Patch 3.3 (Trailer) Discussion (2.x - 3.2 Spoilers)

[Theodric]

Personally I never really blamed Estinien for succumbing to Nidhogg's influence. He did a pretty great job at resisting for a very long time and he was - quite rightly - focused entirely on his push to protect Ishgard. Ironically it was only when he let out a sigh of relief that he ended up falling prey to Nidhogg. I do hope that Estinien himself plays a huge part in defeating Nidhogg for good, though. I don't want to see the WoL 'steal' a kill that should, quite rightly, ultimately go to the Ishgardians.

[Nalien]

I don't fault Estinien for anything other than failing to take a shower and get some clean armor during his down time while we were chasing Bismarck... I mean, he was there when we found out that Ishgardian + Dragon Blood = Dragon!, right? Not the smartest idea to walk around covered in the stuff...

Looking back on it though... Yeah, probably a dumb idea to take the eyes... I'd fault us for not stopping him, though... I mean, we knew the first Azure Dragoon did something similar, and he ended up with an eye embedded in his chest... Should have predicted something similar happening to Estinien and not handed him back one of the eyes...

Wonder if we'll finally find out where Nidhogg flew off to during 3.1...

[Rocl]

I wish we learned a little more about how/why the Eye chose an "Azure Dragoon." I wonder if Nidhogg's eye(s) sought out particularly powerful individuals in a bid to corrupt and change them as he's now done to Estinien...

[Frederick22]

I wish we learned a little more about how/why the Eye chose an "Azure Dragoon." I wonder if Nidhogg's eye(s) sought out particularly powerful individuals in a bid to corrupt and change them as he's now done to Estinien...

if that was true, then the WoL would not have being choosen.

[PArcher]

if that was true, then the WoL would not have being choosen.

No, still very possible. The Eye may have been attracted to the Blessing for us, maybe believing he could use that as a method of corruption rather than Ratatoskr's blood.

Don't forget, as a Drg the WoL draws their power from our bond with Middy, which is possible thanks to the Blessing.

[Nalien]

I like to think the Azure Dragoon has nothing to do with Nidhogg...

Instead, an Azure Dragoon is the result of a strong bond between man and dragon. It's not a case of an eye choosing someone, but rather the eye just responding to that connection... Nidhoggs eye didn't resonate with us because it chose us, it did so because it sensed our destined connection to Midgardsormr, and we're an Azure Dragoon because of that, not because the eye noticed that... Likewise, the eye didn't chose Estinien, it just responded to a connection between him and a Celestial Dragon... I mean, Ishgard always had both of Nidhoggs eye, yet we were the first second Azure Dragoon? I don't think so... I guess maybe there is an argument to say Haldrath was sealed away and Thordan VII disturbed him for his plan, resulting in the second eye picking a second Azure Dragoon, but meh...

No, I'm hoping Ratatoskr is effectively still alive, the same way Shiva is still alive and telling her husbando not to join the war... She picks someone to be the Azure Dragoon, and Ishgard mistakes the eye going "what the hell?!" for the eye choosing an Azure Dragoon... I'm either falling back on the old "Ratatoskr wanted to sacrifice herself" theory, or hoping the female Celestial Dragons are just straight up smarter than the male ones... The Dragonsong War is stupid and I just cannot wrap my head around the thought process that would lead Midgardsormr and Hraesvlgr to sit on the fence and be ready to jump to Nidhoggs side... I get that they're still mourning as though it just happened, but they're essentially just being racist and sending even more off to die... How can you care that much about your sister, but that little about your own children? Hraesvlgr still doesn't really like us according to Sohr Khai, simply because we're mortal (racist!) even after Nidhogg attacked his own daughter... Like... Really? Having his brood constantly trying to destroy your home, and endanger an entirely innocent third party, and you're still resisting the urge to join up with Nidhogg? Christ...

Really hope Ratatoskr revives somehow and just slaps these idiots senseless... She'd have no eyes though, but well... Nidhogg kept on running for a thousand years off his brothers eye, maybe we could find her a donor eye... Wait... Is that why Estinien wont seem so stupid for picking up the eyes? Kill Nidhogg so completely that his essence fades from his eyes, then let Ratatoskrs essence leave Ishgardians and fill them... I mean... 4.3 is going to need a new boss for Sohr Khai (Hard)... Reviving Ratatoskr also makes for some nice atonement and a nice change of pace from the constant death in Heavensward...

Well, that was a stupid theory... Back to being butthurt over Feast/Dark Knight...

[Theodric]

Death has already been cheapened rather significantly in FFXIV. I don't think it'd be a good thing for yet another character to return from the dead - especially since it was stated that 3.0 would be a darker expansion. If anything Ratatoskr returning from the dead would make things worse because the countless Ishgardians murdered by the Dravanians would not return from the dead. Realistically that would just breed contempt and spark a fresh conflict. In fact, I'm actually hoping that we don't make peace with the Dravanians. None of them have come across as particularly likeable to me - unless you count the more minor dragon NPC's out there.

[Cilia]

Death has already been cheapened rather significantly in FFXIV.

...

In fact, I'm actually hoping that we don't make peace with the Dravanians. None of them have come across as particularly likeable to me - unless you count the more minor dragon NPC's out there.

I wouldn't say that it's been cheapened. Maybe they overplayed the drama a bit, but there was enough ambiguity and tragedy with the fate of many victims in 2.55 to leave death a serious thing.

[Tracewood]

There's plenty of death to go around with minor NPCs and some more well known ones.

And don't forget poor Edda... whoa.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

snip

I'd hate the entire 3.0 story if the entire effort of the peace treaty was for naught. I don't like having my time wasted if I see that everything we did accomplished nothing and the status quo remained. No, I'm not saying everything should be ice cream and sprinkles, but a story that basically pulls the rug out from under you and goes "HA HA! Things are gonna stay the same!" makes me want to punch the writer.