Thoughts about 8.0 MSQ

Would it be better to just return to let's say Mor Dhona (Not Old sharlyan) and make an expansion entirely from the perspective of worldbuilding the existing world instead of going to yet another NEW continent like Meracydia?

I mean we've already explored the main 3 continents of Eorzea and Meracydia we know is pretty much been a desolate place since the Allagan Empire was there, sure it probably has changed alot and has a large culture to explore, but here's my issue.

Dawntrail kind of proves that it doesn't work when we go to a new continent that has zero ties to whatever is going on in Aldenard and the neighboring countries like Garlemald and Othard. Stormblood for example works, simply from the fact that Othard has been under the thumb of the empire for a long time and there's familiarty to which we as players can relate to with Ala Mhigo and all that stuff. While Tuliyollal doesn't even have Chocobo's.

So the only connection really to go to a new continent like Meracydia would be the Allagan Empire's history there. But I feel like it would be half baked if we just go there in an expansion to explore what the place is like---

I think, we need a world building expansion that explores more of Garlemald, Dalmasca and all these smaller locations, with the idea that maybe there's a looming threat coming from the direction of Meracydia and we wont know what that threat is until 8.5. It could be related to whatever we see happening in 7.3 ending etc.

But I think it would be wastly more important for the Scions to kind of start getting together again partially atleast and we go with maybe 2 other scions to check out Dalmascas help with something while Alphi and Alisaie go back to Garlemald and we kind of hop back and forth those locations for some overarching storyline that completes Garlmald as a location on the map and makes Dalsmaca something similar to Thavnair.

It could also finally connect the 1st to the source in a meaningful way. I dunno.

I feel like at the end of 7.3 Krile specifically mentions about being interested about the Milalla people and where they come from and they come from the southern seas, which hits awefully close to Meracydia and I honestly would want that to just be 9.0 instead.

We didn't have a big connection to the First and the story worked just fine.

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Originally Posted by Kirutsuki

Would it be better to just return to let's say Mor Dhona (Not Old sharlyan) and make an expansion entirely from the perspective of worldbuilding the existing world instead of going to yet another NEW continent like Meracydia?

I mean we've already explored the main 3 continents of Eorzea and Meracydia we know is pretty much been a desolate place since the Allagan Empire was there, sure it probably has changed alot and has a large culture to explore, but here's my issue.

Dawntrail kind of proves that it doesn't work when we go to a new continent that has zero ties to whatever is going on in Aldenard and the neighboring countries like Garlemald and Othard. Stormblood for example works, simply from the fact that Othard has been under the thumb of the empire for a long time and there's familiarty to which we as players can relate to with Ala Mhigo and all that stuff. While Tuliyollal doesn't even have Chocobo's.

So the only connection really to go to a new continent like Meracydia would be the Allagan Empire's history there. But I feel like it would be half baked if we just go there in an expansion to explore what the place is like---

I think, we need a world building expansion that explores more of Garlemald, Dalmasca and all these smaller locations, with the idea that maybe there's a looming threat coming from the direction of Meracydia and we wont know what that threat is until 8.5. It could be related to whatever we see happening in 7.3 ending etc.

But I think it would be wastly more important for the Scions to kind of start getting together again partially atleast and we go with maybe 2 other scions to check out Dalmascas help with something while Alphi and Alisaie go back to Garlemald and we kind of hop back and forth those locations for some overarching storyline that completes Garlmald as a location on the map and makes Dalsmaca something similar to Thavnair.

It could also finally connect the 1st to the source in a meaningful way. I dunno.

I feel like at the end of 7.3 Krile specifically mentions about being interested about the Milalla people and where they come from and they come from the southern seas, which hits awefully close to Meracydia and I honestly would want that to just be 9.0 instead.

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The most popular expansion pack of the entire game had us literally travelling to an entire different world that had no ties to Eorzea except a big tower, a catboy, and "if we mess up here everyone dies." I don't really think this is the problem.

Revisiting the old world has its merit if done right. Also, thinking about it... Etheirys' zones are almost never a full representation of an area in the world map. I feel even new zones could be added to old areas without much issue. Heck, even Tural still has a lot of areas that we didn't visit, like the Whalaqee's home.

I feel the areas surrounding Garlemald are really a good contender.

