The Azim Steppe and Further.

I've loved the Azim Steppe since SB launched. I love it's design, location, the tribes that inhabit it. It really gives me the sense of the world I imagined when I would roam the overworld in the early Final Fantasys. I do hope that the bridges in the Steppe get built, and the northwest location opens up to expand on this loaction. It's sights so open and beautiful, I spend most of my time there. I just wanted to give my thoughts in the official forums in hopes that the devs know how highly I think of this zone, and my hopes that they will expand on the lore and are in the future. What are your thoughts?

Agreed; it's one of my favourite zones in the game! Gave me memories of the Cerobi Steppe and the Tchita Uplands from XII. I am hoping we get to see of the Hingashi mainland, though, and a proper Raen settlement.

If you love exploring the landscape for the sake of it, I have to recommend the game Shadow of the Colossus (PS2/PS3, or recently remade for PS4) - a beautiful open overworld that I've spent so much time exploring. (Oh, and there's something about fighting giant monsters...) The Azim Steppe really reminds me of it.

I'd like if we got to see the regions neighboring the Azim Steppe some day, particularly the Nhaama Desert or the wastelands to the north of the Fang Mountains.

Even those inhospitable climes are home to Xaela tribes of their own.

The Burn is supposed to be near the Steppe right? Might be we end up going through some more of the area before ending up in Garlean territory next xpac.

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Originally Posted by Dualblade

The Burn is supposed to be near the Steppe right?

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The Burn is west of Nagxia. The Nhaama Desert is north over a serious mountain range, so I highly doubt we'd go there via the Steppe.

I actually find it kind of boring in comparison to other areas. The landscape is generally flat, barren and featureless, apart from the giant cereal bowl, which is a shame because I find the lore behind the various Xaela tribes really interesting. I'd been hoping there'd be more tribes present to make it feel as lively and diverse as what we've heard, it would have been a nice change from the empty zones we're used to.

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Originally Posted by Annana

The Burn is east of Nagxia. The Nhaama Desert is north over a serious mountain range, so I highly doubt we'd go there via the Steppe.

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My mistake then, thanks!

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Originally Posted by Annana

The Burn is east of Nagxia. The Nhaama Desert is north over a serious mountain range, so I highly doubt we'd go there via the Steppe.

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Actually Nagxia is east of the Burn, and also south, assuming all the clouded area in that region is part of Nagxia. Either way, it's all visible on the world map - the Burn is a huge desert area surrounded by either mountains or water and only a narrow pass into Nagxia. Unless it's a tactical 'back door' into Garlemald I'm not sure it's a good way of getting anywhere.

There's a visible area of Nagxia, south of Doma, so it's possible we might end up there in a future patch? Since, like the Burn, it's been visible since the start of Stormblood but not visited in the course of the main game.

You will get more lore about the Azim Steppes during the Nanazu Beast tribe storyline. It is quite fun and funny while expanding on the lore of the area.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

Actually Nagxia is east of the Burn

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Don't mind me, just getting my compass directions flipped.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

the Burn is a huge desert area

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Isn't the Burn an area of land almost entirely drained of aether? It's a little more extreme than a desert, considering just how lifeless it is.

The Azim Steppe was probably one of the only maps in SB that really got my attention and that I really liked. (Maybe because I am a Xaela) I would love to have more lore from it and its tribes but it seems that at least the namazu beast tribes help with that.

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Originally Posted by Annana

Isn't the Burn an area of land almost entirely drained of aether? It's a little more extreme than a desert, considering just how lifeless it is.

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It is. I was just talking in terms of looking at it on the map illustration - a big area of cracked dry earth, craters and giant sandworms. Maybe people have just glanced at the map without deciphering the labels, and assumed that area was the Nhaama Desert, but it's clearly labeled as the Burn.

Can't agree with this thread enough. I would kill to have the area beyond the broken bridge accessible, as well as the mountains to the north and the Nhaama Desert to the west, since we know there are Xaela tribes that call those areas home. (A third clan of Au Ra was also mentioned by Koji at one point, no? I would LOVE to see them confirm that via one of these remote regions.) I just hope those places don't get the Xelphatol treatment and just end up being dungeons. .-.