What's Next? Story/Level/Class?

[Anonymoose]

Moose its more than five out of seven. In addition there is Xelphatol, a region of mountains and cliffs and valleys; as well as Paglth'an - a sananah it would seem; & then there are the island chains of the Cieldalaes. Heck the island chain alone could comprise of three zones. Think ffxi introducing Buburimu or Tavnazia all on the same continent.

Looking at it again, I might even lower the number, lol. Based on the language clues, I've just taken it for granted that three of those regions are Beast Tribe Strongholds that are being held back for high-level content: Xelphatol (Ixal), Paglth'an (Amalj'aa), and O'Ghomoro (Kobold). The Sahagin likely have one that's off the main map and beneath the waves of the Rhotano Sea / Indigo Deep, the Sylphs don't seem to have built one, being new to the aggressive expansion game, and, as far as we know, the Gigants(?) haven't summoned Shiva, yet.

At least, that's the balance I'm seeing on the map, there are, of course, other interpretations.

When I gave the ratio, I meant that, when you take the above into account, it seems likely that the ruins of (Sharlayan + Dravania) and (Ala Migho + Gyr Abania) seem to be the two remaining groups akin to (Ishgard + Coerthas), (Limsa Lominsa + La Nosca), (Ul'dah + Thanalan), and (Gridania + The Black Shroud). Seems more like 4/6 + the great tribe cities.

We briefly visited the Cieldalaes in Version 1.0 and they were quite small. There's not much to explore at all; they were just battlegrounds used by the Maelstrom to train recruits. I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a PVP zone.

I know EVERYONE is so gung ho on the Thief Idea.... I don't get it.

with zero need for a dps puller and no need to camp xp, and dungeons becoming well trained, repetitive rote what is the point of a scout/thief?

Yoshi-P has all but beaten us over the head with a macuahuitl that has a flag attached to it saying, "MUSKETEER AND A SCOUT CLASS ARE BASICALLY OBLIGATIONS FOR THE FIRST EXPANSION" at this point. When you strip away the parts of THF that are best fit for solo play and ignore that it a great camp puller in FFXI, there are a few assumptions about it that could be fairly made.

• A "striking" class (as opposed to maiming, aiming, fending, etc.).
• Based in high skill-speed and combos
• From a class that serves as a foundation for dual wielding
• Focused on enmity manipulation and high-damage combo finishers...

More or less, some people just want to play a job that feels like thief. </shrug>

At this point, my imagination makes it sound like MNK, but building to hard hitters instead of maintaining steady damage, using positioning and timing instead of debuffs and stacks. Perhaps THF has a lot of hate generation attached to it and will actually take hate and die / kill others if it doesn't position and distract properly. It'd be one of the few jobs capable of attacking from the front with its high evasion and trick attack. Perhaps some attacks have to come from behind the tank.

The only thing that's unclear is what makes it thiefly. Mobs hit by thieves in dungeons drop more gil? Small chance for chests to drop two items? Treasure Hunter for farming mats? Stealing as luck-based mechanism where what you steal influences what combo branches you can move through? I'm still holding out hope for them to bring back Chemist - maybe the "scout/rogue thing" can be a job brancher and we'll get something a la Rikku from FFX. I loved that MNK + THF + CHM mix.

I digress...

[RolandDebreton]

"MUSKETEER AND A SCOUT CLASS ARE BASICALLY OBLIGATIONS FOR THE FIRST EXPANSION" at this point....."

"More or less, some people just want to play a job that feels like thief. </shrug>....."

This is exactly what I'm thinking about it. Having said so, its fine, this is the Final Fantasy fan service. I just hope they do make it its own thing.

what makes it thiefly. Mobs hit by thieves in dungeons drop more gil? Small chance for chests to drop two items? Treasure Hunter for farming mats? Stealing as luck-based mechanism where what you steal influences what combo branches you can move through?

I am hoping they allow dynamics like this, but I'm terrified we'll fall back into our same mistakes from XI where some poor schlub becomes the token, "Thief" on the off chance he'll get them an extra drop from the BC chest, and aside from a gimmick or two the job is just a terrible DPS.

[Anonymoose]

I am hoping they allow dynamics like this, but I'm terrified we'll fall back into our same mistakes from XI

They've been pretty good about making the classes have balanced usefulness if you play them well and don't stack all the same job. Needless to say, though, a lot of people are waiting for jobs like RDM, THF, and SAM, and Team Yoshi-P have shown that if the classic feel of the class doesn't have as much use as it once did in MMOs, that they're not afraid to shake it up. Not everyone is going to be pleased. The big one I'm worried about is Red Mage. It has to be in the game at some point. It's a major FF identity, but in XI they completely ruined the aspect of a magic-based front-line "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" DPS and made it a God.

