XI vs XIV Lore - similarities and differences

[TinyRedLeaf]

I'll just copy-and-paste something I posted on another forum, way back in October 2010.

Discovery Age is probably one of the best ways to describe Eorzea's overall world theme. In that sense, it offers something different from Vana'diel, which had a heavier emphasis on nationalism and ethnic rivalries.

I've always been fascinated with how the Final Fantasy franchise adapts real-world issues into the storylines of its games. In the case of Vana'diel, it incorporated issues as diverse as capitalistic greed (Bastok's plutocratic merchants), racial tensions (the humes' disdain for the typically working-class galka), xenophobia (the infuriating ethnic chauvinism of San d'Oria's elvaan), misplaced patriotism (the over-proud elvaan aristocracy, clinging stubbornly to fading glory) and environmental degradation (the priaries around Windhurst, slowly being wrecked by an experiment gone awry).

By the time players first enter FFXI, Vana'diel had already undergone an entire generation of socio-cultural and political upheaval. The Crystal War that nearly destroyed all civilisation 20 years prior to the start of the game is comparable, in a way, to World War II in our reality: It marked the complete end of one way of life and the beginning of something entirely new. Vana'diel's Age of Adventurers was a time of unprecedented social mobility, as men and women of all races and nationalities mixed freely, fighting the remnants of beastmen tribes that still openly roamed the land.

To a certain extent, the airship was a symbol of the new era. The flying machines were introduced to Vana'diel shortly after the start of the Crystal War, revived by the Grand Duchy of Jeuno and improved upon by Cid, Bastok's engineer extraordinaire. The airships facilitated the crumbling of national borders and connected former rival cities together in a vast network with Jeuno, the leading power of the new world order, serving as the hub of all trade and travel.

As a young adventurer visiting each of the nations early in the game's storyline, you could immediately sense the differences in culture and political attitude between them. It gave the world a sense of history and reality, making Vana'diel feel plausible.

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Eorzea, to me, is a subtly different world because of the heavier emphasis on individual enterprise and endeavour. The continent, in a way, feels like the Africa of our world, a vast land of rich, untapped resources. The individual city-states embrace a frontiersmen-like work ethic. National pride does not appear to matter as much as individual advancement through dedication to one's chosen profession.

Overall, there also seems to be a stronger environmental theme, as all three main plots appear to hint at a major disturbance in the natural balance, thus awakening mythical creatures that threaten to bring apocalyptic ruin to the world.

And unlike Vana'diel, which had already sustained and survived a world war, Eorzea had not yet been actually invaded. The threat of attack by the Garlean Empire, with its superior technology such as airships and apparently advanced firearms, is always looming in the background. But, as hinted in FFXIV's opening movie, the imperial forces appear to be kept at bay, for the time being, by primal forces. What those primal forces may be, the player-adventurers will probably one day discover as they delve deeper into the game's plot.

Needless to say, my observations from 2010 about Eorzea will have to be adjusted. I'll post them a little later.

[AspectOfWinter]

One of the things I really noticed about FFXIV compared to the single player FFs (that I played) is the way many NPCs have zero respect for the Player Character - in fact, entire Class storylines and sections of the Main Scenario story revolve around you being harassed, beaten, and even manipulated by questgivers and city-state governments alike. According to some other people, this was very much the case in XI as well.

But in XIV, much of it seems to be because Adventurers in general are freedom-loving, and hence they've acquired a reputation for being untrustworthy. In a game like WoW, by contrast, it's more due to the fact that they're training you military-style.

[Enkidoh]

One of the things I really noticed about FFXIV compared to the single player FFs (that I played) is the way many NPCs have zero respect for the Player Character - in fact, entire Class storylines and sections of the Main Scenario story revolve around you being harassed, beaten, and even manipulated by questgivers and city-state governments alike. According to some other people, this was very much the case in XI as well.

But in XIV, much of it seems to be because Adventurers in general are freedom-loving, and hence they've acquired a reputation for being untrustworthy. In a game like WoW, by contrast, it's more due to the fact that they're training you military-style

Ironically enough, FFXI was worse in that regard in that often the player was officially sent on a mission from their home nation, only to find themselves arrested and accused of some trumped up charge through no fault of their own other than they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or because they were 'guilty by association' with a npc who was violating some official decree (accessing the Full Moon Fountain under Ajido-Maurjido's orders in the Windurst storyline, inadvertently being present when Prishe allowed Bahamut to escape capture by the Jeuno/Zilart authorities in Chains of Promathia) - usually this then involved the player being blackmailed into doing something against their will simply to avoid jail/execution, often with predictable results.

It seemed more often than not the player became nothing but a tool that differing sinister forces tried to exploit that went far beyond the nations of Altana, simply because of the player character's tendency to stick their nose in where it really didn't belong.

FFXIV 1.0/ARR takes a similar tack, but at least this time everything the adventurer is doing is with official backing - there's no double-crossing by the three nations just to save their own hides for one thing.

