Revelations from NA Fan Fest (July 2023)

[Alleluia]

A neat idea I've heard for where the conflict could go is, rather than Scions picking sides of a conflict, instead picking interference vs. non-intervention. Basically run with the actual conflict one might have about a psuedo-colonialist narrative, and have the party split based on 'is it right to take part in deciding who leads'.

People like to bring up colonialism when talking about the new world a lot, but there isn't any colonialism going on so its rather invalid, imo. They send their own people to Eorzea as mercs and traders. They have trade relations with Radz-at-Han (I think). They have some kind of diplomatic ties to Sharlyan. Far as we've ever heard or seen, this isn't some virgin culture that we're deciding whether to build a fort on or not; they're just any other city state. And we've long been in the habit of beign involved in leadership choices in other city states. Aymeric, Hien, the Nadaam, Chai-Nuzz. Its never been a colonialism expy before, I don't see why it should be considered such now just cus the aesthetics of the area are South/Central American.

None of the above says you are wrong about the idea that the two sides might be "get involved" 'vs "don't get involved". It might very well be that. I just don't think colonialism enters in to it at all.

The fact they mentioned Hrothgar as being native to one of the regions leads weight to female Hrothgar though. I'm not sure they would be mentioned specifically if not to expand the lore, and provides the narrative reason to include them (they're not rare in the new world like they are in Bozja)

Yeha, I think the chances of seeing female Hrothgar (and getting them playable) have significantly improved.

[MikkoAkure]

People like to bring up colonialism when talking about the new world a lot, but there isn't any colonialism going on so its rather invalid, imo. They send their own people to Eorzea as mercs and traders. They have trade relations with Radz-at-Han (I think). They have some kind of diplomatic ties to Sharlyan. Far as we've ever heard or seen, this isn't some virgin culture that we're deciding whether to build a fort on or not; they're just any other city state. And we've long been in the habit of beign involved in leadership choices in other city states. Aymeric, Hien, the Nadaam, Chai-Nuzz. Its never been a colonialism expy before, I don't see why it should be considered such now just cus the aesthetics of the area are South/Central American.

There was a little bit. IIRC the BLU quest had an Eorzean guy who was trying to move the Whalaqee of their lands to mine Ceruleum, and they all got sick and were dying from Eorzean diseases they brought with them.

Limsa Lominsa were also the first ones who came to Tural from the east and followed it up with expeditions though the encyclopedia didn't exactly say what they were up to.

[Eisi]

People like to bring up colonialism when talking about the new world a lot, but there isn't any colonialism going on so its rather invalid, imo.

One of the only times the New World was previously in focus was the Blue Mage questline where an Eorzean merchant seeks to bring sacred Whalaqee land under his control because there's oil there, so the colonialist angle is kinda there.

But I'd love to see a story about the New World where it doesn't need to define itself against Eorzea in any fundamental way. I think it's nice if they're friends and trade and exchange ideas respectfully, a story that's kind of what could have been in our world as well. Or what might yet be.

and they all got sick and were dying from Eorzean diseases they brought with them.

Oh yeah true! But the guys who visited us got medication right?

[Cleretic]

People like to bring up colonialism when talking about the new world a lot, but there isn't any colonialism going on so its rather invalid, imo. They send their own people to Eorzea as mercs and traders. They have trade relations with Radz-at-Han (I think). They have some kind of diplomatic ties to Sharlyan. Far as we've ever heard or seen, this isn't some virgin culture that we're deciding whether to build a fort on or not; they're just any other city state. And we've long been in the habit of beign involved in leadership choices in other city states. Aymeric, Hien, the Nadaam, Chai-Nuzz. Its never been a colonialism expy before, I don't see why it should be considered such now just cus the aesthetics of the area are South/Central American.

I don't think the problem is as simple as 'the story says there's not colonialism so don't think about it like that'. It's sort of an inevitable specter around a story where the base pitch is 'a bunch of white people (who are generally from a European-analogue location even if geographically it's more Africa) go to the unsettled America-analogue'; even if you're not doing a colonialist story, there's a lot of tropes you could accidentally fall into. Which, in fact, they've already been doing: we've been calling it 'the New World' until now, which is... not great.

Perhaps fortunately, the lore and translation panel from FanFest did make a point of basically saying 'we know we haven't been the best at this in the past, we're making an effort to do better with Dawntrail specifically'.

[Iscah]

While I would like to believe this, I didn't catch it in the presentation, and it would break the team's insistence on demanding NIN be really difficult to gear alongside other jobs. EW got us a second maiming, so maybe?

