FFXIV Fanfest News: The 3 Missing Starting Cities

Ever wonder what it would be like to start from one of the other city-states of Eozrea?
At FFXIV Fanfest 2021, Yoshi revealed that there were originally 6 Starting Cities Planned: Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, Ul'dah, Sharlayan, Ala Mhigo and Ishgard. Would you have chosen one of the other cities? Are you excited to go to Old Sharlayan in FFXIV Endwalker?
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[@EverydayEorzean]

Knowing all I know now, I definitely would have started in Old Sharlayan. I have always been interested in their lore and knowledge-based societies and the aesthetic and background music sealed the deal for me!!!

[@lyconxero457]

Just as an FYI, the starting city would have been New Sharlayan back in 1.0 and not OLD Sharlayan. New Sharlayan, of course, being what we now know as Idylshire. Story wise this would have been really cool but I understand Yoshi P’s points about production problems.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@lyconxero457 It could have been, it's a bit of a gray area. They evacuate the same year (maybe a year prior) to the start of 1.0 (according to lore book) so I'm not sure New Sharlayan would work, as eventually it would have to be abandoned and players wouldn't be able to come back to it. Maybe a small contingent could have been left behind?

[@gameevangelion2519]

@@lyconxero457 I wouldn't be so sure though. The abandoned it after the first attempt by the garleans to invade and the whole silvertear debacle. Although that is lore under Yoshida. Might be that the OG team had a different idea, like the Sharlayans not abandoning Idleshire but I guess we will never know.

[@gameevangelion2519]

@@EverydayEorzean I guess that Sharlayan would have been like Jeuno. You can't start there but you wil get there in the main game. I don't remember if Yoshida said that there were suppossed to be 6 cities or 6 starting cities. Big difference if it were just city as in you will travel there in the story. also sharlayan is pretty far away even from vylbrand and pretty uptight so I am not sure how you could start as an adventurer there or even leave it.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@gameevangelion2519 Maybe, but I don't think it would be a big deal to leave. We've met quite a few people that have studied there and left to explore their interests. Leaving at lvl 15 to go fight primals might not be looked highly upon though XD.

[@KioRyomi]

I started in gridania as a Lancer. But knowing how deep into ishgards lore dragoons are (and them being my favorite ff class) I would have loved to have started in ishgard. It's something about having a Au-ra blindly stumbling into a city full of people who hate dragons and kicking them off their high horse when you become a azure dragoon that just feels satisfying.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I really really loved that part of the Au Ra lore and their history with Ishgard, and you're right lol it would have felt deliciously satisfying, lol.

[@Enclave.]

I started in Gridania and would never have started anywhere else.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I love Gridania. In fact it was where I originally wanted to start. But sadly, the beta beat that out of me. By the time the actual game came around I had spent months in the black shroud, and it was not as nice as it is today. I do really miss the original grundania OST though, it was so pretty!

[@Scobill]

I would have started in Ishgard for sure! The snowy areas always appeal to be and as a previous San d'orian I feel like Ishgard is just a natural fit.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Housing is just around the corner! Pretty soon you can have all the snow you want! I'm pretty sure they previewed a snowy zone in the new 6.0 trailer too!

[@seluhir8820]

I started lancer... and I would've still started lancer. Because Kain. lol But I am kind of glad they reduced to 3... because it made playing around with different classes easier, since every city was home to multiple classes so you never had to look far to try something else.

[@EverydayEorzean]

That's a very good point. It also condensed the starting population into three cities. Maybe it's better this way after all!

[@Lala_Fae]

Love this and I love how soothing your videos are. I started uldah but would have loved to have started at Sharlayan

[@EverydayEorzean]

Saaaaame! Have you seen the benchmark?! That Sharlayan Guitar BGM lives rent free in my head XD.

[@-DeScruff]

With a side note on Limsa starting classes: At some point the "Musketeer" class was a very early scrapped class, that would have started in Limsa. One can even go into the Marauders guild and see remnants of the class. (The dual flintlock symbol on flags, a sign by a receptionist desk, and a sort of shooting range in the downstairs with an instructor ) The idea of the Rogue class starting in Ul'Dah certainly feels plausible, and it makes sense they would want to have at least 2 classes to start in each city

[@EverydayEorzean]

I remember! I had my heart so set on Musketeer because I played Corsair in FFXI. There was even a CS in 1.0 story where you went down into the belly and got to practice shooting a musket. Don't get me wrong, Machinist is great, but I would love to know what the original intent was for Musketeer!

