Quote Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams View Post

In terms of future settings I am also concerned because given the story trends in FFXIV the now freed imperial territories might end up making yet another republic as opposed to more fantasy-like monarchies, grand duchies, etc. and the community sentiment that Meracydia must draw from directly from Africa or Austrailia, which is just a baffling concept to me. The New World being a direct copy of the Americas is also something that I would struggle to stomach an entire expansion's worth of.
I have to confess, those kind of inferences strike me as bizarre. With the New World we do have some knowledge of its culture, albeit limited, but with Meracydia we've next to none beyond some specks here and there detailing dragon involvement. I very much share your view on republics. I don't even want to see Garlemald go in that direction - I'd sooner see something like Archades in XII. Surely Ishgard and Sharlayan suffice.