Starting Cities

[Miriel]

On the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand, under the shadow of ancient cliffs worn by the relentless onslaught of The Rhotano Sea, lies the maritime city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Said to be blessed by the goddess of navigation, Llymlaen, the city is spread out over countless tiny islands, each connected by tiny ivory bridges. It is this that has earned her the name the "Navigator's Veil" from traveling bards who have witnessed the city's beauty from afar.

Legend holds that Limsa Lominsa was founded shortly after the remnants of a giant armada fled from its homeland following a crushing defeat. Llymlaen is said to have taken pity on the plight of these brave sailors, and guided them to the shallows of a rocky bay where their ships were grounded upon the sharp rocks. With no home to return to, the sailors chose to settle in this newly-found land, and use the remnants of their vessels to begin construction of a city.

In the eastern reaches of the Aldenard landmass, home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers, lies the forest nation of Gridania. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.

The Gridanian emphasis on natural harmony has led to its preeminence among the Eorzea's city-states in trades such as forestry, agriculture, carpentry and leatherworking. Gridania is also the home to the Wood Wailers, a militant band of polearm-wielding sentries charged with the protection of their homeland.

The favored goddess of the citizenry is Nophica, the Matron, but great faith is also placed in the wisdom of the Seedseers -- young oracles who guide the nation based on the will of the forest's elementals.

The bustling commercial hub of Ul'dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visable for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.

Vistors from every corner of Eorzea come to Ul'dah to partake in the city's famed recreation, most notably the fighting arenas and gambling halls. Ul'Dahn Culture is known for its affluence, and the wealth of the nation comes in large part from abundant mineral resources and prestigious clothcraft industry.

So which one do you think you'll pick as your starting city? Windurst 2.0? Bastok 2.0? Windurst was always my favorite town in FFXI, and Gridania just looks beautiful. But I love the waterscape of Limsa too. For sure I know I'm not picking Ul'dah.

[Rye]

So pretty. =O I'd pick Limsa.

[Bunny]

Are there pictures of actual in-game representations of the cities themselves or any larger concept art? Based on those pictures, and the stories about them, I would probably pick Limsa Lominsa, it has the most interesting back story to me.

Has it been revealed how starting cities will work in Final Fantasy XIV? I never played Final Fantasy XI, so I'm not sure how they functioned there. Do you choose a race and starting city yourself or are the cities themselves based on what race you choose (like in World of Warcraft)?

I should probably read more about this damnable game since I'm probably going to buy the collector's edition -_-

[Ouch!]

You can pick your starting nation independent of your race. In FFXI there was a bonus level one ring awarded to players who selected the starting city which corresponded to their character's race, but no such item has as of yet been announced for FFXIV.

I honestly have no idea which I'll be choosing. Ul'dah or Gridania are in the lead, though.

[Del Murder]

I really like Limsa Lominsa. Also Windurst 2.0 looks pretty nice.

[Rantz]

Ooh, I love all three of those. I wish I could see them in-game. If I ever play, I'll probably pick Gridania. It looks so homey.

[Madame Adequate]

From the information here, I'd have to pick Limsa.

[Octavious]

*jumps on the Limsa bandwagon*

[xXsarahXx]

Gridania for me
I love Windy in FFXI so will be going for the 2.0 version lol

[Loony BoB]

Will it be set so that you can only do City A's missions if you're from City A? I mean, as in helping other City A people do theirs... do you also have to be a City A resident? If so, I'll pick whatever the majority of you lot go for, probably.

[Goldenboko]

I wouldn't like navigating Limsa's bridge design, despite it's beauty. Ul'dah seems cool, however where I end up may ultimately depend on a few friends and a few EoFFers.

[Ouch!]

Will it be set so that you can only do City A's missions if you're from City A? I mean, as in helping other City A people do theirs... do you also have to be a City A resident? If so, I'll pick whatever the majority of you lot go for, probably. :p

Final Fantasy XI was much that way; certain battlefields in the different nation storylines could only be accessed by other people who were either on or beyond that battlefield as well.

That said, many of the missions were the same in each storyline regardless of which nation you were from. Also, in their most recently released missions (the three mini-expansions), players were able to enter a battlefield regardless of whether or not they had cleared the pre-requisite missions and other qualifications. People could help their friends do the A Crystalline Prophesy final fight even if they hadn't purchased the expansion; the only catch was that in-so-doing they did not receive completion of the battlefield until they cleared the preceding missions (and then they must also repeat the battlefield). I imagine (or at least hope) Square Enix will keep this model for FFXIV.

[Loony BoB]

I know people can help - but do they have to be of the same nation (or in this case, city) to come along with you on your mission, that's what I'm wondering. As far as I remember, only people of Bastok could help me do the Bastok missions. I think. Maybe. >_> Was Weiner from Bastok? If so, I think everyone who helped me on my missions were always from Bastok (Weiner, Shawtiie, Smitzy, Krim).

[*Devore*]

I'll go for Gridania, I love cities that have been embedded into forests. It always looks beautiful. Also, I've decided to be the wildwood Elezen race and I'm sure that Gridania will be their city.

[Ouch!]

I know people can help - but do they have to be of the same nation (or in this case, city) to come along with you on your mission, that's what I'm wondering. As far as I remember, only people of Bastok could help me do the Bastok missions. I think. Maybe. >_> Was Weiner from Bastok? If so, I think everyone who helped me on my missions were always from Bastok (Weiner, Shawtiie, Smitzy, Krim).

I'm not exactly sure where I was unclear that my explanation is causing confusion, but I'll try and explain it a bit better.

For nation missions, Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia, and Wings of the Goddess, you can only help someone on a given mission if you have also cleared the requisite missions yourself (or are beyond that mission). I had a friend help me with a Windurst mission who was a Bastok citizen, but he was able to do this because he had switched nations and completed all missions for San d'Oria, Windurst, and Bastok. It's not nation allegiance that restricts the ability to enter a battlefield; it's entirely dependent on one's own progress.

The add-on scenarios (A Crystalline Prophecy, A Moogle Kupo d'Etat, and A Shantotto Ascension), on the other hand, allowed anyone to help anyone else with a mission regardless of their own progress. So long as one person has completed the requisite missions and has clearance to enter a given battlefield (for example, the final battle for A Crystalline Prophecy), anyone else in his party may be invited to enter the battlefield to help. However, upon victory, only the individual(s) who have actually progressed that far in the mission storyline will receive clearance.

My hope is that FFXIV follows the latter model. This would allow anyone to enter any mission battlefield regardless of their own progress in the missions and assist their friends.