(02-20-2015, 05:40 PM)Ashren Snow Wrote:(02-20-2015, 05:23 PM)Kayllen Wrote:The xenophobic attitude the Gridanians are supposed to be known for is almost completely unapparent in the game outside of the Archer quests and the initial cutscene for those who started there. Most Gridanian NPCs are all too happy to talk and help out outsiders it seems, and there are even Ul'dah merchants there now. I think once they had to accept aid from Ul'dah to start reconstruction they lost their attitude towards outsiders for the most part.(02-20-2015, 04:35 PM)Ashren Snow Wrote:(02-20-2015, 07:17 AM)Zelmanov Wrote: I'm sure as hell trying to help cultivate an inclusive RP community to bring to IshgardThe irony of this statement is that Ishgardians are anything but inclusive.
We seem to be doing okay with the Gridanians being traditionally xenophobic as well as the Ul'Dahn socio-economic good ol' boys club that likes to dump on Ala Mhigans and treat them little better than unwanted slaves.
At least Ishgard looks to be having a change of heart. I doubt you'll ever change the Ul'Dahns and Gridanians, though.Â
As for Ul'dah, I actually expect a change in their socio-political climate soon with the way the storyline is going (I won't post spoilers), but even then Ul'dah only treats one group of people with any sort of disdain, that being refugees. Ishgard treats everyone not from Ishgard with disdain, and even goes as far as to call all outsiders and anyone who help them heretics in at least one case.
One thing you REALLY have to take into consideration is just because a few people in Ishgard like the Warrior of Light, does not mean they will suddenly become accepting of any random person who wants to come into their city. This is probably the most important fact to consider.
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.
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.
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.Â
In conclusion I will simply cite that your own words back at you with respect to Ul'dah and Gridania:
"just because a few people in Ishgard like the Warrior of Light, does not mean they will suddenly become accepting of any random person who wants to come into their city."
Replace Ishgard with Ul'dah/Gridania and suddenly the view is expounded in all directions. A few words of wisdom with regards to Theocratic nations and societies. These people don't fear strangers or even outsiders all that much. Sociologically what they fear is outsiders judging them for their beliefs or attempting to change said beliefs. They fear, if fear can be used as the appropriate term, having to fight for their own beliefs. There's obviously a great deal of contempt for those that do not believe in a similar fashion, which in the case of Ishgard is the following of Halone's Enchiridion and the worship of the Fury herself a the patron deity of the entire nation. Will they respect the belief in the other 11 gods? I'm sure they will but they will likely not think better of you for it. This is both a source of national pride and international exclusion. In the case of Ishgard's Holy See, not only a powerful theological and military force on its own without the support of the four great houses, you see an odd middle-ground between theocracy and ecclesiocracy. Regardless, you will find that in societies like that of Ishgard, it is not the outsider that they will 'fear', rather what the outsiders represent. This is usually dispelled by a good old-fashioned rubbing of elbows. And, you know, having a thousand year-old enemy constantly threatening to burn your nation to the ground and being in dire need of help doesn't hurt that much, either.
Apologies, I didn't intend for a small reply to turn into a full on lectured beat-down D=
edit: tried to edit for brevity but the spoiler tags hate me so whatever. =X
