Not an actual gameplay update, but just something I've been mulling over the last few days since reaching Bastok. XI's portrayal of racism is very interesting and probably one of the more nuanced versions we've seen in the series. Like usually the people getting persecuted are usually treated as just outright pariah's of decent society such as the Al Bhed, or in other cases it's downplayed as a piece of flavor text such as Bangaa and Seeq being looked down upon by the humans and other Ivalice races as being associated with criminals or being brutish.

I think what caught my attention here in terms of the Galka is that there is a derision within the group itself. When I entered Bastok, I came in through the Mines area, so I was smack dabbed in the Galka slums, which I would point out seem to house the Mithra as well. But when I moved into the Hume residential area, I spoke with other Galka from these regions and they also shared in perpetuating the racial and class stereotyping and that was actually a step further than I've seen most games do, because it's an ugly part of this whole business people don't like to talk about. From the Galka guard who feels guilty about following orders to seal the bridge leading to the Mines area during the Crystal Wars, when the area was razed, and remembering watching a lot of the Galka refugees burn and be slaughtered because the Humes wanted to only protect what they deemed was the important parts of the city. To the other Galka guards and workers in the richer sections of the city speaking derogatorily about the Galka from the slum section.

It's a nice touch to bring out a better understanding of what racism really looks like and how classism is also used as means to further divide groups as desirable and undesirable. Because again, it's not like other Galka in higher positions of Bastok don't have a bone to pick the Humes and their place in Bastok society, but I imagine they are grateful they get better treatment than the miners.

I kind of wish the devs had implemented a way where your interactions with the races and city factions actually put into consideration your race you chose, because I imagine I would be having more issues in Bastok and San d'Oria as a Hume in some places.

Finally, after visiting all three main factions, plus Jueno, I can safely say San d'Oria is probably the most boring faction with the Elvaan largely being just stuffy and out of touch aristocrats and the main conflict of their city being a boring succession crisis and maybe a feud between the Temple Knights and the Royal Guard? I don;t know, it's just basic sword and sorcery nonsense, whereas the other two factions seem to have more depth to them. Hell, even the Elvaan's Beastman problem is the least interesting with the Orks just being a more brutish invader force that have the same proud warrior race mentality as the Elvaan.

Windhurst on the other hand is led by a sage with visions and five government units all run by or formerly run by crazy narcissists, who you can tell have largely sown the seeds of the Federations problems. The Yagudo are a fanatical theocracy that the Tarutaru are hoping they can placate in order to keep the peace and this is causing tension with the Mithra who see the folly in the Tarutaru's aversion for conflict. There is also some low level racial tensions going on here as well. Despite having a more fair relationship with each other over what's going on in Bastok, you can see that the Tarutaru don;t completely trust the Mithra and the few who are part of the government are no longer trusted by their own kind because they were not raised in their culture but the Tarutaru one instead.

Bastok on the other hand is basically one giant ass allegory of the United States with the country being the most inventive and financially minded faction, but a lot of that success is built on exploitation of the Galka and even their Beastmen are frankly the most justified to be pissed off because the Republic is taking over their territory so Bastok are the invading force in their narrative, giving these Beastmen an allegory for the Native Americans. It's interesting that some of the most personable NPCs I've met have come from here, so you don;t completely walked away feeling disgusted, but woof, Bastok is like a powder keg of chaos waiting to explode just like Windhurst.

I imagine if I come back to XI to finish up later expansions, I may need to immigrate to another nations so I can check out their own Nation missions.