[Kyan]

We briefly visited the Cieldalaes in Version 1.0 and they were quite small. There's not much to explore at all; they were just battlegrounds used by the Maelstrom to train recruits. I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a PVP zone.

Well, we do know that the rich and gregarious Gegeruju has a holiday home in the Cieldalaes. And there must be some sort of township or community: Gegeruju's chef is a native of the region and has recipes which were developed from the native flora of the Cieldalaes (information from Botanist leves in Costa Del Sol, as listed in the Wider World of Hydaelyn thread).

[Catapult]

and, as far as we know, the Gigants(?) haven't summoned Shiva, yet.

Woah there, buddy. We don't know what is summoning Shiva yet. The Mor Dhona sidequests show the gigants consider the crystal tower sacred. I think there is definitely something going on there, but it's not Shiva.

I seem to recall a dev/loc member saying at some point that the tribe summoning Shiva was not yet in the game (I'll see if I can find it), so that is why my money is currently on the people of Doma, Othard.

[Anonymoose]

I seem to recall a dev/loc member saying at some point that the tribe summoning Shiva was not yet in the game (I'll see if I can find it), so that is why my money is currently on the people of Doma, Othard.

Hence the question mark; I haven't seen any indication that gives one theory credence over another, considering Shiva's a ways away. Gigants are just kind of my mental place-holder considering they're a beast tribe from a snowy region of aether-rich Eorzea, the last room of Copperbell is the Cold Throne, and Crystal Tower looks like a giant icicle. As you say, though, that interview quote swiftly tosses that theory out if we can find it.

The Garlean Empire was able to conquer all of Othard without ever seeing a primal (getting my damn continents confused again, lol); do you figure that's why the Doma have come to Eorzea? That quote you mentioned refers to a beast tribe, no? So the Doma are a "beast tribe" as opposed to a "civilized race?" Perhaps feigning the seeking of asylum in hopes of settling enough of their tribe on Eorzean soil to summon one of these mythical demigods capable of felling Imperial plans? How do you get her home? What about all the poor souls who've already decided that they're bunny girls? If you're right, and birds are associated with the air, salamanders with fire, and moles with earth... what creatures are associated with ice (SNOW BUNNIES!)? Perhaps we can figure out what's under that cowl in terms of your theory. <cracks open Pliny the Ender's Naturalis Historia>

[Catapult]

The Garlean Empire was able to conquer all of Othard without ever seeing a primal.

I feel bad doing this...

The eastern nations were the first to feel the newborn empire's mighty fist. It was during this campaign that the emperor witnessed firsthand the destruction wrought by the primals—an experience that led to an imperial mandate for their annihilation.

That quote you mentioned refers to a beast tribe, no? So the Doma are a "beast tribe" as opposed to a "civilized race?" If you're right, and birds are associated with the air, salamanders with fire, and moles with earth... what creatures are associated with ice (SNOW BUNNIES!)? Perhaps we can figure out what's under that cowl in terms of your theory. <cracks open Pliny the Ender's Naturalis Historia>

That is the idea I'm running with. The Doma lady is certainly dressed warmly. Penguins?

We also need to recall Minfilia's approach to the "beast" tribes, wishing we could all get along. It would be a magnificent plot point if she had befriended an untempered member of Shiva's tribe.

[Anonymoose]

I feel bad doing this...

Bah, been too long since I picked up the Raven's tomes. Getting my Ilsabard and Othard mixed up again, lol. Okay, reset button: this plays back to why it was important that the Raven piece couldn't claim that all of Othard was conquered - a few nations on the far eastern shores held out. This makes sense then. Still digging into what the tribe could be based on.

Gonna take a while for me to get over the idea of a lob-eared snow bunny, which would be the best race to summon Shiva ever

[Catapult]

Gonna take a while for me to get over the idea of a lob-eared snow bunny, which would be the best race to summon Shiva ever

Does this help?

They began asking us about a northern tribe of giants who seemed to be intent upon summoning a primal with a, "most icy disposition."

It is certainly plausible, but we have to remember that the Eorzean media is not all knowing. They are, like all newspapers, want to publish rumour and speculation that makes a really good story.

[Kyan]

a few nations on the far eastern shores held out.

I'm not so sure I agree, at least concerning the nation of Doma. The official 2.2 website says this under Yugiri's image:

Hailing from the nation of Doma on the shores of Othard, Yugiri and her countrymen have fled their war-torn home and the oppression of Garlean rule in search of refuge.