Future leader of Apa Mhigo

I don't think Garlean's going to get to do too much in the MSQ for the next few patches. 3.3 should focus mostly on the end of the Dragonsong War, which has basically nothing to do with the Empire. And I remember hearing somewhere that the Ascians aren't going to be showing up very much in 4.X, which means that they'll probably be facing a major defeat in the next little bit that forces them to go to ground and lick their wounds for a while. So assuming the same number of patches/progression that 2.X had I figure they'll take a more prominent role around 3.5 or 3.55. Assuming that the next expansion is Empire/Ala Mihgo centric of course.

In the meantime, they'll probably keep showing up in the Warring Triad stuff just so we don't forget about them entirely.

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Originally Posted by SuperFlorinjin

I don't think Garlean's going to get to do too much in the MSQ for the next few patches. 3.3 should focus mostly on the end of the Dragonsong War, which has basically nothing to do with the Empire. And I remember hearing somewhere that the Ascians aren't going to be showing up very much in 4.X, which means that they'll probably be facing a major defeat in the next little bit that forces them to go to ground and lick their wounds for a while. So assuming the same number of patches/progression that 2.X had I figure they'll take a more prominent role around 3.5 or 3.55. Assuming that the next expansion is Empire/Ala Mihgo centric of course.

In the meantime, they'll probably keep showing up in the Warring Triad stuff just so we don't forget about them entirely.

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I agree with you, but didnt Yoshida say in a interview that 3.4 is the final HW patch? This makes me think that 3.3 will be 60% Dragonsong War and 40% new storyline. Then in 3.4 we get more information about Alla Mhigo and we enjoy another epic ending.

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Originally Posted by Laerune

I agree with you, but didnt Yoshida say in a interview that 3.4 is the final HW patch? This makes me think that 3.3 will be 60% Dragonsong War and 40% new storyline. Then in 3.4 we get more information about Alla Mhigo and we enjoy another epic ending.

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He never said that.

I remember hearing/thinking similar things but in the most recent PLL they've mentioned a 3.5 patch

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Originally Posted by Laerune

I agree with you, but didnt Yoshida say in a interview that 3.4 is the final HW patch?

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He said (or implied) somewhere that the 3.x series would be shorter, in some fashion, than 2.x. Some people took that to mean "no 3.5" and it spread around. I've never seen the original quote in context, now that I think about it, but given how much this game loves its patterns and given the pacing of everything thus far, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a 3.5.

Consider how the 3.3 previews are hyping it up as the Dragonsong War finale, as well. I think it's likely that we'll take care of Niddhog (whatever that entails) in 3.3, while 3.4 and 3.5 deal with the lead-up to whatever the next expansion is.

I'm actually going to take that with a pinch of salt because 3.1 was shorter and it was very poorly received as a result...though it did arrive after a longer than usual break between content patches. They've trimmed a lot of the fat where 'fetch quests' are concerned in the MSQ's though which is good.

3.3 is apparently wrapping up the Nidhogg situation. It'll likely end on a bittersweet note, I think - with a cliffhanger indicating where the story is going next. It's safe to say that it's probably going to lead us to Ala Mhigo.

3.4 will wrap up the Alexander storyline and likely give us Snowcloak (Hard). We'll probably get an expansion announcement around that point as well.

If there's a 3.5 - which is likely - then that will probably give us a third Mhachi raid or potentially give us the often teased 'Eureka' raid if it gets wrapped up in 3.3. Keeper of the Lake (Hard) is a possibility.

In between all that there's still The Warring Triad storyline to consider, the Minfilia situation and the Warrior of Darkness. All plot points that could potentially tie in with the next expansion as well.

Koji Fox is on record as having said that we will find out what is under Silvertear lake this expansion and that the Heart of Sabik would make its return as well this expansion. That to me clearly indicates that even with the Dragons dealt with we will still have something the Ascians still to play out and quite possibly the Garleans too. The Garleans are master manipulators who are implied to have even set the events in motion that lead to the fall of Allag and the following calamity. Very few people can even sense their presence if they don't want to be seen. It would surprise me greatly if they didn't at least have a hand in what the Garleans are up to. The Garleans are one of the biggest pieces on the board and there are 9 Ascians that have been out there working that we have seen no sign of. If the Ascians were able to screw with the Allag then they would be able to do similar to the Garleans.

