for the beastmen rather than simple strongholds erected in the wild, or real towns for the friendly ones like the Qiquirns, Sylphs and Goblins.


Wait for Ishgard, it should bring that "uniqueness" feeling. Also, with the redesign of 2.0 we'll have a casino at one point and other fun features like that to bring out these feelings in Eorzea. They are making the 2.0 maps in zones exactly for that reason: exciting uniqueness.


Yup, Gridania sure has this feeling, slightly. I wish they made the city really xenophobic to outsiders, needing to complete a cleansing quest before being able to enter. As for Limsa Lominsa, being ambushed by bandits in dark alleys at night (yes, little random fights in town! Or at least something to increase the feeling of a "scum hub").

Right now, these exciting feelings are lessened for multiple reasons. The devs know it, Yoshi-P knows it, that's why they decided to redraw the whole map!! :D
Hopefully, in the upcoming months, we'll get to see images and features of the cities in-game in order to throw in our feedback before it becomes a final product hard to change. ;)

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I agree with a lot of what you say, but, you have to remember the beastman tribes function exactly the same way. Little to no interactivity, unless you count automatic doors and coffers (which again function the same way). Some individualism or unqiueness would be nice.

All towns/areas only have 1 purpose, which is the same.

Regardless, i personally cannot wait for zone redesigns. Oddly enough, i look forward to this more than content.

Some lore to chew on, which should help to provide some background to build the discussion off of.



Eorzea:

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FINAL FANTASY XIV takes the first intrepid steps into an unknown realm, and in doing so a new place for adventurers of all creeds to call home is born - Eorzea.

In the world of Hydaelyn, the term Eorzea denotes the geographical region comprised of the continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands, as well as the civilization which spawned there.

Calling the area home are several independent city-states, the most notable being Limsa Lominsa, bustling port and pirate hub; Ul'dah, a desert city rich in mineral wealth; Gridania, nested deep within an ageless wood; and Ishgard, bastion atop the mountains.

Throughout the realm can be found climates both harsh and mild, as diverse as the skies are vast. Bleak, desolate landscapes stretch to uncharted horizons, their uninviting expanses yet to be traversed. Colossal monstrosities stalk the land, as if mountains primeval had somehow stirred and risen. Of all the things Eorzea may be said to be, hospitable is not among them.

In the past, the city-states battled tirelessly, vying for domination and hegemony. Death-mongering beast tribes molested the land unchecked, leaving only destruction in their wake. Unseen enemies lurked beyond the borders, striking at the slightest provocation or show of weakness. The history of Eorzea is a tapestry woven of war and strife, stained with the blood of those gone before, and the tears and ash of fallen endeavor.

And yet the love the gods bear this unforgiving land endures, now as always. What is the allure of this seemingly forsaken place? With what hope and to what end do would-be inhabitants journey here to live out their days?

The answer lies with that which gives form to Hydaelyn and all myriad creation in it--crystals. The cornerstone of all things, it is these crystallized manifestations of the aether that beckon the people to come, risking all in the undertaking.

And so it is that adventurers too have hearkened the call--to bear witness to the epic set to unfold in this land.

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Source: http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Lore



Races:

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The Hyur
-said to have traveled to Eorzea from surrounding continents and islands around 1000 years ago. (char creation)
-most populous race in Eorzea (char creation)

Midlander
-over half of Eorzea's Hyur population (char creation)
-generally more educated than other races due to being trained in literacy at a young age (char creation)
-have an intrinsic ability to adapt and borrow from other cultures (Merewina)

Highlanders
-first Hyur to reach Eorzea (char creation)
-name derives from a tradition of building strongholds in the mountains (vavaki)


Lalafell
-came from the islands of the south seas where they were they had lived an agricultural lifestyle (char creation).

Plainsfolk
-their home islands are flat (char creation)
-they lived in traditional thatched huts connected by intricate underground passageways (char creation)
-very sensitive hearing (char creation)

Dunesfolk
-history of life in the desert (vavaki)
-native dwellings are built onto the back of beasts of burden which allowed them to go across the deserts of the island they call home (char creation)


Roegadyn
-majority belong to the Sea Wolf clan (char creation)

Sea Wolf
-Sea Wolves were a band of brutal pirates who would attack coastal villages and ships in the past (char creation)
-originally came from the islands in the far north sea where they still exist as fishers (char creation)

Hellsguard
-from the northern mountains of Abalathia's Spine (vavaki)
-the mountains are made up of volcanoes which has resulted in them developing rugged bodies and steely resilience over time(vavaki)


Miqo'te
-their ancestors came during the age of Endless Frost, crossing the frozen seas to pursue the wildlife they lived off of (char creation)

Moonseeker
-nocturnal and lovers of the night, they worship Menphina the Lover, goddess of the moon (char creation)

Seekers of the Sun
-lean and flexible but incredibly strong and have great stamina. Amazing at almost any physical act. (vavaki)


Elzen
-were the original inhabitants of Eorzea (char creation)
-traditionally nomadic (char creation)
-believe Eorzea to belong to them by divine right (char creation)
-long history of conflict with the Hyur when they began arriving, as they saw it as an invasion of sorts (char creation)

Wildwood
-the Wildwood Elzen adapted to the forests in order to fight the Hyur who they saw as invaders stealing their god-given land (char creation)
-have lived in Eorzea's forests for 100s of years (char creation) 900 years to be exact (Prosperlain)
-many left the forests once the Eorzean City States arose (char creation)
-Duskwights call them Greens for their love of the forest (char creation)

Duskwight
-the Duskwight Elzen hid in the caves and subterrane avoiding any conflict or contact with the Hyur. (char creation)
-called the Greys by the Wildwood due to their preference for darkness and stone (char creation)

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Source: http://blackrabbit2999.blogspot.com/...ation-and.html

Hmph. I knew those Elezen were shady.

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Elezen
-were the original inhabitants of Eorzea (char creation)
-believe Eorzea to belong to them by divine right (char creation)
-long history of conflict with the Hyur when they began arriving, as they saw it as an invasion of sorts (char creation)

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What, not enough room for the rest of us in this huge, sparsely populated continent? :0