I haven't seen anybody post about this stuff, and we got more than a few Lore Bombs this time around, so I figured I'd make a thread! The official summary thread is here, for anyone who wants to check it out themselves.
Characters
This was the meatiest bit of the Live Letter, lore-wise - we now know the names of all those new people in the key art for expansion.
Here's our Samurai Man, then. Further commentary from the Live Letter suggests that he and Yugiri have a "chemistry" - my money is on Hien being the "Lover Lost" of the main vocal theme. Yoshida was really playing coy about him in terms of commentary, too; they seem to be building an intentional mystery around him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayohne
I'm very, very curious as to Yotsuyu's backstory - Doman society has clearly wronged her in some way. While the description doesn't leave me too hopeful that she'll be all that sympathetic (outright cruelty is rarely rewarded in this game), it may cast some shades of grey on the otherwise-heroic Doma. Also of note: Yotsuyu is acting Viceroy - apparently, Zenos is still the man in charge, he's just delegating.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayohne
But anyways, speaking of shades of grey...
Here's our not-so-patriotic member of the Garlean generation of Ala Mhigans. Though this doesn't seem to be the exact nature of grey that some (Theo) wanted, what with her being neither pro-Resistance nor pro-Imperial, she definitely adds a new dynamic to the story outside the mold we're presumably entering it in; indeed, Live Letter commentary notes that she and hers represent a clash in worldviews between her and the refugees.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayohne
(Incidentally, I had a bit of a pet theory that the person who turned out to be Fordola was actually the still-living Real Yda, and the "Family Torn" bit of the vocal theme referred to strife between her and Lyse; this debunks her identity as such, at the very least).
The others - Yugiri, Gosetsu, Lyse, Zenos - mostly just confirm what we already know. There was a bit of commentary for Yugiri that says she'll play a big role in the later half of the MSQ, which only makes me more curious about the order we'll be experiencing each part of the world; storytelling logic points to us ending in Gyr Abania, as that's where our Final Boss is, but now I'm wondering if we don't somehow chase Zenos back east.
Thavnair
This was an interesting tidbit from the Q&A:
What could this mean, I wonder? Surely Omega Savage (the only content confirmed for 3.05 specifically, at least as far as I recall) won't involve a different location/feel than Story Mode; is this perhaps a hint at further Aquapolis? Deep Dungeon? Perhaps even Eureka? Totally aside from getting confirmation of some sort of non-Savage content in 3.05, I'm very interested in seeing more Thavnairian flair in the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayohne
We also got a confirmation of a return to Job Gear from Job Quests, the implication of Au Ra children on the Steppe, and the confirmation of Tomestones as the endgame currency (which seems a bit tired, to me - surely we could use a token that has a little more local flavor - but I guess those Allagans were pretty widespread).
Revelations from Live Letter XXXV
Printable View
-
04-29-2017, 08:23 AMHinoto-no-RyujiRevelations from Live Letter XXXV
-
04-29-2017, 10:31 AMBelhi
I guessed Hein right, was wrong about Yotsuyu and was half right about Fordola. Fordola I thought might be Ala Mhigan but sympathetic to the Garleans, just having a major gripe with Zenos. Sounds more like she doesn't get great treatment by the Garleans but she doesn't find the traditionalist Ala Mhigans much better.
The Thavnair hints are exciting if they pan out. Thavnair is a place I think would be awesome to hang out in.
Rowena will be hanging out (soon to be merchant queen of the world at this rate). I still want to know the deal with her and tomestones. Is it just that she knows a lot of collectors and scholars who are very specifically interested in Tomestones or is there someone specific who is interested in them. We go through styles of tomestone at a pretty rapid rate.
Plus Yojimbo! I have to admit, I am probably more excited to see him than is warranted. I wonder if he is going to be a primal or something else.
I was right about Zenos being the one behind putting down the Doman Revolt though. Now I am even more sure the reason we go to Doma is tied to him and something that happened over there. -
04-29-2017, 12:04 PMPArcher
Also got this little bite of info
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bayohne
-
04-29-2017, 12:33 PMTheodric
There's a lot that I want to post but time is short for me for now. I'll throw up something more in-depth later. Zenos not caring about friend or foe alike ties into my theory that at least some of his own people may turn against him - and his urge to 'dance with death' makes it seem like he could very well be deliberately allowing the Warrior of Light and his allies to arrive at his doorstep so that he can fight them directly. Since he has access to a spy network he no doubt knows quite a bit about the Warrior of Light's accomplishments and he's likely very intrigued.
Fordola and Yotsuya seem interesting. I believe there will be more than meets the eye to both, especially the latter. Speaking of Yotsuya, I wonder if she could be related to Hein? They're positioned opposite each other in the artwork and share similar features...it could be a stretch, though. Still...
