Revelations from Keynote III (2019)

[LineageRazor]

I would have tended to suspect this is occurring in the First as well, as we know that the Scions are NPCs that will be available as part of the Trust system (which means they are on the First with you, unless they also have the ability to go back and forth freely). The "hold the line" scene could be shortly after they "wake up" on the First, while they're waiting for the WoL/WoD to appear there (so basically, in roughly our current timeframe).

In FFXI, the Trust system summoned NPCs to your side, but they were COPIES of the original NPCs, forged from the emotional bonds of trust that existed between you and the NPC (or, in the case of Shantoto, bonds of complete submission and servitude OHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!). They might go with something similar in this game - and probably will. If we're fighting along side the ACTUAL NPC, that gives that NPC some pretty impressive plot armor - unless, I suppose, they take away your ability to summon that NPC when that NPC dies or otherwise becomes unavailable. Still, I find it far more likely that FFXIV's trusts will be copies, as well, in particular because that opens up the ability to have Trusts of popular NPCs that are no longer with us, like Haurchefant or Moenbryda.

If Trusts are copies, there will be no obstacle to bringing them with us to the First Shard.

[Iscah]

Is Krile just going to be benched this expac because of variable Eureka progression? I've been waiting for a Krile and G'raha reunion since she was introduced as the "only" surviving Student of Baldesion, and it would be unfortunate (and not in a poetic/dramatic way) if he managed to get himself Killed Off For Real before that happened. Hopefully whatever lets Echo bearers travel shards cleanly works for her, too.

I'm pretty sure characters being sidelined due to involvement in optional quests only lasts until the end of that expansion - eg. Cid is involved in the Crystal Tower raids, but also in Heavensward MSQ. (For that matter, he could potentially be occupied with CT, Alexander and Omega simultaneously, if you left all those storylines half-done for some reason.)

Krile seems like an excellent character to be with us when we first re-encounter G'raha (or possible lookalike), since she'd recognise him whether the individual player knows him or not. Rather like Nero's "introduction" at Lv60, if you skipped the Crystal Tower raids, relies mostly on his conversation with other people at the meeting - they definitely haven't met him yet, and the raid doesn't change that, so he has to introduce himself there whether you know him or not.

So the same thing could play out with G'raha and Krile. If you know him, she's asking all the same questions you probably want to ask, and if you don't know him, then their conversation will ideally fill in the critical details of what the player needs to know.

If we're fighting along side the ACTUAL NPC, that gives that NPC some pretty impressive plot armor - unless, I suppose, they take away your ability to summon that NPC when that NPC dies or otherwise becomes unavailable.

It depends how they handle it, but it could also be possible that they'd base it on which characters are available to help you at that point in the story - perhaps with a fixed set of characters per dungeon, and possibly able to use different classes depending on yours, eg. Thancred switching back to rogue if you're playing tank. In that case you'd only need three designated trust characters per dungeon - one in each role, with the tank and healer having a DPS class to switch to if needed.

So if they did it that way, there would be no "plot armour" guarantee just because someone is available for the Lv73 dungeon that they'll still be here for the Lv80 finale.

(But the Lv77 dungeon is going to be the one to watch out for, given that both Lv57 and 67 ended badly for certain NPCs...)

[KarstenS]

I don't think he'll change course so long as Solus is looking over his shoulder. We also don't know if he was being genuine with that raving, or if it was to try to spur the Alliance to action.

You mean Emet-Selch.

In the last cutscene with him he is going away and don't expect to see Varis again in his life.

[Chewy2nd]

Interesting...

[Bright-Flower]

If we're going to the First, and a good chunk (if not potentially every expansion zone) take place in the First, I really hope that the lore opens up who can travel back and forth. It would really suck if only the WOL and Scions are able to cross worlds and the First is largely inaccessible to travel to for RP. It would also be interesting to have the possibility of RP characters born on the First coming to Eorzea.

