Revelations from NA Fan Fest (July 2023)

[Denishia]

I am talking about a Future expansion after 7.0. Not the 7.0 expansion being about the stranded Garleans left in the New World when Garlemald fell..

With so much of the New World we have not access to yet, they can easily focus each section or two of the New World for each expansion which we do know among them do have Garleans left stranded there after Garlemald fell. This open up one of expansion in the future to be maybe FF7 themed in a way if a certain region already gone through massive Garlean Influence before events of FF14.

Again- why do that anywhere in the New World when you have the rest of Ilsabard who has had confirmed decades under Garlean imperial rule? People are already upset that we skipped over those regions due to not wanting to rehash a previous expansion. There is no reason that excludes not to have 8.0 going to North Tural and encountering a cerulean-based diselpunk society for more Shinra - or returning to Ilsabard where there's guaranteed Garleans - but putting the Garleans in the New World creates an unnecessary duplication when CBU3 has already shown leeriness of that before after SB.

And frankly as a fan of the Seanchan from Wheel of Time, the germ of this concept is fine with me- but also like the Seanchan I would want a few centuries of separation before the Returners invade or at least long enough for a syncretic culture to have formed. Which is why I could see that direction going for an unexpected take on Meracydia, where stranded Allagan conquerors survived.

[EdwinLi]

Again- why do that anywhere in the New World when you have the rest of Ilsabard who has had confirmed decades under Garlean imperial rule? People are already upset that we skipped over those regions due to not wanting to rehash a previous expansion. There is no reason that excludes not to have 8.0 going to North Tural and encountering a cerulean-based diselpunk society for more Shinra - or returning to Ilsabard where there's guaranteed Garleans - but putting the Garleans in the New World creates an unnecessary duplication when CBU3 has already shown leeriness of that before after SB.

And frankly as a fan of the Seanchan from Wheel of Time, the germ of this concept is fine with me- but also like the Seanchan I would want a few centuries of separation before the Returners invade or at least long enough for a syncretic culture to have formed. Which is why I could see that direction going for an unexpected take on Meracydia, where stranded Allagan conquerors survived.

You're assuming too much about my comment being about skipping thos region.

I said we may get a expansion that may have regions in the New World that have Garleans stranded there after events of Garlemald's fall.

I never said anything about skipping the rest of Ilsabard for those regions only. At best a a expansion that goes into what became of the Garleans scattered outside of the known regions may include Ilsabard and the location where the Garlean got stranded in the New World since we know SE can release two new regions in one expansion if they wanted to as we seen in several expansions.

Also, I do not expect to see places like Ilsabard and the region in the New World where the Garleans got stranded until maybe 9.0 or higher. This is due to how 7.0 is only the I introduction to the New World arc so their focus maybe on regions where PR is possible for the Eorzean Alliance and expedition teams. This would also provide sometime for Garlemald to reestablish more of the government system to a point they may consider starting to reestablish contact with the scattered Garlean forces in Ilsabard and those stranded in the New World regions.

[Denishia]

Having a small amount of Garleans- a Fate or two and some overworld mobs, like the Allagan stuff on the moon, isn't an unreasaonable expectation. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if we go to the Far North of Tural and get a reference while talking to the locals about how some Garleans showed up and then all died or disappeared in a nod to Roanoke Colony or the HMS Terror. It keeps a bit of consistency with more threads of ARR, like how The First had the Crystal Tower and The Twinning dungeon- but why bother with only having Garleans for the umpteenth time in Tural if the possibility to introduce brand new foes exists? They want to start seeding plots for several new expansions, so why hobble the chance to organically set up the replacement for the Garlean foes?

We have plenty of Garleans back home. We have plenty of Garleans stranded in Eorzea. 8.0 or 9.0 would give enough of a time bubble for the other regions in Ilsabard and Othard to grapple with the fall of the Garlean Empire and have another variation on the independent warlord nation-building with his/her legion's backing like we had in Bozja and Werlyt or the conquered Ilsabardian countries freeing themselves of Garlean control and influence or retaining aspects of the imperial governance and culture. But we don't need Garleans to have a empire nor one that uses magitek and/or cerulean. Or have them on Tural to have the stranded Garleans reestablishing contact with Garlemald Reborn. So far Dawntrail looks to be avoiding a plot centered on colonization reflecting European imperialism in the Americas, to the deep relief of many, and having a Garlean colonial outpost undoes that.

