Gridanian Religion vs Reality: How much do the Hearers really hear?

[Viridiana]

So yeah, just because post-Calamity might show part of it looking healthier (Southern Thanalan especially remains barren), doesn't mean it was like that five years before.

Of course, certain parts of Thanalan also experience so much rain these days that I'd be hesitant to call it a desert at all.

[Haprimac]

Of course, certain parts of Thanalan also experience so much rain these days that I'd be hesitant to call it a desert at all.

Tell me about it... I find it ironic how they call East Thanalan's camp "Drybone", when it's always raining.

[FJerome]

Yes

As example:

That still looks pretty healthy for a desert, though? Compare that to bits of Mojave National Park.

This isn't really on SE, it's pretty standard fantasy convention that desert and swamp = corrupted and bad since you can make them pretty hostile to the lead character. However the native plant and wildlife feel about it is never really considered.

Of course, certain parts of Thanalan also experience so much rain these days that I'd be hesitant to call it a desert at all.

It'd be cool if they'd open up some of the unfinished areas of the map and have flash floods there, maybe a bit like the CT rising waters mechanic.

[RickiFake02]

That still looks pretty healthy for a desert, though? Compare that to bits of Mojave National Park.

All three of those desert pics still look pretty healthy to me. I mean sure, they aren't lush green forest, but there are still plants and things growing among the sand and rocks!

[Catapult]

It might be better compared to the African savannah or Australian outback than to a stereotypical desert.
It is certainly still a drier environment by comparison.

[Skyhound]

I don't see what's the confusion with Thanalan, it's overall climate seems perfectly in line with a Group B region (Arid to semi-arid) on the Koppen scale. The more healthy areas are simply steppes as opposed to actual deserts. If anything, it would make scientifically less sense if ALL of Thanalan were desert.

[AspectOfWinter]

WHM storyline spoiler:

Early on in the storyline, Raya-O-Senna preaches to you to never give in to anger, as White Magic is supposed to be used against such negative emotions. Yet not only does her brother have no qualms against voicing his contempt at the idea of a common adventurer participating in the cleansing ritual, but during the quest where you discover A-Towa-Cant's grave has been robbed, Raya actually becomes the very type of person she describes as the antithesis of WHMs - she gets extremely angry, and even threatens physical violence against her Moogle minions if they don't help her find the culprit.

If Gridania's treatment of others matched its preaching of peace and harmony, it would be my favorite city-state. Unfortunately for the Padjal and the Elezen, it doesn't.

[JeniLinsky]

That still looks pretty healthy for a desert, though?

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I grew up in Southern Arizona, which is part of the Great Sonoran Desert. Parts of it are pretty lush, in comparison to what you've posted there from the Mojave. I don't find the Thanalan scenery to be at all out of scale with the deserts with which I am familiar. Now, the rain in Camp Moistbone... that is out of scale, unless the climate is changing there. But if the climate is changing, perhaps all the quest and leve texts describing how people there would kill for a drink of water needs to be revised?

[Lucke]

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I grew up in Southern Arizona, which is part of the Great Sonoran Desert. Parts of it are pretty lush, in comparison to what you've posted there from the Mojave. I don't find the Thanalan scenery to be at all out of scale with the deserts with which I am familiar. Now, the rain in Camp Moistbone... that is out of scale, unless the climate is changing there. But if the climate is changing, perhaps all the quest and leve texts describing how people there would kill for a drink of water needs to be revised?

I lived in Phoenix for 4 years. Thanalan is pretty close, needs more cacti though. There was lots of rain in Drybone cause SE wanted to show off the rain effects, so each zone got like 200% chance of rain. Should be back to normal by now.

[Naria]

<snip>

The funny thing is compared to 1.0 she has calmed down a lot.