[Daralii]

If we're going to the First, and a good chunk (if not potentially every expansion zone) take place in the First, I really hope that the lore opens up who can travel back and forth. It would really suck if only the WOL and Scions are able to cross worlds and the First is largely inaccessible to travel to for RP. It would also be interesting to have the possibility of RP characters born on the First coming to Eorzea.

Yoshida said during the Q&A that the Echo is needed to travel freely, which lines up with what we see with depressed, Archer Derplander in the cinematic. The sleepers are likely screwed if they can't find a way to get their souls ferried back through the Aetherial Sea to the Source, which should be within Minfilia/Hydaelyn's power.

[Nalien]

Oh hot damn, just realized this from another thread, but the Rak’tika Greatwood is 110% a Final Fantasy V reference... Given it's also likely the Firsts version of the Black Shroud, years of waiting for a simple "The Allag called the Shroud Moore" have finally paid off.

First of all, in the trailer we see the forest, or at least part of it, being set ablaze. The Great Forest of Moore was burned by ExDeath during the events of Final Fantasy V. It goes deeper than that, though; Outside the Great Forest of Moore, was the town of Moore. The latest Fanfest gave us a slide for a new dungeon, which appears to be a town outside a forest, which is on fire... Hmmm...

It doesn't stop there though. See, Final Fantasy V kind of introduced the whole "two worlds merging" concept. You start on one world, then travel to another, then eventually they're merged effectively giving you a third overworld map with new ways to access old locations. Very similar to the whole Rejoining plot we have here, but that's not where I'm going. The Great Forest of Moore was almost completely deleted in this process, eaten up by the Desert of Shifting Sands from the first world. One of the (technically optional) dungeons of the game being the Pyramid of Moore in its center... What do I spy in our Greatwood? This. As I recall, in the epilogue of Final Fantasy V, the Great Forest of Moore regrew over the desert... What's more, and this I think might be a big plot point for Shadowbringers, the Pyramid of Moore ended up housing the worlds new Earth Crystal... The very StoneAllag looking ruins even have Earth Crystal inspired colourings dammit!

Lets not stop here though... The Pyramid of Moore was just one of four locations I'm now contemplating some reference of in Shadowbringers... The Island Shrine was an inaccessible area, only reached when the world merge slapped a Greg-shaped-bridge on top of it, which eventually housed the Crystal of Wind. Great Sea Trench was exactly what it says on the tin... An underwater volcanic trench, eventually housing the Crystal of Fire. Bonus points, Dwarves were involved, Lali-ho! Istory Falls was basically just a waterfall, eventually housed the Water Crystal. Some of these naturally bring up swimming and diving potential, which I don't think Shadowbringers has really shown at all yet? Just something else to consider.

Now, I'm not saying Eulmore is the Island Shrine, but Thancred does seem to be running through some ancient ruins far beneath it... Looking forward to seeing a waterfall in Il Mheg, and the Dwarves digging some form of tunnel in Amh Araeng... Something tells me we're going back to the classic "Restore the Crystals!" trope here, with Loli-Minfilia filling the role of Agnes... I mean heck, Crystal Tower is right there... Makes me wonder if the First might have some form of Four Fiends... Technically the whole alternate world scenario gives them leave to reuse big names like Tiamat...

[Yshnal]

Yoshida said during the Q&A that the Echo is needed to travel freely, which lines up with what we see with depressed, Archer Derplander in the cinematic. The sleepers are likely screwed if they can't find a way to get their souls ferried back through the Aetherial Sea to the Source, which should be within Minfilia/Hydaelyn's power.

Another alternative would be gilgamesh-ing the trip. Which brings to my mind if Cid and Co. could be able to replicate such magic someday via the Crystal Tower's device that will allow us to travel to the First this time. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

[KarstenS]

Yoshida said during the Q&A that the Echo is needed to travel freely.

Hildibrand will find its way to get to the 1st too

[Daralii]

Hildibrand will find its way to get to the 1st too

Obviously Greg will carve a path like he always has, and Hildibrand will follow.