Other than Meracydia, maybe the 90% of Hingashi we didn't get to see because all we know is the port city of Kugane, that isn't even the capital. But I wonder if they would think that it's time for another eastern-themed expansion just yet.

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Originally Posted by Raikai

Revisiting the old world has its merit if done right. Also, thinking about it... Etheirys' zones are almost never a full representation of an area in the world map. I feel even new zones could be added to old areas without much issue. Heck, even Tural still has a lot of areas that we didn't visit, like the Whalaqee's home.

I feel the areas surrounding Garlemald are really a good contender.

Other than Meracydia, maybe the 90% of Hingashi we didn't get to see because all we know is the port city of Kugane, that isn't even the capital. But I wonder if they would think that it's time for another eastern-themed expansion just yet.

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The problem with a 'return to the old world' is it's hard to simultaneously increase the difficulty/level and maintain verisimilitude in a meaningful way. We have already trounced on most of all of the main BBEGs of Aldenard and most of that was the Empire, which due to EW's story is probably at least a decade away from even being a functional nation. You need some like really bizarre justification for how people whose biggest threat was once a few high level bees are still existing when there were apparently areas 'right next door' populated with sheep that would two-shot the original primals.

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Originally Posted by Volgia

We didn't have a big connection to the First and the story worked just fine.

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Did you miss an entire storyline? the Crystal Tower IS from the first, Emet Selch IS from the reason Garlean Empire did what they did. All of it resulted in the Black Rose calamity which caused G'raha to go to the first.
Also the entirety of Warriors of Darkness herald from the first, who visited the source FIRST, so many connections.

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Originally Posted by Raikai

Revisiting the old world has its merit if done right. Also, thinking about it... Etheirys' zones are almost never a full representation of an area in the world map. I feel even new zones could be added to old areas without much issue. Heck, even Tural still has a lot of areas that we didn't visit, like the Whalaqee's home.

I feel the areas surrounding Garlemald are really a good contender.

Other than Meracydia, maybe the 90% of Hingashi we didn't get to see because all we know is the port city of Kugane, that isn't even the capital. But I wonder if they would think that it's time for another eastern-themed expansion just yet.

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This is pretty much how I feel about every expansion. 6 locales represent the eniire continent. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. Tuliyollal specifically is twice the size of Aldenard, yet has the same foothold as the locations in The First, which is engulfed by light so it makes sense the place is a bit small.
Othard in general is also a smaller ontinent with lots of islands, so it kind of works, but still the entirety of Doma is just a castle :D

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Originally Posted by Kirutsuki

Did you miss an entire storyline? the Crystal Tower IS from the first, Emet Selch IS from the reason Garlean Empire did what they did. All of it resulted in the Black Rose calamity which caused G'raha to go to the first.
Also the entirety of Warriors of Darkness herald from the first, who visited the source FIRST, so many connections.

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Respectfully, those are reasons why we have connections to the plot, not the world. Similar concepts are just as viable in justifying us going literally anywhere. It took a heck of a lot of worldbuilding to justify our characters having any meaningful connection to the actual world of the first.

I know a lot of people are waging and expecting that we are going to Meracydia, and for that reason I hope they throw a curveball and we go somewhere else! :)
It doesn't have to be another shard (even if it will most likely happen at some point due to the story), but I'd love to see what's past the Blindfrost, or for us to go a bit more survival-y mode in a snowy place! We're proven to be good in a battle, but we've yet to prove our might against the elements of nature and extreme weather conditions!

We've had our "vacation" in Tural, so I hope they don't give us yet another one on another surprisingly well developed continent that nobody visits much. :D

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Originally Posted by Atma

The most popular expansion pack of the entire game had us literally travelling to an entire different world that had no ties to Eorzea except a big tower, a catboy, and "if we mess up here everyone dies." I don't really think this is the problem.

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There's way more than that tho. Warriors of Darkness and their storylines. Storyline of Unukalhai's connections in The First.
Also like anything Emmet Selch related is pretty much the reason we are in The first in the first place and how he manipulated the entire Garlean Empire which literally causes the black rose incident.

In Tuliyollal all you have is Krile, it would have worked better if they focused on her story more and add more connections.

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Originally Posted by Atma

Respectfully, those are reasons why we have connections to the plot, not the world. Similar concepts are just as viable in justifying us going literally anywhere. It took a heck of a lot of worldbuilding to justify our characters having any meaningful connection to the actual world of the first.

