Pandæmonium story

[Vencio]

Unless Laha Brea has gone or be driven utterly mad & emotionally impulsive due to such destruction in their civilization,

Emet Selch somewhat displays a dysthymia depression with almost of an attitude “nothing left to lose”,

Hydaelyn likely not very proud at her approach but her result certainly wasn’t any different no matter how noble,

Elidibus sort of seems stuck in a schism state between both parties & utterly confused,

Ascians in general seem very stagnant in a society where it seems to be almost forbidden to show your true character & rather be as common as anyone as possible,

In a way, can’t blame Hermes to have gone nihilistic in such sadness, after all, being repressed out of your emotions by a system can just get the deeps out of you enough to commence certain unorthodox methods, hence the bluebird lady initiating the mad plan to anihilliate all life,

[TheMightyMollusk]

The whole point of going to Elpis was that the Ancients are just.....people. For all their power and longevity, they're just flawed humans like anyone else.

[Lepus_Aetherius]

The whole point of going to Elpis was that the Ancients are just.....people. For all their power and longevity, they're just flawed humans like anyone else.

But I don't think what happened in Elpis explains Emet's aspirational description of the ancient world in 5.0, and the phantoms that WoL met in the Tempest who had qualities that humans didn't.

[Saraide]

But I don't think what happened in Elpis explains Emet's aspirational description of the ancient world in 5.0, and the phantoms that WoL met in the Tempest who had qualities that humans didn't.

I have a bridge in brooklyn to sell to you.

[TaleraRistain]

The whole point of going to Elpis was that the Ancients are just.....people. For all their power and longevity, they're just flawed humans like anyone else.

This

In regards to Lahabrea, it's possible Eric could have some talent in creation not displayed yet but the thing that triggers "it's probably Dad" for me is that Lahabrea always seemed to have a particular hatred for us. If we get Eric killed, then that could certainly explain it.

[Lauront]

It's a notion of well... relative "perfection". Things were relatively (albeit, I'd say, significantly, demonstrably) more idyllic in their world, but they are not entirely non-human entities... rather, they share human emotions and traits and some concerns and insecurities, which is showcased in Elpis and even as far back as Amaurot.

I thought this quest (Touring Anagnorisis Part 2) captured their complex natures well in the sort of responses you can give on them:



They possess both human and more-than-human traits, as far as I am concerned - overall, I found them very intriguing and appealing as far as fantasy races go.

[Saraide]

Wow it's almost like realized utopias in fiction never hold up if you scratch the surface and reveal a barrage of ignored and mundane problems. The ancient's society was powerful but it's very obvious that emet selch was portraying it through incredibily rose tinted glasses.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Lahabrea was also batshit insane by the modern era from thousands of years of body-surfing.

[Kes13a]

In the 5.0-6.0 stories, the Ancients have been portrayed as god-like characters with creation magicks who have infinite productivity and a near-infinite lifespan - everyone seeks common ground and there is no fighting, so their social structure as well as their emotions should be completely different from humans, which is why I like Hermes : He is the first ancient to show human emotions and values, to reveal a non-divine side.

Back to the point: the ancients had the "most progressive" society, but on the other hand, the story of Pandæmonium absurdly shows us the typical pre-modernism side of this society, a single-parent family that is common in reality. -The mother raises her child alone and then dies, the son resents his workaholic father who doesn't care about the family, and then the ancients fight over trivial and personal matters blah blah ......
This is ridiculous and I think it overturns the portrayal of ancient civilization in the previous stories, I can't find any hint of the "progressiveness" of ancient civilization and the "divinity" that was supposed to be prevalent in ancient societies that is often mentioned in the 5.0 stories ...... and this makes Hermes, the main character, look like a depressed sociopath in the previous stories

Pandæmonium's story makes ancient civilisation look like a cheesy family TV show with a new twist. If the story were set in Japan, China, America or Russia, or anywhere in real world, there would be nothing to fault, but the problem is that Pandæmonium takes place in the FFXIV ancient world.

just curious... since you obviously have reasoned all this out. Who was saying all these glowing things about the ancients? They were happy, they were perfect, they were godlike.... you did notice that was the unsundered remnants... untold THOUSANDS of years removed from their society? Thew remnants that went through the catastrophic end of their very world?

if nothing else it is a very fitting, I thought, view of a origin world/society that the Ascians were trying to bring back, in their flawed utopian vision. naturally they would say and believe it was perfect, it was one way to justify what they were trying to do, because it was "better"

it shows nothing else that a caricature of humanity as we sit. the past is always generally rose coloured. the game was better, there were no jerks, bots were unheard of etc.. the same thing goes on, and you dont need a game to tell you that. the 50's and 60's were better... people were friendlier, kids were safe.. you left your doors unlocked.. blah blah blah...

the world of the ancient Ascians in was never said they were emotionless.. but it seemed they were more like Vulcans in Star Trek... lack of emotions was a facade, hidden behind a mask. since ancient or not, they were seemingly human... I believe the point was they were just as flawed as we are today, both in game as as real humans.

[Lepus_Aetherius]

Thank you all for your replies.

I think the Ancients in 6.0 were positioned as "gods" rather than "perfect", superior but not omniscient. But 5.0's portrayal of the Ancients is closer to a perfect utopian classical society that exists in the philosopher's ideal.

The origin of the proper name 'Elpis', the Greek naming of the Ancients, and the name of Venat's companion Argos are all indicative of the fact that the Ancients were based on Greek gods who were very close to human. In Greek mythology, the heroes are not omniscient and the gods are not omnipotent, and the writers of FFXIV want to through the mouth of the "perfect" Ancients to physically tell mankind that perfection never exists, in the spirit of Milton's Paradise Lost - the gods are dead.

Since 5.0, FFXIV has portrayed the Ancients as a perfect, sane group of people who do not care about life and death, who do not take things personally, and who, despite their mood swings, are different from humans.
In 6.0 the Ancients are more closely detailed, and to do so requires breaking down many illusions, so that in the 6.0 story the writers' twist on their portrayal creates a slight fragmentation. with this fragmentation is not destined to provide a "story that will please everyone", but at least I can understand it.
The Pandæmonium story is another matter, and I think it directly destroys the portrayal of the Ancients in 5.0-6.0 - the Ancients are completely portrayed as ordinary people like Eorzean, which is very confusing.