3.5/4.0 Speculation & Discussion (Spoilers)

The energy they draw from the warring triad for centuries will keep the machines running for a rly long time, even after Zurvan's end imo

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Originally Posted by Aerish

The energy they draw from the warring triad for centuries will keep the machines running for a rly long time, even after Zurvan's end imo

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It's also possible that it will be 'renewed' somehow with a different power source.

So, I think I've just figured out how we breath underwater indefinitely - the Oxyale from FF1 is coming back.

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Originally Posted by DarthSanguine

So, I think I've just figured out how we breath underwater indefinitely - the Oxyale from FF1 is coming back.

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I'm glad someone else thought of this! During the keynote I was excitedly telling anyone who'd listen that it was definitely, definitely, definitely Oxyale or else they they missed a big opportunity to simplify game mechanics with a classic nostalgia bomb.

We should be getting the 3.5 trailer 'soon' so that should give us more to discuss. I'm very excited - I've been waiting for Garlemald to become the focus again for a while. :p

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Originally Posted by Theodric

We should be getting the 3.5 trailer 'soon' so that should give us more to discuss. I'm very excited - I've been waiting for Garlemald to become the focus again for a while. :p

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Me too. I think they are a really interesting player in the story. We have a lot of Garlemald stuff to look forward to, particularly if Yoshi is right about the whole Garlemald arc we are starting running through to 6.0.

http://i.imgur.com/Z8kVn2H.jpg?1

Found this interesting

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Originally Posted by PArcher

http://i.imgur.com/Z8kVn2H.jpg?1

Found this interesting

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Stormblood will be about Chocobos confirmed. :P

There's also this:
http://img.finalfantasyxiv.com/t/20f...8697b132_0.png

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Originally Posted by PArcher

http://i.imgur.com/Z8kVn2H.jpg?1

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https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/...4/59141964.jpg

Whenever I see "gentle cock" (which admittedly isn't often) I'm always reminded me of this
https://allpoetry.com/I-Have-A-Gentil-Cock

When they start up with the innuendos, it just reminds me of that one scene from Tropic Thunder.

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Originally Posted by Kirk Lazarus

in broken Cantonese: Chillness and calmness! But hold your cock!

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Trailer is up so let's start again, everyone!

"Death completed the ritual. The Primal is taking shape."

Interesting that what we see is what appears to what Louisoix conjured up to try to imprison Bahamut

End of era video:
http://i.imgur.com/mP48C4nl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kwbk0F3l.jpg

3.5 trailer
http://i.imgur.com/1qbZVyrl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Vgchd80l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/e1P2KGwl.jpg
Could the Griffin have planned this? Is he attempting to summon Phoenix... or a smaller version of what Louisoix try to do? Maybe seal up Omega or something?

Looks like Nero might be helping us, maybe.

The Roegadyn with a gun-hammer seems to be high ranking. Might indicate that Varis believe in merit, much like Gaius.

I'm thinking that he's actually summoning Rhaglr, or primal Omega? That last one is huge stretch.

But this method of summoning is... different to say the least. Instead of using crystals as catalyst, this one uses morbid offering... human sacrifices.

It seems the city states are being manipulated into attacking Baelsar's Wall somehow, since Alphi doesn't seem too happy with whole situation at all.

And the explosion... do you think WoL and most of the Scions will go MIA again?


Oh, and we have another Hildi quest but Scholasticate seems to be missing.....

Rhalgr seems likely. The visual similarity to Louisoux's attempted conjuring in the Answers Movie is unmistakable. As that was an attempted summoning of the Twelve to seal Bahamut, it stands to reason that the visual similarity is a cue that this is another summoning of the Twelve. Or just one of them, as the case may be; Rhalgr being the likely candidate because Ala Mhigo.

Hokay, so. Random thoughts in a random order from a million edits as I watch:

That Nero is messing around with this stuff at all seems like some serious character regression. Emphasis on seems.

We've been misled by trailer editing in the past (making it look like things are connected that are not). But assuming that's not the case here:

Is Nero legitimately warning about what's coming at the Wall and offering us a way to fix it, or is he in cahoots and setting a trap? (The eyes of Nidhogg are empty. The Heart of Sabik ... might be? Anyroad, the Capture protocol on a powerful primal might keep his new pet project running for quite some time.)

Cid's little ship thing seems connected to Omega (but no guarantee). It also has displays inside showing both the Dalamud figure and Omega. I wonder if it's a Calamity-inspired capture protocol developed by Nero, and Yda hitting the button is trapping something. Though it looks like two parts, could Tupsimati be holding the primal still while Omega reels it in?