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Kind of my point really. With Dawntrail we barely have any connections to anything and it doesn't work. All there is, is Krile's letter, but they barely touch on it.
Which is why DT feels off, it doesn't feel like it's part of the world we know, while The First does.

I think there's a lot more going on in Meracydia than you think. Dawntrail and Tural was just handled poorly.

First, it wasn't our story, it was Wuk Lamat's. We were just there to help her become Dawn Servant.

Second, it treated the first 4 zones as some big field trip where we learn about the people and culture, which is extremely boring in my opinion. They kinda did the same thing with Kugane with the whole "Look how different this place is compared to Eorzean! Even Garleans are allowed to be here!" but that was only for the city and things became more intesting when we headed out to the Ruby Sea. Shadowbringers introduced a new world to us much better. We learned about the people's plight and the threats they faced and did what we do best: Play the hero. In DT, things pick up once we reached Heritage Found, but by then people have already began to lost interest and have gotten tired of Wuk Lamat.

Third, while FF14 has always drawn inspiration from previous games in the series, I think doing it with the MSQ by almost copying the story from a previous game is going too far. Post-Endwalker reused a lot of stuff from FF4, and half of Dawntrail was FF9. I don't like being able to predict what's coming from miles away. Most people knew exactly what the trial of 7.3 was going to be months ago. Sure, they put their own spin on it, but I prefer when they just borrow bosses or locations but do entirely their own thing with it. Imagine we do go to Meracydia in the next expansion and the place looks similar to Spira and we find out that ever since the Fourth Umbral Calamity there's been some massive Voidsent named Sin threatening to consume the continent and every so often a summoner goes on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin to allow the people to relax for a century before it eventually comes back to threaten the continent again, and we just so happened to arrive when this new summoner is setting out on their pilgrimage.

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Originally Posted by XtremePrime

I know a lot of people are waging and expecting that we are going to Meracydia, and for that reason I hope they throw a curveball and we go somewhere else! :)
It doesn't have to be another shard (even if it will most likely happen at some point due to the story), but I'd love to see what's past the Blindfrost, or for us to go a bit more survival-y mode in a snowy place! We're proven to be good in a battle, but we've yet to prove our might against the elements of nature and extreme weather conditions!

We've had our "vacation" in Tural, so I hope they don't give us yet another one on another surprisingly well developed continent that nobody visits much. :D

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Yea, personally I don't think it's vable to have the WoL alone going somewhere just from the fact that they are "mute" with dialogue options, so it would really cause issues with storytelling.
But generally speaking just exploring known areas within the continents would be great. Goign toother shards would need a reason to go there, and I don't quite yet see any reason to go other than fanservice.

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Originally Posted by Kirutsuki

Yea, personally I don't think it's vable to have the WoL alone going somewhere just from the fact that they are "mute" with dialogue options, so it would really cause issues with storytelling.
But generally speaking just exploring known areas within the continents would be great. Goign toother shards would need a reason to go there, and I don't quite yet see any reason to go other than fanservice.

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That can be worked out though. I don't mind if Erenville or some of the scions decide to accompany us to such a place (either for the sense or adventure or DSS, though I'd rather we get DSS party members from people we meet during our trip).
It's be a story more about discovery with a place with fewer people where the enemy can be harsh elements rather than what happened in Tural where we were basically on a field trip. :(

Honestly I feel like we did not get enough time in Tural, I wanna see more from it. Solution 9 kinda hijacked the expansion once it got introduced. All the patch content, outside of the minor Koana arc, was mostly focused on Alexandria. Even all the glamour got hijacked. Most of it is modern-futuristic Alexandrian or old alexandrian, all the Turali stuff got pushed to the side. There's so much they could have done with the scenery of the Americas, but it feels like they squandered it so far. Like I wanted some good American gear rep man, and all I get is techwear.

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Originally Posted by Espon

I think there's a lot more going on in Meracydia than you think...

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Obviously yes, it's been quite a long time since the Allagan Empire stuff anyway and yes, it was a bad decision to add make the story about Wuk and not Krile in DT, which would have helped to keep us connected to the world.
I did not personally know anything about FF9 so whatevery added was a surprise to me. but I can understand that stuff being a bit on the nose if done in a way too obvious way.