[@lumion7670]

Interesting take on the topic! especially the rouges starting in uldah would be a nice alternativ, i really like the idea :D

[@EverydayEorzean]

I would have loved to have had a Rogues Guild in Ul'dah with the exact same premise of keeping crooks 'honest' lol. I feel like it would have been so fitting there, not that it isn't in Limsa, but I feel like Pirates kind of have their own 'code of justice' a bit different from Rogues.

[@inurabera]

As an important note, this was the original plan for 1.0, not for ARR, so ARR was always built with the current setup in mind (though of course limited in some ways be holding the previous lore as important, such as Gladiator/Paladin). 1.0 was a bit crazy, as my FFXIV adventures, I started as a Botanist. In 1.0 the job system didn't exist as rigidly as it did once YoshiP took over and created it, so I could see a vast array of weapons and classes we could never imagine in the game as the concept was to essentially build your own with your primary weapon being your main focus, but cross classing being huge. There was definitely some NPCs back then wielding weird looking weapons for classes we never got and even a Musketeer guild in Limsa that was locked up. I'd kind of like to see what this concept would have played out like - especially since back then the zones (while copy paste) were ridiculously huge, and I can imagine sailing from Old Sharalyan to Eorzea would have been quite the adventure, alongside how it would have worked into the overall narrative. Would Sharalyan and Ishgard had the same main story beats as main Eorzea nations did, or would they have had their own thing going on? The Ala Mhigo concept you bring up is very intriguing - would you start as an Imperial conscript, or just downtrodden, or are you just a roving adventurer and the Garleans at that point don't really have anything to say about you?

[@EverydayEorzean]

I really liked the system of 1.0 and liked the horizontal progression that forced you to level a bit in multiple guilds. Ultimately, I think they made they right choice to forgo it though. Balancing end game content around customizable jobs would have been a nightmare and it would have become a "you must have this build for optimization" taking most of the uniqueness away. Oh man, I remember when they moved the mauraders guild from the ship to the musketeers guild. I was so sad! I had really wanted to play it. Regarding Sharlayan and Ishgard story beats, I don't think they could have without changing the overall story a fair bit. Even the new simple opening of arriving with the twins would have to be tweaked as they were leaving Sharlayan.

[@inurabera]

@@EverydayEorzean I'd love to see an alternate universe were 1.0 was released in a great state, to see what the actual plan and goals were behind the game in the long term. Yesss, I loved the class building - if the game had been built around content in the vein of Eureka or Bozja it could have had things working. Would have been really unbalanced though haha, but if the encounters aren't so tightly scripted it isn't as big an issue. Glad to see you back making videos!

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@inurabera Me too XD lol. I had to take a break for RL, but I think a lot of us did! You are totally right though regarding how they are doing Eureka and Bozja. It is a bit of a return to 'play it how you want to', that and I really really like having a dangerous open world. I get it's not everyone's cup of tea and can definitely have it's downsides in solo gameplay, but I love the feel of it and strategizing what to bring with me.

[@merlecorey1688]

This was a fun bit of speculation. Here's another thing to look at through the lens of could-have-been: Imagine working with Yda in Ala Mhigo from the word go in 1.0. Imagine coming back 5 years after the calamity and she somehow hasn't aged. And she's acting differently. And doesn't recognize us. Had it shaped up that way, the events of 3.5/post-Baelsar's Wall would've hit much, much differently.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Ooooooooo yes! Sadly the loss of papalymo just didn't have as much of an impact on me as I would have liked, it was moving, but I didn't get as tore up about it as much as I did the transition from 2.0 to heavensward.

[@altariarulaq848]

I main Paladin and am a roleplayer; since my characters' backstory is so tied in with Ul'dah (she is a full Sultansworn, not just a Free Paladin adventurer), it's hard to imagine starting somewhere else! But that said, one of the friends I've made along the way RPed very much as an Ishgardian Knight, and I'm positive she would have absolutely loved it. These aside, I love the attributions you've put as to who would start where and how it would effect the gameplay. Also,

[@EverydayEorzean]

I love it when people have backstories for their characters!!! Just so interesting to hear everyone's take on things!

