Four expansions so far... what is your favorite capital city and why?

[Raikai]

Can include "secondary" cities like Eulmore

For myself, I'll make a top 3 best cities list:

3. Radz-at-Han. No foul to Sharlayan, but I wish this was the main hub with the Marketboard, because the vibrant ambience really makes it stand out. My only peeve was that the central zone of the city, where we do our things, was in a more open space.

2. Ul'dah I wish the Sapphire Avenue was more central to the Aetherythe because it really captures the vibes of a busy trade hub, because that's the feel I have when I get in Ul'dah. I wonder how better it would be if it was built with more recent tech without 2 zones.

1. I honestly think Kugane is the best so far hands down. It has the atmosphere of an actual city, very charming with personality and with busy streets, and there's even a neat jumping puzzle. It makes me wonder how cool Bukyo will be if we get to it one day, and more specifically, how can they make it distrinct from Kugane.

And a bottom 3 worst cities:

3. Ishgard. I'll probably be burned down to a crisp for this... Don't get me wrong, Ishgard is beautiful but it's kinda depressing to be there for a long time because of how dull the weather makes it most of the time - I get that is probably working as intended, but as a personal preference, I'd pass.

2. Crystarium. To me, it just feels like a big empty castle instead of a city. Eulmore is also a bit like that, but at least is more cozy and with more interesting bits, even if much smaller. Design wise, the Crystarium got to be the most inconvenient capital city.

1. Overall, the worst city to me is Gridania. The least interesting because it will eternally look like a questing zone settlement. That would defnitely be a city that could benefit way more from a vertical design, going atop of the trees, to show the grandeur of the forest.

I'm curious to see what they'll come up with Dawntrail's capital city. A big complaint for me, even in my favorite capital Kugane, is that we don't get to go inside many buildings. I'd love to see more of that.

[Theodric]

Ishgard. I like the architecture a lot as well as all the snow and ice. Kugane is a close second and Eulmore sits in third place. The upper area of the city, at least.

[Soge01]

Sharlyan. I really like its design and the relaxed atmosphere it gives off.

[Enkidoh]

I actually hate Kugane - it's a confusing jumble of square buildings and annoying streets which makes it a chore to get anywhere, and the snooty, arrogant npcs don't help (seriously, the Sekisigumi should have been hired to take down Meteion given how invincible they're portrayed as - even the Garleans were wary of crossing them). And unfortunately, it was unnecessarily shoehorned into SB's story just to give it a reason for even having us be there, like Vaan in FFXII it could be excised completely from the game and SB's story would barely change. Uurrrrghh. :P

Gridania is actually my favourite, and I disagree it's a chore to get anywhere (it's actually better than it was in 1.0 where those horrible long passageways and tunnels you had to always travel through back then have now been excised and the game just skips to the next area through them). It's quiet and relaxing, and I admit part of why I chose Gridania as my starting city in both 1.0 and ARR was because it also reminded me of my beloved Windy (Windurst) in FFXI, another green 'forest' city.

Ala Mhigo would be my choice, but alas because it's inaccessable as an actual city (no, the 'Ala Mhigan Quarter' in the Lochs does not count), it doesn't make my list.

[Elissar]

Crystarium
Ishgard


I feel like we have so many cool cities with open spaces but people can't leave limsa for some reason (probably MB convenience)...

[Zeastria]

I dont really have any favorite..
Mostly because i just end up staying in Limsa..
(where there are players)

Anyway i like how Sharlayan and Ishgard look ( the buildings and layout).

[RitsukoSonoda]

1. Kugane
2. Gridania
3. Smileton (Do it SE... you can even create instanced housing in there) :3

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Radz-at-Han

I love the whole Theme of it, and the Culture.
Plus C'Mon, their Leader is a DRAGON, who rule through a Proxy.
And I like the Arkasodara

Id consider fighting for Housing here if I could.

[Soge01]

Crystarium
Ishgard


I feel like we have so many cool cities with open spaces but people can't leave limsa for some reason (probably MB convenience)...

It is a shame. :<

[Allegor]

The Crystarium by a landslide. I love that place, specially the markets and the cabinet of curiosity, it's such a pity that it's the emptiest hub though. Even during ShB there weren't many people around, or even really many npcs either, whereas places like Kugane and Radz-at-han feel much more alive and populated.