(07-18-2014, 09:39 AM)Warren Castille Wrote: I've got virtually nothing to provide lore-wise, but I am armed to the teeth with rampant speculation!LMAO!!! This post made me literally "lol"
The Yellowjackets, Brass Blades and Wood Wailers all seem to fill the same role: They're law enforcement without being military. You asked about all Jackets being Marauders and while I don't think it's a rule... I think it's telling that the Blades all use sword and Wailers all use lances.
How convenient! The MRD guild is in Limsa, and the GLD guild shares home with the Blades, and Wailers come from the same fields as the LNC guild. It's not unreasonable to assume that many of the rank-and-file are just folks from the city guilds who got picked up into duty. Brass Blades use swords because swordplay is familiar in Ul'dah. I imagine the Jackets use axes for the same reasons.
I can see the posters now. "Tired of swinging that axe to chop wood? Wish you could make more than 50 gil for clearing out wharf rats? SIGN UP AND PUT ON THE YELLOW JACKET."
There's also the meta that you want new players to see familiar things; If you picked MRD for your first character and then got to see all these awesome lance or pug animations... I think there's a degree of YOU PICKED AXES? WELL AXES ARE THE MOST AWESOME THING, DIG THESE CONALS going on.
