Thematic issues. Why all the sci fi.

[CuteBucket]

I don't even mind the mix of high fantasy and sci-fi aesthetics. Final Fantasy as a franchise has been doing this for ages, that's nothing new.

No, what bothers me most is that the tech and aesthetics of Solution 9 are just plain ugly and poorly thought out.

They set up this dystopian world where people use souls as currency and can't remember anyone who's died, and then proceed to do little to nothing of interest with that setup, and instead just muddy the waters on established lore about how souls work in the world of FFXIV. The only part of the story that has been taking the lore of Solution 9 seriously at all is the Arcadion raid series, because the MSQ sure didn't want to explore how unstable and dangerous such a system of soul exchange would be for the stability of a nation. But because Arcadion is optional side content, they won't be able to do anything of lasting meaning or impact to the world in it anyway, so while it's the only side story in Dawntrail I've been enjoying at all, I don't expect it to actually amount to much in the end.

So while I'm all for a mixing of sci-fi and fantasy, I just want it to, y'know, be well thought out and interesting. And maybe less ugly. Or maybe...ugly in a funny way, like Allag and it's historical need to put LED light strips inside of every surface, because at least that's memorable.

[MikkoAkure]

Who in Eorzea is riding a motorcycle? Why is airship service still dependent on wooden craft lifted by gas bags that move at the speed of smell? Why are goods still moved with chocobo-drawn carts? Why were the fighting forces of the three Great Nations using axes, swords, and bows to take on an army equipped with machine guns, armor, and long range artillery? You can't tell me that after years of cold war and open conflict with Garlemald, every Wood Wailer, Brass Blade, and Yellowjacket wouldn't step over his own mother to get his hands on a modern repeating firearm.

I don't know who is driving a motorcycle in Eorzea except for the WoL, but Garlond is making them. Eorzean airships are also getting sleeker over time as you can see with your own FC-craftable ones, Ishgard's one parked outside the Sea of Clouds, and the personal ones used by the WoL and sky pirates. They're steadily advancing the technology. Things are still delivered via chocobo cart just like how things aren't delivered via helicopter everywhere just because we have them in our world. Not sure why that needed explanation.

And while I'm sure everyone would want guns, not even the Garleans outfit their entire army with guns as you can see by just playing the game. The vast majority of Garlean troops are still attacking with swords. Not even the most advanced Source-native country in the world is fielding fully armies exclusively carrying automatic rifles, what makes you think Eorzea would?

Again, the tech itself isn't the problem, it's the inconsistency of its use and implementation. The technology exits in the vacuum of the MSQ or side stories, and we're just supposed to accept it. Koana went to Sharlayan and learned about aetherytes, then went home and built a continent-spanning aetheryte network. Okay, cool; but how? He couldn't do it entirely by himself, but he also wouldn't be able to teach the countless engineers, technicians, and construction workers needed for such a project. What about his train to nowhere? Where are the steel mills that made the plate for the locomotive, and the rails? Maybe the steel was imported, but who in the known world has that kind of manufacturing capacity aside from Garlemald?

I could keep going on, but I'll stop for now. Unless 8.0 completely remakes the world, we will always have this incongruity between medieval fantasy and high-technology that doesn't mesh very well. Good sci-fi, just like a good magic system, has to have rules and logic. You can't just make stuff up willy-nilly and expect your readers/watchers/players to not question it.

In regards to trains, Tural has had trade with Eorzea for 60 years now, they don't exist in a vacuum. Ul'dah has had steam engines (off-screen) since at least ARR and you can see the train tracks in Thanalan so Ul'dah at the very least has that capability and they're not as well known for their metalwork like Limsa Lominsa is and we know they've been speculating ceruleum in the new world since the BLU quests. The signs in Shaaloani are even written in Eorzean so it would make sense if actual engineers were brought west and influenced things there rather than just 1 prince. We know that Tural has their own script because Wuk Lamat mentioned it in regards to Krile's letter being in Eorzean being notable.

Our own world has inconsistent technological development. In Europe we had rank-and-file soldiers carrying pikes despite musketeers having guns. We had 16th century ships that were both equipped with cannons but also had archers with longbows. And this in a world that doesn't have people who can wield magic to augment their physical strength or sling fireballs at their enemies.

I still say the inconsistent level of the world's technology makes perfect sense, when even before the aliens from another shard showed up all the high tech stuff was being invented and controlled by a hostile empire and has only spread elsewhere due to defecting engineers. You are out of your mind if you think that just because Eorzea has had Garlond Ironworks for about a decade that all of Eorzea would be suddenly uplifted and should be on the same exact technical level as the empire.