I am a big fan of FFX tho and seeing that storyline in 14 would be fun, buuut I would also heavily critique it if it's done wrong and it would probably still feel like some knockoff edition. Not good in the end.

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Originally Posted by LynxDubh

Honestly I feel like we did not get enough time in Tural, I wanna see more from it. Solution 9 kinda hijacked the expansion once it got introduced. All the patch content, outside of the minor Koana arc, was mostly focused on Alexandria. Even all the glamour got hijacked. Most of it is modern-futuristic Alexandrian or old alexandrian, all the Turali stuff got pushed to the side. There's so much they could have done with the scenery of the Americas, but it feels like they squandered it so far. Like I wanted some good American gear rep man, and all I get is techwear.

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100%, the continent is double the size of Aldenard and we have 6 locations. And it's not like it would always need to be locations that have these big villages or different cultures residing in them.
Like in ARR you literall just have "a lake" or "a forest" as an area that has some crystals and NPC's to talk with, there's a dungeon there, but otherwise it's just an area connecting into other more important places.

As long as it kills off Wuk Lamat I'm happy.

I think Tural was terribly wasted. We crossed that bridge and the southern continent was basically treated as irrelevantly as regions from expansions ago. Such a waste. We got a South America inspired region with so much mythos to mine and they barely touched it. Not even a side-quest series like we got with the Four Lords in Stormblood.

We could've had a Vidrall hunting series as our primal fight equivalent. Maybe that can be a thing in 8.x or 9.x.

Are we ready to return to the void, yet? New regions with a very distinct gothic fantasy vibes. I would like that.

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Originally Posted by Espon

I think there's a lot more going on in Meracydia than you think. Dawntrail and Tural was just handled poorly.

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I hope CS3, YoshiP, & any others on the writing team learned some very important lessons when it comes to writing & planning out an expansion.

DT's entire 7.0 expansion should've consisted entirely about the rite of succession competition. It would've allowed for events to unfold and give Wuk a chance to legitimately grow into her station and be able to understand the kind of role she was stepping into & the responsibility; not have elements of the story bend over backwards to suit her winning (Thinking of the Hanuhanu crops trial). Because it was once again trying to be an expansion that covered two areas at once, story beats & elements were clearly rushes in order to be able to fit the 2nd area and part in. In another time, we could've had a trial that would've been the twisted ideals of "I want my people to be happy" without robo cyberpunk element being the thing to do it. Instead we have a naive disney princess that acts like a primal with the way she drains people of their personalities and has the story again bend in over itself just for her. So to reiterate, focus on one area for an expansion to fully flesh it out

NPC's that are mentioned & focused on as being vendors of things, like that guy that sells tacos, SHOULD be a vendor that will sell tacos to you.

The after 7.0 patches unfortunately come-off more or less like the expansion has been on the backfoot trying to make up for things it had messed up on, instead of being something to expand on & prepare for the next expansion.

I really hope the devs & writers do not end up making Calyx to be their version of Sylvanas, where his grand schemes & plots are so convoluted & complex that not even the writers know what he's planning.

Right now up to DT, from ARR to DT and all its happenings, the WoL has been written into a corner of being a god/primal killing, empire wrecking, force of a person. This gives a power creep where they have to keep throwing god-level enemies is just going to keep going. Even the recent 7.3 trial cutscene shows us barely flinching out of our weapon drawn stance when it exudes an aura where everyone else is struggling. So if they wanted to "reset" the power creep within the story, then I'm sure they can work something out where the WoL either loses, sacrifices, or gives up a part of their power/strength in order to defeat something or empower an ally. Kinda like how from ARR to HW, midgardsormyr cut off our access to the RGB stones we spent time collecting in ARR and we had to gain that power/blessing back.

We've got plenty of areas in the source and still more of the new world to go through. We even have Hingashi if they wanted to take us through some form of the warring states. I just hope that they take the time to solely focus and expand on the area that we're going to.

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Originally Posted by RedLolly

I think Tural was terribly wasted. We crossed that bridge and the southern continent was basically treated as irrelevantly as regions from expansions ago. Such a waste. We got a South America inspired region with so much mythos to mine and they barely touched it. Not even a side-quest series like we got with the Four Lords in Stormblood.

We could've had a Vidrall hunting series as our primal fight equivalent. Maybe that can be a thing in 8.x or 9.x.

