There has been a change in Azys Lla [3.0 ending spoilers]

[AstralKaos]

I think it's simply the dev team adding moss to statues to rectify an oversight in 3.0 and to better represent the thousands of years of neglect. Then again, I've always been more inclined to follow Occam's Razor.

Only, the faint pulse that each statue generated has stopped, and it's only the "statue" with the mossy look on them, the Allagan architecture they are mounted on is not touched at all.

They, and only they, have became mossy, and architecturally weakened.

[Whiteroom]

I may have found another map change. Hinterlands 17,23. There was that waterfall coming out of the cave in the cliff face. That whole face is cracked and crumbling now. Can anyone confirm if it was that bad before? I thought it was just the cave in a solid face.

[Alberel]

I think it's simply the dev team adding moss to statues to rectify an oversight in 3.0 and to better represent the thousands of years of neglect. Then again, I've always been more inclined to follow Occam's Razor.

It's not just moss and plants growing on them though. If you look closely the previously gold surfaces are now replaced with tree bark. The statues are quite literally becoming trees; all three of them.

[Velox]

I get what you guys are saying, but even for people who haven't done the 3.1 story it's mossy. This means it's NOT tied to the story or triggered by an event.

This tells me it was just an aesthetic change SE decided to go with. If it was important, someone starting the game brand new today would have no idea since it would already be changed (so it can't be something important).

[WellFooled]

I get what you guys are saying, but even for people who haven't done the 3.1 story it's mossy. This means it's NOT tied to the story or triggered by an event.

This tells me it was just an aesthetic change SE decided to go with. If it was important, someone starting the game brand new today would have no idea since it would already be changed (so it can't be something important).

Its hard to say. Rev's Toll and Idyllshire's developments aren't based on a player's progression in the story, but the development of Rev's Toll has story implications. The Scions would never have chosen to relocate to Rev's Toll when it was just a handful of stones and tents, for example.

[Fenral]

I get what you guys are saying, but even for people who haven't done the 3.1 story it's mossy. This means it's NOT tied to the story or triggered by an event.

In that case: huh. Weird. They have both sets of textures and are definitely capable of instancing objects in the field based on quest progression, so I kinda wonder why they'd choose to retcon them instead. Seems like kind of a waste, unless we're going to be seeing them in the other state at some point later on (like when van Hydrus finally takes control of the Flagship).

[WyrahFhurrst]

I may have found another map change. Hinterlands 17,23. There was that waterfall coming out of the cave in the cliff face. That whole face is cracked and crumbling now. Can anyone confirm if it was that bad before? I thought it was just the cave in a solid face.

The crack that emanates from the cave doesn't look to have changed, though the part at the north end of that crack may have grown. I never paid it too much attention, so I'm not sure.

[CyrilLucifer]

This may be me stretching it and putting together hints that don't belong, but

According to the WHM storyline, the aether of the Shroud is influenced by the aether of the Hinterlands and Highlands, and Ishgard in general. So when something is happening in Dravania, it also directly influences the Shroud.

Aether, unless you're in the Void, does not exist within a vacuum. This means that the aether of Dravania/Coerthas/Ishgard in general is also influenced by the aether in the Shroud.

And what's wrong with the aether in the Shroud that could influence Ishgard? Well, we don't know, but that scholar in 2.5 seemed extremely panicked about it.

Because of Thordan disturbing the Triad, paired with the possible altering of the regional aether from the Shroud, the strange, out of place tree-like appearance makes me feel like the Triad is being influenced by whatever it is that is changing the aether in the Shroud, which could possibly be very, very bad.

[Whiteroom]

The crack that emanates from the cave doesn't look to have changed, though the part at the north end of that crack may have grown. I never paid it too much attention, so I'm not sure.

Yeah, my bad, I was able to find a video that showed the area before. It seems I was mistaken.

[Culfinrandir]

I came to FFXIV at the end of 2.2 & didn't complete the story until 2.3 but lots of things that I'd already seen in the field were shown happening in the MSQ. They may just do it that way & upon another visit to Azys Lla in 3.2 any newbie will see the old style in the cutscenes. After all, you can't access Azys Lla without a nice long scene.