[@OneReallyGrumpyJill]

Given the fact just how corrupt paladins and Holy See are in Ishgard, and the fact that Ishgard is home to dark knights, I kinda dig the idea of paladins being somewhere else instead. Making paladins into bodyguards was a nice twist: I just wish that they were, like, bodyguards down to the bone, for the coin, but with honor instead of being just for sultana only. Also, I feel like Yda would place herself in Gridania, being close to Ala Mihgo but being unable to put herself there while our laladad would've been at Ala Mihgo. Given how interesting it sounds to start the game in Garlean-controlled Ala Mihgo (and how much it would've changed the story) I probably would've gone with that place. Limsa and Sharlyan win over with ARR-Y'shtola and Krile tho.

[@EverydayEorzean]

The corruption is why I think it would be great to have Paladins in Ishagard! I think they could have had a really great redemption story for the class, kind of a mesh between War, Drk and Drg's story quests. Imagine being a starry-eyed paladin taken in by all the oaths and finding out about the corruption as your progress into Heavensward. It would have been...gut-wrenching in a good way. Your job quest could have felt like an amazing side story that only paladins were privy to. I got the same feeling when I did that Dragoon's Heavensward storyline. That feeling of 'oh man we had it all wrong, but we're going to make it better". Who do you mean by Lala Dad? Papalymo? OH man... you just gave me a thought. What if we would have had more story with Ilberd in Ala Mhigo! Granted he's not a scion, nor is he part of the circle of knowing, but he was quite personable, dare I saw charismatic before we learned his true intentions.

[@OneReallyGrumpyJill]

@@EverydayEorzean I do get the appeal of that, but for me personally, paladins as an order of good guys (or order of good guys who lost their goodness) is somewhat of a clcihe idea. I personally would prefer the idea of paladins, instead, being a band of freelancers with a heart of gold: maybe the person behind paladin guild in Ul'dah also could've been someone from Ishgard. But, once again, I think both have valid reasoning behind them, just different approaches! Papalymo, yup. He was, like, in his 40s, what's he? So Lalafel dad. And that sounds nice: maybe he could've been there as a side character, helping people out and helping your character out, which would make your reunion during Crystal Braves mean something as, at that point, you could've known one another. Though, doubt that they could've made you too close with him since his shtick always been with Rhauban.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@OneReallyGrumpyJill I... I am a little bit of a sucker for a good cliche lol. I think what could have sealed the bodyguard/freelancer story for me is if they had changed the look at bit. For me having such an iconic look probably made me crave the iconic story. And yeah - definitely not best buddies, but like you said, just getting to know him a bit more outside of the crystal braves storyline.

[@OneReallyGrumpyJill]

@@EverydayEorzean That is fair. Ironic enough, I think all of my paladin glams are the opposite of the paladin image that the game presents you with, so perhaps this is why I prefer the idea of freelancer paladins more.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@OneReallyGrumpyJill Oh man! Now I want to see the glam!

[@nevzilla]

I know this is a late comment, but I have played the Gridania story 4 times, the Limsa one once, and rode a cart into Ul'dah. Now I did start the very first time as an Arcanist in Limsa so maybe I would have started that very first character as a Sharlayan, I dunno but I figure it is a safe bet that I would have and will continue to serve the Twelveswood. (unless of course going to Sharlayan lets me meet Y'mitra sooner)

[@EverydayEorzean]

Never too late!!! I did the same XD I made alts to try all the opening stories! I do find myself hanging in Gridania a lot

[@CF-qb2cg]

As someone who mains monk, plays a Highlander and has always wanted Ala Mhigo to be an actual city I approve of this

[@EverydayEorzean]

Heck yeah! So many possibilities!

[@jafd239]

I didn't properly realize what the starting city thing meant until it was too late! I started as pugilist, so I'd have been in Ala Mhigo, but wanted to be in Gridania! Though Old Sharlayan is really appealing and Ishgard has to be my favorite of the bunch!