Are we ready to return to the void, yet? New regions with a very distinct gothic fantasy vibes. I would like that.

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Eh we still can, there's still a .4 and a .5 we know nothing about. I'm not writing off that fluff quite yet.

I would agree with it feeling a bit wasted though. All of Shaaloani feels extremely tacked on. It's like someone was watching the freaking short lived 'wild west resurgence' trend in the US and said "YEAH! WE ALSO NEED COWBOY HATS, AND A TRAIN!" and just... went with it for a whole zone, and now that's died off it's completely ignored. And [REDACTED] was a waste for half the expansion after it gets turned into a [REDACTED] until the end of 7.3. We effectively had 4 zones that introduced you to cultures which had so much potential, but like we had bird people (ok), 'ultra-capitalists' (meh), Giants who revere the memories of the dead (the best of the bunch IMHO and then barely any time is spent there cause they had to share with wE LoVe MoNeY!), and "OMG BLESSED SIBLINGS ARE ALL THAT MATTER" (an UTTER waste of a potentially amazing tribe.)

I think the failure of Dawntrail isn't the story, or Wuk Lamat, or a lot of other things. It's the fact that only 4 zones really matter and they completely phoned it in on developing the new tribes we were supposed to connect with.

I'm holding out hope that we'll get zapped off a far away planet or another reflection, with none of our existing companions and whatnot. With our character being the MC again, and nothing but our wits and experience as the WoL / WoD to see us to overcoming the adversity and evil that needs to be dealt with.

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Originally Posted by Atma

Eh we still can, there's still a .4 and a .5 we know nothing about. I'm not writing off that fluff quite yet.

I would agree with it feeling a bit wasted though. All of Shaaloani feels extremely tacked on. It's like someone was watching the freaking short lived 'wild west resurgence' trend in the US and said "YEAH! WE ALSO NEED COWBOY HATS, AND A TRAIN!" and just... went with it for a whole zone, and now that's died off it's completely ignored. And [REDACTED] was a waste for half the expansion after it gets turned into a [REDACTED] until the end of 7.3. We effectively had 4 zones that introduced you to cultures which had so much potential, but like we had bird people (ok), 'ultra-capitalists' (meh), Giants who revere the memories of the dead (the best of the bunch IMHO and then barely any time is spent there cause they had to share with wE LoVe MoNeY!), and "OMG BLESSED SIBLINGS ARE ALL THAT MATTER" (an UTTER waste of a potentially amazing tribe.)

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I also hope there's something for BLU because of its origins.

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Originally Posted by Shinku_Tachi

I'm holding out hope that we'll get zapped off a far away planet or another reflection, with none of our existing companions and whatnot. With our character being the MC again, and nothing but our wits and experience as the WoL / WoD to see us to overcoming the adversity and evil that needs to be dealt with.

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Not having Alisae or Y'shtola?

Can't be doing that. It'll NEVER sell! -- 10 Yen Yoshida

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Originally Posted by Kirutsuki

Dawntrail kind of proves that it doesn't work when we go to a new continent that has zero ties to whatever is going on in Aldenard

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Shadowbringers kind of proves it does. I'd like to just be sucked into a new world at this point, where we lose contact with the scions and start a new adventure without their incessant nodding and endless praise.

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Krile specifically mentions about being interested about the Milalla people and where they come from and they come from the southern seas

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I think they covered that as much as they are going to with the variant dungeon and all its lore records.

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Originally Posted by BlisteringFrost

Not having Alisae or Y'shtola?

Can't be doing that. It'll NEVER sell! -- 10 Yen Yoshida

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G'raha getting cut would be just as bad from that angle.

The problem isn't the location, it's the fact that they can't write a compelling story with believable characters that hook people in. The dialogue has suffered, the story has suffered and their worldbuilding has been tanked by Endwalker and not been done any favors by Dawntrail.
When you compare the current slop writing with the dialogue we had in HW and the nuance.
I think they need new writers or direction, because Tural was a failure.
Like "rubber bullets" just stinks of some corporate voice in the backround going. "Using actual bullets for a duel or sorting differences would be.. eeh.. kind of violent, how about they duel with rubber bullets instead? That would be fun yeah?"
Same with bonding over food, and forging a peace. That stuff should happen over a long period of time, not a few days on picnic.
Imagine if someone sorted the Dragonsong war in a few days with a basket of sandwiches, knowing what we know? How JARRING of a concept that is. Thats how I felt when I looked at the scene in Yak tel.

