My problem with solution 9 - spoiler

[Sheldinn]

Super agree with OP. I strongly dislike how many high tech civilizations there are in the game. But at least with magitech and the allagans there was a level of fantasy flair to it. Solution 9 feels like they just copy pasted some generic sci fi city into the game. There's been times where I haven't been thrilled about a zone or new area being added but this is the first time I've actively hated what they've chosen to do.

[Balmung_Griffin]

Not a fan to be honest.
We have all this super advanced tech and every time I see the characters around that world map with f-ing clouds I die a little inside lol

[DeathNoodles]

I feel like it could be related to the one planet that destroyed itself in a civil war, some of those npcs are in EW botanist questline.

Tbh thinking of if it has connection to FF9, the total randomness of the advanced technology out of nowhere is kinda expected.

[Nyxs]

I look forward to the gear from these areas. We have pvp gear that suits this theme but some gear from dungeons and stuff will be nice as well. I feel like we get tons of medieval gear and modern. A little change isnt a bad thing.

[KageTokage]

I don't fundamentally take issue with the notion of Solution Nine, but it feels like something that should've been kept under wraps instead of immediately being pushed as the true source of conflict in DT.

I guess they dug themselves into a hole because it occupies a much more significant portion of the story then...say, Amaurot did so keeping it under wraps would've demanded a lot more denial of information that's considered standard for pre-release.

[Pyro2hell3]

we may have another problem if it's like a modern city namlying paying for a parking space for our mounts

[SeverianLyonesse]

The aesthetic of Solution 9 really does nothing for me. I've never liked that kind of cyberpunk "everything is a billboard" setting. It's whatever; this wouldn't be the first time FFXIV has reached into tired genre tropiness (Pandaemonium).

My bigger issue is not with how it looks, but how it begs a lot of lampshading in the story. I really struggle to imagine how we spent an entire saga fighting a transcontinental technological superpower and transuniversal threat to the entire universe, and had never even heard of this city which is more advanced than anything we have ever seen on Etheirys. Even if they do manage to explain it away, it is likely to be an unsatisfying explanation.

[KageTokage]

The aesthetic of Solution 9 really does nothing for me. I've never liked that kind of cyberpunk "everything is a billboard" setting. It's whatever; this wouldn't be the first time FFXIV has reached into tired genre tropiness (Pandaemonium).

My bigger issue is not with how it looks, but how it begs a lot of lampshading in the story. I really struggle to imagine how we spent an entire saga fighting a transcontinental technological superpower and transuniversal threat to the entire universe, and had never even heard of this city which is more advanced than anything we have ever seen on Etheirys. Even if they do manage to explain it away, it is likely to be an unsatisfying explanation.

I'm leaning towards them ticking another box on Emet's list of interesting places by making them be one of those "surprising" civilizations from other shards he mentioned.

[ArchfiendXVII]

I like to think FFXIV tries to sort of build an entire house with different materials serving as the bricks and foundations.

What I mean by this is that they want to have different areas of the map that serve to impress or make a group of people who play the game enjoy seeing it. Everyone has different tastes and aesthetics.
I can agree that going from something like, say Camp Drybone, where everyone is just this robed trader or dying sick citizen, and then on the other side of the world you got this BIG bright city with neon lights and high class skinsuits to match.

It's sort of equivalent to being a time traveler and showing a peasant child from the 1400's what an MLG Montage is. I'm highly sure they would just combust spontaneously.

[Sayo_]

I'm on the fence about it too. I'll just have to wait and see how they tie it into the story.