“Do Namazu speak Ibaraki dialect?” “Why can we summon Phoenix?” ―― Q&A session from our readers with FFXIV’s Mr. Banri Oda

On May 28th, 2021, we asked our raders to send in questions for Mr. Banri Oda, lead story designer of Square Enix’s MMORPG “FINAL FANTASY XIV” (PC / PS5 / PS4 / Mac), planning to sit down with him for a Q&A session from our readers.

Our readers did not disappoint and sent in a plentitude of tough questions for Oda. While some asked about topics we imagine all players would love to hear about, there were also questions about extremely obscure details as well as one with a gargantuan character count that could not be sent via our questionnaire, where the reader had to use an external web service to send us the whole question.
Though we would have loved to have Oda answer all of your questions, we had to whittle down the number due to time constraints, ending up with the 15 questions below. Please note that the questions have been edited for clarity.

Banri Oda
lead story designer of FFXIV

We hope you enjoy our Q&A session with Oda, which was realized as an email interview due to COVID-19 restrictions.

※この記事の日本語版はこちら。

「FINAL FANTASY XIV」Official website

Did the Warrior of Light bake all those coffee biscuits ?

―― I noticed that coffee biscuits were recently brought up in the story. Are these the biscuits that the Warrior of Light made for the guildleve?

Oda:
I’m happy to hear that people are reading the guildleve flavor text!
I would say that the person who made the coffee biscuits mentioned in the story might depend on how many times you, the Warrior of Light/Darkness, have completed the guildleve “A Cookie for Your Troubles”. Let’s imagine how things would go...

One time: Hanji-Fae, the owner of the Second Serving, sticks her nose in the batch of biscuits you delivered and takes a deep breath. That’s it.
Ten times: Once again, Hanji-Fae buries her face in the mound of biscuits you delivered and takes another deep, deep breath. Nothing else happens, too bad.
One hundred times: Congratulations, your Coffee Biscuits have finally reached the storefront. Ryne, Gaia, and even Y’shtola have enjoyed them.

Now, if you are the type of person who bought coffee biscuits at the Second Serving to complete the guildleve... Hanji-Fae has made a small fortune from the margin and also has used it all to buy even more sweets for herself. What a way to dynamize the city’s economy.

What is most important for you when creating a story?

―― What is most important for you when creating world lore or a story? Is there anything you use for reference when creating lore?

Oda:
Pragmatically speaking, we have to take the story’s medium into consideration, and through that lens, take a hard look at its intended audience and its purpose.FFXIV is a game, which means that the story itself is not the final product. Various elements, like character models, backgrounds, animations, music, sound effects, visual effects, quests, cutscenes, battles, etc. are necessary to bring the story to life. This means we also have to be mindful of whether the story and all related elements can be realized within our game’s design and schedule limitations. Plus, we need to synchronize everything with the player’s game experience.
Take the healer role quests, for example. These are targeted towards players who play as healers, therefore it is important to incorporate some form of “healing” into the actual quest. When thinking about crafting/gathering beast tribe quests, we should take into consideration the characteristics of the beast tribe, as well as ensure that the story revolves around having the player craft and gather in the game.

Written media such as short stories and picture books, on the other hand, have much fewer limitations. We can have the story take place in regions not yet implemented in FFXIV, so long as we can put in an illustration or screenshot. We can even make characters eat dried squid by using a squished-up kraken model. However, we still need to make sure that we are focusing on appropriate themes and topics. This depends on whether we are writing a short story for the fans, or a picture book that children who do not know about FFXIV might read. Sure, there are fewer limitations, but the purpose and target of the story are still very important.

An image from the side story series Tales from the Darkness,“Echoes of Delusion”

Any inspirations or references?

―― Do you have any references or anything that inspires you when writing? Do you read up on literature like the Bible, the classics, or myths?

Oda:
Many things influenced me, too many to narrow down. When writing the main story of “Heavensward”, for example, I looked into how the fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” and the simulation RPG “Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together” were created. The former apparently referenced the Wars of the Roses, and the latter drew upon historical ethnic conflicts like the Yugoslav Wars for its themes. The methodology of how these stories were created helped me write “Heavensward”. I also read through the Bible back when I was still in school, and during my university years, I studied philosophy and ideology, which were my interests at the time. I never thought I would be making games, let alone writing scenarios, but I guess you never know what will come in handy!

I try to consume anything and everything I find interesting by default, but I also try to get into things that other people recommend to me. “A Song of Ice and Fire”, for example, was recommended to me by Kenichi Iwao, who was my predecessor as world lore creator. I also read “Aho Ressha ”, a railway travelers’ journal which was the initial inspiration for the Namazu Quests, because my wife recommended it.

Where is the current Count Dzemael?

