Does FFXIV Hate Politics Now? [Spoilers for Dawntrail 7.1]

[Exmo]

This is a case of rose tinted glasses. With one notable exception that was eventually rolled back (Nanamo's assassination) the politics OP describes in ARR was mainly set dressing. You need to have a generous interpretation of ARR and a very ungenerous interpretation of DT to make three claims. For example,

Garlemald is destroyed offscreen and then we - who killed hundreds or maybe thousands of their fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons - waltz in and pass out bowls of soup and now everyone is sociable, with only a few "disgruntled" people, let alone anyone trying to assassinate the enemy's great hero and the scourge of Garlemald

This is just flat out not how that went down.

[Jeeqbit]

Take the Yok Huy, who gave up a vast empire that subjugated much of Tural, including the Pelupelu. While the story does mention that some people feel “uncomfortable” around them and there are a few Yok Huy who want to return to their status as conquerors, there’s little exploration of the lasting impact of their conquests.

There is an area of Urqopacha with lots and lots of "evil" Yok Huy. There is also Kirlirger the Abhorrent.

As far as lasting impact goes, weren't they involved in building a lot of things such as the mine leading to the golden city, the mine in Tender Valley, the bridge leading to Shaaloani and maybe some structures in Tuliyolall(?) Really any infrastructure that seems too big for a regular person to build.

The Pelupelu, who were once enslaved by the Yok Huy, now seem to have completely forgotten or don’t care about their former subjugation.

To be fair, so have most of us in real life. It can be just a generation later and if everything has been alright in their life they don't really care. I think I recall that fact being explored in Dawntrail quests actually. That the younger generations just don't remember these things and aren't so bothered by them.

Or consider Shaaloani, a region inspired by the American West. The discovery of ceruleum deposits has led to the construction of railroads and other industrial projects, which in our real history was a disaster for the native people. Yet, the local Hhetsarro people magically coexist with the industrialists drilling into their land.

While I don't remember seeing this in Dawntrail itself, there was something along those lines in the blue mage quests prior to it.

Clearly the writers wanted a lighter tone after the heavy stakes of Endwalker, but it comes at the cost of the moral complexity and political realities that made the previous places feel alive.

It seems that way, yes. Gulool Ja Ja just solved a lot of the problems. But arguably those solutions could have been better which is why Wuk Lamat was able to help further. My guess is we will help further bridge relations in Yak T'el in the beast tribe and solve all their problems.

[Exmo]

To be fair, so have most of us in real life. It can be just a generation later and if everything has been alright in their life they don't really care. I think I recall that fact being explored in Dawntrail quests actually. That the younger generations just don't remember these things and aren't so bothered by them.

It was Zoraal Ja's ostensible motive, too, that people had grown soft and complacent in the absence of conflict. A standard fascistic talking point. We saw how this was an alluring rallying cry for some portions of Tural society, and how Zoraal Ja's militarism was ultimately compensation for his own fears and feelings of inadequacy. I wonder if this somehow relates to the political climate of the real world???

[Carin-Eri]

Whilst I don't disagree per-se, it does kinda feel as if the incoming story additions could lean toward having more politics involved.

I mean, 'Sphene' is back for one - how is that going to play out? It seems pretty clear that the people of Solution 9, who don't remember she died, are naturally more accepting of her than they are of Gulool Ja (whom the dialogue at the conclusion of 7.0 stated some of the people had doubts about). Little doubt they'll accept her Neo Regulator proposal too. And the Neo Regulator is another issue in itself - how're the people going to decide who gets one and who doesn't?
And how will Wuk Lamat factor into this? I mean, with 'Sphene' back it's questionable whether she has any authority and doubtful it would be accepted if she did try to exert it. Fair to say that no-one seemed too interested in what she had to say following Sphene's reappearance.

In fairness, none of this is as elaborate as what came before but, if they do write this well, it could be interesting.

[CaptainLagbeard]

Or consider Shaaloani, a region inspired by the American West. The discovery of ceruleum deposits has led to the construction of railroads and other industrial projects, which in our real history was a disaster for the native people. Yet, the local Hhetsarro people magically coexist with the industrialists drilling into their land. There’s no exploration of displacement, cultural erasure, or conflict over resources—instead, the two groups live side by side in harmony, a magical train horn solving all problems.

The closest thing we got was many years ago with the original Blue Mage questline up to level 50...
It's been long enough so I had to look up his name, but Whastrach tried to trick the Whalaqee tribe that made Blue Magic to begin with into selling their land so it could be mined for Ceruleum. But that happened all the way back in the Stormblood days and isn't even mentioned anywhere in DT.

[Valence]

There is an area of Urqopacha with lots and lots of "evil" Yok Huy. There is also Kirlirger the Abhorrent.

It's pretty funny since after the sidequest series of the area, the WoL ends up building bridges with them and making the pelu and the other yok huy get access to their salt. Problem solved in one sidequest series.

While I don't remember seeing this in Dawntrail itself, there was something along those lines in the blue mage quests prior to it.

Which proved even more jarring to me, who has done the BLU quests and paid attention to that. I do remember SE taking flak for badly representing the issue of native american genocide with the BLU quests back then, so I'd have hoped see them actually try and cover/rectify the issue better instead of negating the whole thing and creating some kind of weird utopia. Actually having the Shaaloani arc be about trouncing through ceruleum barons and their corrupt marshals and lapdogs would have been ten times more interesting than fighting against some insignificant random bully with rubber bullets...

[Hallarem]

Whalaqee arent a real native american tribe. Why would they stop telling meaningful fantasy stories that ARENT REAL. Because some rando gets upset over representing a "native american issue" when there isnt any native americans in the game? Am I taking crazy pills?

Should we be more sensitive towards Somalian pirates and delete Limsa Lominsa while were at it?

[Supersnow845]

It's pretty funny since after the sidequest series of the area, the WoL ends up building bridges with them and making the pelu and the other yok huy get access to their salt. Problem solved in one sidequest series.

It’s all just become so cookie cutter and pedestrian

Oh look a zone split in two with two different level ranges (how original). Each range has one town with a particular insular group in it (so creative). The two groups are at odds with each other (I never would have guessed). Two blue questlines (feeling daring today aren’t we). Finishing the two blue questlines opens a joint quest (we are really cooking with creativity now) leading to an ending where the two conflicting groups come together over something completely nonsensical (amazing)

Like is there any box they didn’t tick

[Wasselin]

This is a case of rose tinted glasses. With one notable exception that was eventually rolled back (Nanamo's assassination) the politics OP describes in ARR was mainly set dressing. You need to have a generous interpretation of ARR and a very ungenerous interpretation of DT to make three claims.

You call it set dressing I call it world building.

I'm not saying dawntrail has zero political intrigue but it's greatly diminished in how it's been presented in the past. I don't think it's rose colored glasses. Political conflict between nations, between the beast tribes, and between different groups in society were key to the plot of the MSQ in ARR, and unfolded over many patches and even across expansions. There were conflicts that were not easy to resolve or still aren't resolved.

[Zaniel]

We're actually the CIA now, engaging in regime change to ensure enemy nations have the least competent people running them so they are no longer a threat. ;p