If they just fix their writers or whoever is directing them, the location does not matter. 8.0 will be ample proof of what direction they are taking, and depending on the QoL and features they introduce. A decision whether I quit the game, or continue the game and just skip cutscenes.

nah i want us to do the obvious thing we are doing and going to another shard, post endwalker even set up what this post expansion has been hinting at going to, fixing, and merging shards.

be it the void again or us going to the ninth to work on it or which would be cool a new shard, i think it would be nice to see us have to save a shard that is healthy but is aiming towards its demise would be a good one plus it would be whole and not part or some.

Based on the story progression in patch 7.3, I’m really looking forward to the 8.0 storyline focusing on the remaining Ascians.
It’s clear that the entire Dawntrail arc serves as a proxy experience created by the Ascians to gauge the strength of the Warrior of Light.
I think it would be amazing if the entire expansion revolved around the mystery of Azem.
Imagine if 8.0’s main plot centers on the remaining Ascians trying to collect the final five Azem soul fragments — that would make for an epic and compelling story!

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Originally Posted by RedLolly

G'raha getting cut would be just as bad from that angle.

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Him being literally *EVERYWHERE* with us is his shtick now too because of the "promise" we made, so it'd make even less sense to not include him, yeah.

I would honestly be really happy to have an expansion that went back and expanded on previous areas; there's so much untrodden territory that's just kinda gonna get left to rot if they don't. I wasn't a 1.0 player, but I'm told there are still several areas that never made it back into the game, that might be a good place to start.

And literally any Endwalker area would be a great place to start, since cramming an entire nation into ONE SINGLE ZONE is insane, and we barely spent any time in any of the nations we visited, so they could easily expand any of them. Both Ala Mhigo and Doma would also be contenders, since the way Stormblood split the story meant they both got short shrift.
If they'd finally acknowledge that time is passing in-game, the First could also be a great place for a new story, as people start re-exploring and settling the areas that were previously inaccessible due to the flood.

And I can't be the only one who would absolutely lose my mind if they chose to revist The World Unsundered. Have the WoL get knocked on the head by the first boss of the expansion and spend the rest of the .0 MSQ roleplaying their way through a dream about some of Azem's adventures. That would have made a much better 'vacation' expansion than Dawntrail, since it could just as easily be used as a way to lead in to the next major arc, OR a 'filler' that wouldn't effect the stakes in the present at all.

Nothing so far has hinted at Meracydia, and Yoshi P. did reveal his desire awhile back for another winter-themed expansion ala Heavensward. The hints dropped in 7.3 seem to make me believe we are headed North, and will explore the areas around Garlemald still clouded over. If not that, we absolutely are utilizing the key and hopping to another shard for Shadowbringers the Sequel.

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Originally Posted by Kirutsuki

There's way more than that tho. Warriors of Darkness and their storylines. Storyline of Unukalhai's connections in The First.
Also like anything Emmet Selch related is pretty much the reason we are in The first in the first place and how he manipulated the entire Garlean Empire which literally causes the black rose incident.

In Tuliyollal all you have is Krile, it would have worked better if they focused on her story more and add more connections.

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The Warriors of Darkness/Unukalhai/Minfillia/Graha/Crystal Tower were there as a connection but were you really excited about maybe seeing them again in the future? We also had no connection to Norvdrant nor it's issues other than a passing tale you hear at the end of Heavensward.

I feel like you equivocate here, see, the problem isn't the subject matter but how it was handled. You can make a lot of parallels between SB and DT because the storyline between the two major stages (Tural and Alexandria) feel like they're pulling you apart. Tural feels mismanaged and fillerish, Alexandria feels like where they wanted the plot to go but also having the baggage of the underdeveloped Tural.

Like don't get me wrong, if you put it in a few words the premise is interesting, you venture deep into the jungle and find the golden city, which ends up being a nearing cosmic horror of cyberliches trying to turn humanity into some weird version of the SIMS, and you realize how much damage the Ascians did in their quest to rejoin reality. It just felt awkwardly put together is all.

