Famitsu is primed to release a large article on Final Fantasy XIV, containing lots of information on character creation and background story for the highly anticipated MMO.  The official site should be updated within the next 24 hours, but eager fans can check out this excellent write-up on gaming blog andriasang.com for a complete look at the Famitsu spread, plus the exclusive interview with FFXIV Planner Yaeko Sato.

The "Banshin" and "Banzoku" appear to be the beastmen of Eorzea.  Banzoku (蛮族) is a Japanese word that refers with disdain to uncivilized foreign cultures.  The kanji 蛮 is simplfied from 蠻, which is literally twisted or complicated(䜌) bug(虫), giving foreigners described as such the image of an infestation of incomprehensible pests.  Banshin(蛮神) is a combination of the aforementioned 蛮 with 神, which means god.  So, as the article states, Banshin are the gods that rule over and protect these encroaching tribes.  Sato elaborates that Banzoku will serve as a catch-all term for tribes that oppose the players, similar to Beastmen for Final Fantasy XI.

On the other end, we have the Garlean Empire, which is said to be systematically forcing its way through the Aldenard continent after conquering the city-state Ala Mihgo.  They appear to have built their society on high technology and control the massive ships seen in the trailers. According to Sato, the Garlean Empire continues to spread across Eorzea within the game, attempting to dominate more areas and bring them under their influence.

Hiromichi Tanaka stated that FFXIV will have a style that harkens back to older Final Fantasy titles as they try to re-imagine the essence of Final Fantasy with the technology available today.  Final Fantasy VI in particular was mentioned as being a strong influence on the MMO.  With adventurers facing the Banzoku tribes and Garlean Empire, we have classic struggles of good vs. evil and order vs. chaos starting to emerge.  The crystals will also be back, and are said to contain "banbutsu no kagayaki" (万物の輝き) , i.e. they shine with the light of all creation.  According to the article, and said description, it sounds like they will be instrumental in crafting, travel and even improving your character.

Be sure to keep your eyes on the official site for an update coming soon!

In the meantime, discuss this latest info in the ZAM forums!