***SPOILERS*** Possible Identity of the 5.5 trial might be different then we expect.

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Originally Posted by Seraphor

I think most people interpret that scene as him flat out stating is isn't going to use Zenos.

If they were going to use Zenos, Emerald would have been a much better choice. They could have given his oversoul a Shinryu reprieve, complete with it's green glow, and that way the Diamond-Gaius reveal in 5.5 would have been much more meaningful and a fitting conclusion to the 'Werlyt' saga, ending it with a fight in Werlyt itself.

Now, they have to top the Gaius/Werlyt battle somehow.

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No, Valens is going full Zenos combat data. He's clearly experimenting with the best way to get it to work to his advantage. And yes Zenos has to come after Gaius, because Zenos is the more powerful and brutal soldier Gaius isn't.

Plus having an oversoul Zenos fight as the final trial is a use of material for the trailer to make us think the MSQ is giving us a showdown with Zenos but rope-a-dope us into something we can't see coming in the MSQ.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

My takeaway from that scene was not "Valens is not going to use Zenos' data" but "Valens is going to keep making adjustments and throwing "savages" into the meatgrinder until he gets his desired results, e.g. a "Zenos" that is loyal and obedient to him."

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But he has his pilot, it's Alfonse. His experiment is to find the right data to use for the Oversoul.
If the pilot is the variable, then that experiment is completely useless. You end up spending your successful candidate in the experiment and then have nothing left for the practical application.
The obvious conclusion is that he needs the data of an obedient soldier to ensure that Alfonse doesn't betray him.
And for a prediction: Alfonse tries to turn on the Empire but Valens remotely activates Oversoul, transforming him into this obedient soldier's persona, and we have to fight him.

Zenos would be too much, we're still fighting him in the MSQ. That's why they ruled him out.

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Originally Posted by Seraphor

But he has his pilot, it's Alfonse. His experiment is to find the right data to use for the Oversoul.
If the pilot is the variable, then that experiment is completely useless. You end up spending your successful candidate in the experiment and then have nothing left for the practical application.
The obvious conclusion is that he needs the data of an obedient soldier to ensure that Alfonse doesn't betray him.
And for a prediction: Alfonse tries to turn on the Empire but Valens remotely activates Oversoul, transforming him into this obedient soldier's persona, and we have to fight him.

Zenos would be too much, we're still fighting him in the MSQ. That's why they ruled him out.

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The point is to fine-tune the loaded data so when Oversoul is activated the Zenos clone stays loyal and obedient. The genius of the Oversoul system is that it effectively allows anyone to be a pilot by forcing a consciousness derived from the loaded data into the current pilot, physically transforming them into a grotesque copy of the loaded data's original person and overwriting their consciousness. (It's synthetic auracite, and given normal auracite draws out the worst qualities of its wielder and transforms them into lucavi, this is hardly surprising.)

Valens is just throwing "savages" into tests as a meatgrinder to get the loaded data just right to the point the "Zenos" created by the Oversoul system stays loyal and obedient. He's fully aware Alfonse intends to betray him, hence why he is making the Oversoul remote activated; that way if Alfonse isn't performing as well as he wants or if (when) he makes his play Valens can just activate Oversoul and nip any attempt to do so in the bud. Valens is many things, but considering he's apparently taken cues from Hojo stupid is not one of them.

All that said we don't exactly know how the conclusion to Werlyt is going to play out. Diamond Weapon, Zenos data, G-Warrior, and whatever hidden plan Allie has are all on the table; how it all fits together is anyone's guess.

(And we don't know we're fighting Zenos in 5.5(5) yet.)

I just don't think they would give it away like that. Nael and Gaius oversouls were both 'surprises', so why spoil it with that cutscene, that ambiguously implies they're ruling out Zenos instead...

I never said 5.5, Zenos is still a current main villain, we've already fought him 3 times, we're going to fight him again at some point, a Zenos oversoul would just be overkill.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

While 2.5 / 2.55 did have two trials, neither had an EX difficulty. That's highly irregular to what we've been given since; I'm not saying it's impossible we'll get 2 full Trials (with an EX mode for Diamond Weapon, obvs) just that it's not likely based on available data of what's been implemented in previous X.5(5) patches.

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A MSQ trial doesn't necessarily need an EX difficulty, if there's already an EX trial included in a patch. They can easily go with Diamond Weapon Normal/EX + MSQ trial. This is similar to the amount of trials added in patches like 2.5 (Chrysalis, Steps of Faith, Gilgamesh + an already developed Odin), or 5.2 (Ruby Weapon Normal/EX, Memoria Misera EX + the solo version of Memoria Misera).

Considering they've also been cutting into the other content:
-One Expert dungeon, compared to 2.5's Amdapor Keep HM/Wanderer's Palace HM/Keeper of the Lake.
-Only one open field instance so far, compared to Anemos/Pagos/Pyros/Hydatos. Likely ending up in just two open field instances by the end of Shadowbringers.

It actually wouldn't be too insane for them to even add all three of those names you've listed, although they'd likely turn Valens into a post-Diamond Weapon solo duty, similar to the solo duty against Regula van Hydrus.

Also it'd probably be a good idea to specify that you were talking about trials that have both Normal & EX difficulties, in the post that I previously replied to, instead of simply writing "full-on X.5(5) trial".

I just think fighting an oversoul Zenos is the play they will go with; only to mess with us in screen shots and 5.5 trailer.

Both of those can be cut deceptively to imply they are part of the msq only to be apart of the Sorrows trial.

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Originally Posted by Kesey

I just think fighting an oversoul Zenos is the play they will go with; only to mess with us in screen shots and 5.5 trailer.

Both of those can be cut deceptively to imply they are part of the msq only to be apart of the Sorrows trial.

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I don't think they tailor the plot and content of the game around what they can show in trailers. Seems like a backwards way to do things.

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Originally Posted by Seraphor

I don't think they tailor the plot and content of the game around what they can show in trailers. Seems like a backwards way to do things.

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I see it as a confluence of opportunity. They didn't necessarily plan it this way, but since they are going to line up anyway, why would you pass the chance tease the community?

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Originally Posted by Kesey

I see it as a confluence of opportunity. They didn't necessarily plan it this way, but since they are going to line up anyway, why would you pass the chance tease the community?

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Sure it could work out that way, but the problem is you're basing this logic on the assumption that it's Zenos anyway. If it's not Zenos anyway, then there's nothing to work with here.

Going off of 5.4 i would not be surprised if he just went with his own combat data because "i can control myself :D". Also i dont think there will be two trials. More likely is that we get two solo instances or someone else pilots G-warrior (Which one has to have pre authorized to do it so no one can just steal it)