Solution 9 - Unfounded Speculation!

[Iscah]

You're assuming that the futuristic-looking stuff is inherently "better" than the jungle setting. There's no particular reason for it to be, especially in a magical setting where the difference in the two may be mostly aesthetic rather than comfort or even function.

Tuliyollal is central on the continent and is their traditional culture.

Solution Nine at its most mundane interpretation is a city built to fit into an otherwise gloomy and inhospitable region in the far northwest reaches of the continent. Nothing we've seen so far presents a specifically compelling reason for people to move there.

[kaynide]

You're assuming that the futuristic-looking stuff is inherently "better" than the jungle setting. There's no particular reason for it to be, especially in a magical setting where the difference in the two may be mostly aesthetic rather than comfort or even function.

In a world of high sorcery, that's the most fair argument I think we have;

Like, real world who could argue a society without proper medical facilities or air conditioner or paved roads would be equal to one with... (and this is my mindset)

...but then in FFXIV you can just Blizzard up some cool air and Medica away all your troubles, I guess. And my flying roto-tiller-motorcycle is a thing..so...


Fair point!

[Denishia]

And this is the assumption of what range of hi-tech Solution Nine actually has - if any of it translates into anything that has force projection or military or trade application. Considering it’s still unclear what in lives (if anyone) in Solution Nine’s cyberpunk matrix vibes, it’s a step far.

[Cleretic]

In a world of high sorcery, that's the most fair argument I think we have;

Like, real world who could argue a society without proper medical facilities or air conditioner or paved roads would be equal to one with... (and this is my mindset)

...but then in FFXIV you can just Blizzard up some cool air and Medica away all your troubles, I guess. And my flying roto-tiller-motorcycle is a thing..so...


Fair point!

And on the other hand, I can guarantee you that when we inevitably see Solution Nine-origin weapons, they're gonna include a bunch of swords, an axe, and a bow.

[SannaR]

And on the other hand, I can guarantee you that when we inevitably see Solution Nine-origin weapons, they're gonna include a bunch of swords, an axe, and a bow.

Well of course they're going to have those weapons. It doesn't mean they can't end up looking high tech. Or very modern.

[Cleretic]

Well of course they're going to have those weapons. It doesn't mean they can't end up looking high tech. Or very modern.

Oh, absolutely, I'm just pointing out that we're in a setting where tech isn't exactly following real-world example. Just as Tulliyolal can absolutely use magic to provide resources we'd in the real world lean on modern tech to do, including producing a presumably very cool aztec-y styled gun for Machinists, Solution Nine's gonna come out to show that the biggest, craziest tech in the FFXIV setting is still gonna be producing A Really Cool Sword.

In a setting like this, more tech doesn't supercede anything, it's just a different approach.

[kaynide]

In a setting like this, more tech doesn't supercede anything, it's just a different approach.

I mean, on paper yes and agreed, especially taking into account Iscah's point that Future tech doesn't necessarily mean it's better, but I would note that the technologically superior Garlean Empire absolutely dominated magic-based ones up until all the other nations got their collective shit together to stall their advance. Even then, they didn't stop being a major threat until an Ascian and bored prince decided to speed-run the nihilistic route to self-destruction.

And yes- it is kinda funny that all the technology in the world still just produces LOL Swords.

All good points raised though!

[SannaR]

It's for all of the Lt. Sulus out there who took up fencing in a world full of blasters.

[Cleretic]

I mean, on paper yes and agreed, especially taking into account Iscah's point that Future tech doesn't necessarily mean it's better, but I would note that the technologically superior Garlean Empire absolutely dominated magic-based ones up until all the other nations got their collective shit together to stall their advance. Even then, they didn't stop being a major threat until an Ascian and bored prince decided to speed-run the nihilistic route to self-destruction.

So it's somewhat unrelated, but I've been chewing on this for a bit, and from waht I know, the Empire's victories didn't really come from their magitek. It gave them equal footing in head-to-head combat, and probably something of an edge in the air, but their real known victories were tactical. Invading countries too unstable to put up a cohesive fight (Bozja, Werlyt), destabilizing the countries that could've posed a challenge (Ala Mhigo). Doma's basically the only country we know of that they beat in a straight fight, mostly by air superiority; the main reason their conquest of Eorzea stopped where it did was that they couldn't bust into the mainland, stopped by both the Elementals and Midgardsormr.

The magitek sure helped them, but we're not looking at a Civilization game where a tank rolls in on crossbowmen. It was the equalizer, not the decider.

[kaynide]

So it's somewhat unrelated, but I've been chewing on this for a bit, and from waht I know, the Empire's victories didn't really come from their magitek. It gave them equal footing in head-to-head combat, and probably something of an edge in the air, but their real known victories were tactical. Invading countries too unstable to put up a cohesive fight (Bozja, Werlyt), destabilizing the countries that could've posed a challenge (Ala Mhigo). Doma's basically the only country we know of that they beat in a straight fight, mostly by air superiority; the main reason their conquest of Eorzea stopped where it did was that they couldn't bust into the mainland, stopped by both the Elementals and Midgardsormr.

The magitek sure helped them, but we're not looking at a Civilization game where a tank rolls in on crossbowmen. It was the equalizer, not the decider.

This is fair, and I would even add to counter my own argument that the Empire had “lol Ascians”, who could basically cheat whatever systems by creating problems. Things like riling up beast tribes to keep the alliance disorganized.