What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Theodric]

If we're getting diversity than I'd rather it take the form of diversity of thought, opinions and allegiance. FFVII and FFXII are great in that regard since at times you're opposed to Shinra/Archades and at other points you're working alongside them for the sake of mutual benefit. FFXIV could easily do as much and it'd interest me far more than the constant whining about 'oppression' in the MSQ's that is often taken out of context.

For starters, Doma, Bozja and Ala Mhigo were treated more harshly than other provinces as a consequence of sparking uprisings. How convenient that the Ancients and Garleans have to 'move on' when they lose their homelands but even decades later conquered provinces have to be cut loose despite many Eorzean nations benefitting from occupied territory themselves.

I would have liked to have seen Garlemald follow a similar trajectory to the Archadian Empire in FFXII and undergo reform without losing its status as an Empire. The prospect of every single nation our character visits ending up as part of a globalist organisation that exists to push a very narrow set of values with minimal conflict doesn't really appeal to me much, in all honesty. Rivalries, territorial disputes and political intrigue are much more to my liking in what is meant to be a fairly mature setting.

Sure, they can throw in a Raen or a Roegadyn or whatever as part of the main cast for 'diversity' but if they just end up agreeing with the Scions on everything then we're back to square one.

[CrownySuccubus]

If we're getting diversity than I'd rather it take the form of diversity of thought, opinions and allegiance. FFVII and FFXII are great in that regard since at times you're opposed to Shinra/Archades and at other points you're working alongside them for the sake of mutual benefit. FFXIV could easily do as much and it'd interest me far more than the constant whining about 'oppression' in the MSQ's that is often taken out of context.

For starters, Doma, Bozja and Ala Mhigo were treated more harshly than other provinces as a consequence of sparking uprisings.

I had a feeling that using the word "diversity" would spark a new round of Garlemald apologism.

[Theodric]

I had a feeling that using the word "diversity" would spark a new round of Garlemald apologism.

I'm not sure I follow. It's a fictional nation in a fantasy game, so there's nothing to apologise for and not everybody operates in such a way as to drag their real world belief systems into absolutely everything.

[CrownySuccubus]

I'm not sure I follow. It's a fictional nation in a fantasy game, so there's nothing to apologise for and not everybody operates in such a way as to drag their real world belief systems into absolutely everything.

Right. Whatever you say.

But, just to be clear, the term "diversity" in the context I was using it is about not making a cast too homogenous in any specific context. "Sure, they can throw in a Raen or a Roegadyn or whatever as part of the main cast for 'diversity'" is not really relevant. The problem is more related to the idea that if you create a vast world/setting where it's possible to see or find anything, making characters that all have identical factors greatly narrows that setting. To paraphrase "Plague of Gripes", if you introduce a group of lizardfolk and then make it clear that they all have the exact same religion or favorite foods, you remove any potential conflicts or discovery from your setting.

That's the problem with most of the Scions being from Sharlayan. They all come from similar backgrounds, with similar aesthetics and likes and dislikes. The fact that there's catgirls, humans, Elezen, and Lalafell in their party doesn't really matter.

[Brinne]

To be honest, I'm basically actively disinterested in the general pining for more Garlemald content and don't think the direction it sometimes takes is the most relevant thing if we've settled on the idea of this being a place to "discuss EW's flaws" rather than an overall negativity thread. So sometimes I wish it had its own topic, but at this point in time, four months after the expansion's release, the boat's sailed, so it is what it is. Unless/until we get slapped with some hot new content that will give me an excuse to bring out a fresh new tidal wave of Hydaelyn Discourse. Little do the people know that the drive-by cracks about beating a dead horse actually give me power.

[Skyborne]

To be honest, I'm basically actively disinterested in the general pining for more Garlemald content and don't think the direction it sometimes takes is the most relevant thing if we've settled on the idea of this being a place to "discuss EW's flaws" rather than an overall negativity thread. So sometimes I wish it had its own topic, but at this point in time, four months after the expansion's release, the boat's sailed, so it is what it is. Unless/until we get slapped with some hot new content that will give me an excuse to bring out a fresh new tidal wave of Hydaelyn Discourse. Little do the people know that the drive-by cracks about beating a dead horse actually give me power.

Yeah, I was making fun of the 'noooo, stop talking about things I don't want you to talk about!' kind of stuff, nothing against also beating it alongside you... in future patches, anyway, if the subject comes up.

[Caurcas]

If we're getting diversity than I'd rather it take the form of diversity of thought, opinions and allegiance. FFVII and FFXII are great in that regard since at times you're opposed to Shinra/Archades and at other points you're working alongside them for the sake of mutual benefit. FFXIV could easily do as much and it'd interest me far more than the constant whining about 'oppression' in the MSQ's that is often taken out of context.

For starters, Doma, Bozja and Ala Mhigo were treated more harshly than other provinces as a consequence of sparking uprisings. How convenient that the Ancients and Garleans have to 'move on' when they lose their homelands but even decades later conquered provinces have to be cut loose despite many Eorzean nations benefitting from occupied territory themselves.

I would have liked to have seen Garlemald follow a similar trajectory to the Archadian Empire in FFXII and undergo reform without losing its status as an Empire. The prospect of every single nation our character visits ending up as part of a globalist organisation that exists to push a very narrow set of values with minimal conflict doesn't really appeal to me much, in all honesty. Rivalries, territorial disputes and political intrigue are much more to my liking in what is meant to be a fairly mature setting.

Sure, they can throw in a Raen or a Roegadyn or whatever as part of the main cast for 'diversity' but if they just end up agreeing with the Scions on everything then we're back to square one.

I see Gloablist and think Alex Jones. I would be down for Eorzean Alex Jones...and all the humor when it turns out he is right about everything. "The Scions are putting dynamis in the water that turns the freaking magitek to Lalafells! "