Distances and Travel Times

[Mysterysword]

The problem lies in the fact that, while the airships taking off from Kugane currently may be on much shorter journeys, we, as the players, would most likely be using that airship landing solely to take airships to the Eorzean city-states or the Gold Saucer. It's just a gameplay mechanic. But I'd love to see that explained in-lore. And there's always a chance that airship landing will also be the starting point for a dungeon.

I got the impression that Doma stretched much further south than Hingashi. If Doma is the geographical equivalent of China, then it would follow that there's no other country between Doma and the sea to the south.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Is it actually possible for people who aren't Mary Sues to teleport between Eorzea and the Far East? At what point does distance become a major hindrance to aetherial travel?

Well, given how difficult it is for normal people to even teleport from one part of a country to another, I doubt any more than a handful of super-powered heroes can actually teleport across half the world on a regular basis.

Hence, the continuing need for mundane forms of travel, by caravan, galleon and airship.

I actually found it amusing how in the MSQ, Alphinaud explicitly mentioned how airships wouldn't be able to fly all the way there due to fuel constraints (while never bringing up the possibility of stopping and landing to refuel along the way)

It would be a very significant logistical problem, though. For one thing, the "free world" — that is, the parts of the world not under Garlean subjugation — likely do not have ports with ceruleum refuelling stations along the way.

Thavnair is probably the only significant neutral or friendly landmass on the sea route that is advanced enough to maintain and sustain such stations. It's quite likely that an airship launched from any of the Eorzean city-states don't have the range to reach Thavnair, and are hence unable to make a flight to Doma.

Going by their size, Garlean dreadnoughts probably carry all the fuel needed for such long-distance journeys (and, significantly, there are no Eorzean airships in that class). The smaller airships either get their fuel supply from a dreadnought mothership, or from Garlean fuelling stations set up at strategic locations across the Empire.

So we can safely double those travel times if we're assuming less-than-favourable conditions.

Incidentally, it occurs to me that sea-going Garlean vessels probably do not need to rely on favourable winds, as they're at the very least partially powered with cerulean engines. I'm extrapolating this from the fact that the Krakens have an engine of their own stowed away in the hull, possibly for use whenever they're becalmed. The engine was quite possibly stolen from a Garlean vessel, given the Krakens' participation in the, ahem, "spice trade".

[YianKutku]

I actually found it amusing how in the MSQ, Alphinaud explicitly mentioned how airships wouldn't be able to fly all the way there due to fuel constraints (while never bringing up the possibility of stopping and landing to refuel along the way), yet Kugane has an airship landing. Presumably meaning we'll be able to do the exact thing he said was impossible. I'd love to see what kind of tech they come up with to explain this one away.

I also read it as partly due to the differences between Eorzean airships and Garlean airships. The latter seems to be powered entirely by ceruleum and designed around that, which may include more advanced and efficient engines.

Whereas Eorzean airships are a weird mish-mash of Garlean techniques as brought over by Cid and Garlond Ironworks, and Ixali designs utilizing airstones.

[Mysterysword]

In addition to my questions on latitude, does anyone know what the type of crops grown in which region means about said region's weather? Wheat, oranges and grapes in La Noscea, Thanalan has... pumpkins, or some type of squash growing in the sultana's gardens, and the Black Shroud has, as far as I can remember, apples and cotton. I'll have to go through the botanist guild quests to see what else grows where.

But, not being a farmer, the most I know is that different plants need different types of weather, both hot and cold, to survive. So does anyone know anything better?

[Ultimatecalibur]

Another thing it remember is that the distances and size of various objects in each zone are distorted to make play more viable than if they were true scale. You can actually easily see this with how big Alexander is in the hinterlands and how big he is in Breath of the Creator.

[YianKutku]

But, not being a farmer, the most I know is that different plants need different types of weather, both hot and cold, to survive. So does anyone know anything better?

I don't know much more (being very far from any sort of agriculture), but rice tends to need lots of sun and lots of water to be cultivated. Which allegedly made for cultural differences between warmer Southern China (primarily rice-growing) and colder Northern China (primarily wheat-growing).

So the Yanxia/Doma region of Othard should be similar to Southern China, since they grow rice there.

I was mainly trying to work it out based on how "Yanxia" should be pronounced: the Southern Chinese way ("Yan-sia"), or the Northern Chinese way ("Yan-sha", or stereotypically "Yan-sharrrrr").

[Mysterysword]

I was mainly trying to work it out based on how "Yanxia" should be pronounced: the Southern Chinese way ("Yan-sia"), or the Northern Chinese way ("Yan-sha", or stereotypically "Yan-sharrrrr").

I thought "Yanxia" was another varient, possibly a Mandarin dialect pronunciation, of "天下", pronounced "tiānxià", the concept of "All under Heaven".

[YianKutku]

I thought "Yanxia" was another varient, possibly a Mandarin dialect pronunciation, of "天下", pronounced "tiānxià", the concept of "All under Heaven".

There is no dialect I know of that reads 天 as "yan" or similar. If there is, it would be so obscure that "xia" would not be pronounced that way either.

Personally, given the Swallow's Compass landmark (and its Japanese name of Gan'en's Tomb), I'm guessing Yanxia might either be 燕下 ("Under the swallow") or, slightly less likely, 燕峡 ("Swallow ravine").

[Mysterysword]

There is no dialect I know of that reads 天 as "yan" or similar. If there is, it would be so obscure that "xia" would not be pronounced that way either.

Personally, given the Swallow's Compass landmark (and its Japanese name of Gan'en's Tomb), I'm guessing Yanxia might either be 燕下 ("Under the swallow") or, slightly less likely, 燕峡 ("Swallow ravine").

Upon reflection, the answers to many of our questions about lore over the years have been the simplest possible ones, so the simplest answer is probably that. But do any of the NPCs or sidequests make reference to the name of the area?

Also, the first time I ever saw Yanxia, I was immediately reminded of the Southern Sky Pillar mountains. Could just be real-life design inspiration, could just be me grasping at straws. We won't know until we get Encyclopaedia Othard, I guess.

[YianKutku]

Also, the first time I ever saw Yanxia, I was immediately reminded of the Southern Sky Pillar mountains. Could just be real-life design inspiration, could just be me grasping at straws. We won't know until we get Encyclopaedia Othard, I guess.

Same here. I'd love it if it was a direct reference, but I suspect it's the same reason why all the architecture in Yanxia is Tang dynasty era: it's the Standard Ancient China set dressing as seen in pop culture, such as wuxia. (I may be behind the times; I don't keep track of wuxia trends, because I don't really like wuxia.)