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

[Theodric]

Hingashi could have been so much more interesting if it was a more Japanese inspired nation and less ... well, just Japan.

Each to their own, I suppose. Hingashi remains one of my favourite in-game regions to date. I thought Kugane was a pretty interesting and beautiful place which brought a lot of things to the table that I enjoy.

I think the 'J' in JRPG's also stands for 'Japanese' so I suppose it makes sense to have an in-game region based around 'fantasy Japan'.

Let me put it another way then, a story that challenges the colonialist tropes of western pulp and adventure fiction, (by say, depicting native people as people with agency and culture of thier own, instead of dangerous obstacles to be overcome or victims to be pitied) would be a "cool story" to me

I feel like you've constructed some kind of sjw strawman to argue against when all I am hoping for is that boring stereotypes and tropes are not mindlessly regurgitated. Because I'd find it dull before I find it offensive.

FFXIV isn't a western game, so I'm not certain such tropes apply and even if they did, they'd be applied from an Eastern perspective.

Putting that aside, however, what is considered to be 'exciting' or 'dull' is entirely subjective in itself.

[Jandor]

Each to their own, I suppose. Hingashi remains one of my favourite in-game regions to date. I thought Kugane was a pretty interesting and beautiful place which brought a lot of things to the table that I enjoy.

I think the 'J' in JRPG's also stands for 'Japanese' so I suppose it makes sense to have an in-game region based around 'fantasy Japan'.

Based around Japan is fine, basically just being Japan was a tad underwhelming.

I wouldn't even mind if that's how they'd been handling locations from the start. Hingashi, Othard and Thavnair are all perfectly fine locations, they just don't feel anywhere near as creative as Eorzea did.