And in the end, I'm not sure why it's that big of a deal anyway. It's just fun and the super high tech stuff is completely isolated in their own zones. Final Fantasy XII had the same aesthetic with people with guns and aerial dogfights while there were also people with bows and swords on the ground. It's just how Final Fantasy is and it's fun. It doesn't need to have Brandon Sanderson levels of hard magic systems and in-depth in-game analysis on technological developments to be fun. Lord of the Rings never explains how magic works but is somehow the world's most popular fantasy anything and this goes way more in depth than that does.

[Zarkovitch]

Because Mass Effect is awesome.

[Hallarem]

Snip

I have more of an issue with the aesthetics and insert of clear pop-culture reference, also with the SUDDEN drop of something that doesnt gel together with the world at all. Or the deus ex machina of "smart scientist people" that learned things offscreen and can now suddenly pull stuff out of their arses because the plot demands it. "Oh we invented this in an afternoon, no more block in your sidestory or msq".

To answer your why don't everyone just adopt rapid fire machineguns. Well... You can see in the first cinematic, the bard blocks the bullets with magic, Eorzeans think guns are clunky at best. Gunbreakers -tanked- allagan artillery and guns that according to the lorebook were made to "mow down hundreds" thats how powerful magic is in this world. Thats where they got their name, they rushed to the gunnery lines and broke their guns. And those were guns at their absolute PEAK. I think even the cannons the Ala Mhigan resistance uses are guided by magic.
Guns are super useful, you can kill someone with a sharp stick if you are good enough. But magic in this world is just vastly all around a better weapon, defensively and offensively if you know how to use it well. Aether that is, you can harden your skin, you can wear armor to block bullets, you can have a magical shield to block bullets and tank them.

But yeah, the implementation, the destruction of worldbuilding, inserting tech without thinking about the consequences towards their world and straight up.. weird corporate "insert popular thing" is just as cringy as some of the "Remember this numbered FF? We ripped off the entire plot and spam you with references."

[hydralus]

I have more of an issue with the aesthetics and insert of clear pop-culture reference, also with the SUDDEN drop of something that doesnt gel together with the world at all. Or the deus ex machina of "smart scientist people" that learned things offscreen and can now suddenly pull stuff out of their arses because the plot demands it. "Oh we invented this in an afternoon, no more block in your sidestory or msq".

You're still just complaining about things that have happened since the very beginning of the game, like the aether goggles. I mean what do you expect out of a game that has been doing the same thing for 10 years?

[Burmecia]

allagan aesthetics >>>>>>>> garlean aesthetics > solution 9 things&stuff

[Hallarem]

You're still just complaining about things that have happened since the very beginning of the game, like the aether goggles. I mean what do you expect out of a game that has been doing the same thing for 10 years?

I did not once mention anything about aether goggles, nor am I against them. Because they actually fit, flow and do not jump the shark.

[hydralus]

I did not once mention anything about aether goggles, nor am I against them. Because they actually fit, flow and do not jump the shark.

I brought them up because they're an example of smart people suddenly developing things off screen that solves problems. White Auracite is another example developed by that fart-in-the-wind Moenbryda. Or the stuff that Cid and Nero pull out of their asses. I'm just wondering how it took you until Dawntrail to figure it out.

[Rinoa_353]

Dunno why some have major issues when Emet-Selch himself said we would be surprised by the civilizations in the other reflections and Alexandria is from the 9th Reflection too.

Or the deus ex machina of "smart scientist people" that learned things offscreen and can now suddenly pull stuff out of their arses because the plot demands it. "Oh we invented this in an afternoon, no more block in your sidestory or msq".

I brought them up because they're an example of smart people suddenly developing things off screen that solves problems. White Auracite is another example developed by that fart-in-the-wind Moenbryda. Or the stuff that Cid and Nero pull out of their asses. I'm just wondering how it took you until Dawntrail to figure it out.

You must have skipped the dialog from MSQ when it was plainly told that it took four centuries for Alexandria to reach the state it is in from the days of the Storm Surge meaning their scientist have been studying for centuries to get to where they are today and for the dimensional fusion to occur. But you don't have a problem with the three centuries it took for Garlond Ironworks and G'raha Tia to teleport the Crystal Tower to the 1st and you with the Scions way back in ShB.

[Ath192]

But you don't have a problem with the three centuries it took for Garlond Ironworks and G'raha Tia to teleport the Crystal Tower to the 1st and you with the Scions way back in ShB.

We would if it came out looking like the Burj Khalifa and had a couple of ferraris parked outside instead of just looking like a fantasy crystal tower. And Graha came out draped in Gucci and Balenciaga clothes.

Imagine if graha was standing outside like this waiting for you.