Ala Mhigo Reconstruction

[Bright-Flower]

The autumn war was 100 years ago by now or so. Generations ago. LIke, nobody with a normal human life form who was a toddler during the autumn war is still alive int he present. It seems very silly to use it an example of why ala mhigans in the present are undeserving of sympathy.

Should we hold the people of present day Ul'dah responsible for what happened to Sil'dih? Any group is going to have skeletons in the closet if you're willing to go back several generations. Yes, we see flawed and bad ala mhigans, we also see plenty of good ala mhigans.

[Theodric]

If the Eorzean Alliance had not beaten them back then there's a good chance that the Ala Mhigans would have continued to try and conquer the rest of Eorzea. Ala Mhigan society hasn't undergone any major reform in regards to violence - its people have consistently been quick to anger and swift to make use of brutality. They worship a deity based around destruction and resort to barbaric practices such as pulling out their teeth and shaving their eyebrows to look more fearsome. Worse yet, they engaged in animal cruelty by capturing coeurls and beating them to a pulp for 'training'.

[Lauront]

The autumn war was 100 years ago by now or so. Generations ago. LIke, nobody with a normal human life form who was a toddler during the autumn war is still alive int he present. It seems very silly to use it an example of why ala mhigans in the present are undeserving of sympathy.

Should we hold the people of present day Ul'dah responsible for what happened to Sil'dih? Any group is going to have skeletons in the closet if you're willing to go back several generations. Yes, we see flawed and bad ala mhigans, we also see plenty of good ala mhigans.

I've noticed this tendency to try absolve other city-states of their sins because they were committed in the past.

Strictly speaking, yes, I agree that their people, as such, are not responsible for the actions of their governments. However, Ul'dah's government today can only wash its hands of anything in Sil'dih, because Ul'dah back then utterly destroyed its sister city by zombifying it. Ishgard, meanwhile, managed to embroil itself in a thousand-year war the consequences of which could have easily spread across the globe and probably would have, given Thordan's ambitions. Ala Mhigo, had it not been thwarted, would have aggressed against Gridania and possibly other city-states. The shoe was, until recently, on the other foot. Pretty much the same fate as Garlemald's neighbours came to suffer, after they had pushed it around for a while. The only reason I think Ala Mhigo tamed its ambitions was because it was resolutely driven back by the alliance of the city-states and faced internal strife later on. Also, although I won't lump him with Ala Mhigans in general, there was Ilberd, who was willing to bring about another calamity just to realise his treasured goal of liberating Ala Mhigo.

I don't think they deserved Zenos, but I can't say I care overly much what happens to them now that they're free. It doesn't help that I enjoy neither Lyse nor Raubahn as characters and would prefer as little as possible of them. Arenvald and Fordola have the potential to interest me.

Like I said, though, putting aside NPC writing, I like the actual zone and aesthetics, so I'd not be averse to a reconstruction for it. However, unlike Doma, Ala Mhigo itself is pretty much intact, so it'd have to be areas around it.

[Alleo]

I've noticed this tendency to try absolve other city-states of their sins because they were committed in the past.

Wasnt that the whole point with Ishgard? That Nidhogg never let go of his grudge even though the ones that did the bad thing were not even alive anymore? And that peace was only possible because both sides forgave and started new? How long should someone be blamed for sins they never committed? I would dare to say that the big Ala Mhigan war was long enough ago. If they would start another one after getting free then you can blame them again but not for something that was probably two whole generations past. Because if you dont absolve them from them what will that mean for other recent states?

Lets hold grudges and sins forever even if that state changes, that will surely give us a peaceful world.

[Bright-Flower]

Wasnt that the whole point with Ishgard? That Nidhogg never let go of his grudge even though the ones that did the bad thing were not even alive anymore? And that peace was only possible because both sides forgave and started new? How long should someone be blamed for sins they never committed? I would dare to say that the big Ala Mhigan war was long enough ago. If they would start another one after getting free then you can blame them again but not for something that was probably two whole generations past. Because if you dont absolve them from them what will that mean for other recent states?

Lets hold grudges and sins forever even if that state changes, that will surely give us a peaceful world.

Exactly.

This isn't the first time I've heard someone bring up the Autumn War as if it was something that happened as recent as 1.0.

It's been many generations. Especially in a medieval setting where people don't often have the luxury of living until they're 80. If someone wants to bring up more recent things like Ilberd, fine. Or even the riots that killed Fordola's father. But it's frustrating when people will downplay the positive things we see and go back a hundred years to dig up dirt on ala mhigo. I sure as heck dont' want people looking back 100 years into my bloodline to find things to blame me for.