―― We get to see Tarresson de Dzemael in the game, but have yet to meet the current Count Dzemael. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t found him yet, but will he make an appearance in the future? Or is there some reason we cannot meet him? I'm dying to find out.

Oda:
Back in the original FFXIV, we had a questline about the Dzemael Darkhold that featured the former count’s men. The house probably suffered financially due to its failure to complete the darkhold. However, House Dzemael is known for its architectural prowess, and has built many a castle in its time. Maybe the count is leading the construction of the residential areas of Ishgard.

When did the Heavens' Ward become enthralled?

―― When exactly did the Heavens' Ward become enthralled? Ser Zephirin designated those with exceptional abilities as members when he became the archimandrite. Was he tempered at this point?

Oda:
After former Heavens' Ward archimandrite, Ser Vaindreau de Rouchemande “retired”, Zephirin was chosen as archimandrite and was allowed to designate the new members of the Heavens’ Ward. The knights were turned when all twelve were granted an audience with the archbishop for the first time.
Keep in mind that becoming tempered does not necessarily mean that the individual loses all their memories and characteristics. The archbishop, in particular could not risk the populace becoming suspicious of his actions, so he didn’t “fully cook” the knights of the Heavens' Ward into mindless tempered, opting to keep them at a “rare” state instead. Thus they were not puppets that did nothing but repeat words of worship, but he nevertheless ensured that they would obey his orders and never betray him. This is the difference between him and the other primals like Ifrit, who prefer their tempered “well done”.

Why do the Archons have marks in different places?

―― I would like to know more about the mark of the Archons. I noticed that the Archons bear the mark in a variety of places, like on both sides of the neck, on a cheek, or the forehead. Is there a rank within the Archons or something that dictates where the mark goes? Why is Urianger the only one that has the mark on his face, like Louisoix and Matoya?

Oda:
There are two designs for the Archons’ crest: the official one, and a simplified version.
Let’s take a look at Moenbryda, for example. The mark on her leg is the official crest, and the one on her neck is simplified. Each Archon can choose whether they would like to bear one or both, as well as where to put it. It seems like a bold choice for Urianger to have his right on his face, but perhaps what he really wanted was to have it on his forehead like his respected mentor, Louisoix.

Does the Namazu tribe speak in the Ibaraki dialect?

―― I have a question about Namazu speech. In the Japanese version of the game, they use expressions like “-ppeyo!” and “Gojyappe!” which seem to be based on the dialect used in Ibaraki, Japan. Are they written to speak in the Ibaraki dialect?

Oda:
We weren’t going for the Ibaraki dialect, but rather a distinctive way to express emotions. We started with “Upepe”, which lead to them ending sentences with “-ppeyo” and “-ppena”, which sound similar. We have a rule in the style guide for our scenario writers that clearly states that the Namazu don't speak in the Ibaraki dialect. Gyokei does use the expression “Gojyappe”, which is derived directly from the Ibaraki dialect, but we are using it to emphasize how eccentric he is. It’s not a word all Namazu use.

Why can Summoners call forth Phoenix?
Also, is Tiamat upset about us summoning Bahamut?

―― I can understand how the Warrior of Light can summon Bahamut since they were at the Carteneau Flats during the Seventh Umbral Calamity and came in contact with Bahamut’s aether. When it comes to Phoenix, however, they were teleported to the future just before Louisoix transformed into Phoenix. How can the Warrior of Light call it forth, even though they have not been around its aether?

―― I play as a Summoner but sort of feel beholden to Tiamat. She has mentioned that Bahamut’s soul and power were profaned by being called forth, and I worry that seeing the Warrior of Light summon him may upset her. Will she eat me alive one day?

Oda:
Louisoix used Phoenix’s power of rebirth to reconstruct the environs destroyed by Bahamut. This caused “corrupted crystals” to appear all over the renewed Eorzea. Doesn't the color look familiar? That’s right, they’re the same color as Phoenix. When Phoenix returned to aether, said aether was spread all over Eorzea and embedded within the corrupted crystals. The Warrior of Light, who passed from Carteneau into a realm reborn, unknowingly came in contact with Phoenix’s aether as well. This is why all Summoners can call on Phoenix, regardless of whether they have completed the Binding Coil of Bahamut raids.

Regarding Tiamat, she was extremely displeased that the Telophoroi were abusing Bahamut’s power. I would say she would not be very happy should you try to twist and misuse his power as well..

How effective are healers at healing injuries?

―― Since the main story discussed a character’s injuries recently, can you tell us more about medicine in Eorzea? Also, what is the extent of a healer’s ability to heal an injury?

