Tellus: Assembling the World, Piece by Piece

So I've got (some) races, an implied status quo of sort of their relationship and finally hints of a general metaphysics of the setting. So clearly this would imply me method here is to make a more fleshed out and realistic universe for characters to inhabit, right?

Well, not really. At least not completely.

While I'm all in favor of solid, consistent and in-depth worlds (when its usable game material anyway) some sacrifices must be made when taking into account the worlds which JRPG tend to be set in. In general, while there has to be internal consistency (or else you get a clusterfuck of a story) the world is always somewhat second to the 'rule of cool' and a story which is generally around PG-13. Yes, many games do handle very mature themes but most of their story is spent generally around the level of allegorical and in service to a fun adventure rather than getting bogged down into extremely complex geopolitics, history and society. As previously outlined, JRPG took many cues from the likes of Star Wars and more specifically the original trilogy (aka 'the one people like') which was far more focused on telling an interesting and enjoyable hero's journey than being bogged down in the complexity and volume of the massive and sprawling universe these movies told us exist but that we only briefly see.

In addition I'm taking cues from this, even if I expect my work to be not even a tenth of that quality.

The Goal and Structure

Running a tabletop campaign inspired by the likes of JRPG, especially those of past generations such as pre-XI Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest. Chrono Trigger and others in that style.

• The JRPG elements are the stylistic choice. I'm well aware that running a tabletop game which is 'like a JRPG' would in actuality be very boring, railroady and filled with insane amount of grindy combat. However there are stylistic elements to this genre which are very recognizable to those who played them.
• The Disc One system. Basically, I suck at sandbox games, I really do. However there's a lot of good to be found in sandbox style. The 'Disc One' system refer to the first portion of the game's 'story': mixing a bit from sandbox, pointcrawl and other styles this is the part of the game where the players go around with their much more 'down to Earth'. They could be part of some resistance faction, mercenaries, airship pirates or whatever. This period is a bit more freeform and akin to more ordinary tabletop fare.
• Disc Two is when things shift into a different gear. By that point, the setting, NPC, characters and other matters should have been suitably well established. This is when the mandatory big JRPG final boss begin being hinted at and how his (or her) actions begin to affect the world as they start their quest/master plan which will culminate in some 'save the world' plot.
• Much like what Hmm Marquis outlined, each location should be as unique as possible. Yes there would be thematic and aesthetic similarities in all Ulma or Zhulen cities but I like to think I've made each race unique and interesting enough to allow for such a wide variety. For example, Ulma city tend to be either small towns with an 'early game JRPG' feel or fortified cities. How each city is built, fortified and ruled varies. Meanwhile the Zhulen city are open, crowded but also high on low-level magic...but also likely to erupt into violence, ranging from hooligans to bar brawls. Sky-Folks cities are all isolated and aerial but beyond that could vary immensely in culture beyond their 'cloistered hidden elf village' shtick. In addition this is very much in line with JRPG who love their weird locales and set pieces.
• Each location should have some unique challenges and/or enemies. When it come to enemies this is a no-brainer, as JRPG almost means to expect wide enemy variety. As such it is perfectly fitting within the style of the genre to ensure each locale has a crop of enemies. Not only can the environments affect which monsters appear but there is ample room for enemies themed around certain monster categories like 'fey' or 'undead' and have this tied to the location.

The reason for this structure is obvious: on one hand I need that type of plot for the JRPG feel. On the other hand, committing to a massive world-shaking plot right from the get go has some issues. For one thing it lead to too much railroading. Second there is a strong possibility that whichever character I set up to be the long-last villain might not work or be enjoyed by the group.

Thus, the 'Disc One' phase is dual purpose: on one hand it absolutely is part of the campaign and should live up to the same standards as everything else but on the other hand it is not a rail road. It give time to introduce various elements and test them out. If this was a videogame it would be the series of shenanigans which tend to populate a JRPG's first few acts before the sheer immensity of the world-saving plot occur. Of course in a JRPG a player doesn't have the freedom as these are very linear games but at the same time the characters within the story do have a choice in theory even if the game plot doesn't let them have one. So, there you go, simple explanation: if this was a game the player would not be able to deviate from this plot but its not a videogame. Thus whatever options the players at my table DON'T take would be, if we look at it in a 'meta' way those options the player holding the controller lack.