The underwater building from the cinematic also showed up during the swimming segments, supporting my belief that it'll be the location for a dungeon or trial. Yojimbo showing up is pretty great - I had a feeling he'd fit well into this expansion given the aesthetics he shares with aspects of Othard. My initial theory was that Zenos would somehow become Yojimbo, but it seems he's going to be an add during Susano's fight.
Or, given that the benchmark could just be throwing things together for the sake of 'rule of cool' he could be a dungeon boss instead, or he could still tie into Zenos somehow if he does show up elsewhere. -
04-29-2017, 01:44 PMBelhi
I think your right on Fordola and Yotsuya. I have a feeling Yotsuya's attitude to Doma might turn out to have a someone sympathetic reason to it. It might not make Yotsuya's actions any better but it might make them something that makes sense.
As for Fordola, I am going to be interested what they do here. I am very much hoping she sits in a middle ground and calls the Ala Mhigan's out on their own rhetoric. It doesn't seem like she particularly likes Garlemald (apparently they treat her like she is a savage) but as I said, I get the feeling she doesn't necessarily feel the Resistance lot are much better. I suspect we will see Fordola and Lyse play off each other quite a bit. It will be interesting if Fordola challenges Lyse on her beliefs and ideals.
Maybe its the FF12 thing but I still think we are going to find Zenos has some kind of power or powerful backer helping him out. It would be interesting if Yojimbo played into that, maybe as a agent of said power or a being Zenos 'hires' to hunt down the WoL. -
04-29-2017, 07:37 PMMieckI think the chances of him being a unique fight in his own right are pretty good - cast back to the 2.0 benchmark, and there is a fight against several enemies, including a yellow dragon, where the boss of Tam-Tara Deepcroft is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodric
-
04-29-2017, 08:44 PMRocl
Eh, Minfilia was called "acting" Antecedent in 1.0, and in reality she was just the Antecedent the whole time. I've ascribed too much importance on such a word before, I won't do it again!
Yotsuyu being the viceroy of Doma is neat, as is the fact she's Doman and been mistreated by Domans--I can't begin to speculate what on earth could've happened to her.
With Fordola and the obvious Garlean conscripts in the benchmark (giant Au Ra gladiators don't seem like your standard son of Ilsabard) I'm much more excited about the fleshing out of the Empire. New magitek is neat too. As is new reasons to beat them silly with Zenos' insanity!
Hien feels like Yugiri & Gosetsu's liegelord / the last General of Doma & heir to the throne.
I hope Yojimbo isn't "wasted" as an add in Susano, but I think the underwater city is very likely to be Kojin territory and the Cetus-like creature their tribal mount. I'm not very well versed in Japanese mythology, but I figure those flying spirit wolves will be our primal mounts and the white Fenrir/hoarhound to be some kind of Okami or something? idk, I just hope they give us an Amaterasu like the one from FF:Explorers tbh if we keep going this Far East route. White Fenrir feels like it'll be a giant FATE boss a la Coeurlregina tho
My initial reaction to the Thavnair tease was Blitzball, actually, though I feel a certain alces may have tainted my expectations of such a place.
Also want to point out the Ananta fighting alongside the adventurers against the Garleans! -
04-29-2017, 09:26 PMKeeverYoshida made it clear during the commentary that the "acting" part here is definitely important. Apparently, Zenos yae Galvus acts as official Imperial Viceroy for both Ala Mhigo and Doma. Of course, he can only be in one place at once, so Yotsuyu is Doma's acting Viceroy in his stead.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocl
Apparently Zenos was there to crush Hien's attempted Doman rebellion a year ago, but he's back in Ala Mhigo watching over stuff now. -
04-29-2017, 10:03 PMHinoto-no-RyujiI"m actually banking on that FATE boss being a fox spirit/kyubi of some kind, with the Okami being the Kirin/Firebird of Stormblood.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocl
-
04-30-2017, 02:30 AMmyahele
It was confirmed that it was Zenos that was responsible for the razing of Doma, at least we know just what he's capable of doing. I get the feeling that he'll do the same should the Alliance come too close within Ala Mhigo proper.
Fordola and especially Yotsuyu intrigue me the most. Hopefully she will shed some light on Doma's darker side because as it stands the Domans are model citizens. -
04-30-2017, 01:49 PMEnkidoh
Remember also that Zenos has only just taken up the post of Ala Mhigo's Viceroy, as Gaius formerly held the position only til recently (until we 'relieved him of his duty' that day at the bottom of the Praetorium ;)) - being assigned as Viceroy for two vassal states shows either that Garlemald is facing severe manpower shortages in their top brass due to their consistently failed attempts at bringing Eorzea to heel, or that they're just overreaching themselves and thus the first cracks in the Empire's carefully upheld veneer are starting to show (not to mention the Empire has now lost at least three Legatee in the short space of five years).
So it's little wonder Zenos has to use a Doman quisling to oversee affairs in Doma while he's out of town.
