Ludonarrative Dissonance and the Level of Field Monsters in Norvrandt

[YianKutku]

Like by Stormblood, M'naago who's known us for all of a day, but knows our reputation just assumes we'll have no problem whatsoever with any type of Magitek armor.

One of the funniest bits of Stormblood was when the party splits up to look for something or other, and when you meet up with Lyse again, she's just hanging around the wreckage of at least one Magitek armour surrounding her. She doesn't even mention them; encountering and breaking Imperial Magitek Armour is just something to do in passing.

I figure M'naago was assuming that we were at least on par with Lyse, and so of course we wouldn't be bothered by any type of Magitek armour.

[Mansion]

We are not in Dragon Ball Z, we aren't bearing down on progressively more absurd power levels.

Not absurd, but we are getting stronger (as you say yourself indeed), and I wonder what will happen as they are talking about carrying FFXIV for years and years. WoW had a janky power level of its players, going only up until Legion where I believe players had the power to fight Titans (which is a big deal in WoW lore), because of power creeping and strong artefacts.

FFXIV has examples of us transcending limits previously known, especially in jobs. On the top of my head, it is quite a big deal in the SMN quests that we transition to Trances and Demi primals because Egis are the previously known "cap" of summoning magic. White Mages kind of transcend Conjury in Shadowbringers when they use Glare and Dia instead of Stone and Aero (although I think this is a Dev comment, not in game as ShB had no real job quests).
I also think level shouldn't mean too much, it's more a gimmicky thing to help us visualize our progress. But I do think we are getting closer to "absurd" levels of power within FFXIV's lore with time, we are currently looking into ways to prevent the apocalypse. And we have saved the First because we could slurp that Sineater juice better than anyone (although it wasn't a resilient solution).
But, FFXIV does introduce situations and characters that limit our strength too. Ran'jit is a good example, he is a great match to our power because he doesn't shine from powers we are immune to. Our echo and blessing don't do shit against pure strength, that was the case during our first encounters with Zenos too...

Anyway. I'm overthinking until December 3rd.

[Cleretic]

But, FFXIV does introduce situations and characters that limit our strength too. Ran'jit is a good example, he is a great match to our power because he doesn't shine from powers we are immune to. Our echo and blessing don't do shit against pure strength, that was the case during our first encounters with Zenos too...

Ran'jit is another perfect example of how the WoL's individual strength isn't at the ridiculous scale some think it is. Because there is, explicitly, nothing special about Ran'jit beyond that he's very well-trained in combat; he's got the trope I've seen in a few bits of Japanese media of 'this character you assumed was superhuman in some way is revealed at the end to be Just That Good' (see also: Master Asia in G Gundam, Jetstream Sam in Metal Gear Rising). It also gels pretty well with the duels in Bozja; most of those duels are against a single person at the height of their chosen discipline, without some additional amp-up or trick.

Which I think gives us a workable power scale of where the WoL actually is; they can keep pace with the greatest warrior of a discipline, one-on-one, without any tricks on either side, while not necessarily being a sure bet in any of those fights. ...well, while also respecting that in this world, any given discipline at its peak could be capable of a giant laser beam. That's absolutely someone you want on hand to stop the apocalypse... who also still has to worry if a rabid dog turns up, and who might still need about seven friends to fight a Gundam.

[Floortank]

I postulate that all of the aether of the First then became concentrated in Norvrandt, enriching and empowering the life that remained. I also think that it's possible that aether from the Source may have been leaking through the seams of the dimensional veil, further enriching the life and land that was left to conduct the aether.

Combine that on top of survival being naturally challenging, leading to the tough or the lucky surviving.

These are sharp thoughts. I enjoyed your post and gave it a "like."

In my opinion you're overthinking levels though. Levels are just a number that gives us a context for what is a huge abstraction. I'm running around on a NIN with over 3000 dexterity and only 289 strength. The numbers under the hood that fuel the mechanical gameplay would suggest something completely absurd in the story. My character isn't exactly the Flash in these cutscenes, muchless the Flash, but unable to open a jar of pickles.

Because of how close the fight between Thancred and Ran'jit was, and that Ran'jit was able to defeat the WOL in their first encounter, I don't think a difference in aether is a meaningful measurement unless you are doing very specific things*. With Thancred vs. Ran'jit, you have an incredibly skilled "warrior" from the Source who cannot call on aether, vs. a master of martial techniques from the First who can. The difference in this one case is not at all clear. Thancred wins but he very nearly dies.

*Like trying to absorb a Lightwarden or permakill an Ascian.

[Jandor]

Just on the strength of the WoL side of things: I personally tend to think of the WoL as a sort of 'Captain Eorzea'. Well liked, great team leader, and the peak of mortal performance, but not technically superhuman.