Actual lore regarding the current civilizations on Meracydia (potential spoilers)

[RyuDragnier]

Not only is it the same offensive stereotype of Africa perpetuated by colonial European powers, it doesn't make any sense both in-universe and out. Meracydia was devastated by Allag - but they've had three Astral eras to rebuild. Lack of communication - and that the MSQ hasn't needed to explain and explore current-day Meracydia yet, mean that they have not given any info (using the aforementioned old trope as shield) as to have a relatively blank canvas. And when -because another ten years means that the chances of eventually exploring Meracydia in the MSQ is highly likely- we do reach the different regions of Meracydia, it will have as many major civilizations and organized smaller settlements as anything in Othard, Aldenard, Ilsabard, or Norvrandt.

This does make me wonder...perhaps Meracydia has actually changed to be more like Esthar from FF8. They just seem like they're in a backwater inhospitable area due to the high technology they're using to hide it. Now wouldn't that just be a twist, for Meracydia to in fact be the most technological country on the planet.

[Erendis]

Now wouldn't that just be a twist, for Meracydia to in fact be the most technological country on the planet.

What if... Wakanda?

[Cleretic]

What if... Wakanda?

Honestly, I'd be far less interested in this than in a more 'low-level', tribal-focused story and setting. We've had high-tech cities and regions before (hell, we've had them so often that Stormblood is the only expansion that doesn't have one), but we have very few in a more low-end tribal focus.

I've always felt like that's often a pretty thinly-served aesthetic in games like this. Over time things build up to look bigger and more impressive to the point where we get to high-tech or hyper-mystical stuff, but this leads to leapfrogging over the more interesting 'small-scale' aesthetics like tribalism. You typically don't start with that, and then you move past that, so very rarely does a game go back to that. We got the Ravel Keeper gear in Shadowbringers, and... that's about it.

So yeah. I'm more interested in them doing more authentic African, Central American, Polynesian, or various First Nations historical aesthetics more than I would be in 'it turns out Meracydia is Wakanda'.