Either way, it's going to be interesting times ahead. ;) -
05-01-2017, 01:06 AMKhalithar
From what they said about Zenos and his lust for battle along with how bored he looked on that throne I'm seeing him as finally being happy to have a challenge of some kind again, considering he's basically forced at this point to sit around and rule over a broken people that aren't really a challenge. Part of me is wondering if he'll make some comment along the lines of "I could have crushed the Resistance at any time, but then I'd never have anyone to fight against" or something.
He definitely seems to be the kind of enemy we'll face that will love being in combat against us, but rather than someone like Ravana that seems to rejoice in the glory of combat (see what I did there?) Zenos is more the kind that loves to fight and conquer a worthy opponent in a battle to the death for the satisfaction of domination.
Given how evil he is though, I don't actually want us to kill Zenos in a battle or a trial or whatever. I'd rather see him get taken down by treachery or some other underhanded means, given how evil he is and how much he enjoys battle, not getting a warrior's death is probably the worst fate he can imagine. Though he's probably so arrogant he doesn't believe he CAN lose, if nothing else I really want to see him get humbled. -
05-02-2017, 02:28 AMNalienMy money is on Eureka. They've said it'll be central to the new Relics, right? Folk from Radz-at-Hahn have helped with the last two weapons, why not the third? Anima weapons started up in 3.15 though... Still, they say these areas will be in preparation, so they don't have to be releasing relevant content alongside the areas...Quote:
Originally Posted by Hinoto-no-Ryuji
I hope Deep Dungeons though... Alchemist quests already flagged Thavnair as Blue Mage territory IMO, and I don't think they can possibly implement Blue Mage as a Job in a particularly satisfying way at this point... Make Blue Mage a Deep Dungeons Job, though? That could work... Pomanders become monster skills, Aetherpool level becomes Blue Mage level... You could do a lot of things with that concept which you simply cannot with a static Job...
Only other thing I can see it being is something PvP related, new Frontlines area perhaps... 3.05 is when Seal Rock was introduced, after all...
Kinda hope Eureka is actually to the East of Kugane, so the Four Shijin can be involved, assuming the Kyuubi Fenrir-reskin we saw in the benchmark isn't Byakko and those Four are just FATE bosses... -
05-02-2017, 11:24 AMTheodric
I don't think it'd be very wise to leave someone like Zenos alive for the sake of trying to 'humble' him. He needs to be eliminated ASAP simply because he's seemingly as much a threat and liability to Garlemald itself as he is to the Eorzean Alliance. I am fairly certain that his defeat will come about due to some of his own allies turning against him, perhaps in response to his excessive cruelty or lack of care for their lives. We're likely to see a FFXII style power struggle within Garlemald as well - which will hopefully bring about a nuanced 'Larsa' type character vying for control of the Garlean Empire. I'd be fine with that, so long as it's a Pureblood Garlean who is still fairly gritty whilst priortising their homeland and people but not being against diplomacy.
I'd also like the Warrior of Light to be the one to be 'humbled' in regards to being stuck in a stalemate with Garlemald. Mostly because the WOL strolling into the heart of Garlemald and dismantling it by slaughtering everything that gets in his way isn't very compelling as far as stories go. Being forced to align with certain aspects within Garlemald - particularly the nuanced/morally complicated elements - would be much more interesting. Nor would it be a stretch when the WOL frequently turns a blind eye to many of the shadier elements of the nations he has passed through already. -
05-02-2017, 11:01 PMBelhi
I agree about just crushing Garlemald would be a pretty dull story. I don't think humbling would work well exactly though as that would probably be pretty unpopular among most players.
My personal hope is that the WoL will do what they need to do to free Ala Mhigo and Doma and bring down Zenos and then come to the realisation that their efforts risk to destabilise an entire continent and throw it into conflict and chaos, fertile soil for the Ascians to do their thing. Its a case of doing the right thing but still having to deal with the consequences of their actions. I think it would be interesting to see that even acting with the best intentions can have severe repercussions.
I do still think we will see a more moderate Garlean at some point from the Garlean empire but now I am suspecting we might not get into that in detail till the patch story starts. Also, having Garlemald get thrown into such chaos would probably require the loss of the emperor which is why I think he won't make it through SB. Its kind of a 'you made this mess so now you can come and fix it' situation for the WoL, particularly if the Emperor is shown in a more positive light before he dies. -
05-03-2017, 01:52 AMLystAPWe have it in a sense with Regula (however, briefly). Imperial Garleans can be perfectly rationale, and outright heroic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Belhi
-
05-03-2017, 07:04 AMBelhiI don't know if I would call Regula moderate but he certainly was the kind of character I am talking about but he cant really fill such a role at this point being dead and all. To move into a situation where we are actually working with Garlemald we need someone we alive we can connect with, plus it is probably important to at least sell such a character enough that most player don't go "Why are we helping the Bad Guys?".Quote:
Originally Posted by LystAP