[Kesey]

In a press meeting Yoshi-p was asked how long this "new" story will continue and he says at least two expansions, but probably more if the players like it.

Which then leads me too "The Golden City". I'm sure everyone is familiar with the legend, but casting anything as "golden" has become a metaphor for something so amazing and advanced you can begin to comprehend. The common allusion for this is the streets in heaven built in gold. But heaven can't literally be built in gold so it is something beyond understanding. So, setup for this journey seems fun, but really when we get there, what will we find and what will it reveal? Whatever it is will spring board us to 8.0 and beyond.

Furthermore, if you slow the trailer at the end when you see the WOL standing at the helm, you can clearly see a person whose face is obscured by a sail wearing the blue and white outfit associated with Alphinaud and piloting the ship is a darkened (probably on purpose) Lalafell, who is probably Krile. So if we are using this as evidence, the faction the WOL sides with will be Krile, Alphinaud and Erenville as they are the people the WOL is traveling to Tural with in trailer. The keynote goes on to claim that a visitor from the new world will be the one to bring the WOL to Tural, so we can assume this new mysterious person will be the 4th rounding out the party.

Also the WOL is fighting Gulool Ja Ja in the trailer and this doesn't match what was said in the keynote (that Gulool Ja Ja is looking for successor). So some sort of political turmoil will see us on the wrong side established rule and if we take it a step further, the mysterious character who hasn't been revealed to bring the WOL to Tural will most likely be caught up in this struggle as well.

[EdwinLi]

Having a small amount of Garleans- a Fate or two and some overworld mobs, like the Allagan stuff on the moon, isn\\'t an unreasaonable expectation. Frankly I wouldn\\'t be surprised if we go to the Far North of Tural and get a reference while talking to the locals about how some Garleans showed up and then all died or disappeared in a nod to Roanoke Colony or the HMS Terror. It keeps a bit of consistency with more threads of ARR, like how The First had the Crystal Tower and The Twinning dungeon- but why bother with only having Garleans for the umpteenth time in Tural if the possibility to introduce brand new foes exists? They want to start seeding plots for several new expansions, so why hobble the chance to organically set up the replacement for the Garlean foes?

.........

I think you\\'re focused way too much on the whole Avoid Colonization plot thing. There are many other ways they can handle showing the aftermath of Garlean conquest influence in those regions that does not involve Colonization. Failed conquest, damaged PR relationships, and etc. Not to mention we are not guaranteed all civilizations in the new world are as tribal as certain civilizations. There maybe some advance civilizations more at the level with the civilization in Eorzea. Some may have developed or adopted Garlean or adjusted there\\'s to be similar but still function differently.

Yes the Garlean Empire is gone and there will be no more Garlean Empire. However, I am not taking about Garlean Empire fully reestablishing itself. I am talking about long term results of Garlean influence in those regions and what it may have in long term result we do not fully understand at this point such as potential risk in PR in certain regions we may eventually go to, how much a civilization been changed as a result despite no longer being under Garlean Control, and how those left stranded may have adjust to there new life while some have not due to the amount of time has passed.

Reestablishing contact with these separated Garlean forces is, for now, the most reasonable plot reason we may start advancing into regions like Ilsabard and the location where Garleans may have influenced in the New World in FF14. They will never establish their former Empire again and we will most likely never see what New Garlemald looks like in FF14 life, but it is reasonable they would seek to reach out to other Garleans in hope they may help with the reconstruction of their City or establish new homes while they focus on rebuilding their capital over several generations slowly.

[Denishia]

I'm curious to learn more about this 'Golden City'- and severely doubt it'll be just an El Dorado of something that looks like Tuliyollal but gold-plated. The biggest question for me will be if it is at all connected to the Urqopacha ruins with the mysterious lightning aether built by the 'giants' empire or it belongs to another hidden or ancient civilization (capitalization deliberately not used but then again I wouldn't be 100% surprised).