Looks like the Griffin wants to use the slaughter at the wall to summon said primal. How? The eyes feeding on the aether released by death on great battlefields? The Heart of Sabik, since Darkness feeds on Chaos? Seems to be circumventing rules, either way.)

Alphinaud seems knows what's up, trying to halt the slaughter before it comes to pass. Early warning...? Figured out the scheme...?

I noticed that the Omega eye glowed a similar color to VIth Legion tech, intercutt with Zenos smiling. Flimsy coincidence, probably.

Ohey, Hilda's there.

Roegadyn Imperial officer with a Nero hammer. New shake-up, lol.

Can't tell if I'm seeing things or if there's a humanoid shape in that primal ball. (...Rhalgr? o.0 or the summoner or caster, somehow?)

< S >

Imperials go after Omega, Nero gets the Alliance to secure it for him, Griffin tries to summon a primal at the Wall, everyone's drawn to the Wall but it's a trap, mass-death sets off a ritual summoning (Eyes of Nidhogg / Heart of Sabik?), summoned entity (Rhalgr?) is drawn into Omega's reserves, bringing the machina to full power ... Nero and Griffin call Gaius van Baelsar and tell him everything's going to plan.

</S>

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1eivUcXcAEBj8C.jpg

WELP, IT'S OVER.
OUR ENEMIES HAVE DISCOVERED HOW MANY POSTS MAKE ME SECRETLY PRAY FOR DALAMUD TO JUST FINISH THE JOB.

Edit: forgot about possibility of Rhalgar

So, sealing Omega in a new Dalamud-style prison. Perhaps that will be the basis of the Bend of Time. Maybe we are partially successful, which would at least pull Omega out of the MSQ for Stormblood so we can focus on Ala Mhigo, but leaves it as a timebomb that we will have to go back to eventually?

It would be interesting if a primal of a certain power was needed to activate Omega.

I'm not as sold on Nero's character regression as some seem to be - even if he IS messing with it, there may be more than meets the eye here, and he may have reasons for messing with Allagan tech that don't disregard his experiences in the Crystal Tower. Call me an optimist. Although I am replaying the Crystal Tower series now on an alt, so my opinion may change on that.

At any rate, it seems that we are indeed responding to an emergency within Baelsar's Wall, which is good. I do wonder when in this set of MSQ it happens, though - the scenes that seem to be taking place inside of it definitely have a climactic feel to them, which means maybe we buck the trend of "early dungeon" after all. And then, of course, there's the question as to what takes place in Part 1 and what (if any) takes place in Part 2.

But wow, what a story tease! The fact that everything seems to be going to KUPO! at the end there because of Omega and the fact that the Omega raid is called "The Bend of Time" has a solid chance of not being a coincidence, and I'm positive that, if that IS the case, then Tupsimati figures into it somehow. If Tupsimati gave Louisoix the power to send us 5 years into the future while the realm recovered, perhaps it's used to do the same with Omega to give us time/allow us to get a Macguffin to deal with it. And, perhaps, said Macguffin is in the heart of Imperial occupied Aldenard?

And then, of course, there's the Primal. Rhalgr is likely, given the Griffon's very Domon Kasshu-esque proclamation at the end there. Maybe, rather than Omega, that's what Tupsimati is being used for: a Dalamud-style prison to hold a summoned member of the Twelve. Maybe that fails, and Omega is summoned in desperation, maybe even by Yda to save Papalymo. Maybe Tupsi's used for both a prison AND a time-warp! Just spitballing, here.

Not much to go on with Zurvan, other than that it looks cool (and had music suspiciously devoid of vocals; Fiend and Equilibrium both had pretty much constant singing). Kinda wondering how the slice-away platform factors in, but that's for gameplay discussion.

Dun Scaith (pronounced Done Ska, right?) seems to have the return of everyone's favorite giggly jester, although still no sign of Diabolos as a boss. Maybe that has to do with the "third-part-but-not-finale" tease in that one Live Letter.

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Originally Posted by Hinoto-no-Ryuji

And then, of course, there's the Primal. Rhalgr is likely, given the Griffon's very Domon Kasshu-esque proclamation at the end there. Maybe, rather than Omega, that's what Tupsimati is being used for: a Dalamud-style prison to hold a summoned member of the Twelve. Maybe that fails, and Omega is summoned in desperation, maybe even by Yda to save Papalymo. Maybe Tupsi's used for both a prison AND a time-warp! Just spitballing, here.

