[Opinion] There should be a new Starter-Area, for the new Jobs and Au Ra

[Terin]

Because of the way level-scaling works, the devs have clearly designed the new Jobs with low-level play in mind. Even though they may be tied to Ishgard right now, I think there are a lot of reasons to consider also having a new starter-area for players to experience them right out of the game (something which I'll delve into later).

First off, let's address the primary concerns: When and Where would this new area be?

To be honest, it's something I've considered for a long time now. Initially, I thought Mor Dhona, but then I started thinking Ishgard (or rather, Coerthas). Honestly, though, as nicely as those areas would tie into the expansion, a better choice seems a far-cry from either of those places.

I'm talking about Rothlyt Sound.

Although we've not yet visited this small isle off the cost of Eorzea's eastern border, it makes more than enough sense to be someplace that the Au Ra would set up camp. Although the isle itself is small in comparison to Eorzea proper, it's still large enough that you could easily include enough content to get players from level 1-20, until they could get to the main continent, where the story merges anyways.

Whatever Rothlyt Sound might have been before, now it would play home to the first Auri settlement. Because the Xaela are nomadic by nature, they would likely make up the bulk of this first Doman scouting-party. As opposed to the other City-States, which are very much "Capital Cities", this new "City-State" would be much more primitive, emblematic of the Au Ra's plight as outcasts. They would have more barebones, tribal-looking structures, but just like their starting clothes, their tents would be adorned with various trinkets, and some with bones.

I imagine Rothlyt Sound's environments probably aren't totally unlike La Noscea. Very tropical climates, but maybe more jungle canopies, or even mountainous. Really, we know hardly anything of the area, and since it would only serve the purpose of getting us from level 1 to level 15-20, it gives the artists quite a bit of freedom, without necessitating a ton of resources. Aside from Auri architecture, a lot of assets of Lo Noscea could probably be reused.

Barring another name, I like the sound of "Warrior's Rest" for this starter city. It's simple, but powerful, something that I think would align with the Au Ra's values, the Xaela in particular. Here, the Xaela would instruct newcomers in the ways of the Dark Knight, whose teachings have been passed down since they first learned them from an "ancient deity" (referencing Odin/Zantetsuken). The Raen, meanwhile, would teach others to commune with the stars as Astrologians, something they've been doing for as far back as their stories go (perhaps having first learned the technique from Ishardians, in the far-distant past). There would also, however, be a few Garlean defectors, who are helping the Au Ra "fight fire with fire", by way of the Machinist. I would probably also consider adding the Rogue here, available for new characters, but that's just me.

The story would bleed directly into the original stories, with you joining the Grand Companies. Really, the only story-beats you need concern yourself with are meaning at agent of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which I needn't think to be a massive issue. If anything, it might be a great opportunity to introduce a new character.

Ultimately, this probably sounds way more ambitious than it would actual be; you would still be hitting all the same plot-points, it just helps cement the Au Ra into the game's Story and world, while also providing a new starting-experience for the new Jobs.

[AzureZenorag13]

The Warrior of Light doesn't even come from Aldenard, we're outsiders, the game even acknowledges that. So I don't understand why people think we need a new starting area for Au Ra or say that Au Ra don't fit into the game. Or that how using fantasia to turn into Au Ra breaks the immersion, it's no different then being a Miqo'te for all of 2.xx then using fantasia to turn into a Lalafell for 3.xx

[Terin]

I'd say it's quite a bit different. Male Miqo'te are uncommon, and those who choose to adventure are exceedingly rare; the Au Ra basically *do not exist* in 2.0.

Adding a new starter-area for them allows them to blend into the game-world a lot more, as well as provide opportunity for new players to enjoy the new Jobs, thus avoiding one of the biggest hurdles that FFXI had for newcomers.

[Renvalt]

I'd say it's quite a bit different. Male Miqo'te are uncommon, and those who choose to adventure are exceedingly rare; the Au Ra basically *do not exist* in 2.0.

Adding a new starter-area for them allows them to blend into the game-world a lot more, as well as provide opportunity for new players to enjoy the new Jobs, thus avoiding one of the biggest hurdles that FFXI had for newcomers.

FFXI also had the same set of races that we have now. Just that they were compounded into one whole race (not two types of the same race). Now we have six races with two variations, making 12 total playable types of characters (adding the females, this comes to 24 variations).

Also, the only problem I see with your argument is that you assume that new players HAVE to start with the original five, like the rest of us. Cool thing about the Au Ra is that they are only bound to the ownership of said expansion, not the clearance of ARR itself. Your argument that they don't fit in the ARR story only applies if you focus it from your lens, i.e. "I've been here since launch so these filthy anime dragonpeeps need to stay out of my starter area."

Said attitude reeks of good ol' "Whippersnapper Syndrome". In other words, you feel compelled to pressure the newbies to explore the game the same way you do it, and think that all the buffs/nerfs are a luxury that you somehow see as their "entitlements". So you go "Back in mah day, we didn't have none o' dis fancy shit, we grinded on levequests and spammed dungeons and it fostered COMMUNITY" (terrible example, but I'd hope that you get my point from this).

To you, the Au Ra cannot be a Warrior of Light - they came in too late in the game. The problem with this viewpoint is that the MSQs and story only assumes that you're the only "player" in existence. In other words, it doesn't take into account the other people (except in specific cases where they explicitly say so; in this case, they refer to it as "your adventurer friends", completely ignoring any existence of "le echo" for plot purposes).

tl;dr Quit trying to keep the Au Ra out of the ARR areas because you want vanilla-game content purity.

[Dualblade]

All characters, regardless of how people think of their own character, are coming into one of the three city-states from "places unknown". Except legacy players but there are none who can start that way anymore. Au Ra are no exception, they just show it much better since there aren't any NPC ones until Yugiri. We don't need a new starter zone to cement them into the world, it works fine the way it is.

As for the new jobs, SE decided to go with it this way and it won't be changing because lore is now live.