How Advanced Is Medical Knowledge & Tech in Eorzea?

[Kacho_Nacho]

The world(s) in which our characters lives is complex with the civilizations of today existing upon layers of ages of advanced technology. That got me thinking.

With all this mix of technology, how advanced is the knowledge and technology of current Eorzea? Specifically, compared to a doctor on Earth, how does your average conjurer or Eorzean physician size up?

What do you think? I'd love to read your thoughts.

[EdwinLi]

Magitek itself is hundreds of years more advance than our world current technology.

It can create holographic images resulting in the creation of holo computers.

It can create energy beam weapons for infinite ammo weapons as long you don't over heat the weapon.

It can create flying battleships without windows!

The lack of this being wide spread in FF14 world until current events can be linked back to the use of Magic as Magic covers a lot of things that advance technology can achieve and more so people never see a demand for advancing technology and Science due to Magic providing the same thing or better with less effort.

[Enkidoh]

To be really fair, native Eorzean medical knowledge appears to be somewhat rooted at a medieval level, with a solid belief in long-abandoned archaic theories such as body humours. Not to mention a lot of medical treatment is purely magical, using conjury and arcanima to heal wounds and disease (and by extension, white magic and scholary magic). Then there is alchemy for healing which is another branch of medicine which is perhaps closer to actual scientific principles of chemistry (as it was in the real world), but still with a esoteric bent.

As for the tech levels in Eorzea, Garlemald may have lots of techno gadgets but Eorzea itself is still rather primitive, with uneven levels of technological development (much of which has been the result of Cid and the Garlond Ironworks gradually trickling in Garlean tech into Eorzean hands), with often even simple technological advancements such as a bicycle actually regarded with suspiscion by Eorzeans, not helping change Garlemald's attitude towards Eorzea as a cultural and technological backwater inhabited by primitive 'savages' barely above stone age level.

Really, like everything in this game it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief to work, as there is a handy hint in the series title after all. Don't think too much into it.

[RenewalXVII]

To be really fair, native Eorzean medical knowledge appears to be somewhat rooted at a medieval level, with a solid belief in long-abandoned archaic theories such as body humours. Not to mention a lot of medical treatment is purely magical, using conjury and arcanima to heal wounds and disease (and by extension, white magic and scholary magic). Then there is alchemy for healing which is another branch of medicine which is perhaps closer to actual scientific principles of chemistry (as it was in the real world), but still with a esoteric bent.

As for the tech levels in Eorzea, Garlemald may have lots of techno gadgets but Eorzea itself is still rather primitive, with uneven levels of technological development (much of which has been the result of Cid and the Garlond Ironworks gradually trickling in Garlean tech into Eorzean hands), with often even simple technological advancements such as a bicycle actually regarded with suspiscion by Eorzeans, not helping change Garlemald's attitude towards Eorzea as a cultural and technological backwater inhabited by primitive 'savages' barely above stone age level.

Really, like everything in this game it requires a bit of suspension of disbelief to work, as there is a handy hint in the series title after all. Don't think too much into it.

Worth considering are the implications of Ascian interference. We know they've been involved in Garlemald's meteoric rise from the beginning, and that it's very likely they had a hand in Allag's rise and fall too. Much like Mass Effect's Reapers, I could imagine the Ascians as being secret arbiters of various advanced technologies, doling them out alongside the secrets of primal summoning in a way that benefits their plans best. It helps explain the vast technological disparities, in that the Ascians simply hand it out as they see fit, greatly accelerating technological development.

[Brightamethyst]

A lot of the technology is far behind the real world simply because magic exists can be used to compensate. Medical care is probably really great because of healing magic, while medical knowledge is severely lacking because it doesn't require advanced medical training to cast Physick.

[myahele]

We know that Chirurgeons exists in Eorzea and Garlemald at least.

[Cilia]

This is a dual-pronged question.

Technological levels vary from region to region. In Eorzea, things are pretty low-tech; they don't need a lot of technology due to the ability to use magic. Since they can do that, they don't need to advance their technological level - a lot of tech is developed during wartime and then repurposed or modified for civilian use (i.e. microwaves). I believe it was also mentioned that Lolorito & co. are actively stymieing efforts to advance Eorzean technology as well - the very small railway in Thanalan being the biggest purely technical advancement not reliant on Garlond Ironworks or anything overtly magical (i.e. ceruleum-powered airships) - in an attempt to funnel more money into their coffers by keeping people reliant on the transport methods already in place (that they own).

Garlemald's native population can't use magic, so they had to develop magitek to compensate. Due to the magi- part of magitek it's capable of doing more than real-world technology, but it's all dependent on ceruleum (magical gasoline), so there are limits to it's capabilities.

Medical knowledge is somewhat lacking, though medical techniques are pretty effective. Aside from magic there are known chirurgeons (surgeons), so there must be some basic medical care not involving magic. There are also alchemists, who despite being capable of producing effects impossible in reality (i.e. resurrecting the dead, if only for a moment) have a practice rooted in science. Once again, Garlean ability eclipses Eorzean in this field (and even reality); they have the ability to edit genomes as of Stormblood, at least.

(Side note: oh absolutely the Ascians play the magic / tech sides against each other. Tiamat says verbatim when you meet her that they taught her how to summon "Bahamut" back from the dead, then gave the Allagans the means to capture his Pet Sematary specter. They're doing the same thing with the Garlean Empire, albeit in reverse - get the tech side riled up and on the warpath, then give the magic side the means to summon in self-defense.)

[Risvertasashi]

Well the allagans literally had cloning tech. Garlemald doesn't seem far behind with some of the things they can do.

Eorzea itself, medical knowledge seems to be pretty low.

[NoblePigeon]

Id like to immediately agree and say low tech one hundred percent...but then I look at a city like Ishgard and wonder what the hell kind of amazing engineering they have being able to build a city like that. Eorzea also has modern day levels of plumbing and music players (I.e. the orchestra rolls)...at least amongst those who can afford it. The Goldsmith’s Guild greatly specializes in clockwork technology. And then there’s the Golden Saucer...

Basically, high technology is not unknown in Eorzea. In fact, with the rise of Garlond Ironworks and increased trade with goblins, it’s becoming far more prominent in recent years. But for now at least, it’s restricted to those that can afford it, I.e successful adventurers like ourselves.

[SannaR]

With the goblins we get some steam works. Then there's the Kobalds who specialize in explosives to the point of one trigger can set off different sets of bombs at different times. I think Alchemy in Eorzea would be further if the guild master hadn't spent years trying to bring his lover back.