Oda:
There are various schools of healing magic, such as white magic, and conjury. but all are methods of “healing” and purification by redirecting aether to replenish life force and bolster the target’s natural healing capabilities. This means that magic will not work on targets whose lifeforce is depleted and cannot be replenished, or is suffering from a disease that will not heal naturally. Symptoms like these are treated by using alchemical concoctions, which are the equivalent of real-life medicines, and surgical treatments like sutures and amputation

The land area of the in-game countries

―― Can you tell us the rough land area of the various countries that appear in the game (including Bozja and Azim Steppe)? It would be great if you could rank the largest and smallest country if you cannot tell us exact numbers.

Oda:
This answer will only cover the Three Great Continents, but if we were to rank the countries by land area, the Garlean Empire is the largest. Dalmasca should come in second, had it been able to become one country instead of splitting. The Azim Steppe is also quite large when it comes to land area, but because the nomads living on the land have not formed a “nation” as such, it does not place in this list. Several large countries that are currently imperial colonies exist as well, but they are hidden by clouds on the world map.
In Eorzea, the city-states are usually smaller. Ishgard, in particular, suffered from climate change brought on by the Seventh Umbral Calamity. The dramatic drop in temperature has led to the state abandoning some of its lands, and the areas that currently function as part of it are pretty limited.

The Calamity’s impact on the world

―― The Seventh Umbral Calamity rained shards of Dalamud all over Eorzea, causing catastrophic damage. Did anything happen to the other areas of the world? I’d like to know how the Empire and the continent of Othard were affected.

Oda:
Yes, the Calamity affected the world in varying degrees, because the Lifestream and aetherial currents flow through every corner of the world. Much like an earthquake, the impact was smaller in areas that are far away from Eorzea. Therefore, we can assume that it did not affect the Empire and the Far East very much.

Printing technology in Eorzea

―― In the Ehll Tou custom deliveries, questline , it was mentioned that the machinery in the Skysteel Manufactory could be used to print. It also seems like Ishgard has many quests that mention books and printing, like the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps, for example. Could you elaborate on the printing technology and publication in Eorzea?

Oda:
Letterpress printing is currently beginning to spread in areas like Ishgard and the Garlean Empire, where mechanization is advancing. Areas that have advanced mammet technology like Ul’dah, on the other hand, utilize mammets made especially for transcription.
Transcription mammets can copy handwritten text and pictures to some extent. Though they are slower than letterpress printing, their ability to reproduce the original is quite impressive. Aether-based methods of copying, similar to glamour prisms and magicked prisms, are used as a form of printing as well. Progress in printing has taken a different route in Eorzea, compared to our world.

Are the Ixal domesticating boars?

―― Are the Ixal domesticating boars? I ask because bacon broth is an Ixali dish, and one of the ingredients, smoked bacon, is smoked boar meat. You can also find a shaggy shoat?, a baby boar?, inside a cage found in Xelphatol.

Oda:
Each of the beast tribes domesticates some type of animal or creature.
In the case of the Ixal, this animal is indeed the boar, which is bred and raised... but not truly domesticated, because they have not yet started the process of selective breeding. This is why the shaggy shoat is described as a baby wild boar.
These boars are fattened up and are ultimately eaten by the Ixal, by the way.

Is Feo Ul’s bell in the First made of bronze?

―― I was very impressed that Feo Ul’s bell (the equivalent of the summoning bell) is a greenish hue, apparently made of bronze. I assume this is because the fae, which inspired the pixies, are repelled by iron. Is this correct?

Oda:
I love that you found this very small detail. We told the designers that when players are in the First, they will be summoning a pixie instead of their actual retainer, and requested they design the bell with that in mind. The result was a green bell, and we decided to go with it because it does not look like it is made from iron.
This is tangential to the subject, but Eorzean summoning bells are made of silver, with a brass pedestal.

Are “Diabolos” and “Diablo” different beings?

―― I noticed that the “Diablo Armament”, which appears as the boss in “The Dalriada”, uses skills that are similar to the high ranking voidsent, Diabolos. I assume that the voidsent that was absorbed to create the biological weapon was something similar to Diabolos, but the Japanese version of the Field Record mentions that it is of the “Diablo species ”. Why are these terms written differently?

Oda:
You can assume they are the same type of voidsent. The name is written differently in different contexts because the individual voidsent were summoned and recorded by different civilizations, : Diabolos by the Mhachi and Diablo by the Allagan.


This concludes our Q&A session with Banri Oda. All submitted questions, including those that were not chosen for this article, have been forwarded to Square Enix.
All in all, this was a wonderful opportunity to appreciate how detailed and deep the world lore of FFXIV is. We were impressed that so many of you found these details and had great questions about topics that players could easily miss.
We sincerely hope that your unanswered questions will make it into future iterations of official companion books like the “Encyclopaedia Eorzea” someday.

「FINAL FANTASY XIV」Official website