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Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Printable Version

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RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Kage - 10-29-2015

As mentioned before, this isn't so very new news. The following post was made October 2013 and we've quoted this information a few times when people mention teleporting in Eorzea. A lot of this content is a bit of a "better look" at what was made available since this post on the forums by Camate
The Lore Team Wrote:What is an aetheryte?
Aetherytes are colossal structures comprised of crystallized aether. So that they may serve as waypoints for aetherial travel, these crystals have been amplified through the use of advanced Sharlayan technology.

Why doesn't everyone use aetherytes?
To traverse the Lifestream safely with Teleport and Return requires a great deal of spiritual energy, known as anima. While many individuals, such as adventurers, possess the fortitude to endure such travel, some individuals do not. What’s more, even if one has the ability to use aetherytes, the frequency with which one can do so varies. In essence, for some, the recast time for these spells can be far longer than for an adventurer.

As a result, only a fraction of the populace can utilize aetherial travel habitually, which is why chocobos, airships, and other forms of transportation still play a major role in Eorzea.

Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?
Many aetheryte camps were destroyed during the Calamity, which necessitated their reconstruction. However, this came at great expense, and so teleportation fees must be collected to repay the as yet unpaid debt.

However, the gil doesn’t just magically disappear from your purse! Though it's not shown in the game, it's collected by the guards keeping watch of the aetherytes.

On a side note, guards posted by each city-state's aetheryte can tell you about aetherytes and teleportation magic. If you're interested, see what they have to say!

These lore lowdowns are things where we get new perspectives, sometimes even clarifications.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Warren Castille - 10-29-2015

This stuff was brought up initially way back during the 2.0 launch, actually, but I think everyone either took it or just headcanoned off what they prefer and left it at that.

It makes my head hurt just thinking about how teleportation-as-normal would affect trade and commerce, though. No such thing as rarity for import now, because the enterprising folks who could take advantage of that, would. Fresh fruit from <region> delivered mere hours after it got picked off the vine in <far region.> To to mention the hell this would play on Ishgard during their doors being closed: Anyone who'd ever attuned to Ishgard would have access to reappear inside of the walls whenever they wanted. It's not like an army of heretics defected from them or anything, though, so-

Oh. Right.

Sex has the right point, too. If these things cost a ton of gil to put into place, and the taxes are so small comparatively (maybe, we can't really determine the "true" value of coin) it would only make sense that teleporting is more common than not.

It also makes me wonder what the limits of teleporting are. SE defined it as in-canon possible to do. Can I teleport with my chocobo, then? I can in game. If I can teleport with my mounts, does that mean I could load an auroch up with supplies and materials and move them instantly? Trade caravans just got obliterated, if so.

AND ANOTHER THING. WHY DOESN'T CERULEUM ROAD FATE GUY JUST TELEPORT TO THE PROCESSING PLANT, HE'S BEEN THERE BEFORE ACCORDING TO HIS DIALOGUE.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Kage - 10-29-2015

Because it isn't average day normal?
Quote:What’s more, even if one has the ability to use aetherytes, the frequency with which one can do so varies. In essence, for some, the recast time for these spells can be far longer than for an adventurer.

As a result, only a fraction of the populace can utilize aetherial travel habitually, which is why chocobos, airships, and other forms of transportation still play a major role in Eorzea.

Mere minutes (what we think) are days or weeks? Edit: Even months or longer.

What if these taxes -are- huge? What if adventurers are just fucking rich? 500 tax is actually a very hefty sum?


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Unnamed Mercenary - 10-29-2015

None of the information given by the Lore team here is particularly new information/ In fact, most of what they provided was nearly identical to what the NPCs who guard the aetherytes will explain. The same ones they usually make the player talk to with a lv1 character.

But travel by aether is a very strange thing! Especially if people take into account 1.0's lore, which is still very much here! Anima -had- been a currency-like thing back then, before the older Aetheryte camps were destroyed. When 2.0 launched and they needed to explain why the Anima system was removed, they came up with the explanations we have now.

But there's something important to note. Teleport and Return are basically still the same spell. And as we play the game, we aren't those ordinary people who might have a harder time teleporting. We play as the Twelve-damned Warrior of Light! The same ass who can go and become a super-everything because there's a game mechanics / lore split.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Warren Castille - 10-29-2015

It still comes down to the sense not making sense.

"Welp, the aetherytes broke during the Calamity."

