Revelations from JP Fan Fest (January 2024)

[KageTokage]

Solution Nine actually being labeled as a town both on the world map and in media is really making me think it's not some long dead civilization and rather one that's still alive, but perhaps not known of until only recently.

It would be rather egregious if something with tech levels matching if not surpassing the Allagans had simply been sitting on the Source unknown of unless it was only revealed recently...or perhaps even arrived recently.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Solution Nine actually being labeled as a town both on the world map and in media is really making me think it's not some long dead civilization and rather one that's still alive, but perhaps not known of until only recently.

It would be rather egregious if something with tech levels matching if not surpassing the Allagans had simply been sitting on the Source unknown of unless it was only revealed recently...or perhaps even arrived recently.

I heard somewhere it's gonna be one of our hubs. I've been hearing too much from too many places to pinpoint where, sorry. Are we sure it's on the Source? Maybe we're traveling to the New World because they found a way to get to another shard?

[MikkoAkure]

I heard somewhere it's gonna be one of our hubs. I've been hearing too much from too many places to pinpoint where, sorry. Are we sure it's on the Source? Maybe we're traveling to the New World because they found a way to get to another shard?

Yoshi-P/Kate said it was the hub in the fan fest.

Solution Nine also shows up on the new, updated world map they showed of the Source.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Yoshi-P/Kate said it was the hub in the fan fest.

Solution Nine also shows up on the new, updated world map they showed of the Source.

Awesome. I hope there is a good explanation for their presence and lack thereof in the past.

[YianKutku]

A bunch of the suspenders-wearers seemed to be Miqos so I assumed they were Limsan sailors.

Possible, but I'm thinking unlikely. For example, of the two women Thancred was attempting to hit on, each was wearing one of the "uniforms"; the Hyur in the red robes, and the Miqo'te in the suspenders.

And in the backgrounds (eg when G'raha was enjoying his taco), there are several suspender-wearing people, not just Miqo'te, sitting around at the food stalls. It's possible they're all Lominsans or other visitors from Eorzea, but the suspenders is kind of an odd uniform choice.

Solution Nine actually being labeled as a town both on the world map and in media is really making me think it's not some long dead civilization and rather one that's still alive, but perhaps not known of until only recently.

It would be rather egregious if something with tech levels matching if not surpassing the Allagans had simply been sitting on the Source unknown of unless it was only revealed recently...or perhaps even arrived recently.

YoshiP did state that Solution Nine is a "player hub", so it's going to be either the Marketboard hub or the Tomestone hub.

One possibility, given the mismatch of tech levels in some of the concept art, is the "current" population of Xak Tural were building on the "ancient" high-tech area, including moving in and repurposing the existing buildings; something like Idyllshire building upon the Sharlayan Emporium in Dravania. But the sheer scale of Solution Nine makes me think that might not be the case, particularly since so much of Solution Nine is still lit up and working, including what looks like shopping mall advertisements.

I wonder if it's significant that the Japanese name for Solution Nine is just "Solution Nine" in English, transliterated into Japanese katakana. As in, the "Nine" is just "ナイン", rather than "九". Usually when this is done in the Japanese script, it's a sign that it's all a proper name, intended to be read as-is rather than by the definition of each word.