The Azim Steppe has a Tibetan feel to it...

[Dorjee]

So, I've just started the MSQ portion of the Azim Steppe zone, and I can't help but think the zone is loosely based on Tibet. In particular, the Dawn Throne, in my view, resembles the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

Anyone else get the same vibe?

[AmemeAmeklin]

I thought it was more Mongolian, what with the roving horse peoples and the particular instrument you see them playing in certain settlements (https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...m/da9e2b9da4d/ - called the morin khuur, a real instrument and a symbol of Mongolia) and the cultural connection with eagles (the Yol).

Edit: because I love finding cool cultural stuff and sharing it, here's a performance on a morin khuur of the piece Ten Thousand Galloping Horses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtqawnhtncc

He makes the instrument whinny! Hah XD

[Aivi_lo]

I really love the area, been catching up on the side quests there. The only thing I find sad is that the quest givers tend to disappear, leaving the settlements feeling sparsely populated.
I kinda rushed through this area when I was doing the msq, but now it's one of my favourite places to hang out

[Narangerel]

yeah it's definitely more of a mongolian thing. Pretty much all of the names are real mongolian names (Magnai, Sadu etc...) and tribe names are loosely based of the surnames or tribe names. I found a site with a large list of names but I cannot find it anymore.

[Dorjee]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts boys and girls!

On reflection, yes. I do take the above points re the Mongolian vibe, as both cultures have similarities. But, the yaks, the yeti type mobs roaming around and the lip service paid to reincarnation - all shout out Tibetan (culture) indicators for me. Further, the Dawn Throne has a striking resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet.

[Destati]

I wouldn't be surprised if they drew inspiration from both Mongolian and Tibetan cultures (maybe there's influence from elsewhere too). Othard gives of a Chinese/Japanese fusion vibe for me, and Ala Mhigo Turkish/Indian. That's one of the many things I love about this game; how they create aesthetics that are familiar yet entirely new.
In any case I truly hope that we get to see more of the Steppe in the future.

[akaneakki]

It has a lot of the sami tribe people vibe as well imo.

[MuseTraveller]

I will say this, I finished all the side quests in the Steppe during my MSQ play through, something I haven't done in any other area anywhere else.

[Rongway]

For those unaware but interested, there is actually an entry for each race in the Lore forum's Race Naming Conventions thread, which has this to say about the Xaela:

As was mentioned earlier, Xaela names are based on Mongolian names/words used in the 15th century (give or take a few centuries). Lists of ancient Mongolian names can also be found on the Internet for those not versed in ancient Mongolian history (I’m guessing that’s a lot). To give you an idea of what we mean, here are a few male and female forenames already added to the FFXIV name database:
[list of example names here]

...

While the Raen abandoned the method of using clan names as their surnames when they abandoned the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors, the Xaela continue the tradition. This means that, for the most part, Xaela surnames are the names of one of 51 existing clans. The following is a list of the clan names and a quick blurb describing the clan. The words used in tribe names are, for the most part, original words based loosely on 15th to 17th century Mongolian spellings.
[list of tribe names here]

[alimdia]

They never use one single culture to represent the different regions and people of the game, more often than not you'll see a mix of cultures. Both Hingashi and Yanxia are based mainly on Japan, but you can see other elements from East Asia. You could say the Steppe is mainly Mongol with some Tibetan elements.