6.0 Story Speculations

[BlitzAceRush]

I've finished the Qitari and don't recall the Ascians being mentioned, though given we get to "chose" their history or at least parts of it, I'm not sure if we'll ever get a definitive Ronkan history now. I guess it's kind of up for interpretation as to weather or not the Ascians were involved with them. Emet said they've done it a lot across the shards, and Ronka is basically Allag of the first, so it makes sense of any power they'd have their hand in that one. Though we also don't know how much they meddle, even if they're not fully controlling it like Allag or the Garlean's, they still could have had a lighter hand in leading it, like they're meddling in Ishguard.

[GoldStarz]

I've finished the Qitari and don't recall the Ascians being mentioned, though given we get to "chose" their history or at least parts of it, I'm not sure if we'll ever get a definitive Ronkan history now.

It's less that we chose the Ronkan history and more that we chose how it was interpreted. We're given the bedrock of the facts before we choose how exactly to interpret certain events.

[WhiteArchmage]

Yeah, Ronka was never set up as an Ascian puppet state AFAIK. Emet-Selch does say he set up many imperial nations across the shards, but Ronka is never stated to be one of them.

Or is there something in the Qitari beast tribe quests I'm not seeing (cuz I don't like crafting in this game anymore)?

Qitari quests are gatherer, just fyi. Dwarf quests are crafting. On-topic: No, there's no hint of Ascian influence in those quests, but they take dramatically opposed interpretations to the same events in Rak'Tika.

[Wyssahtyn]

dramatically opposed biased interpretations off piecemeal evidence no less. but sure, it's fine because they get to conveniently find evidence after that supports the chosen interpretation or w/e

/s

[BlitzAceRush]

It's less that we chose the Ronkan history and more that we chose how it was interpreted. We're given the bedrock of the facts before we choose how exactly to interpret certain events.

While true, the interpretations lead to dramatic changes. Being conquered and subjugated vs being allies in equal standing would lead to vastly different versions of Ronka, and that's only one divergence.

[myahele]

I remember the 1st area of the Qitana Ravel was called "The Qitari Dissent" not sure if it means the Qitari of that time disagreed and rebelled against the Ronka or had different interpretations of lore or something else

[RyuDragnier]

While true, the interpretations lead to dramatic changes. Being conquered and subjugated vs being allies in equal standing would lead to vastly different versions of Ronka, and that's only one divergence.

And that's not including the possibility that both are right. That it started off with subjugation and led to equal standing, or if they were on equal standing but then subjugated later as the empire started falling apart with a horrible ruler.

[Kesey]

While true, the interpretations lead to dramatic changes. Being conquered and subjugated vs being allies in equal standing would lead to vastly different versions of Ronka, and that's only one divergence.

While the point you make is correct, I think the beast tribe quests aren't trying to give us a divergence about the real events, they are literally making a comment on interpretive history and perspective.

What is going on with the beast tribe is you have two individuals where one is much older and sees history from the point of view of a realist and then you have an individual who is best described as naïve because they are younger and thinks that not everyone can do wrong. Then when they are presented with artifacts that only tell a very small sliver of the story, they are then imposing their worldly outlook onto those bare minimum facts.

Finally, what is worse about all of this, is you as the player get to choose whether the realist or the idealist interpretation is then accepted as fact and gospel. Any historian or scientist worth their salt will tell you in that same situation that more information is needed to make an educated guess to the level of historical accuracy. So what started as a system to let players influence how they want Ronkan history to be interpreted has only muddied the waters and made it impossible to know what was really going on--like Ascian manipulation, treatment of other races, influence on the history and politics of the First--within the Ronkan empire as a whole.

[BlitzAceRush]

It wouldn't be so bad if it was just people taking our choice as fact, the issue is that after each the quest, the next one then notes that they went on to find more slates that proves your choice was fact, so if I picked optimism and you pick realist, both our versions are right within our story, that's what I meant about divergence by going out of their way to say you're 100% right in your choice and things did in fact play out just as your choice dictated they've created different versions of Ronka's history, so I just don't see them going back and doing much with it now.

We might still get some stuff on Ronka if the story ever takes us back to the first, but I doubt they'll go anywhere near anything that the tribes story touched.

[GoldStarz]

It wouldn't be so bad if it was just people taking our choice as fact, the issue is that after each the quest, the next one then notes that they went on to find more slates that proves your choice was fact, so if I picked optimism and you pick realist, both our versions are right within our story, that's what I meant about divergence by going out of their way to say you're 100% right in your choice and things did in fact play out just as your choice dictated they've created different versions of Ronka's history, so I just don't see them going back and doing much with it now.

We might still get some stuff on Ronka if the story ever takes us back to the first, but I doubt they'll go anywhere near anything that the tribes story touched.

I'm fairly certain that this is supposed to more representative of bias in reconstructing history through archaeology rather than "yep you were in fact definitely right." Plus as Ryu pointed out, very few of the events are actually mutually exclusive.