6.1 MSQ showcases the narrative problems that continue to plague the game's story

I don't mind the world-building aspects (really, this was more so exposition repeating existing lore on the Void), but the failure to introduce new characters and just sticking around the Scions much as before, went on to confirm people's fears that this would be all their disbandment meant in practice. Also, I have to agree with the person saying those escort quests are annoying. They truly are. The stuff about how to spend the treasure in the vault was a bit hit and miss for me... not as egregious as 5.1 at on that front, though.

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Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams

Regardless of whenever they decided to implement the character, it was still done poorly and the plot surrounding her, Hermes, and Venat's inaction post-Elpis made for a very convoluted later portion of the MSQ.

I would have preferred Lavos as the final boss instead of "ultimate despair."

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^This. I truly couldn't care less about Meteion.

I was a bit disappointed in the 6.1 story that the scions disband and we had the opportunity to go with a lower stakes story and new characters, but it just ramps back up into another conflict with a big bad and the scions come right back, just without the name.
I just want a break from Graha, Yshtola, Krile, Estinien, etc and to meet new characters.

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Originally Posted by Jason_Ashford

so you'll disregard the information we are given because "i don't think that's what actually happened, so i'll follow my own personal narrative because i like it better."

The ancients were ready and willing to sacrifice as many people as needed to shield themselves from everything that gave rise to sorrow. Even before the final days their ideology was built around the notion that they and theirs was a "perfect society", where people were expected to toe the line that countless others had done before them. They shunned anything or anyone that deviated from their vision of a perfect Utopia, which is exactly what created the situation where Meteion came into existence. Hermes was disillusioned with the so-called perfect society and cast his gaze upwards to the stars beyond his reach, seeking to know what gives meaning to the lives of those who don't live on Etheirys.

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We are shown in an expansion prior that memories are easily manipulated. Look at Cid in Bozja where he thought it was Varis who shot him but it was actually his Father. He had manipulated his own memories as to not tarnish his memories of his father. It’s called bias. We had bias with Emet in ShB and now we have bias with Venat as well. They weren’t going to sacrifice everyone, they specifically stated 3 total sacrifice cycles. We know that they suffered and weren’t entirely perfect. They still fought through grief etc.Also actually, they were pretty open to ideas, this is shown in numerous examples in Elpis but in one occasion in particular we even add a part in their funeral ceremony for creations. And we do that as a familiar so clearly they’re open to many ideas.Meteion was the result of a psychopath unfortunately, who was wallowing too deep in his depression he couldn’t take 2 steps outside and see that there were people that felt the same way as him.

I couldn't disagree with the OP more. I appreciate getting the insight into Vrtra's struggles. I'm happy he trusts me enough as a friend to reveal that. The WoL is going to worry about the poverty in Thavnair. We did in Ala Mhigo as was mentioned when we found the treasure trove there and gave it to the Ala Mhigans to help them rebuild. There was a Custom Delivery with M'Naago that dealt with that and I would not be surprised since her children are in Garlemald if Ameliance's Custom Delivery does not focus on helping them. The WoL is not a blank slate character. We're not building who we are from scratch with a succession of choices. The WoL has a personality and part of that personality is caring about the people of the world and helping them and making connections with people. That's reflected in how we can call people to our side. We may be a bit of a smart aleck sometimes, but we're giving and compassionate, sometimes even a little too giving and not focused enough on self-care like the DRK storylines focus on. And we're concerned about helping in ways that aren't just beating up the latest big bad. All of what you call filler is contributing to that narrative and is perfectly in line with the WoL's behavior and experiences.

ARR was great—Endwalker isn't.

I have to admit that I'm not fond of the move away from our character being the 'Warrior of Light'. I mean, I realise that no-one has exactly said that they're not, but I don't recall any instance of anyone actually referring to our character as such in the new content. "Adventurer" and "savior" yes, but not the Warrior of Light.

I guess it does beg the question though - are we? Hydaelyn is gone and the Scions disbanded. If these two occurrences are widespread common knowledge, could it be why we are referred to by our former title so infrequently (if at all)?

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Originally Posted by Lunalepsy

ARR was great—Endwalker isn't.

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Yes... and ARR was also meant to be the buildup, our introduction to this world and its worldbuilding. And it's been a constant complaint for years about how bloated and padded the quests are that is still slowly being addressed. With how massively bloated EW was -- seemingly just so Yoshi-P could boast on stage about how it's the longest expansion yet! -- we're inevitably going to have the MSQ slog problem where new players will have to go through 2000 hours of cutscenes of Y'shtola twirling and giggling and 30-minute-long elaborate Redwall-esque feasts with the Super Best Friends Who All Agree 100% With Each Other, then teleport and run forward 10 feet to repeat the same.

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Originally Posted by aveyond-dreams

Maintaining Zodiark in his position would have fended off Meteion seemingly indefinitely, and it is only logical for the Ancients to seek to restore their own people no matter the cost to the "new life" which then either went on to cause thousands of years of human strife, or as was implied by others in another thread, may have merely been just other plants and animals that are in no way equivalent to humans.

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If what they were going to sacrifice to get everyone back wasn't equivalent to humans then why was their society torn on whether to sacrifice it all or not in Ere Our Curtain Falls? Why did they consider they should entrust the star to those "selfsame freshly minted souls"? Why is there any conflict if whatever was created was not equivalent to humans? Even if it was plants and animals, it was created by the star and not the Ancients. What gives them the right to hold their society superior to what the star created?

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Originally Posted by Rufalus

The cutscenes that don't advance the plot should be in side quests, keeping the main scenario very focused. After saving the world, the WoL's time should be considered quite valuable, so maybe they have helpers who can handle the errands and report back to you, freeing you up to do important things, unless of course you choose to investigate further personally in optional side quests.

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The problem with this format is that now you end up with a very sparse MSQ. Assassin's Creed Origins did this. If you only play the main story in that game, it's sparse and missing a lot of context on *why* Bayek is targeting the people in these areas and how horrible they are. They shoved all that into side quests. I finished going through HW recently and if you only do the HW MSQ, you run into the same issues because the MSQ is focused over here and but the side quests give you context on just how the Dragonsong war is effecting everyday people and the society. Same with Stormblood. I'm glad they're including more of this in MSQ because it makes our WoL feel more connected to the world for me.

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Originally Posted by Skyborne

2000 hours of cutscenes of Y'shtola twirling and giggling and 30-minute-long elaborate Redwall-esque feasts with the Super Best Friends Who All Agree 100% With Each Other,

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It honestly felt like SE was borrowing a page out of disney's playbook with all this.

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Originally Posted by TaleraRistain

What gives them the right to hold their society superior to what the star created?

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The continued existence of their loved ones and society combined with reversing a situation that was inflcited upon them at the behest of a very unwell and deluded woman in the form of Venat. Let's not pretend as if she wasn't the one who forced the Ancients into the predicament in the first place by refusing to mention any of the information she had been entrusted with.

There's no benefit to criticising the actions of those seeking to do whatever is necessary in order to survive if they are deliberately forced into a corner. As if they have any need to just roll over and die for the sake of someone else.