Question about Koana (Heavensward Job spoilers)

So, obviously Koana is a Machinist. My question is how...

Machinists did not really exist until the WoL progressed their plot during Heavensward, assisting Stephanivien. At the time, they were obscure, niche, new, and suppressed until WoL does the WoL thing and launches them into the future - removing all obstacles.

Stephanivien's purpose was to arm the commonfolk (of Ishgard) to assist the Knights in the Dragonsong War. Considering time frames are hazy at best, I think it can be safe to assume Koana was still at Sharlayan during this time or long before this time.

Sharlayan is arguably just as isolationist as Ishgard was, at the time - so I dont see how Koana could have picked up Machinist tech and teachings from there.

Does anyone know if there's a lore reason for how Koana became a Machinist in this context? It kinda bugs me, just a little.

He's not a machinist, but his job designation is "Innovator" (if I'm remembering right). He just uses MCH as the closest ingame representationfrom what he has. I never really noticed whether or not he uses unique actions like Alisaie does when healing as a RDM.

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Originally Posted by Elru

So, obviously Koana is a Machinist.

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No he's not.

Guns existed long before Stephanivien. The main thing he's credited for is the aetherotransformer (MCH lunchbox) which converts the users aether to be used as aetherial ammunition or for the other abilities and machines which he also invented.

Koana is just some guy with a gun. Same with the others in Shaaloani.

NPCs get access to disciplines we as PCs don't. Like Alphinaud before EW was an "Academician" which was basically a SCH with a carby rather than fairy, and Merlwyb herself is another gun user before HW even released (the guild even exists in Limsa but is inaccessible to us). I understand the confusion as the Scions have taken jobs from the expansion as their own, sort of implying that any NPC with those abilities is using it, yet Y'shtola also exists in that nebulous "Sorceress" job that's part CNJ, part BLM, and somehow uses a version of AST's Collective Unconscious.

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Originally Posted by MikkoAkure

Guns existed long before Stephanivien. The main thing he's credited for is the aetherotransformer (MCH lunchbox) which converts the users aether to be used as aetherial ammunition or for the other abilities and machines which he also invented.

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And even this is kind of up in the air since we can find lunchbox guns in Ktisis Hyerboreia pre-sundering. (Perhaps Stephanivien is the sundered soul of the ancient that created them in ages past?)

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Originally Posted by Sinstrel

And even this is kind of up in the air since we can find lunchbox guns in Ktisis Hyerboreia pre-sundering. (Perhaps Stephanivien is the sundered soul of the ancient that created them in ages past?)

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There's a really persistent misunderstanding (which also comes out when people complain about "all the lunchboxes having the same design") that the box is a paired item found with the gun. This is not the case – it is a single persistent device that we keep with us and use in conjunction with acquired guns.

Ultimately it boils down LESS to lore reasons and more "NPC has gun; do we have dev resources to dedicate for a different style of guns? -->Yes? --> Merlwyb; No? --> MCH stock design"

Nothing more to it than that.

As other has said, he is not. However, to add to what others said this is a result of NPCs getting unique jobs that have similar traits to jobs.

This has been a thing since 2.X era as some NPCs end up training themselves so well they developing skills similar to Jobs.

Some may even end up create their own unique job for themselves that do not use Job stones.

Koana is just another one of these cases. He trained himself to master technology in Sharlayan as a way to fight which resulted in him ending up developing similar skills to Machinists.

His limit break is also a stronger version of Checkmate.