(02-20-2015, 07:21 PM)Kayllen Wrote: snip~
Your post is unfortunately insanely long and difficult to respond to because you kinda just throw a lot of points out there, so I'll just try to break it all up and respond to it as best I can.
(02-20-2015, 07:21 PM)Kayllen Wrote: I think that you're ignoring some very important factors here and basing an conclusion off of some salty gate guard NPC. We don't let the doorman tell us how the movie is inside; we go and see it for ourselves! Nor do we allow a single person to dictate to us the representative attitude and/or culture of an entire people.
So for your first point, I'm not really sure what you're talking about here sadly. What gate guard are you referring to that you think I'm basing my opinion on? Are we talking about Ishgard? If so, then no... everything we know about them is that they are a hyper zealous nation who absolutely loathe outsiders as a whole (this is excluding the few individuals who will help you, or do like you) and have been all to happy to tell the rest of Eorzea to piss off with all their troubles because it didn't involve them.
(02-20-2015, 07:21 PM)Kayllen Wrote: Just because we as the de facto warrior of light do not experience the xenophobic contempt of the Gridanians does not in any way erase that part of their culture. Gridanians have routinely in the past been very unwelcoming and even booted out the aforementioned Ala Mhigan refugees. Their attitude has likely not changed one bit and I would go so far as to say that you, again as the de facto WoL do not experience that, but anyone and likely everyone would probably be met with suspicion if not passive-aggressive hostility. Much in the way that the Feudal Japanese might act towards a house guest that they didn't particularly like. Will you be polite to them? Yes because societal norms dictate that that is just how things are done. Will you talk mad crap about them after they leave? You betcha. I imagine that the Gridanians as described in lore and backed up by the screenshots in Ansemaru's Gridanian census are all about saving face and avoiding shame in public.
Now on to your second point, I would like to start by saying that the primary reason that the Ala Mhigo refugees were turned away likely had nothing to do with the demeanor of the Gridanians, but more to do with the fact that it was not THAT long ago that Ala Mhigo attempted to invade and conquer Gridania. Not only that, but Gridania was supposedly hit harder by the Calamity than any other citystate and has been forced to rely on the assistance of the other nations to keep them from buckling under their own weight, they more than anyone else could not support a population of refugees.
I would also like to point out that you don't begin the game as the Warrior of Light, you begin the game as a mere adventurer and outside of a few isolated incidents with the Wood Wailers getting all butt hurt over adventurer's most Gridanians have a friendly and welcoming demeanor so long as you respect their ways. As I pointed out in my previous response, there is at least one Ul'dahn merchant selling her wares in Gridania, I believe Buscarron was originally from Limsa Lominsa if I'm not mistaken. Really the only group they show any outright disdain for are the Poachers in South Shroud.
(02-20-2015, 07:21 PM)Kayllen Wrote: With respect to Ul'dah, I highly doubt anything will change there. The City of Sin which bases its culture almost entirely off of the concept of things being bought and sold (including people, though any would likely say that slavery is illegal but everyone knows that there are different kinds of 'slavery'), even their religion is based in it with the primary worship of Nald'Thal. Fun fact: When your culture shifts towards hyper-capitalism, it does so at the expense of widespread fundamental values. I.e. an Ul'dahn is unlikely to ever utter the phrase "Ask not what your country can do for you; but what you can do for your country". Rather it would be societally expected that your country pay you for any service rendered no matter how menial or patriotic. All things have a price in Ul'Dah. I'm sure there's even an NPC or two who will echo that but I can't be bothered to look it up right now.Â
As far as the Ala Mhigans are concerned, the only way that their lot in life within Thanalan will improve is by conquering Ul'dah from within (unlikely) or by peacing out (more likely and practical assuming that they have the means to do so). Will Ul'Dah's chief money grubbers eventually be brought to task for their despicable behavior thus far? I hope so. But it won't change that the general opinion of Ul'Dah with respect to the Ala Mhigan refugees is one of base contempt and near-disgust. The more things change; the more they will stay the same.
All I can really say to this without spoilers is pay more attention to what is happening in the MSQ, and look forward to 2.55.
In conclusion you really haven't proven anything to mean, especially that Ishgardians are not a completely isolated nation who do not wish to be inclusive with the outside world, thus the original respond about the post being ironic still stands. Gridania may be a bit stubborn when it comes to outsiders, but the fact that they have an active Adventurer's Guild, airship traffic, and they pretty much host almost every holiday event now it seems shows they are still open to working with outsiders so long as they are respectful to the ways of Gridania and the Shroud.
As far as Ul'dah goes... well there really isn't any comparison, so not really sure why we need to bring them into this. What is happening between the Syndicate and the Refugees has nothing to do with them not being inclusive, that is just a strict caste system basically.
Ishgard is barely willing to help the Scions, and only then because of all the help you have provided them, they do not have an Adventurer's Guild (maybe this will change in 3.0?), they do not allow outsiders into the city properly, they barely tolerate outsiders in Coerthas. What about any of this makes you think that they are inclusive in any way?
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