Political Ideology and Storytelling Within FFXIV

[Caurcas]

Take away all the magitek stuff and XIV is decidedly Early Modern in terms of setting. A setting rarely explored. Although this does lead to some weirdness, highlighted in a few places. Most the role of the firearm. In Ishgard you have purposed arming of the civilian population in the MCH quest line, but in follow up you still have temple knights. Garlemald seems to be able to produce metallic cartridges yet does not arm its force in mass with firearms, instead opting for melee. Same thing in Limsa where in the player's barracks you see stacks of rifles, yet only the admiral seems to use guns in story content.

[Lium]

Take away all the magitek stuff and XIV is decidedly Early Modern in terms of setting. A setting rarely explored. Although this does lead to some weirdness, highlighted in a few places. Most the role of the firearm. In Ishgard you have purposed arming of the civilian population in the MCH quest line, but in follow up you still have temple knights. Garlemald seems to be able to produce metallic cartridges yet does not arm its force in mass with firearms, instead opting for melee. Same thing in Limsa where in the player's barracks you see stacks of rifles, yet only the admiral seems to use guns in story content.

In many ways it's kind of like steampunk. Society is on the cusp of industrialization. Some countries and cultures use firearms and early tech, while others are still using spears and swords and archaic devices. And sometimes, they overlap.

[MikkoAkure]

Take away all the magitek stuff and XIV is decidedly Early Modern in terms of setting. A setting rarely explored. Although this does lead to some weirdness, highlighted in a few places. Most the role of the firearm. In Ishgard you have purposed arming of the civilian population in the MCH quest line, but in follow up you still have temple knights. Garlemald seems to be able to produce metallic cartridges yet does not arm its force in mass with firearms, instead opting for melee. Same thing in Limsa where in the player's barracks you see stacks of rifles, yet only the admiral seems to use guns in story content.

Funny enough, Limsa has gun control laws and there's also been issues with Lominsan firearms being illegally smuggled into Kugane and there's a leve to make shields to protect people.

There are a few cutscenes of Lominsans other than the Admiral using guns. The Yellowjackets, Barracudas, and quite a few pirates are armed with pistols, but they need to be licensed. Long rifles exist in the game as set pieces in Limsa Lominsa, but no one has been seen picking one up.

And yeah like you said, part of the point of Ishgard's government changes is that now there's no longer the existential threat of dragons destroying the city, the people are upset about being under the thumb of the nobles. And now they have guns. At least we don't have a full on French-style revolution with a guillotine and the two sides work together and the knights and machinists combine their tactics.

I'm sure we'll learn more about Garlean citizens and their lives and history when we get there, if their culture isn't already completely erased.