Gamerescape E3 Interview

[Iscah]

It kind of sounds like Yoshida is saying that people may look the same, for the same reason that say Norvrandt is the same shape as Eorzea.

It's a possible explanation for the people, but the similarities in geography have a much simpler explanation: 12,000 years is a huge amount of time for people, but not that much on a geological timescale.

Wikipedia tells me that the Earth's continents were "essentially at their present positions" during the Pleistocene Era, spanning from 2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. So Hydaelyn's continents would likewise be in their modern configuration pre-Sundering and each version will have had similar large-scale influences over time.

[RenewalXVII]

It's a possible explanation for the people, but the similarities in geography have a much simpler explanation: 12,000 years is a huge amount of time for people, but not that much on a geological timescale.

Wikipedia tells me that the Earth's continents were "essentially at their present positions" during the Pleistocene Era, spanning from 2.5 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. So Hydaelyn's continents would likewise be in their modern configuration pre-Sundering and each version will have had similar large-scale influences over time.

There might be potential differences depending on the scale of some Calamities reshaping the Source--the Calamities of Earth and Water in particular could easily rewrite geography--but yeah, nothing of short of that could possibly make a difference in the geography across Shards.