Where do people in Limsa Lominsa actually live?

[Anonymoose]

I didn't think this would actually go unanswered for so long; apologies, lol.

If you look at the map (or even just off into the distance), there are a lot more island pillars rising out of the sea than the ones you can visit via the Upper and Lower decks directly. If you look at them, you can even see the little windows rising up floor by floor.

In particular, what are called the Southern Islands have the most "working class" utility. There are hundreds of rope and wood bridges connecting myriad islands. Roughly half of those islands are streets of very tightly-packed structures built up rather than out due to the lack of space. This is where you'd find an uncountable number of working class residences, labs, ateliers, workshops, and even stalls that can't afford to sell in the city.

If you go to the southern exit of the Aftcastle, you can actually see the first few of them - you just skip over that section of town on your way to La Noscea. In 1.0 you could go all the way to the gate down there, and the Maelstrom had set up a temporary station on the first of the Southern Islands.

That's also where the market wards are, canonically.

[Ghastly]

There's also that building area at middle La Noscea that's warded off by yellowjackets. That could be a housing area for Lominsans. But Anonymoose is right, you can see a lot of pillars/buildings in the distance, so they either travel there by ship or have these bridges connected to Limsa that we can't walk on.

[LuckyFish]

There are a lot of towers we can see in the distance that we can't get to. Several blocked doors and walkways leading that direction. I was going to take a picture, but figures it'd be foggy today, LOL.

Another place is...have you ever actually looked at the Aftcastle? It's freaking enormous. As big as one of those giant hotels or a luxury apartment skyscraper. I don't think all those rooms are for adventurers only.

[Sounsyy]

Adding the source text to what Moose was saying:

1st Squadron 5th Levy Infantry. Yellowjacket Sergeant Thata Khamazom. I oversee all traffic to and from the Southern Islands.

What are the Southern Islands?
The Southern Islands are a myriad of tiny, wind-blown rocks connected by hundreds of wooden and rope bridges. On some of the rocks are built the homes of the city's citizens. These islands are called the Sailors Ward. Still, on other rocks, you'll find the ateliers and laboratoriums of countless different trades. These make up the market wards.

What is the Sailors Ward?
On nearly half of the Southern Islands you'll find nothing but street after street of tightly packed houses, built up, rather than out, due to the lack of space on the rocks. You'll still find your share of sailors living in the area, but don't think that because it's named after them, that's all you'll find there. This is where most all of the citystate's laborers come home each night to eat a hot meal and sleep away their hurts before trodding off to work the next day.

What are the market wards?
Crafters and merchants, mongrels and mongers, those who cannot afford to set up shop in Hawkers' Alley all congregate in the many islands of the market wards. Once, each island housed shops and workshops of separate professions, as you can see by looking at the names of the wards. However, the recent influx of adventurers buying up empty stalls and selling their random bits of plunder wherever they please has changed how the islands look...whether for better or worse, I cannot say.

What can you tell me about Maelstrom Command?
Shhh! Not so loud! You wouldn't want our enemies to hear you now, would you? The location of Maelstrom Command must be kept a secret if we are to emerge victorious in our fight against the Garlean Empire. If I told everyone who walked by that the Grand Company's headquarters were two streets down from the Frippers' Ward on the easternmost leg of the Southern Islands, why then, what sort of Barracuda would that make me?

Where is central Limsa Lominsa?
Why, you're standing in it! All the important locations are right here. From the Bridge, the Admiral rules the thalassocracy. From the Coral Tower, the Knights of the Barracuda maintain the peace. You'll also find Hawkers' Alley, the Ferry Docks, as well as several of Limsa's better-established guilds, including Naldiq & Vymelli's and Mealvaan's Gate. But if you're looking to make some coin, well...I think you'd have a better chance behind me.

There's also the Captains' Ward, which Thata doesn't mention. Apart from its obvious purpose of housing for ship captains and their families when in port, the Captains' Ward is also famous for hosting a number of Limsa's pleasure barges run by Carvallain.

Known for its aphrodisiacal properties, sap from the vines of the rarely seen ocean roseling has become increasingly popular on the pleasure boats anchored in the bay off the Captains Ward. The Brugaire Consortium will handsomely reward anyone willing to travel to Bloodshore and procure several specimens.

There's also that building area at middle La Noscea that's warded off by yellowjackets. That could be a housing area for Lominsans. But Anonymoose is right, you can see a lot of pillars/buildings in the distance, so they either travel there by ship or have these bridges connected to Limsa that we can't walk on.

That building the Yellowjackets are standing in front of is called the Foremast and it's a military barracks for the Yellowjackets. So more than likely no civilian living areas, since it seems to connect to the Barracuda Piers below.

The Foremast is one of the newer Yellowjacket garrisons. You think the name strange? Well, just as the foremast is found at the front of a galley, the name of our barracks is a reflection of our willingness to fight on the front lines of battle.

[The_NPC]

Always just figured it was built like a city made from a few "Ocean oil rig" platforms & that "we" only get acess to the market, sea port lobby, Airship lobby & Main Job halls which are conveniantly all placed in the city center & only on 2-3 levels of this milti-level city so meh, also isn't Ul'dah round? if so we then only see about 1/4th of it game-zone wise

[Auloriel]

I'd love to see the city expanded ingame so we can actually explore these wards. I understand why it was originally made the way it is, but it's still sad to see most of the city is simply flavor text and background. Ul'dah suffers from the same issue sadly. Anywhere you can see Ul'dah from outside the city, it looks like it's a completely round complex, but we get scarcely a half circle to explore.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Personally, I prefer that such details remain as flavour text. It leaves more room for imagination. I've always found that, paradoxically, when more information is given, the more hardened the line becomes, between "canonical" truth and an acceptable "bending" of the truth.

Take the lorebook's revelation that there only about 10 dragoons still active in Ishgard today, due to heavy casualties over the past few months of the Dragonsong War. That little detail caused a HUGE ruckus in the roleplaying community, as many simply couldn't accept that there are so few "official" dragoons left; it effectively scuppered any roleplaying that involves companies of more than 10 player dragoons.

It also doesn't help that many players take things far too literally. For example, just because a single mi'qote village exists prominently in the Sagolii Desert doesn't literally mean that it's the only such community of mi'qote in Thanalan. When one thinks of the likely scale of Eorzea, it's a given that there are many more villages or nomadic tribes wandering the deserts. We got hints about these wandering caravans and communities in the official "tales of the Calamity", for example, one of which provided the backstory of what Alisaie was up to after she left on her journey of self-discovery.

[Makeda]

Nowhere they too are waiting for SE to release more houses :P

Yeah. Remember the quest that takes you to player housing is given by an NPC who is looking for a place to live.

[Warr_of_Lint]

I am also disturbed by the lack of toilets, anywhere really. I suspect they left them out--the toilets, I mean--because they didn't want to ruin the aesthetics of the game. Although, I would have found that to be a much more compelling reason if I were not recently pelted by an ape throwing its own feces.

[BlakeWolfe]

This would definitely be it. For another example: Dusk Vigil in Western Highlands. Fly over to it and you can hover above the area you start in when in the dungeon, but a much smaller version. Only thing against this, is that a lot of the bosses that are supposed to be normal npcs are a larger than any of the players, no matter the race (such as Captain Madison in Sastasha, a normal midlander hyur, taller than the tallest male roegadyn. Or even Commander Rhiki (female mi'qote) and Eynzahr Slafyrsyn (male Roegadyn), also being much taller than any players in Hullbreaker Hard).