[@EverydayEorzean]

Aesthetically, I think I would have loved Gridania and Sharlayan the most, but I also looooove the high fantasy of knights and dragons in Ishgard. Are you going to go for Ishgard housing when it comes out?

[@FishSkeleton-]

It's a bit off-topic, but this whole discussion makes me really wish that you could try the other city state starting experiences through New Game+. I started in Gridania and loved it, but I would like to see what kind of adventures I missed out on in La Noscia and Thanalan through my choice of starting out as a Lancer. Since the game is really alt-unfriendly and encourages the player to have a single character, it would be really nice to be able to go to do New Game+ and see how things could've been different if they began in another zone, sort of like a 'what if' scenario. NG+ gives no exp anyway and is all about taking in the story, so I don't think this would have any real negatives to it.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Ooooh that's a really good idea!!

[@TheDaxter11]

I think if Dragoon started in Ishgard I wouldn't have hesitated to choose them. When I first played I wanted to play classes like warrior or gunbreaker but they were tanks only, which (and it still kind of does) annoyed me, and I didn't like lances as well as not really wanting to start in a forest-y "tree loving" area like Gridania, so I went with Pugalist. I knew that lancer turned into Dragoon but had someone told me that not only does lancer turn into dragoon, but that they also started in Ishgard, and they showed me the second, non-base game ending spoiler section of the Heavensward trailer, I'd have been all over Dragoon as my starting class. Edit: Although I feel like Ul'dah is the best starting city as the game is now story wise, because Ul'dah and its characters are seen and interacted with more in the base game story than the other areas.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Do you play Dragoon now?

[@TheDaxter11]

@@EverydayEorzean I want to, but I haven't even got lancer yet.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@TheDaxter11 Go for it! Are you interested in any fo the new jobs?

[@TheDaxter11]

@@EverydayEorzean I very much plan on it after I get Gunbreaker to 80 and do some other content. Reaper, without a doubt. Sage is interesting to but I haven't played healer and the only reason I have one at level 80 is because of Summoner.

[@LordLanix]

I find starting in Limsa as an Arcanist weird. Feels tacky that Arcanists are essentially hall pass guards too a society comprised of mostly ex-pirates and sailors. Understanding my arcanic potential, one cargo inspection at a time seems unappealing to me honestly. They talked a big game about bein this "Tactician" too, but honestly it's the equilivent of Star Wars pilots screaming "Evasive maneuvers!" and proceeding to fly in a straight line. Don't get me wrong, i love Limsa- i joined Malestrom and i enjoy pirate themes, i just never could get Arcanists starting in Limsa lol.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I thought so toooooo! The more I think about it the more I would have loved a Sharlayan start. Though, that would mean I would have to give up Merlwyb for Fourchenault... Ah heck, TIL SEA SWALLOWS ALL!!!

[@TheGandelf]

I started in Limsa as an Archanist, but the job I really wanted was Machinist. I later found out that Machinist was originally suppose to have a starter class in Limsa called Musketeer. It never made it past the alpha of the game, but you still see characters who seem to have that class without being Machinists, the Admiral for example. I kind of wonder how things would have been different if that had made to the actual game.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I also had my heart set on Musketeer in the beginning ; ;. I'm not sure it would have been quite like machinist though. When you went to the guild they were all using flintlocks and pretty normal guns, as does the Admiral. You even got a cool cutscene with you doing shooting practice. I think I would have preferred it that way! A class less umm 'machine' driven and more a sharpshooter. Nothing against Machinist mind you! They are a great class!

[@RoseHaliwell03]

I started in Uldah as a Gladiator. If I had started out in Ishgard the area wouldn’t feel so… depressing and I wouldn’t have been constantly reporting to a Lala like I had to in Uldah. I love being a PLD. I main PLD and I definitely don’t see myself putting the sword and shield to rest.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Are you super psyched to be the poster job for Endwalker?

[@RoseHaliwell03]

@@EverydayEorzean I’m extremely excited that PLD is the poster job for Endwalker! It’s about time for the job to have the spotlight it so deserves.

[@funghazi]

I started in Limsa Lominsa and loved it because it was so similar to Bastok, but in retrospect, Sharlayan could have been a really interesting way to get into the game. Wherever Scholar went, I'd be happy there.