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This looks alot like an hour-glass, potentially even Althyk's symbol
http://i.imgur.com/RovV88zl.jpg

Louisoix also used Althyk's symbol when he placed the WoLs in a time stasis in the End of an Era

Frankly, I don't want any more dealings with time travel

Edit storm should be about done for now.

But you're right, that hour-glass is suspicious. The difference in the aetherial glow, color, and sharpness made me think maybe Tupsimati was holding the primal still while the not-yet-full-power Omega built its walls. But then again ... hourglass. Unless that's more Nero retrofitting, lol.

Wasn't Omega used to subdue Bahamut? Neo Bahamut confirmed haha

Well damn, I wasn't expecting much of what transpired to happen *now*

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Originally Posted by Remus

Wasn't Omega used to subdue Bahamut? Neo Bahamut confirmed haha

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That is my understanding. Just as Ultima was made to faceroll the regular primals, Omega was created to do the same with Bahamut. I really don't wan't another "everyone is missing" ending but we might be heading there. At least we know two who will make it out. Alisae and Yugiri (yaaay, she's back with a new voice actress) are hinted to join up, but we don't see them during the battle. Maybe they miss the final battle and go with the WoL to Ala Mhigo. Speaking of missing: Where is the b*tch in the red dress? She is supposed to show up in 3.5.

It does seem likely that the Primal is indeed Rhalgr. The way I understand it, the summoning is done with the aether of dead soldiers instead of crystals. Or maybe empowered like with extreme primals and the story Titan from last patch. NO idea how Omega factors in. Gonna hazard a guess and say that at least three different enemy plans pile up on top of each other with Elidibus being behind them all.

The b*tch in the red dress, not to be confused with Ada Wong, will appear in Part 2, I think, but not positive. If I had to guess, Yda will end up sealed inside Omega with Rhalgr(?), and her identical twin sister played by the same actor will join us for 4.0 in her place. When you've already committed to recycling the most tired death tropes in the history of recorded language, might as well just make a checklist!

At any rate, I'm glad Nero has finally talked the Alliance into letting him retrofit an Allagan relic, but in this case I think Syrcus Tower would have been a much, much safer option. Hope he at least gets alt dialogue, unlike a certain other engineer.

I think only Cilia will be interested in knowing that FFXIV's Scathach is written with different katakana than a certain shishou. I was right about the spandex, though.

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Originally Posted by Fenral

The b*tch in the red dress, not to be confused with Ada Wong, will appear in Part 2, I think, but not positive.
At any rate, I'm glad Nero has finally talked the Alliance into letting him retrofit an Allagan relic, but in this case I think Syrcus Tower would have been a much, much safer option. Hope he at least gets alt dialogue, unlike a certain other engineer.

I think only Cilia will be interested in knowing that FFXIV's Scathach is written with different katakana than a certain shishou. I was right about the spandex, though.

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Well if she is Yda's sister she might end up being called Ada.
As for Nero, his lines are different in the german trailer. Can't comment on French as I don't speak it. German Nero tells the Alliance to quickly get Omega out of the ground before the Garleans will. Also instead of: "This has to end" Alphinaud talks about unpleasant surprises.

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Originally Posted by Balipu

She is supposed to show up in 3.5.

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As suggested she's likely set for part 2 of 3.5...

But even if she does show up in part 1, it's either in an obvious way that makes her identity incredibly obvious or in one of those extra foreshadowing type scenes...

Either possibility is one I can see them wanting to keep secret and thus out of the trailer.

I'm not terribly happy that Nero is apparently doing the whole 'defector' thing. I'll reserve my judgement, though, and hope that he's working for the greater good of Garlemald and simply doesn't support Zenos. We're still in dire need of some moderate Garleans who work alongside the Warrior of Light but make it clear they're not going to raise a hand against their own people. Then again I've never particularly liked Nero much - he always had a slimy, slippery vibe to me. With that said...I still think there's a decent chance that everybody involved in this conflict is going to get in over their heads, stuff will escalate to a huge degree and we'll end up siding with Garleans who remain loyal to their homeland and people but want an end to conflict. Hopefully a leaf - or multiple leaves - are taken out of FFXII's book for that sort of thing.

Though it seems as though the theory that Baelsar's Wall was already under assault by the time the Warrior of Light arrives ended up being true. The question is, then, is the Alliance itself responsible for that or is it merely striking opportunistically after the Ala Mhigan Resistance - led by The Griffon - reared its ugly head? I'm tentatively going with the latter - because it seems like The Griffon is going to be doing something very dangerous that makes him an even bigger enemy than he already is. Assuming it is him shouting near the end it seems like he is pulling an 'Ilberd'.

