One of the things that made A Realm Reborn so great was its rich political intrigue. Ul’dah’s Monetarists schemed against the Sultana, Limsa Lominsa’s pirates chafed under the Admiral’s rule, and Gridania was boiling over from tensions with the Duskwight Elezen and Ala Mhigan refugees. These conflicts made the world feel alive, layered, and grounded in real-world issues. Politics were central to the story, driving the narrative and building a complex world.
Fast forward to Dawntrail, and that political tension feels almost entirely absent. 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. The Pelupelu, who were once enslaved by the Yok Huy, now seem to have completely forgotten or don’t care about their former subjugation.
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.
These are just a few examples of a trend in Dawntrail: political conflict is either absent or mentioned only as a token, with no real exploration of its consequences. 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.
I hope that future patches or expansions will bring political intrigue back. FFXIV’s world feels most alive when it grapples with the messy, conflicting interests of its inhabitants.
Am I off base? Do you miss the politics of earlier expansions?
Continue reading...
Fast forward to Dawntrail, and that political tension feels almost entirely absent. 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. The Pelupelu, who were once enslaved by the Yok Huy, now seem to have completely forgotten or don’t care about their former subjugation.
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.
These are just a few examples of a trend in Dawntrail: political conflict is either absent or mentioned only as a token, with no real exploration of its consequences. 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.
I hope that future patches or expansions will bring political intrigue back. FFXIV’s world feels most alive when it grapples with the messy, conflicting interests of its inhabitants.
Am I off base? Do you miss the politics of earlier expansions?
Continue reading...