[@EverydayEorzean]

WOOOOOOOO! Another FFXI player!!!! I know right?! When my friends and I first jumped into game we kept calling Gridania. Windurst and I was so bummed that my San D'oria was locked behind an expansion.

[@funghazi]

@@EverydayEorzean I was so upset when I realized FFXIV didn't use subjobs like XI did, but it makes sense in retrospect.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@funghazi GameEVAngelion touched on this a bit in their comment, but you 'kind of' of had it in 1.0 through guild skills. However, I think what they've got going currently is pretty player friends for a wider range of skill sets. (But I'm with you, gone are the days of my COR/WHM!)

[@ajbennett26]

I started in Ul'dah as Thaumaturge. If Sharlayan had been a starting city, that would 100% where I would've started. It's my aesthetic in all ways. All "sciencey" and scholastic and stuff.

[@EverydayEorzean]

For sure...and if their OST is that chill guitar from the benchmark... sign me up!!!

[@Midnight_Black_Cat]

I would've started in old sharlayan if sch was a job at launch. Otherwise Gridania for the trees and cnj.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I really hope we get some more beautiful forests in Endwalker. I keep seeing a snowy forest and it has me hyped!

[@leohalivan861]

I started in Gridania as an Archer, and would do it again if I could get the Ranger job like what a lot of players thought was intended in the beginning. I'm kind of interested to see where the classes we've acquired since would start if they existed at 2.0. I think DRK would have started in Ul'dah as a reaction to how corrupt the Syndicate can be. I think that would have played a lot better to the justice at any cost story for DRK.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I mean there are definitely a lot of wrongs to be righted there XD. For me, I personally like it in Ishgard, I think the juxtaposition of the 'holy knights' being the corrupt ones and the Dark Knight being the symbol of justice is perfect... specially when I think of real life parallels and some of the things the church has been accused of in the past. If I were too imagine 'enforcers' in Ul'dah, I would imagine more of Robin Hood kind of class. Righting wrongs by stealing from the rich to give to the poor! But not an archer class, I'm not sure what their weapons would be.... maybe something smaller like a crossbow?

[@gameevangelion2519]

fun fact, if you wanted to change classes in 1.0 you just bought the weapon no questions asked. You might be too low level but you could still equip it. It would break more easily though. Same in 11, you want to change jobs and have a weapon your job can use, you go to your mog house and can change classes there instantly. Granted, advanced classes had to be unlocked via quests in the world but the original 6 classes I think you could swap at will in your Mog house.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Oooh the mog house. I remember being so blown away by that change in XIV when I could switch out in the world. "What a QoL upgrade!!!" I think you can buy the weapon now in ffxiv and change to it, just not get the abilities you would have gotten through the class specific story quests. It's been a while since I've tried it... I'm going to have to start a brand new character and see if I can do it still!

[@gameevangelion2519]

@@EverydayEorzean Just tried it. If you didnt do the intro quest for a class you cant equip the gear. One thing I miss from Mog house is the extra rooms and garden. Still wondering why we can't have that in apartements.

[@Hey_AJ]

This is the type of conversation I was bringing up in my Free Company discord but it seemed like everyone was saying "that's just mmos." As a lore nerd, I appreciate this conversation. In addition to this, I wished FFXIV had more knowledge and consequences for choices. I mean when a certain alliance raid isn't done, there's a consequence with a character. Seeing that potential makes me wonder why not put this in for all of the game? As a fairly new player, it would be nice to see things I decide to do or not do mean something. In addition, I feel like some lore things should have come out before 6.0 (i.e the twelve). But I know something that hinders me from understanding lore, is the game not being fully voiced. I have more but I can't remember.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Welcome fellow lore nerd!!!! I couldn't hit the like button fast enough. I agree, consequences for our actions would be amazing. They do have some of that in the side stories of 5.0, but nothing of severe consequence. I have been waiting for the twelve to matter since I created my character LOL. I'm really hoping this new 24 man focuses heavily on them and tells more about their origin story. Is this your first MMO?

