Lets stop being hippies.

[RemnantWolf]

I have to agree. When I played FFXI I was an Elvaan of The Kingdom Of San d' Oria. And that proud feeling that filled the city and its Elvaan people really flowed and filled me as a player. Sand d' Oria was my home and the Orcs were my mortal enemies, enemies I always struck down with a smile. I left my home and traveled to all over, always feeling the power of the culture, and the passion of their people, but when I finally went back home it always felt refreshing. So warm and familiar. I loved it.

I got on FFXIV... I play an elf, don't care as much about the real name of the race, it's the human with the pointy ears. I came out of Gridania and when I got to the next town... it was Gridania again... Just a different setting. Gridania was the closest to creating a real culture, but even then it is more like comparing vanilla ice cream to vanilla ice cream with some sprinkles. And sure I am proud to be from Gridania and still play there, but more due to wanting to make someplace feel like a home, not because it actually feels like one.

This is due to many different problems.

1. No culture. Probably the most culture we got in FFXIV was to be found where? It's not in the cities, it's not in the cut scenes, it isn't even in the game at all! No the culture of the game was on the old FFXIV website! This game suffers from some kind of off shoot of Off Camera Syndrome. In many games you hear of things but never experience them, never witness them. Sure it's there but you never get to see it. But this game doesn't even get that far. They put it in a website OUTSIDE of the game! Lets give an example FFXIV.com says about Duskwhight Elezen (my race) that "Many of the reclusive Duskwight resort to robbery and pillaging to survive, earning them the scorn of their woodland relatives." Oh really? Well then why didn't you SHOW IT IN GAME!? They don't mention it, they don't treat me differently, no they just completely ignore their own lore and treat everyone the same. They gave up a great opportunity to make players feel a difference in races here. The only difference you will see in races is in you Path companion, and 1 person is hardly a study of racial differences.

2. Clear roads. Look I know many of you like to be able to get to the other cities from an early level. It's convenient, easy, and gets you with friends quicker. BUT it completely destroys any kind of reason to stay in one place long enough to get a feel of familiarity with it. It took me forever to get out of San d' Oria, and because they did part 1 and 3 so well, I didn't care, the culture was interesting and I wanted to learn more. By the time I was able to travel around, I felt like I had a home waiting for me back in good old Sandy. Easy connection to each city makes for a players disconnect to each. Why care about one when you can just enjoy each?

3. Off Camera Syndrome. I know I kinda touched on this but I think that a bit more could be said about this though. In FFXI you MET with people who showed off the world's divers cultures. Not only through racism and tolerance but through their actions. Once again Grid seems to be the only place I have experienced, where they show off their culture. But still it is just a little of the culture. I mean they talk about all the festivals and celebrations... THEN WHERE ARE THEY?! A lot of this game's cultural depth problems could be fixed through a single phrase... Show, don't tell.

[ArkNova]

Duskwight is suppose to be a race that lives in caves and is hated by their woodland counterparts. Where are these caves this race is suppose to live in? Wheres the animosity between these two races? Duskwight are suppose to be the best pugs and woodland are suppose to be the best archers. Why even make these interesting lore if you dont see it in the game? I hate referencing 11 because these are two different games but if you've ever talked to the humes and galka in bastok you can see the hate between these two races. This is the kind of stuff I would of loved to see between the whole elezen race.

[Elgeron]

First, i want to apologies because I haven´t read all the posts, but I will when I have enough time.

I like the idea to add a little more of racism in the game. But you have to take account of the lore and the situation of Eorzea.

First correct me if I´m wrong, but Eorzea was born from the colonies of differents races (Ul´dah was a Lalafell colony if I remember right) and they are more accostumed to race diversity. It exist racism between the cities, and, infact, the grand companies and their leaders work to ease the racist feelings between Eorzeans if I´m not wrong.

But the decesive factors for the lack of racism are the Garlean invasion. No matter what all Eorzeans are letting their problems asides to confront this invasion, and the racism against beastmen. If it weren´t for those two, Ul´dah would had started war against the other two, Linmsa Lomisa would had started their own invasion and Gridania would fight to defend their forest.

RemnantWolf, I agree with you I hope SE hear you, knowing more about something would make it feel more real and alive, and this game need to feel more real and alive.

[Pyretta_Blaze]

We seem to be plopped down, strangers in a strange land. In XI I was from a city, I did errands for that city. In XIV I can pick and choose a GC but those have very little flavor.

I would like to know more about my fellow dunefolk, where they came from. I don't feel part of a clan.

[Majidah]

Honestly I forgot clans existed. Every time someone mentions them I'm like "oh yeah..." then I forget again.

[Irzibe]

I make the races come to life myself. Myself as a Highlander, I think of us as the superior clan to as Hyurs to Midlanders because of the way we're physically built and from our names; Highlander and Midlander.

As for the rest of the races:

1) Lalafells: I despise them because I KNOW they hide stuff behind those cute/lovable faces that everyone seems to like. (Check the "Lalafells is the bestest race" thread)

2) Elezens: Indifferent to them, more preference goes to the females.

3) Miqo'te: Eh, I get tired of seeing them because there's so many of them, so I tend to shrug them off.

4) Roegadyn: Love them, just an awesome race all around and they're always the coolest race/people in the game... ALWAYS!

[Shyd]

Hiir calls anyone who is not a Lalafell a "tall-ie" when she's being cross.

I like this!!!

[Nuinn]

I thought this was a thread about us people from Gridania. . . . >_>

[Tigercub]

I always thought of Mithras as very tough, savage and opportunistic. Most of the 'famous' Mithra were mercenaries, pirates, thieves, or got to the top by killing. Of course everyone tended to forget this as soon as the nearest Mithra put on some RSE pants or a subligar.

By contrast, Mi'qote don't have much flavor. I can't say I know much about my own character race because nothing's really been mentioned so far. At least we still have slutty >.>

[DarthTaru]

As a former Tarutaru from Windurst of many, many years, I could not agree with the OP more.

I do not like these melting pot cities. They take away the aura and allure of them completely. It's the same with any fantasy story. How special would Rivendell have been in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings if it was just a hodge-podge of Elves and Dwarves and Men? It was the majestic Elf city and that is what made it special, like the Shire, like Gondor, etc.

I remember the first night of the Wings of the Goddess expansion's release. All of us Tarutaru found our beloved Windurst in ruin from a Yagudo attack. Due to the storytelling in FFXI being so good, we felt that, same as you would a moment in a movie or book. Japanese and North American Tarutaru players, usually somewhat segregated by language, were saluting each other as they ran to and fro. Revenge shouts were calling for an alliance to storm the Yagudo stronghold.
That would never happen in FFXIV.

I picked Gridania at the game's launch thinking it would be the new Windurst and to be honest I have zero attachment to that city. It's just a hodge-podge of people wearing silly masks. It means nothing to me. All of the races are also the same, each with the same personality as the next. The only thing sustaining Lalafell `nationalism` is FFXI Tarutaru nostalgia.

Windurst4Life.
[Tarutaru Power]