"Okay, get the Sharlayans on the horn so they can be fixed."

"I did, but they want a hojillion gil to cover all of them in our region."

"Alright, we can impose a tax on the people using them."

"You mean the adventurers? As SE dictacted we all know, the common populace usually relies on airships, boats or chocobos to travel."

"Yes, adventurers. The same ones we pay to do work through Levemetes and the Adventurer's Guild."

"So... how much should these taxes be?"

"Let's say the cost of a high potion. No, TWO high potions!"


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - V'aleera - 10-29-2015

I think the main problem with using teleportation as a means to facilitate crime is that the only places you can teleport to are aetherite plazas surrounded by guards. This is the same issue with teleporting into Ishgard.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Oli! - 10-29-2015

(10-29-2015, 01:28 PM)V Wrote: I think the main problem with using teleportation as a means to facilitate crime is that the only places you can teleport to are aetherite plazas surrounded by guards. This is the same issue with teleporting into Ishgard.

I think the idea was teleporting before anyone could see what you looked like.

Which still gives it a rather good use for criminals. Throw on a cloak, do the crime, throw it off and teleport away before anyone notices.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Caspar - 10-29-2015

We also have instantaneous communication, so it really wouldn't be hard to inform all aetheryte guards to be on the lookout via linkshell.

The tax could also be an abstraction. It's actually quite high, but that would suck for us as players, so it's represented in game as high potion level costs.

Kinda like how a lvl 1 commoner of average means in D&D could barely survive off their common professions with the core's food and wage tables.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Warren Castille - 10-29-2015

(10-29-2015, 02:04 PM)Caspar Wrote: We also have instantaneous communication, so it really wouldn't be hard to inform all aetheryte guards to be on the lookout via linkshell.

The tax could also be an abstraction. It's actually quite high, but that would suck for us as players, so it's represented in game as high potion level costs.

Kinda like how a lvl 1 commoner of average means in D&D could barely survive off their common professions with the core's food and wage tables.

In this case though it's the devs coming out and specifically saying "This is just like how it is in the game, except for the ways it isn't because that would be too troublesome to represent accurately."

Why not just leave it alone?


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Vincent Sarkoza - 10-29-2015

I see teleportation as something that can only be done by the more aetheyrically inclined and only done in close poximity of an aetheryte (that or the person is experienced in the manipulation of aether). Perhaps raubahn couldn't use return due to his restraints? As for the return spell, I think when people die they die unless healed or resurrected by a capable conjurer(if that's possible?) Within an acceptable time range. Using return definitely requires concentration and if we're unconscious we shouldn't be able to cast anything. I think we only return to our home points for purely game play reasons, as a sort of death penalty I suppose.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Warren Castille - 10-29-2015

(10-29-2015, 02:42 PM)Vincent Sarkoza Wrote: I see teleportation as something that can only be done by the more aetheyrically inclined and only done in close poximity of an aetheryte (that or the person is experienced in the manipulation of aether). Perhaps raubahn couldn't use return due to his restraints? As for the return spell, I think when people die they die unless healed or resurrected by a capable conjurer(if that's possible?) Within an acceptable time range. Using return definitely requires concentration and if we're unconscious we shouldn't be able to cast anything. I think we only return to our home points for purely game play reasons, as a sort of death penalty I suppose.

Dying and returning to your homepoint still eats the cooldown, if you didn't notice. You're just further lending to my point, though: The devs decided to point out a specific instance where story and gameplay are not segregated, but only in this one specific way and everything else about the mechanic has to be handwaved because it doesn't make sense in a story sense.

It's an answer to a question that only raises more questions without answers.


RE: Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09) - Berrod Armstrong - 10-29-2015

(10-29-2015, 02:26 PM)Warren Castille Wrote:
(10-29-2015, 02:04 PM)Caspar Wrote: We also have instantaneous communication, so it really wouldn't be hard to inform all aetheryte guards to be on the lookout via linkshell.

The tax could also be an abstraction. It's actually quite high, but that would suck for us as players, so it's represented in game as high potion level costs.

Kinda like how a lvl 1 commoner of average means in D&D could barely survive off their common professions with the core's food and wage tables.

In this case though it's the devs coming out and specifically saying "This is just like how it is in the game, except for the ways it isn't because that would be too troublesome to represent accurately."

Why not just leave it alone?
They -have- left it alone though. We're the ones who messed with it by having our own headcanons!