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Originally Posted by Divinemights

Based on the story progression in patch 7.3, I’m really looking forward to the 8.0 storyline focusing on the remaining Ascians.
It’s clear that the entire Dawntrail arc serves as a proxy experience created by the Ascians to gauge the strength of the Warrior of Light.
I think it would be amazing if the entire expansion revolved around the mystery of Azem.
Imagine if 8.0’s main plot centers on the remaining Ascians trying to collect the final five Azem soul fragments — that would make for an epic and compelling story!

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Great, now you have me imagining a story set up where some misguided ascian is all 'we need unsundered Back' latches on to the azem shards for some reason and thus leads to an Expansion where most Dungeon/Trial end bosses are a 'what if' broken/antagonistic take on ardbert.

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Originally Posted by Divinemights

Based on the story progression in patch 7.3, I’m really looking forward to the 8.0 storyline focusing on the remaining Ascians.
It’s clear that the entire Dawntrail arc serves as a proxy experience created by the Ascians to gauge the strength of the Warrior of Light.
I think it would be amazing if the entire expansion revolved around the mystery of Azem.
Imagine if 8.0’s main plot centers on the remaining Ascians trying to collect the final five Azem soul fragments — that would make for an epic and compelling story!

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See, this is how you escalate.

What is stronger than the WOL at this point? Another corrupted version of themselves, anything else like this spheeeeeeeeene nonsense will always open up a plethora of plot holes.

In my head cannon this villian could be a background force in 8.0 and then end up being confronted as a final climax to 9.0.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Nothing so far has hinted at Meracydia, and Yoshi P. did reveal his desire awhile back for another winter-themed expansion ala Heavensward. The hints dropped in 7.3 seem to make me believe we are headed North, and will explore the areas around Garlemald still clouded over. If not that, we absolutely are utilizing the key and hopping to another shard for Shadowbringers the Sequel.

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Winter is coming

We all know that with this new writing team, whatever they touch in 8.0 will be completely and irrevocably ruined. With this *fact* in mind, I hope we go somewhere else entirely so they don't ruin the old FF14 - the part that was actually good. I don't wanna see Eorzea turn into Shonen Jump. I want it to stay the way it is. They can pour their nuclear waste in Meracydia. 8.0 is going to be an abomination and we need an ocean's distance to prevent contamination.

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Originally Posted by undull1

See, this is how you escalate.

What is stronger than the WOL at this point? Another corrupted version of themselves, anything else like this spheeeeeeeeene nonsense will always open up a plethora of plot holes.

In my head cannon this villian could be a background force in 8.0 and then end up being confronted as a final climax to 9.0.

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First of all, Azem remains a character shrouded in layers of mystery.
He/she did not align with either the Convocation or Hydaelyn, yet based on Azem’s personality and history, this is not someone who would simply sit idly by in the face of doomsday.
There must be something happening behind the scenee, perhaps connected to the device we saw in the 7.0 storyline.

Secondly, the central narrative has almost always revolved around an Ascian antagonist, and there are still unanswered questions about the remaining Ascians.
It’s important to remember that the Ascians are not inherently evil; from their perspective, we are the antagonists.

Finally, at this stage, who could realistically be stronger than the Warrior of Light?
We are essentially a walking incarnation of a living god.
Who else could pose a real threat other than the remaining five shards of Azem?
Could this be why the WoL often feels like a side character in Dawntrail?
After all, we survived a city-wide electronic shock attack and walked away without issue.

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Originally Posted by Divinemights

First of all, Azem remains a character shrouded in layers of mystery.
He/she did not align with either the Convocation or Hydaelyn, yet based on Azem’s personality and history, this is not someone who would simply sit idly by in the face of doomsday.
There must be something happening behind the scenee, perhaps connected to the device we saw in the 7.0 storyline.

Secondly, the central narrative has almost always revolved around an Ascian antagonist, and there are still unanswered questions about the remaining Ascians.
It’s important to remember that the Ascians are not inherently evil; from their perspective, we are the antagonists.

Finally, at this stage, who could realistically be stronger than the Warrior of Light?
We are essentially a walking incarnation of a living god.
Who else could pose a real threat other than the remaining five shards of Azem?
Could this be why the WoL often feels like a side character in Dawntrail?
After all, we survived a city-wide electronic shock attack and walked away without issue.

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https://media.tenor.com/arjaTXXmhv0A...t-him-cook.png
edit: HER cook, but the image was toooo cute :D