[Kicha]

I think one of the biggest differences is that in XIV, you truly are a Warrior of Light and are the central hero to the story. There were some stories in XI where it felt like you were the companion, and the story was really being played out by the NPCs. (ex: Prishe)
Jobs had some quests, but very little in terms of lore generation and it wasn't every 5 levels like it is in XIV.

[Magis]

Ironically enough, FFXI was worse in that regard in that often the player was officially sent on a mission from their home nation, only to find themselves arrested and accused of some trumped up charge through no fault of their own other than they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or because they were 'guilty by association' with a npc who was violating some official decree (accessing the Full Moon Fountain under Ajido-Maurjido's orders in the Windurst storyline, inadvertently being present when Prishe allowed Bahamut to escape capture by the Jeuno/Zilart authorities in Chains of Promathia) - usually this then involved the player being blackmailed into doing something against their will simply to avoid jail/execution, often with predictable results.

It seemed more often than not the player became nothing but a tool that differing sinister forces tried to exploit that went far beyond the nations of Altana, simply because of the player character's tendency to stick their nose in where it really didn't belong.

FFXIV 1.0/ARR takes a similar tack, but at least this time everything the adventurer is doing is with official backing - there's no double-crossing by the three nations just to save their own hides for one thing.

Yeah, but what's a good storyline without someone backstabbing another. It made the nations seem more real, and not like some ultimate good.

[Teslo]

One of the main differences is that the threats in XI were mainly internal. Racism in Bastok (The Galka were persecuted both religiously and personally, used for their massive size as disposable miners and/or builders), feuding princes in San'd'Oria as well as a very shifty religious organization to which the entire nation is devoted, and finally Windurst had issues with forbidden magics being uncovered in an effort to understand and fix the magical structures that seem to be draining the environment and slowly converting lush plains into desert, not to mention the issues involving the Star Sybil being unable to read the future any more (One of the defining features of the position). Also the general mistrust that each nation had for the others, held together only by the independent nation of Jeuno (Which, turns out, was run by the surviving heirs of a dangerous lost civilization!)

[Teslo]

The threats in XIV are mostly external. A technologically superior country invading, beast tribes summoning dangerous beings, and... Well those seem to be the main issues until the expansion. :P The internal issues, seen mostly in the job quests, are fairly minor in comparison. The differences in the beast-tribes are of note, as well. In XI the Orcs and Yagudo (So much cooler than the Ixali, by the way!) were dangerous, unrelenting foes constantly plotting the downfall of the awakened races. The Quadav (Turtles!) were a minor nuisance in comparison, but they were territorial. Goblins were a constant threat (As opposed to the joke they've become in XIV). Antica plagued the deserts. Tonberries were terrifying denizens of the jungles. Gigas at every turn in the frozen wastes. Skeletons. Ghosts. Tigers. Crabs. CATERPILLARS! BATS! EVEN BUNNIES! Everything was deadly and you never knew which ones wanted to EAT YOUR FACE! *cough* Yeah, Eorzea is a fairly tame place compared to Vana'diel. XD

[AspectOfWinter]

Ironically enough, FFXI was worse in that regard in that often the player was officially sent on a mission from their home nation, only to find themselves arrested and accused of some trumped up charge through no fault of their own other than they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or because they were 'guilty by association' with a npc who was violating some official decree (accessing the Full Moon Fountain under Ajido-Maurjido's orders in the Windurst storyline, inadvertently being present when Prishe allowed Bahamut to escape capture by the Jeuno/Zilart authorities in Chains of Promathia) - usually this then involved the player being blackmailed into doing something against their will simply to avoid jail/execution, often with predictable results.

It seemed more often than not the player became nothing but a tool that differing sinister forces tried to exploit that went far beyond the nations of Altana, simply because of the player character's tendency to stick their nose in where it really didn't belong.

FFXIV 1.0/ARR takes a similar tack, but at least this time everything the adventurer is doing is with official backing - there's no double-crossing by the three nations just to save their own hides for one thing.

Well if that's true then I guess I should be glad that I never played FFXI...because IMO ARR has some of the rudest, most unappreciative, most unscrupulous NPCs/starting cities I have seen in any MMO.

And I have played the Horde-side quests of WoW Cataclysm!

[LoLo]

Needless to say, my observations from 2010 about Eorzea will have to be adjusted. I'll post them a little later.

I agree, you do need to adjust your observations because Eorzea had to deal with 6 umbral eras at the start of FFXIV and 7 Umbral eras at the start of FFXIV ARR 1.0. After each Umbral era there is a calm kind of like how things are after each Sin dies in FFX. Which is why right now the world seems so untapped and just started because after each Era the world is basically renewed/tranformed which is called the Astral era.

"The Eorzeans believe the land is always shifting from periods of abundance followed by catastrophes that bring scarcity, and sometimes destroy entire civilizations. These periods are known as the Astral (abundance) and Umbral (scarcity) eras. "
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Seventh_Umbral_Era