Quote Originally Posted by MikkoAkure View Post
The main problem I have with it though is that we're already told in that same passage off the Encyclopedia Eorzea that you're looking at that nearly the entire continent was rendered a wasteland by war with areas rendered uninhabitable and the remaining reclusive population is openly hostile. We can see Meracydia from the moon and the entire continent is desert unless there's jungle hiding behind the clouds in the corner. I personally don't find getting multiple variations of desert zones as being interesting, and we already have all of Thanalan, Ahm Araeng, and the 3 Ala Mhigan zones. We also had variations on a jungle zone in each of the past 2 expansions.

The past 2 expansions have given us a variety of different environments and I don't really see that happening with Meracydia. I don't personally know anyone who counts any of the existing desert zones as their favorites and at least on my server, Goblet is the least desirable housing zone. There's only so many ways you can make beige, arid zones visually appealing or at least interesting, and the other zones they're released with get more love anyway.

I would prefer an expansion that isn't necessarily chained by past story, where the writers can do something completely brand new in a region that has actual variety.
You do know that if they use Australia as a visual aid for how the place would be, it would be pretty varied, right? It have basins (and perhaps a rainy city like Burmecia), coastal areas, a small island off the coast we start at (think Besaid/Kilika from FFX), mountain ranges (where Tiamat's brood could live), perhaps a giant underground area (think Underworld from FF4), and the big desert area could be the final location for the expansion, spiced up with Allagan ruins and horrors.