Zurvan looks interesting - I like what I heard of his theme. It sound noble and just, much like he is supposedly meant to represent. It's a neat contrast to his appearance too. No sign of Regula, but I imagine we'll be seeing him before and/or after Zurvan is dealt with.

Dun Scaith intrigues me. Very alluring design - I can't help but wonder if Diabolos will be fought separately, though, in a special normal & hard mode trial later on. It was implied, after all, that this wouldn't necessarily be the end of the Shadow of Mhach storyline. He's also something of a fan favourite so having him go out more explosively in the future would be pretty good.

In the short term I feel pretty confident that Zenos is going to be full villain. They have already out right said he is the main antagonist. The smirk in this trailer only reinforces the view. I think the whole thing is a trap but the question is who is behind the trap. Is it the garleans or are they and the Grand Companies being played off each other.

My current guess is that the Griffin has the idea to use the conflict to summon a primal. However this is a trick in its own right cause we will find out that to become fully active Omega needs a primal for fuel. However is really at the wheel of Omega the one playing out events setting up things to fully activate Omega. That is my guess. I also suspect that Nero is working for whoever that is.

A lot of people say Nero is regressing here but to be honest, while at the end he gave up on the void energy source, I never felt he truly gave up his original ways. He still had the same basic desires. Watch those cutscenes and even in the final chapter he is pretty open about having a personal interest driving how he acts rather than some noble intent.

I'm not saying he is outright bad per say. I think he is a bit more complex than that. We might end up working with him again in the end. However I don't think he has truly turned over a new leaf as much as look elsewhere to fore fill his ambition.

The finalee will be a huge mess.

In one corner we have the Garleans who want to get Omega (If Nero is to be believed) for something. Probably to hunt primals, but aboslutely no idea which primal in particular.
In the next corner we have Nero who is apparently helping us and wants us to collect Omega before the Garleans. I expect a nice little backstabbing.
Corner number three goes to the Peter Griffin who wants to bring down Baelsar's Wall and summon Rhalgr as a Primal.
We even have the Alliance that assaults the wall but probably does not plan to summon any Primal.

And it is left to the Scions in general and the WoL in particular to make sure things don't go to all the seven hells once these four gambits clash.
You know it kinda sounds like the situation in Syria. Only with more monsters and lasers.

I'll get to it when I'm off work!

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Originally Posted by Belhi

-snip-

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Well, Zenos is definitely going to be the main antagonist - but it's possible much of his 'evil' is reactionary. He could be playing the Eorzean Alliance and the Ala Mhigan Resistance but at the same time I feel confident suggesting that 'Ilberd' (assuming he is 'The Griffon' has big plans of his own. We know he was given Nidhogg's Eyes by Elidibus and I doubt very much he'd be the sort to figure out how to summon a Primal on his own...let alone operate Allagan machinery. My theory is that the Ascians wish to ignite a conflict with Garlemald for as long as possible, escalating it from all angles and generally just ensuring that Garlemald and Eorzea are not in a position to team up. If they ever did? Well, that pretty much lessens the impact that the Ascians would have on Hydaelyn.

There's also a pile of what looks to be Garlean (and potentially Eorzean Alliance troops too) corpses piled up seen at one point in the trailer. So it certainly seems like things aren't going to be pretty - and I can't shake the feeling that the Eorzean Alliance will go in believing themselves just and righteous only to find out - over time - that things aren't nearly so black and white as they believe. Though, as ever, this is generally the 'best' approach to handling Garlemald in the long term; especially if it's going to be a major player for multiple expansions.

'Every single one of them is like Zenos' is just going to get tiresome very quickly - but I doubt that is going to be the case.

Going back to Dun Scaith, though, I can't help but wonder if we're going to get some sort of twisted love story out of it all. Everything Diabolos has done so far has apparently been for the sake of bringing back his 'Queen'. We also know that Voidsent are mostly the denizens of another world, twisted into monstrous beings. Did some remnant of a love between Diabolos and the Queen persist through that, I wonder? Or I could be going on the completely wrong track, of course. :p

No, this love story angle might end up being correct. And considering how the queen looks, it is even understandable.

With all those little hearts evrywhere in dun scaith, it's smells love and se...

Hm, is that the WoD at 7:04 of the trailer? Thought he's busy.

From the trailer I'm fairly certain you can see Nidhogg's eyes being used to summon the new primal. If you look here you can see the silhouette of the eye and the red veiny structure as the new Dalamud is built around it.

