Confusing elements, Devs please clarrify

[Akuun]

As I understand it, that chart is correct. There are "dusty tomes" in the mage guilds that talk about the elemental relationships.

Again, I think you're right here. Umbral = elements you can hold in your hand. Astral = elements you can't hold in your hand.

Nice, that's an easy way to remember which elements make up which.

[Akuun]

Wind > Fire > Ice > Wind and Earth > Thunder > Water > Earth is actually supported by in-game manuals. I'm fairly certain the swimsuit water affinity boost and water damage cut is just a nod to the fact that swimsuits are for use in water and not really to be taken seriously >.>

If there was any sort of "Defensive" element chart it would be mentioned in game and it would make things overly confusing anyway. Boosting your wind affinity makes you stronger both offensively (element-wise) and defensively to fire, its just that the stats aren't working correctly.

This is the line from the festival details that creates the confusion.
2. Faire chaperones will ask you to take part in the Bombard hunt, and provide you with special heat-resistant swimsuits.

Add to this that SE said Opposing Element for defense against that damage type, and that water is actually opposite fire on the chart, well it's seems to all be stacking up to more than a conspiracy theory lol.

[Estellios]

That stuff is just flavor text... When the weather is hot you wear less clothes... so they are "heat-resistant"

That "chart" doesn't have any arrows or anything so you could easily interpret it as being circular, and it's on the terribly outdated official site where pugilists have Steal.

[VydarrTyr]

Wind > Fire > Ice > Wind and Earth > Thunder > Water > Earth is actually supported by in-game manuals. I'm fairly certain the swimsuit water affinity boost and water damage cut is just a nod to the fact that swimsuits are for use in water and not really to be taken seriously >.>

Yeah, I took it the same way. It's a bathing suit, so they gave it "water" affinity. And since the bomb doesn't really seem to attack anyone, being strong against Fire doesn't really matter.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that one of the NPCs said you'd get a special heat resistant suit (the bathing suit) before escorting the bomb. So people are assuming that the "water" affinity makes you resistant to fire.

But I will also point out that the only mobs that seem to attack are chigoes, and not the bomb. I believe that chigoes are Earth-based. So if we're right, then increasing your water-affinity will help defeat the chigoes, because Water > Earth.

Eorzeapedia agrees with your (and my) understanding of how it works (Ltg increases defense against Water; so Wind increases defense against Fire). But wouldn't mind getting a dev to weigh in because of the confusion.

And more importantly -- Estellios! /wave

[Akuun]

Estellios, that's exactly the reason for this thread, to get some answers as to how the elemental system works. To many possibilities and mostly speculation at this point to draw any answers.
The only thing that seems to be confirmed from in game info is the offensive triangles.

[Estellios]

Hey Vydarr =) Get your swimsuit if you haven't already =P

Like Vydarr said, I think it's the wording of the event text that is confusing. If there was separate elemental triangles there would be mention of it in the game. The way the elemental triangle is meant to work is that it is supposed to make you outright better at fighting certain things and worse at others depending on your affinity, so it makes no sense for there to be another triangle.

I've also fought many an elemental and i can safely say that water resisting fire and vice versa is false, and the elemental enemies are easily the best way to prove that the triangles as explained in-game are how elements work.