Are you joking about the "team's insistence" that NIN is hard to gear? Sounds unlikely.

One of the only times the New World was previously in focus was the Blue Mage questline where an Eorzean merchant seeks to bring sacred Whalaqee land under his control because there's oil there, so the colonialist angle is kinda there.

Yes, but he was a villain and we were opposed to it.

At least, I still haven't gotten past Azulmagia and I assume we don't have a change of heart later.

The Whalaqee tribe is also likely to be from the "North America" continent and not in the region we're visiting. (I was going to say "not in Tural" but then we haven't been told how far that label spreads.)

a European-analogue location even if geographically it's more Africa

I really don't think it was ever meant to be Africa, or if anything only the southern desert is a displaced bit of Africa while the rest sailed south as Meracydia. The cultures line up better to Aldenard being Europe and then Ilsabard/Othard both being Asia. Othard mimics the shape of Asia, but Russia is missing, and I bet we'll find Ilsabard has its outline when they finally lift the clouds over it.

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On a tangent... where's the best place to get high resolution files of the various maps?

[MikkoAkure]

On a tangent... where's the best place to get high resolution files of the various maps?

I got mine off reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme..._dawntrail_70/

[Denishia]

Exactly that- and because there hasn't been a plethora of mainstream fantasy stories that use LatAm culture as inspiration for characters or setting (understatement) and when it has, what was given was racist tropes. Thus why a common reaction from XIV fans from Latin America have been what they are, that same excitement mixed with apprehension, because there's limited tolerance for so many offensive El Dorados and Cholo gang stereotypes (which, it was interesting to learn that in Japan there is a subculture inspired by Cholo car culture). No more a monolith than any widely diverse group of people are, but that's also why I was so excited, because getting a full game expansion (Unless another Stormblood curveball adds Meracydia my fear is not appeased) means more when there's so little like it, unlike the hundreds of "Fantasy RenFaire/Arthuriana European Medieval" or "Fantasy Three Kingdoms China" where another example is a drop in the ocean; something even if it stumbles is better than nothing, especially if it doesn't outright fully embrace the tropes and story beats that step callously on real-world trauma.

The Keynote yesterday and Kate's comments at the panel today mean that I personally will give a large amount of grace even for large missteps, but that's my personal stance. That "New World" was immediately ditched for what the actual inhabitants call it was a good sign.

I do hope, just as they got Desi VAs for Thavnair, that the EN VAs for the regions and groups in Tural have the same effort. And it really makes me lament how we don't have a Spanish language option for XIV to play with (though wow the translation problems between the various dialects of LatAm Spanish versus European Spanish would be a nightmare; the vocabulary shifts make the American English versus British versus Aussie look tame). That Oceania servers were added was actually what had me convinced of Meracydia as our destination.

[FairyDJ]

I like the idea of a "Summer Vacation". Although this won't be. I love the idea of my WoL always just going off somewhere trying to relax and it gets interrupted by something stupid. I think the rift of the Scions and the Battle of the throne sounds like something silly to deal with, without being frustrated. It is super nice. I also like exploring new worlds and participating in the cultures there, so this is an expansion that already sounds more my speed. Unfortunately (side note) I am not a fan of Island Sanctuary as I feel its more of a crafting/gathering situation on steroids. So I like the idea of this new world and going to beach on vacation. I also like the teaser it looks very promising. I also have no real speculation on Jobs. Although if I had to guess I am going to say Spellblade/Mystic Night for our Melee DPS. I have no idea for the Caster unless the Mystic Knight becomes our Caster. I don't think it would be Cosair mainly because our Gunbreaker does weapon fighting similarly to what a Cosair does now. However, I could be wrong but that's just a guess.

[SannaR]

Well that lore panel was somewhat disappointing. Though I guess I shouldn't have expected much since yesterday during the dev panel they again went over this is why and how things end up being written the way they are. So from that I should have been ready for an update on this is how we do translations and localization.

I'm not sure we knew Koji did voice samples for all of the dragon speak before. The other interesting answer was that there wasn't an Star Wars Outter Rim type situation pre-sundereding. So, take that how you will. I do wonder if there will be more than the three other questions they showed, but ran out of time to answer when they post those answers on the lodestone.

[Fenral]

Are you joking about the "team's insistence" that NIN is hard to gear? Sounds unlikely.

I mean, I think I'm joking, but I also don't have any proof the devs haven't just had it in for NIN all these years.