(01-12-2015, 12:28 PM)Gegenji Wrote:What we need to remember here is that people exist outside the main cities of the realm. The cities may simply house a concentration of those folk who are able to read or write. Not to mention, people can have others read for them!Â(01-12-2015, 11:31 AM)Aya Wrote: Honestly, despite authoritative comments otherwise, I don't feel like common illiteracy meshes with the prevalence of written text in the world. I do not think this was well thought through on the design end, and I wouldn't worry myself about treating it as cannon.
That said, Aya was taught by her parents.
I found it kind of odd too, considering that there's apparently three different papers in circulation according to the lore - one for each city (they were all fighting over... Lightning or something in one of the holiday events). Of course, that could simply be attributed to the fact that the distances are vast enough to the point that a single paper is unfeasible (which in and of itself makes perfect sense, considering)... but it also means there's enough readers in each city to make running a paper profitable.
I'm not sure what the numbers need to be in such a case - adjusted, of course, for whatever alternate fantasy method they use for mass production - but that amount of lettered folk seems off considering what was presented unless the newspapers are rather expensive. Really, the only one of the three cities I could see readily having or even making newspapers is Ul'dah - mass production of paper products sounds like something dangerous to try in the Twelveswood, and the pirate history to Limsa makes me think news there is more likely to pass by word of mouth. Possibly in a slurred manner over a drink or three.
And then, again, it's Ul'dah. That means it has to be profitable enough for someone to want to do it. Unless it's merely being bankrolled by some powerful figure who has the money and likes having a method to control the flow of information to the more learned folk. Which... is again, something I can certainly see happening in the Jewel.
Think about out in Quarrymill, or the Golden Bazaar, or Swiftperch. It's likely that these places hold a lot of illiterate Eorzeans -- not to mention all the places in-between! Also, the amount of written signs, books and otherwise are just as well there for the benefit of the few who CAN read. The majority of the population being illiterate won't stop the provisions all over the world for the people who can read and/or write.
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