TheWizard Posted April 1, 2014 Share #26 Posted April 1, 2014 Amazing, I'm going to have to side with Kat's offered info and Erik's agreement. Really with such a diverse population I don't see why there WOULDN'T be multiple languages and having the Echo gives of convenient way of being lazy and not programming in other heard languages. Oh the joys of mimicking a single-person game. Link to comment
Erik Mynhier Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share #27 Posted April 1, 2014 She says nothing about referencing the past. She says "there exists", not "there existed". She is speaking to the Eorzean alliance before a major military operation. Why would she be referencing the world? Actually, if she was referencing the world, her reference would have to include the Garlean Empire. Considering they are about to take on another people of the world in all-out war, I see it highly unlikely that she is referencing anyone but Eorzeans. Her speech would be rather insulting, actually, if Eorzea didn't have the variety she is referencing, for she says that without the variety there would be "sterile orthodoxy". If Eorzea has broken down the language barrier then why would Minfilia say that those barriers she referenced "can never truly be broken down?" Then she mentions transcending them as the alliance is doing "NOW" in coming together for the operation. At the end she says "In defense of our shared home." Which can't mean Hydaelyn because the world is also the home of the Garlean Empire. She has to mean Eorzea. As for it being just a speech, and the only reference thus far, there are many things referenced in speeches, and only once. For example, the age of Gridania is referenced in a speech. How would they have to be referenced, and how many times before they are valid? You choose to interpret it as just a speech that doesn't mean much? I choose to interpret it literally, and in reference to Eorzea. There is no reason why I shouldn't and no reason why my interpretation is any less valid. Maybe we should just agree to disagree? Yay diversity! Without it we are boring. Link to comment
Zhavi Posted April 1, 2014 Share #28 Posted April 1, 2014 Oh, whoops, when I replied to the thread I totally. . . misread it. To be fair, I was tired, but eh. I made the assumption that there were multiple languages. I take it how I take Europe or the US today (or, generally, any major multi-ethnic place) -- we have major languages today that are spoken in multiple countries, but there are also other languages present. Don't count out languages so fast! While it is true that languages die out every day (and so, so sad), it is also true that it would be exceedingly difficult to kill off all but one language for diverse population groups. For srs. So while I would theoretically say that there wouldn't be a barrier due to one language being used as the trade language/popular language (think English or, say, Mandarin in some parts of the world), I also wouldn't say that it was the only one present in major cities. Yes, yes, all the npcs speak a language you're familiar with, but I'd put that down to necessary mechanics. Chris Metzen put it really well one year at Blizzcon when someone asked about some lore tidbit, and he said 'no, of course there wouldn't be warlocks with their demon pets wandering around major cities -- the guards would be all over that.' So I see this in the same way. There's no real reason to bring it up, it would probably be more complicated than not to put it into a quest, they even implemented ways to get around language (echo) so that they never have to deal with it. But that's just how I choose to see it. Link to comment
Ildur Posted April 1, 2014 Share #29 Posted April 1, 2014 Naturally, you can go with whatever interpretation you want. I present my reasons to not think they exist as a thought exercise and not as an imposition of truth. Minifilia's speech is indicative that languages exist, but it is not conclusive. Language is the only barrier she mentions that cannot be empirically proved during the course of the game, pretty much just like historical facts, like the age of Gridania. Except with historical facts you can take them as truth because there are no proofs against those either. And while I can't say there are proofs that languages don't exist (except for the fact they don't seem to affect anything at all), I certainly can say that there are no proofs that they do: There are barriers of race that can be seen all over Eorzea. Most of the races can be found in certain locations but not in others (Sea Wolves are more numerous in La Noscea, Elezen in Gridania, Highlanders in Ala Mhigo, Miqo'te are everywhere except Ishgard), and there are certain places that have racial problems. The barrier of nations can also be seen in the multiple city-states, with distinct interests that are often at odds with each other. There is also the barrier of creed, most notably between Ishgard and the other cities (and Gridania, if you see the Elementals as having some type of cult in the Padjal), and the fact that each city has a major patron deity that differs from the others. All of these are barriers we can empirically 'prove' that they existed by simply roaming the world, doing its questlines and reading the NPCs. But then we reach the barrier of language, that is nowhere to be seen. But not only cannot it be seen, which could be handwaved with the Echo, it is never mentioned or referenced outside this one speech that, as I said, is motivational. It doesn't look for accuracy but to boost morale. Minifilia isn't giving the soldiers a history class: she's boosting their morale by showing them how many barriers there are and how little they matter for they are all joined, and one of them -language- might as well not exist. With all that said, if I had to base any opinion on the "Authors' Intent" (something that I don't subscribe to, but there you go), and supposing the speech isn't the result of lazydom, then it's pretty clear that different languages exist in the world. They just failed at showing the players that they do. They failed at the "Show, don't tell" goal, for whatever reason, which makes things confusing. Specifically, confusing their lack of ability to show with the subject not existing at all. So I guess we should go ask in the official lore forums and maybe one of the loremasters will tell us what's what. Link to comment
Zhavi Posted April 1, 2014 Share #30 Posted April 1, 2014 Haha, and I just went to the lore forums to post, but did a quick search first -- and there was your post! (though, honestly, I'm going to be stubborn and stupid and one of those people and say that they did it badly if they built the world to only have one language. Call it my obsession with anthropology showing ) Link to comment
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