Thread: 7.0 and Beyond: Vana'diel?

I don't feel like typing out all the details for something that people will likely think "well that's stupid as hell," but this grew out a discussion our Free Company had and we figured we'd post our little pie-in-the-sky pipe dream for 7.0 or later.

Essentially, it seems like heading to Vana'diel for 7.0 or later expansions would be a real nice way to:
- Wrap up XI's story (we've already had the two worlds cross-over; XI's final ending story could have NPCs from XIV show up in XI, while over in XIV we're traveling to that shard).
- Discontinue service for XI (playerbase dwindling year over year) to free up resources for XIV's continued development
- Provide a potential reason for XI players to join XIV if they haven't already, and would make sense with the existing XIV lore (Shards, etc).
- Acknowledge that a lot of XIV's playerbase came from XI; it's total fanservice, but that's the point.

Announcing it would be a nice way to cap off XI's 20th anniversary in 2022 as well.

In short, it allows SE to free up server and team resources (which XIV devs always say they're lacking), would be a nice way to hook the XI playerbase and the continuing XIV playerbase after the end of the Zodiark/Hydaelyn saga, and would allow XI to still be relevant even after shutting off service.

There's already plenty of references in XIV that hint at XI, even so far as to directly hint at its existence as a shard.

I dunno. Just felt like sharing. I can break down the main points and the full discussion that led to this pipe-dream, but I'd rather hear everyone else's thoughts on the matter.

I wouldn't be opposed, but I'd like to see what they have in store for THIS game first. Like someone said already, the map isn't even fully fleshed out yet. And there's more to Hydaelyn than Ascians. Going to Vanadiel would be a great expansion though, in my opinion. Heck, there's enough world there that they could make multiple expansions. I do miss it sometimes.

FFXI already had a pretty conclusive ending with Rhapsodies.

For XIV, I'd like for 7.0 to be about going to Meryacdia or the New World.

Originally Posted by MoofiaBossVal

FFXI already had a pretty conclusive ending with Rhapsodies.

Yeah but now they're having a Voracious Resurgence. I mean it doesn't look that deep but it is new story content.

Originally Posted by Fawkes

Yeah but now they're having a Voracious Resurgence. I mean it doesn't look that deep but it is new story content.

You never know. FFXI Storys most of the time started of very Basic and got bigger later on

XI's story has already been wrapped up, though. That was the whole thing with Rhapsodies of Vana'diel.

I also cannot see Vana'diel being one of XIV's shards simply because XI is clearly its own world without Ascians (and Au Ra, Hrothgar, Viera and Roegadyn. Yes, Roegadyn are similar to Galka, but Galka have a tail and have a lore reason for being male only). XI has its own Gods (Altana and Promathia) who created the five playable races + Beastmen, two "ancient" races (Zilart and Kuluu) and even has its own version of the Void/Cloud of Darkness. Don't even get me started on the multiple alternate timelines. For XI to be a part of XIV, there would need to be some retcon action with XI in general just so it makes sense in XIV and I doubt people who grew up loving XI's world, lore and story would be a fan of that.

Originally Posted by Nestama

XI's story has already been wrapped up, though. That was the whole thing with Rhapsodies of Vana'diel.

I also cannot see Vana'diel being one of XIV's shards simply because XI is clearly its own world without Ascians (and Au Ra, Hrothgar, Viera and Roegadyn. Yes, Roegadyn are similar to Galka, but Galka have a tail and have a lore reason for being male only). XI has its own Gods (Altana and Promathia) who created the five playable races + Beastmen, two "ancient" races (Zilart and Kuluu) and even has its own version of the Void/Cloud of Darkness. Don't even get me started on the multiple alternate timelines. For XI to be a part of XIV, there would need to be some retcon action with XI in general just so it makes sense in XIV and I doubt people who grew up loving XI's world, lore and story would be a fan of that.

The argument can still be made though. The Ascians could simple not focused on it yet for rejoining. As for Vana'diels own gods, as pray gives rise to Primals so does our so too does our dread manifest our deepest fears. The source and in turn the shards turn imagination into reality. We still don't know what actually happened to the Ascians after the source split; did they simple die or maybe they were split up between the shards? Did the "playable races" and beastmen exist before the sundering or was that after? Flip the script and Eorzea could simple be another star in the universe of Vana'diel. Either way really.

As for an FFXIV expanse being FFXI, possible but doubtful. It feels like we are going to head towards the 13th at some point to "fix" it. Then you have to consider that SE might already be working on FFXIV successor.