The coming Garlean invasion

[Bright-Flower]

What exactly is so bad about bypassing tariffs again? Let's say Lolorito got his port in Eureka and could circumvent Hingan tariffs. So what? Hingan will have to be more competitive with their taxing but it's not like armies are going to pour onto their shores and take over or start bombing them.

There are certainly dark things going on in Eorzea but I really don't see why wanting to avoid Hingan tariffs is a big deal to anyone besides Hingans who are getting rich off said tariffs.

[Remedi]

As long as ppl stance is not I'm more pure than thou (which we aren't btw)everything is fine

[Cilia]

Well, we've already drifted far off topic... why the hell not. I'm going to hide-box it because it's so far off topic.

The Problem with Circumventing Hingan Tariffs

It'll send Kugane, at least, down the toilet. Turn it into the Detroit of Hingashi!

Kugane is a port town - it makes most if not all of its revenue from the tariffs Lolorito and Rowena are trying to get around. Let's assume they do get that trading post set up on Eureka. If that happens, it won't just draw away the Eorzeans' business - everyone doing business in Kugane with intent to spread their goods further abroad will be compelled to use that port instead for everything but imports headed to Hingashi itself, assuming Eureka's tariffs are lower. Without that tax revenue, Kugane won't be able to sustain itself - or at least, not at the rather opulent levels it's presently at. It would essentially allow the EATC and Rowena to price gouge imported goods in the Othardian region due to being free to set their own tariffs.

Depending on how far Kugane's tax revenue reaches, that could have a wide-reaching impact on Hingashi as a whole. Since it's funded in part by Lolorito's EATC, and Lolorito holds a position of high governmental standing in Ul'dah due to his wealth, it could lead to a conflict of interest - is he doing this for the sake of Ul'dah, or as a private businessman? (Most likely the latter.)

However. The accusation that "Eorzea is adopting imperialist practices" and "attempting to start a trade war" is a gross exaggeration of what's actually happening. A couple of privately owned businesses (one of which is, admittedly, connected to an Eorzean government) are simply doing what's in the best interest of their business. Businesses exist to turn a profit, not give foreign governments record revenues through exorbitant tariffs - if they see a chance to increase their profits, it would behoove them to take it. If that comes at Hingashi's detriment, so be it - they are businesses, not charities. The accusation also reaches far beyond the people it should be levied at - it's two people and their companies, not Eorzea as a whole. The majority of Ul'dah, and all of Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, Ishgard, and Ala Mhigo have nothing to do with it at all and, in all honesty, probably do not care much since it's unlikely to impact them in any meaningful way.

Furthermore, as Kugane is the only port open to foreign trade in Hingashi... again, it will likely go down the toilet unless it gets competitive with Eureka's tariffs, but the rest of Hingashi should be fine. The entire country was closed to foreign trade until relatively recently, if I recall correctly, and the wealth generated in Kugane through tariffs likely doesn't reach far beyond it. Kugane's streets might not be paved with koban anymore, but the rest of the country should get through it no worse for the wear.

There. I acknowledged the nuances. Press the issue and I'm likely to come up with a Chewbacca Counterargument, for my amusement!
So I suggest it die here. Red Herring, thou hast fulfilled thy purpose. Pray return from whence you came!

[Remedi]

What Varis said in the cutscene was idd reminiscing of the theme of FFXII. And in a way was what the archbishop told to Lahabrea too

[ObsidianFire]

That's one of the those place where cut-scene information and zone map information differ. And there's no way the zone maps are built with correct scale or distances in mind...

Operation Archon runs on the assumption that Castrum Marinum is in The Cieldalaes. It specifies that the outpost at Cape Westwind is what connect Castrum Marinum to the mainland. Overall, it's one of the best sources for where the Castrums are on the world map in the game.

[Zephanoa]

I have yet to see anything that I would call an imperialistic tendency whenever it comes to Eorzea. Private business firms =/= political stance. Sure, they can influence politics but it doesn't solely mean that a business somewhere represents all of Eorzea. More so now that Ul Dah is moving to making political changes in it's landscape since after the 2.5 fiasco. We shouldn't forget the hand was more or less forced whenever it comes to Ala Mhigo, it just happened at a time whenever Doma also sought to relieve itself from it's Garlean masters. I can see where one might see a move on Ala Mhigo being for gains but not Doma. Doma is it's own government with it's own political system and concerns. It just happens to be that we have the same enemies in the world. Hien was on the right track to receive the Garlean ambassadors regardless of the moves that they made for a hope on peace. Right now Eorzea's primary objective isn't to over throw Garlemald but to sow dissent.



The dissent being the key word as they aren't looking to gain anything but to keep the Garleans from launching an attack while hoping for a revolution. To be honest Eorzea and it's allies could use a break lest they fall to attrition. I don't feel either side can really afford an all out front against the other. I am mostly assuming the move to start an attack from Elidenos is just the normal Ascian route for causing chaos and destruction. Right now Varis cannot do much but to undermine the very plots that he is going to be forced to execute. If it wasn't apparent before, it is now brutally apparent that he is Emperor because the Ascians allow it. They are a stone's throw away from taking it back from him if he does anything to ruin the plans.


As for Hingashi I think they are doing what is best for their well-being. They are a neutral state that trades with all sides, and that is a good position to be in whenever it comes to a time of warfare. If they can provide resources to both sides and stay out of the cross hairs as well then they are set to gain what everyone else is losing. Plus Hingashi is notoriously isolationist with a rough take in the increasing amount of Foreigners in it's territory.

[Jonnycbad]

We also have Dragons on our side.

[Jonnycbad]

Also, Eorzea is weak because they don't have armies they have grand companies, which are maybe hundreds if not a few thousand soldiers. Their numbers were decimated by Bahamut 5 years ago. The Imperials have hundreds of thousands-- if not, low-millions of soldiers. Many of them conscripted from foreign nations (Doma, Hingashi, Ala Mhigo, Thavnair, etc). The only way Eorzea could win is by allying with Ala Mhigo, Doma, Ishgard and all the beast tribes. Literally a combined assault from a rag-tag group of rebels from all the allianced races. Basically some Return of the Jedi, rebel alliance shit.

[LineageRazor]

I wouldn't be so sure about being able to count on the dragons' aid. At the end of the Omega storyline, Hraesvalgr saves our bacon, but makes it clear that he was only there because his father requested it of him (the only thing he'd EVER requested of him, apparently). In general, Hraes prefers to keep out of human business, and that attitude likely extends to his brood (the closest thing we have to dragon allies), as well. It's understandable, considering what happened the last time dragons forged close ties with humans. He's fine with peaceful coexistence, but actually intervening in a war between humans? That seems unlikely.

Or else he's just a big damn Tsundere. That's a possibility, as well. :3

[Nalien]

Part of me is hoping that the VIth Legion ends up coming into this somehow... Azys Lla really hasn't seen a lot of use in the MSQ and we've got an entire legion stationed up there... I've expected the Gration to be a dungeon eventually, perhaps 4.5 we storm our way on board, take control of the weapons systems and fire down upon the Garlean frontline? How long ranged do you suppose an Agrius-class battleships weapons are? I expect the weapons are still fully functional, I mean the Agrius' were in 1.x... Alternatively they might have some deus ex machina on board by now (they've been bumming around Azys Lla long enough to have something to show for it), or even have repaired the ship and it'll be leading the assault on Ala Mhigo so we have to go re-ice it...