[@Hey_AJ]

@@EverydayEorzean Hehe! Thank you. This is my first mmo. I like it but I wish the extra content wasn't so overwhelming and a lot especially for new players. I also wish they explained mechanics more. I've been wondering about the 12 since day 1. When the cutscene came about the stone I thought the name was because of my deity. I thought it depended on everyone's pick. I freaked out and then thought "I picked the right deity?". When others said no it was the same for them.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Hey! In your head cannon it can be because you picked the right one!!!! Yeah.... There are a lot of mechanics 😂. The veterans have had years with each one slowly introduced to them. I can't imagine being a 🌱 and getting them all thrown at you in a matter of weeks.

[@Zoeila]

interesting that you mention gladiator not fitting in cause the endwalker PLD AF has ala mhigan imagery on it. i beleieve an early version of Ast was datamined in 1.0 so that definately would of been sharlayan

[@EverydayEorzean]

Oh for sure! I'm 99.9% sure we actually have confirmation that Astrologian is Sharlayan. I think it's mentioned in story quest and the first lore book. Now the PLD AF having Ala Mhigan imagery is something I did not catch, which part?!?! This is something I'm going to have to look at closely when I get home!!!!

[@Zoeila]

@@EverydayEorzean the gryphons on the cape

[@EverydayEorzean]

OMG you're so right. I thought the suns on the armor were for Azem but I guess they are ala mhigan toooooooo

[@cheesay22]

I started as an archer. I love the bard class so I likely wouldn't have changed anything.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I always loved the aesthetic of bard not could never really get into it. I think I'm just a caster at heart ❤️. Do you have any hopes or wishes for it in 6.0?

[@cheesay22]

@@EverydayEorzean I like casting too, red mage is my favourite! I just can't get on with melee dps classes, I guess I just don't like that style of play. I'm not totally sold on the aesthetics of any of them either. I hear a lot of people saying they don't enjoy playing bard or machinist. Always wondered why that was. I guess I'd just like something a little more interesting for bards rotation? I wonder if people find it boring because it's such an easy class to play, it's very forgiving. Great for new people to these kind of games like I was. I also like the freedom to run around and hit constantly with a good range. Feels good to me.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@cheesay22 That's why I love casting! I love to see the whole field while I'm playing XD. I did have a lot of fun with Dancer thought! Have you tried it?

[@Rolandais]

I've started in all the cities, on my four characters, so if there had been six cities, I'd have just started in all six, *however* if I had to pick, I would've started in Ishgard, since I picked my first character based on class, not city, and my first character started as a Lancer

[@EverydayEorzean]

It's such a beautiful zone, I can't wait for them to release the new housing for Ishgard.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Considering the nightmare that was 1.0 and the enormous task that the developers had to do to complete A Realm Reborn, I understand the need to not have all the planned Starting Cities. At the end of the day, I would not wanted any other way.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Oh for sure they worked miracles :D, but it's fun to speculate!

[@EmilyTempest81]

At the start I really didn't pay attention to the job class stories but for some I kinda wish I did. I've only been playing for 3 years now. Kinda rushed alot of story to cetch up with my family. I started as a archer. So no city change. But it was a nice speculation about were jobs would be if we started with 6 cities. Now I play paladin and Ishgard would have been cool. If we started with red mage, samori, or machinest were would they be I wunder.

[@EverydayEorzean]

Ooooh You could go back into the Unending journey and rewatch the cutscenes again for your archer quests if you really wanted to! Hmmmm... interesting question! Both Rdm and Samurai currently start in Ul'dah, and it works for their stories as they are on a quest so to speak and traveling, but as far as a zone that 'fits' them I'm not sure. I would have loved to have learned about Samurai from Kugane but that isn't a starting city XD, buuuuuut I guess I'm okay with those being there. Machinist is another one of those odd balls that really work anywhere for me. I don't really have a strong tie to them to any particular city. Where would you have put them?

[@EmilyTempest81]

@@EverydayEorzean well I'd say Ishtar does fit. I'm wondering about reaper. How it ties in with Ul’dah. We're did they say sage starts. Kugane would have so fit for samori. O yea by the way your videos are very good. Plus how do you pull off your anime miqo'te.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@EmilyTempest81 Thank you! She's rigged using Live2D and then she tracks my facial features using a separate special camera program >

[@rhettwilley4127]

Even though I hate the heat, I started in Ul’dah! I think I would have been a Sharlayan boy myself, though, had Arianist been there and not the pasta noodle that is Limsa!