I suspect 3.5 will end with some type of climax against Elidibus that sets the Ascian plans back, at least for a while. I think its only recently that they have actually started to see us as a realistic threat. They are complacent in a way only immortals who have had thousands of years of continued victories can be. For them victory was pretty much assured. We have been a problem but not a true opponent. I think 3.5 will firmly set up the situation where the Ascians realise that the war isn't over yet. I see them stepping back and regrouping after this.

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Originally Posted by Belhi

The Garleans are master manipulators who are implied to have even set the events in motion that lead to the fall of Allag and the following calamity.

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Garleans? master manipulators? ALLAG?

I think there are few things that don't add up (I assume you meant Ascians but I'm gonna have some fun in debating why the Garleans aren't Xanatos-tier chessmasters).


First I'm gonna address the Allag Calamity part since that seems more obvious, if only by the separation of 10 or so eras, an the fact that the only context of Allag and Garlemald is that of the latter emulating the former.

Not for the manipulator part. They certainly are intelligent, but a little bit too short-sighted for to be successfully manipulative. To go back to Allag, Nael's pet Meteor shall be the first example. Nael van Darnus claimed Allagan heritage an the country in general claimed to emulate the Allagans. They are also on attempting to stop the Primals. espite both points they didn't seem to know that the lesser moon was actualy a Deathstar powered by an Elder Primal and that the destruction would had released said primal until after the fact.

For my 2nd point, I shall point out that their only displays of manipulation are their 1.0 tempering scene, and Gaius timing Livia's slaughter of the Waking Sands with out battle with Titan (Probably the take over of Ala Mhigo too). Gaius himself was manipulated into piloting the Ultima Weapon to unleash the eponymous spell and finish what Bahamut started.

To their credit all we know about their succession issues was that Varis had his (grand?)father assassinated. We do not know the details, and given the inherent treachery of politics, I'd expect that plans and gambits to take place by all the parties involved and that Varis might be the better schemer, So under his rule, they might grow to be more manipulative and cunning. But for now, they don't really see all that bright.

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Originally Posted by Morningstar1337

Garleans? master manipulators? ALLAG?

I think there are few things that don't add up (I assume you meant Ascians but I'm gonna have some fun in debating why the Garleans aren't Xanatos-tier chessmasters).

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I meant Ascians.... <.<

Though did you ever consider that the Ascians my be time traveling, mutated, supernatural Garleans from the future after they had conquered everything who realised the world was out of whack and doomed due to Hydealyn banishing Zodiark and as a result travelled back in time to orchestrate the return of Zodiark and change the future? After all, the Ascian Prime's forehead was hidden by that mark. There could have been a third eye there. You know who also hide their forehead behind stuff? Garleans.

Well this seems to have steered quite off course!

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Originally Posted by Belhi

Though did you ever consider that the Ascians my be time traveling, mutated, supernatural Garleans from the future after they had conquered everything who realised the world was out of whack and doomed due to Hydealyn banishing Zodiark and as a result travelled back in time to orchestrate the return of Zodiark and change the future? After all, the Ascian Prime's forehead was hidden by that mark. There could have been a third eye there. You know who also hide their forehead behind stuff? Garleans.

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Wait, where did I leave that .gif...?

http://i.imgur.com/aHDWU67.gif

... ah, there we are!

Nutcase hypotheses aside, the Word of the Mother (give us back our exposition-spouting piece of eye candy, Hydaelyn!) says that the Ascians are Zodiark's servants (as if we didn't know that yet...), meaning they are likely as old as the gods themselves or at least as old as Zodiark's grudge against Hydaelyn. (My personal hypothesis is that they may, in fact, be small fragments of Zodiark himself, but that's unverifiable at the moment.)

Back to the point - none of the Ascians have visible foreheads. All their foreheads (and eyes and noses) are concealed behind their personal mask. Elidibus has gone on record as saying that the forms we see them as are simply "crude approximations" as well, so what we see is not their true form. Furthermore, the Ascian Prime has no face at all - in fact, aside from its arms and hands it has no solid physical form, being simply a mass of shadows. (Even said arms and hands are likely hollow. Again, to throw personal hypotheses out there, the Ascian Prime may very well be closer to the Ascians' true form, achievable only by merging together thanks to Hydaelyn's "walls".)

So, remember Tsukolas' words...