On reddit a post thread has discussed the Wanderer's Palace Hard, so I do am expecting an optional dialogue option or sidequest to connect back to our part in the death of a Mamook throne contender. (Also expecting an addictive retcon explaining that Manxome Molaa Ja Ja was aiming to be leader not of the entire Federation but a Mamool Ja state within it or a group outside its governance. But I do expect a "Technically I didn't kill them, it was tonberries" dialogue option.)

[Denishia]

I think you\\'re focused way too much on the whole Avoid Colonization plot thing. There are many other ways they can handle showing the aftermath of Garlean conquest influence in those regions that does not involve Colonization. Failed conquest, damaged PR relationships, and etc. Not to mention we are not guaranteed all civilizations in the new world are as tribal as certain civilizations. There maybe some advance civilizations more at the level with the civilization in Eorzea. Some may have developed or adopted Garlean or adjusted there\\'s to be similar but still function differently.

Yes the Garlean Empire is gone and there will be no more Garlean Empire. However, I am not taking about Garlean Empire fully reestablishing itself. I am talking about long term results of Garlean influence in those regions and what it may have in long term result we do not fully understand at this point such as potential risk in PR in certain regions we may eventually go to, how much a civilization been changed as a result despite no longer being under Garlean Control, and how those left stranded may have adjust to there new life while some have not due to the amount of time has passed.

Reestablishing contact with these separated Garlean forces is, for now, the most reasonable plot reason we may start advancing into regions like Ilsabard and the location where Garleans may have influenced in the New World in FF14. They will never establish their former Empire again and we will most likely never see what New Garlemald looks like in FF14 life, but it is reasonable they would seek to reach out to other Garleans in hope they may help with the reconstruction of their City or establish new homes while they focus on rebuilding their capital over several generations slowly.

My biggest hope is that there is an advanced (and hostile) civilization in Northern Tural that we get hints of, one that has been using cerulean technology for far longer than the Garleans and who found their tech amusingly amateurish and curb-stomped any Garlean exploratory group. To have a brand-new fresh threat (with new and cooler designs).

To have that as well as return to Ilsabard and journey to the former Garlean-occupied countries, see multiple distinct variations how those places have chosen to deal with the imperial legacy and remaining Garlean population there, and have the PR effects of having helped Garlemald itself during 6.x.

I want both. I don't see the appeal in only having the second option. We have three continents worth of Garlean impacted settings, the value of yet another one when we have yet to explore all of Ilsabard and Othard is diminishing returns.

[Alenore]

My biggest hope is that there is an advanced (and hostile) civilization in Northern Tural that we get hints of, one that has been using cerulean technology for far longer than the Garleans and who found their tech amusingly amateurish and curb-stomped any Garlean exploratory group. To have a brand-new fresh threat (with new and cooler designs).

So, Garlemald but bigger, badder. Sounds boring if you ask me.

[Denishia]

So, Garlemald but bigger, badder. Sounds boring if you ask me.

Want them to do more than just everything ties into the Garleans (And Allag). That is boring. I want the XIV team to prove that they have more plot-lines for this world that don't fall back onto the Garleans and Allag and if the next ten years has an overarching long-term villain or not, and if it is a multi-arc antagonist that it doesn't repeat the same 'hooded council of shadowy motivations doing behind-the-scenes manipulations' that the Ascians were. I don't want the Garleans brushed aside because I want Ilsabard locale plot-lines. But we need fresh antagonists.

It's also why I'm interested in the fallen civilization in Urqopacha that used to rule all of Tural- because even if we don't get "Bigger, badder Garlean Empire but with a twist", what we could get is: Here's a more recent example than Allag of a civilization that did what Garlemald did, conquered all of its neighbors, fell through the instability of imperial dictatorships, and here a thousand years later is the pluralistic federation that replaced it. And we take the lessons of Tural to return back to Ilsbard-Aldenard-Othard for guidance on what not to do and what to do while rebuilding Garlemald itself and the once-conquered neighbors.

[KageTokage]

Wondering about the Alliance Raid info and screenshots we saw.

This could be Oschon's domain because we can see a Tonberry statue in the middle. The architecture seems somewhat Sharlayan-esque though.. so it could be Thaliak but again, Tonberry statue.

Those are mandragoras, not Tonberry.

Though that just makes me further wonder if they're going to go for the "People from Elpis are the Twelve" angle considering we had that mandragora researcher...