[@EverydayEorzean]

XD you gotta explain the pasta noodle thing to me

[@rhettwilley4127]

@@EverydayEorzean It is!! It’s shaped like a noodle! Straight in some bits and curly-roundy in others! Long and narrow corridors that lead to nothing and ANOTHER FLOOR!! XD

[@ruka9700]

Thavnair is confirmed as Alchemist Capital of the world!

[@EverydayEorzean]

Awwwwwe yeah, I can't wait to go there! It's going to be such a departure for the cities we have already explored!

[@sasukeuchiha998]

Regardless of the city we start in, we would have always been going back to the Waking Sands.

[@EverydayEorzean]

XD!!!!

[@CF-qb2cg]

Ah the fond memories, or was that PTSD

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@CF-qb2cg Whatever it is... it is a shared experience XD Anyone past ARR will do the immediate groan or eyeroll when they they hear 'pray return' lol.

[@EverydayEorzean]

I mean... until ShB

[@YOURBOYRAY]

Red Mage belongs in Ala Mhigo it does with role quest lore story. Not mentioned by you. I started in Ul’dah as Black Mage to get to Red Mage & would have wanted to start in Ala Mhigo to get to Red Mage

[@EverydayEorzean]

Yeah I didn't cover some of the advaned jobs that you don't get til later on, I only included Rogue because you could technically get it before leaving Limsa, it's in a really weird place of it's own. But that definitely would have balanced things a bit more given and more options for Ala Mhigo! Plus I think having Ala Mhigo as a starter city would have been such a drastic difference of story telling for the same reasons as Ishgard. The three current city states are relatively peaceful happy places to be, while Ish. and Ala. would have offered a much different picture. It would been such an interesting experience to go back and replay or hear another players talk about.

[@YOURBOYRAY]

@@EverydayEorzean it be nice Square Enix would release another alternate version of ARR with those starter locations like a “FFXIV the alternate story” with all 6 cities as a New Game Plus option where you relive FFXIV but with all 6 cities. Almost repaying the game but different to the previous intention of being 6 cities and spread out the jobs accordingly.

[@YOURBOYRAY]

It would be quite a refreshing reliving experience but feeling all new to all zones and gaming experience we already lived out. This would be the true “New Game +” option.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@YOURBOYRAY Oh wow yeah that would be cool but such a massive undertaking!!!!

[@coffeegamermomof3665]

I started in ul'dah lol becs I love the sultana she's the most adorable lala ever wouldn't miss meeting her for anything 😍🥰😘 I want make char just like her 💘

[@coffeegamermomof3665]

Oh yah start job was pld just becs sultana ❤️❣️💘💝💖

[@coffeegamermomof3665]

Also u can't forget lil pippin 😍🥰😘 handsome lil devil

[@EverydayEorzean]

You're right she is adooooorable and I positively love that she has Raubahn right at her side, willing to kill, maim and rend anyone that would dare hurt her. I love their dynamic. Have you done Stormblood yet?

[@coffeegamermomof3665]

Yah am almost done with shadowbringers am on msq dungeon the one after mataya reflection 😀

[@coffeegamermomof3665]

And your so right love there relationship 😍🥰

[@gameevangelion2519]

honestly the speculation is kinda moot IMO since when Yoshida said this about the 6 cities, he meant it was supposed to be in 1.0. all of the regions came up by name and a couple of classes like the shepard and the musketeer never saw the light of day. When taking over and rebuilding the world, he basically had to take over the lore, that was already in there from the OG team. Another thing is that you could choose which city you go to regardless of your guild, like in 11. Conflationg the classes and jobs is also doing your theory a bit of a disservice IMO. Since lancers and dragoons are two seperate thing. The same thing goes for pugilist and monk.I mean, you have the platinum mirgae that the OG devs but in as a sort of casino that manages the boxers, that fight in prize matches in the casino. The job quest for monk coming from an ala mhigan refugee or the dragoon quest line coming from a former dragoon in coerthas doesn't really seem so out of place considering they were never ment to be in the game in the first place. To make this short, if we had the 6 cities from the start, this would mean no yoshida and no ARR or jobs since in that case the OG devs weren't twiddling their thumbs to craft the most elaborate and resource intensive assets that only a space age PC could handle but actually create a game with content and since you had free choice of the city you start in like in 11, there wouldn't be any class quests or trainers or specific associations for classes with specific jobs.

