Aymeric (SPOILERS)

[Morningstar1337]

I can't really agree with this. In every game is seems there are people who want a Kingdom to become a Democracy or Republic. Personally I'd rather see a Kingdom remain a Kingdom in a setting where it works just fine. You can have a King and still maintain a level of democracy with a Senate or a Chamber of Representatives comprised of elected officials from settlements and districts of Ishgard passing on recommendations and the likes to said King. Granted I'm not quite sold on Aymeric being a King either if I'm honest.

Pity SE didn't develop a decent Priest to take up the position of Archbishop.

The funny thing is that Ishgard is currenly not a Kingdom though. It was a theocracy prior to the events of the game (1.0 likely included) and is only now in the process of metamorphosis into a kingdom.

[Vexander]

The funny thing is that Ishgard is currenly not a Kingdom though. It was a theocracy prior to the events of the game (1.0 likely included) and is only now in the process of metamorphosis into a kingdom.

Yes and no. The quests make it clear it's still a Kingdom, but that the Church rules as the Throne remains vacant, due to the last Prince's decision to abdicate the throne and become the Azure Dragoon. The Archbishop rules in place of the King, but if an heir had been found, well, on paper at least, the Archbishop would go back to simply leading the Church. Of course everything we've seen of Ishgard proves that if an heir had been found they'd have been found the next day face down in the gutters, with, 'Heretics,' being found holding the murder weapons rather conveniently.

Actually, Aymeric becoming "King" was what I initially wanted to write until I remembered the political meanderings going on between the nobles and the low-born citizens. Thus, when one really thinks about it, te Ishgardian citizenry will be loath and reluctant to trade in one aristocratic system for another.

Just think about it... they have spent the last thousand years living within a very rigid aristocratic system that fell apart once the truth of the Four Houses and HolySee was revealed. Will they be really willing to return to being ruled by a King or rather by a meritocracy system (based on one's ability rather than a famous last name) that will essentially heal the rift between the low and high borns?

Depends, I think. I mean, to an extent even the Four High Houses were victims of the Church, as much as the lowborne were. Certainly there would need to be a change in how the Four Houses play into Ishgard's hierarchy, but at the same time, one cannot argue that they haven't done their jobs in protecting Ishgard for so long.