If the eyes are being used to summon then we can assume with some certainty that it is the Griffin doing the summoning. Based on that Rhalgr is a safe bet for the identity of the primal, though I actually expect he is summoning directly into his own body as Ysayle and Thordan did.

It would seem that Nero wants us to deploy Omega to contain the new threat, yet this also suggests the Alliance knows ahead of time that there will actually be a primal threat. Given then that Omega is the same machine that imprisoned Bahamut within Dalamud it may be that the structure we see in the trailer is actually Omega attempting to imprison Rhalgr.

The scene with Yda hitting that button looks like an act of desperation. I would guess this is the actual moment that Omega is deployed, with the Scions backed into a corner and forced to fall on their last resort thanks to Nero (likely all according to plan).

Also of particular note is the devastating explosion that ends the trailer. It looks like the imprisoned primal breaks free exactly as Bahamut did in the End of an Era cinematic. This may also explain the devastation in the first of the new regions that we've seen in the expansion, which includes a mountain with a hole bored right through it as if by a laser...

RIP Griffin. Now you know you beat him lol

https://i.imgur.com/Dt8gKTL.png

Well, we know there's a 'fake' Griffon out there already. So the real one could be doing a bait and switch. Either way it seems like he fully intends to sacrifice some of his own people in the name of reclaiming Ala Mhigo and acquiring 'power' which suggests to me that he isn't so much interested in 'justice' and simply wishes to make himself into a Primal and rule over it with an iron fist whilst making Garleans suffer in the process...and pretty much anyone else that opposes him.

I hadn't thought of Ilberd taking Rhalgr into himself, but it's exactly the ridiculous act of desperation he'd do too.

Very curious what happens to Regula and Unukalhai--Regula should probably start thinking about getting off of Azys Lla with what's happening in Ala Mhigo...if he survives Zurvan, that is

Allied Beast Tribe 3.0 was a curious surprise-- dealing with the leftovers of Vundu? With the power of EVEN GREATER DANCE? Okay, I guess.

Glad to hear 1.0 tracks returning, but a Thanalan battle theme for Sohm Al (Hard)? And I still can't make heads or tails of what we're doing there. Exterminating a lava mite??

Diadem's revamp tying into Dun Scaith/Shadow of Mhach will forever get a thumbs up from me. A really cute/elegant way to change the content.

Speaking of Mhach--I didn't expect Radlia to show back up so soon? Or at all, really. A proper Deathgaze fight!? Diabolos takes the fight to the Redbills? Woefully tired of sexy scantily clad ladies as final bosses in this series though--I suspect I might be in the minority though. The weird amalgamations of mantis-like creatures featured during the Scathach fight are unsettling. The stained glass windows changing through the fight is pretty neat too.

Had Arvina not appeared in Palace of the Dead I'd call that Garlean Roegadyn him in a heartbeat. He even has a shield of Tartarus! (and apparently Mjolnir, but don't pay attention to that). Nero has never felt like a patriot to me, so his "defection" seems self-serving. He's always been this guy willing to do whatever to get what he wants (Allagan toys) and being that he supervised the repair of the Ultima Weapon, it's doubly fitting he'd want Omega. Who among us would know more about trapping primals in Allag contraptions?

The whole Baelsar's Wall bit will be.. ridiculous.. (I hope). Ala Mhigan Resistance goes in, Eorzean Alliance seizes this moment, Garlemald repels the Resistance easily (because the Griffin never intended to win this fight) , the Alliance is caught by surprise at the sheer number of Garleans they've to fight now, begin to lose, Warrior of Light is deployed. Warrior of Light finds and corners the Griffin, defeat the Griffin in "honorable combat," he activates his trump card (the Eyes/summoning)--a primal forms (you can even see the feet in the lil baby Dalamud!). Nero, Cid, and Yda--probably underground Carteneau at the Omega Control Station or something fire up Omega which shoots out of the ocean near Seal Rock and to East Shroud, readies its Dalamud gun (Yda over reacting, I bet, with Cid going "IT'S NOT READY YET!"), fires, but doesn't have the juice to contain a Primal after its haphazard awakening from a millenia's old stupor. Nero's smile/indifference is awkward. Did he plan for Omega to fail? Why is Zenos so happy? Is Nero giving us the ole ruse business? Pretending to defect from Garlemald to help Garlemald? Just like my boy Warburton who pretended to defect from the Ala Mhigan Resistance to help the Ala Mhigan Resistance? Perhaps Zenos has enticed Nero with the promises of the Gyr Abania Allagan Ruins, after all, that's where they found Ultima Weapon.

SHRUG. I'M EXCITED.