[@EverydayEorzean]

LOL! Oh I agree with you, nothing really 'productive' per say to the speculation, it's just for fun. I totally forgot you COULD choose your starting point in 1.0, I think I was so stuck on my beta experience and being in Gridania and choosing Archer. As much as it would have been cool to have the cities, I wouldn't trade the current dev team for the world! Fair Point on the jobs/class discussion. I had my heart set on Musketeer ; ;. I still have screenshots from the cutscene were you have shooting practice in the bottom of the then yellow jackets headquarter. I don't remember Shepard though, was that going to be a gathering class? I did like the idea of the Guild System. It was fun to build your own kit in a sense, but eventually a "Best Build" would have come out and negated a lot of the creativity for it, but it was fun while it lasted.

[@gameevangelion2519]

@@EverydayEorzean You can find or rather could find the Shepard in one of the vigils in Coerthas. Don't remember which one though. But there were some knoghts and some cottages with pens for animals and hides being taned with a guild symbol above the head. If I've had to guess I would say that it would have been another DoL class. I know that in the retrospective on the channel of the speakers network lucil went there and documented the few pieces that were actually in the game for it. Yeah I remember the cutscene with the musketeers as well. there was also one where they introduced Merylwyb with some sort of duel which was awesome as well, though that was Yoshi-p and not OG devs. If I remember correctly they reused some of the animation same as with the animations from the last OG story cutscenes in Mor Dhona where the Scions were fighting Gaius.

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@gameevangelion2519 Oh nice! I'll have to go back and check it out! Thank you! I guess we kind of musketeer with Machinist, probably not the same vision, but at least a gun toting class. I wonder if they will ever add a different DoL class, or maybe this new 'farmstead' zone coming out is kind of tribute to Shepard?

[@gameevangelion2519]

@@EverydayEorzean Honestly a new DoL and Doh wpuld kinda be cool. With the home stead thing sheperd kinda sounds even cooler if it were in the game as a source for leather milk and eggs and maybe breeding animals to have your stock

[@EverydayEorzean]

@@gameevangelion2519 I'd have to go back and rewatch the live letters, but I thought they did mention husbandry with animals. I could see myself and others spending a lot of time in the home steads if you can develop it and customize it.

[@callmeobsequious]

I haven't finished the video but you're telling me we could've had Haurchefant at the start of the game? Unbelievable, I can't believe I was deprived for so long! How dare SE keep the One True Waifu away from us until level 40ish! Jokes aside, though...Gridania will ALWAYS be my home. Ishgard is definitely a second-favorite at the moment, I just got to HW and I want to have like a vacation home there (though I hate the cold IRL). But Gridania has always felt like a home for me, to be honest. (Edit: I also tend to start in Ul'dah because BLM machine go brrrrr)

[@callmeobsequious]

If they had used this system, I hope they would've also kept/reinstated the 1.0 option of choosing a city-state separately from your starting class. I think it would be a little hard to distribute the starting classes as evenly as they did unless they'd had such a system in place. Of course, this is hypothetical so I'm not saying this has to be done now lol- But honestly I kinda like the three starting city-states as they are. I think it makes the world feel WAY bigger when you discover these places as opposed to just starting there and knowing every city-state. But knowing of Ishgard this whole time and then getting to GO to Ishgard?? That feels cool. But maybe that's just a me thing lol X)

[@callmeobsequious]

Then again I also main classes that "belong" in their starting cities (BLM and BRD) so who knows! Lol (Edit: I ended up saying this even before you mentioned how starting cities would have changed help I was half-joking)

[@EverydayEorzean]

LOL Yeah I think in the end the 3 cities worked out better for development and story, but I do love when there are lots of different places you can start from. In other games I played I always found that as a one way to connect with people and talk about what their starting experience was vs mine.

[@PaperLaur]

Two months later, how'd things work out with said One True Waifu?