Add Ishgard as a nation to join.

[Malevicton]

snip

People keep saying it because they're referencing 3.0, not all of heavensward. No one thinks it's just over.

[FOOLK1LLAH]

Now if they were to implement a fourth nation and make it so it's 2 nations vs another 2 (so the standard two teams, but keeping the nation "lore" or whatever), I'd be all for it.

I think that's kinda what he means.

[Ashkendor]

Why do people still believe this given we're looking at 3.1 later this year which no doubt will bring more Story quests along with whatever else it brings. We're nowhere near the end of the expansion, just like how 2.0 didn't end until 2.55. Ishgard, even after the current Story quests stopped, is still embroiled in all the same issues as the first Story quest. There's just fewer NPCs to help/hinder us in future questing. Does this mean Ishgard will never be a starting city? Maybe, maybe not, but that's not going to be revealed until 4.0 when we really will be past the end of the expansion.

We're at the end of the story from the base expansion itself, not the subsequent patches that add more story.

[Gilraen]

We're at the end of the story from the base expansion itself, not the subsequent patches that add more story.

Exactly, we're nowhere near the end of the Story. The three nations were enjoying relative peace when the adventurers started filtering in. Ishgard is far from peaceful, it simply doesn't have the resources to see to the well being of adventurers much less it's own citizenry. Again, we likely won't see Ishgard as a starting city until it's own story is resolved and it's enjoying enough relative peace to reasonably host adventurers. I honestly think we'll see Revenant's Toll become a starting city long before Ishgard ever does.

[Rhaja]

Not sure if anyone added this, but there is one reason I seriously doubt Ishgard will ever give us the option of a GC; the Four Houses. I can't remember where, but I'm pretty sure one of the things heavensward was going to add was picking one of the 4 houses to side with instead of a GC. This can offer, if done right, 4 stories to enjoy as you move up with a selected house. I'm willing to bet house Fortempts may even offer a certain shield as a max level reward.

You get our allegiance to Ishgard, PVP is still itself, and possibly actual story and insight to the other houses. Sounds like a win to me.

[Felis]

Exactly, we're nowhere near the end of the Story. The three nations were enjoying relative peace when the adventurers started filtering in. Ishgard is far from peaceful, it simply doesn't have the resources to see to the well being of adventurers much less it's own citizenry. Again, we likely won't see Ishgard as a starting city until it's own story is resolved and it's enjoying enough relative peace to reasonably host adventurers. I honestly think we'll see Revenant's Toll become a starting city long before Ishgard ever does.

The thread is about grand companies, no starter cities.

Ishgard an Revenant's Toll can't be a starter city because they don't fulfill the rules for it.

1. A starter city need guilds for DoM and/or DoW classes that beginn at lv 1
2. There have to be lv1 enemies outside the city.

[Gilraen]

The thread is about grand companies, no starter cities.

That's the thing, though, the Companies are the standing adventurer armies of the starter cities, tasked with keeping the borders of their nations safe from Imperial incursion. Ishgard is pledged with fighting their own unique threat and doesn't have the resources to commit to that and the Garleans. Once the dravanians are put down 'for good' then they might be able to, but at that time they may as well be a starting city if they're going to go so far as also have a Company. And adding an area or two for low level quests wouldn't be so hard, we've yet to see the lands directly under Ishgard.