Political Ideology and Storytelling Within FFXIV

[Kesey]

In before Garlemald's citizens had to be tempered because they demanded better roads and more job growth beyond the military.

[Cleretic]

The entire idea of calamities is that they end civilizations in the way we imagine civilization development and "uncivilized peoples" AKA beastmen to be since like the Enlightenment era and going back to Greece and beyond.

I don't see how a story based on civilization-ending calamities and religiosity and factions can not be political. That someone can take a history class and come out of it not understanding historical lenses, paradigm shifts, etc...it says a lot about the state of education and critical thinking.

I do like the idea posited that the way the politics works is within a specific historical timeframe. That seems like the best way to approach it. That makes it so we can still escape our present situation and fantasize.

Video games are escapist, and this game definitely is written with the MMORPG medium considered and pivotal to the story, as best exemplified by the Warriors of Light archetype in 5.3...we are all warriors of light even IRL just like the dopes at the Crystarium because we have played the game/seen the meteor shower... but if we don't do anything IRL that is Azem-like then are we truly warriors of light? This is so meta but I just know they are cognizant of these things while writing and it is these things that make me love the story so much more, even if they remove some of the fantasy.

Does anyone else have these ideas or is it just me? I don't know, maybe I am going insane. Their message wasn't lost to me in that scene. It made me verrry self-aware and not feeling fantastical at all for a brief instant. Just chef's kiss mwah A++ would play again even with politics.

I mean, I agree but not quite on the train you're saying. I think every form of storytelling is inherently political because it's impossible to NOT have some form of the writer's own views leak in somewhere. Not always in terms of what happens, but in terms of what's considered important and values.

I like the Calamities as an example, because 'world got wrecked' appears to be a fairly apolitical situation; everyone can agree that's bad. But how it happens, what's valued afterwards, what's seen as the biggest losses, that's where the political side of things. The Seventh Umbral Calamity was caused by military imperialism (and to a lesser extent a previous imperialist subjugation). The worst of it was stopped, but there are still wounds, yet despite the more physical effects of disaster upon the landscape, what's mourned is more the people lost. So immediately we're looking at an anti-imperialist narrative that values human lives, both in terms of the tragedy of death and the pains of subjugation by an imperial force. None of that's necessarily controversial (unless you're a terrible person), but it's also by no means points that aren't required to be said anymore.

[Jandor]

After 3.0 wraps they actually become... something democratic, but otherwise unclear. They have a House of Commons and House of Lords, similar to Great Britain (which is actually a pretty bad democratic system.)

The UK's system is fine, especially for a society like Ishgard.

[Cleretic]

Our system is fine.

Okay I don't want to get super verbose and real-world political on this one, but I will outline why 'fine' might be the best you can hope for with that system, because it actually makes perfect, 'I loved to see that's where they went with it' sense for why Ishgard adopted it.

The Houses of Lords and Commons are essentially a compromise of a political structure. You want to get the common people a way to have a say in how their country is run, but you have to do that in a way that doesn't disgruntle the people who already have the power--in both Britain and Ishgard, that was largely noblemen and the clergy. So you give them two houses of government; one for representations of the old established power, one for those elected by the masses, neither of which can completely overrule the other.

Now, if what you want is full democratic rule? It's not very good. Someone can still be literally born into power, the official religion still has outright political strength. You haven't fixed the problems of an aristocratic society, you've just reduced them. But it does have a strength, which is the same as the reason it was conceived: it doesn't make any one group too unhappy, which means that, extreme circumstances notwithstanding, basically every group will be content to play by the rules.

That's actually why I think, of every nation we see in the game, Ishgard is the one I'm certain will remain solvent for the forseeable future. A lot of nations in the game seem like they're one bad ruler away from an uprising (Limsa and Doma stand clearest, Ala Mhigo's not out of the woods of 'figuring out a good government' yet), or possibly even worse (Gridania and Ul'Dah seem like one bad ruling away from burning down, given the leadership already has problems), but Ishgard? Other nations will figure out better systems eventually, but judging by real-world history, Ishgard's will be 'good enough' for centuries; not the best system, but not bad enough to tear down and rebuild.

[Lihtleita]

idyllshire is the best system of goverment

[YianKutku]

idyllshire is the best system of goverment

To the mild irritation of Slowfix Cointoss, upon whom the responsibility falls to herd all these quarrelsome settlers into something resembling a community.

[Guancyto]

Crystarium: Uhh... post-scarcity socialist commune. It's basically Star Trek. Very weird choice for a story that's ultimately post-apocalyptic, gotta admit.

No post-scarcity about it, the Crystarium is more or less a voluntary commune under the absolute dictatorship of someone who luckily happens to be a good guy. Of course, depopulation and horror monsters keeping the population low helps keep that sort of thing manageable, and sanctuary from the massive existential threat helps keep people from wanting to leave.

If the Exarch hadn't specifically engineered the society to be safe and familiar to the WoL they probably wouldn't even have currency.

[localareanetwork]

I like the political ramifications of Limsa and their Pirates, it makes for interesting storytelling

[ChocoPuni]

The entire idea of calamities is that they end civilizations in the way we imagine civilization development and "uncivilized peoples" AKA beastmen to be since like the Enlightenment era and going back to Greece and beyond.

I don't see how a story based on civilization-ending calamities and religiosity and factions can not be political. That someone can take a history class and come out of it not understanding historical lenses, paradigm shifts, etc...it says a lot about the state of education and critical thinking.

I do like the idea posited that the way the politics works is within a specific historical timeframe. That seems like the best way to approach it. That makes it so we can still escape our present situation and fantasize.

Video games are escapist, and this game definitely is written with the MMORPG medium considered and pivotal to the story, as best exemplified by the Warriors of Light archetype in 5.3...we are all warriors of light even IRL just like the dopes at the Crystarium because we have played the game/seen the meteor shower... but if we don't do anything IRL that is Azem-like then are we truly warriors of light? This is so meta but I just know they are cognizant of these things while writing and it is these things that make me love the story so much more, even if they remove some of the fantasy.

Does anyone else have these ideas or is it just me? I don't know, maybe I am going insane. Their message wasn't lost to me in that scene. It made me verrry self-aware and not feeling fantastical at all for a brief instant. Just chef's kiss mwah A++ would play again even with politics.

This reminds me when I was begging for help in FF XIV and all the "warriors of light" wouldn't even message me, lol. It's all a roleplay

[vormela]

I am glad someone else was affected IRL! We just have to share the good when it comes our way!

This game to me is amazing in its depth and its continued tone and focus on hope and goodwill (outside of religious fervor while still respecting people's connection to a higher power or stories that give their lives meaning). And that the message spans languages and cultures is a relief in this day and age.

I thought I was being stupid and obsessive until you posted that so thanks. I often get isolated in my mind and it is nice to know someone else is out there. XD Which is what an MMO has always been about IMHO. I am reminded not to take upvotes too seriously here.