Crystarium. So that town we caught a glimpse of in 2005 officially has a name now.

[Kayerin]

Original Tech Demo from E3 2005:
https://youtu.be/sgtZvn5c4e44

FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS - New Town “The Crystarium”
https://youtu.be/DGWTT7zNVOU

[Anonymoose]

I'm still in awe. I resonated quite well with the glass, wrought iron, flora, and earth-toned brickwork of the Rapture tech demo (and the atmosphere of the 1.0 intro guild, for that matter) only for nothing in the game to quite capture it. I've talked about missing/wanting it a lot over the years, but gave up after a while. I even bought my personal house in-game with the intent of mimicking this aesthetic and just couldn't get it to come together. And now this! I'm gonna have to explore a bit but I think this might be my new home-base city. It's even got a lot of purples in the mix, now!

Bonus, now they basically have to make furnishings in this style, right? Trololol.

So while I have the universe's attention, I'd like to talk a little about an open-world Promyvion-esque zone...

[KylePearlsand]

It definitely looks pretty. I was always at awe with the demo and disappointed when 1.0 was released. I remember all the speculation that this was Ala Mhigo as well with glee only for that to disappoint slightly as well. I'm looking forward to being able to finally explore it.

[Chewy2nd]

I absolutely love the design, for a city on the edge of the world, it looks very pretty. It's a fantastic way to bring such an old design back. Weird to think XIV's newest city is nearly as old as WoW.

[SannaR]

When I saw it last night I was taken away because I realized that it was very much like the 1.0 opening town scene. I can't wait to explore it.

[Vexander]

Seems to have a mix or a blend of existing architecture. From the Trailer I honestly through it was a Sharlayan city, but the video showing the city makes that much less clear. Certainly the Crystal Tower's base has Sharlayan architecture, but other parts of the city look like a blend of Lominsan, Ul'dahn, Gridanian, Ala Mhigan, and Ishgardian.

[Shurrikhan]

Is it just me or does a lot of the ShB town look more... sterile, so to speak, than the one in the tech demo?

The tech demo one is pretty enough, but just doesn't feel as much like an actual settlement to me, even if I imagine the tech demo without NPCs or the new town with them.

So while I have the universe's attention, I'd like to talk a little about an open-world Promyvion-esque zone...

*Listening attentively*

[MrThinker]

Sterile as in devoid of NPCs? Then yes. They will add them later.

[Shurrikhan]

I mean I'm trying to imagine them in as best I can, but short of using a ton of them the huge spaces just don't seem very welcoming(?) or practical, I guess? I don't know; kind of an odd feeling. I like the area more than RT and maybe Idllyshire (though that's kind of comparing small settlement apples to city oranges), but less than RR or Kugane. With NPCs, I imagine I'll like it about as much as Ishgard if Ishgard didn't have loading screens.

[RenewalXVII]

I mean I'm trying to imagine them in as best I can, but short of using a ton of them the huge spaces just don't seem very welcoming(?) or practical, I guess? I don't know; kind of an odd feeling. I like the area more than RT and maybe Idllyshire (though that's kind of comparing small settlement apples to city oranges), but less than RR or Kugane. With NPCs, I imagine I'll like it about as much as Ishgard if Ishgard didn't have loading screens.

It's obviously hard to say given it's still under development, but it may be a deliberate thematic choice. The world is ending after all, and it may be the case that people are dying off and leaving the Crystarium emptier and more and more sterile-feeling as you note. It's slowly becoming an ossified monument to what were once the people of Norvrandt. Just a thought anyway; I'm probably reading too much into it.