[SPOILERS] Revelations from Patch 3.3

[Cilia]

Given that 4.0 was said to be taking place in another continent...

Do you have a source for this? I was unaware of an official word on the matter and the stingers from 3.x thus far have suggested we'll be joining Yda and Papalymo to retake Ala Mhigo.

I'm no expert, but according to this Roegadyn dictionary, it rather translates to Dark Heart.

Yes, yes, I got it wrong. It happens to everyone. Might I beg your forgiveness? /sarcasm

(And just for the record I did realize this, but did not think it especially important enough to go back and correct.)

[Tenkuu]

Warring Triad

Unukalhai sounded pretty sinister during the end of the optional quest, he's not going to become this game's Kefka is he? He's very mysterious and it's obvious he has ulterior motives, my friends have been saying he's going to be Kekfa 2.0

Whatever other people may think of this kid, Krile included, I don't trust him at all. Whether he's just being used by Elidibus or fully complicit in his plans, he's too sneaky and too obviously involved with an Ascian for me to be able to trust anything he says or does. I don't even think my character and the other Scions (minus Urianger) suspect that his master is Elidibus, else they'd be much less inclined to work with him in any capacity.

Re; current threads (WOD, Ascians, Warring Triad/is Regula going to be Kefka? etc)... I'm not so sure those will run beyond 3.5x. I can't find the quote at the moment, but didn't Yoshida mention that players would not have to clear through the 2.0/3.0 stories to start 4.0? I'm sure that was their thinking. I therefore can't imagine they will want to carry very many elements over into the 4.0 story. It would be a real slow start to a story if they had to fill in new players in on content they have been able to bypass.

I think this was only meant to say that 4.0 sidequests/job quests will not be locked behind MSQ, but that the MSQ itself will continue to progress from 3.x. I suspect we would eventually end up with a very fragmented story if this were not the case, and I'm honestly not interested in that. I like this game because it maintains plot continuity and character relationships from one expansion to the next.

Lolorito is a shrewd businessman, and while surrendering half of his own coffers and Teledji's entire net worth to the Sultanate is a generous move, it may benefit him in the long run.

More than just that, I think that surrendering a large portion of his assets was his get-out-of-jail-free card, considering what he's done. At least, the Tale from the Dragonsong War seems to imply that this is the case, and that Nanamo otherwise would not be buying his crap.

[Tenkuu]

Do you have a source for this? I was unaware of an official word on the matter and the stingers from 3.x thus far have suggested we'll be joining Yda and Papalymo to retake Ala Mhigo.

Unfortunately not. I believe someone mentioned reading it in an interview but I can't be sure. My personal preference would for certain be Sharlayan in any case, though I know it's a highly unlikely scenario at this point.

Yes, yes, I got it wrong. It happens to everyone. Might I beg your forgiveness? /sarcasm

(And just for the record I did realize this, but did not think it especially important enough to go back and correct.)

Oh, this was no commentary on your mistake. If anything, I was going to add that this made him even more sinister. I did get curious about Roegadyn names though, since I've never really looked them up before, and I had heard mention of a Roegadyn dictionary but had never seen it myself until today.

[Tenkuu]

In my opinion, the problem is we spent too little time with the dragons considering our interactions are limited to a bit at Anyx Trine, and a bit after that. We've got no understanding of why they feel this way, and yet the story spends so much time painting even conservative Ishgardians like the barmaid that drugged us in a sympathetic light. The story and writing with the dragons lacked quality and that's the big issue, while we got time to talk to the lower class and higher class of Ishgard, buddy buddying with Aymeric and other Elezen forever the dragons lacked that same deal. Even Hraesvelgr had feelings of tiring towards the war, even if he hates to admit it or show signs that don't seem arrogant to himself, his dialogue before Sohr Kahl seems to indicate so. Midgardsormr's words just pushed him to give out a trail, to test us as basically any other character in the story has done before, and all things considered (Dragons giving plenty of respect to their family), Hraesvelgr changing his mind a bit after his father's words is hardly bizarre. I think you'd being a bit too harsh on the dragons (Or rather the story failed to try much at all to making the dragons sympathetic when it's not hard to do so). Dragon's have a haughty way of speaking. Similar.. Look at the nobles of Ishgard or Ul'dah, beings of power mean the same way and I don't think there was any ill will to him calling Aymeric arrogant, it's just how they spoke. It also should be said that I'm not sure on the Japanese dialogue, which from what I've read concerning Midgardsormr, often writes him a whole lot less arrogant and I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar with Hraesvelgr

To be frank, their attempt to paint the barmaid in a sympathetic light rather failed imo. She came off sounding more like a drama queen than anything else, not to mention her whole "let's advocate war when our leaders are actively trying for peace" made absolutely no sense. She was no better than Nidhogg, her entire message was literally just "we have no other reason to live than for revenge", a literal translation of one of her lines from the Japanese version. What did she think more fighting and revenge would accomplish? Did she somehow believe that they would gain an edge over the dragons and that their loved ones would stop dying if they continued trying to fight them? Clearly dragons are the ones with the upper hand here, else 3.0 wouldn't have started off on a note of trying to stop them from attacking Ishgard. If anything, I would say that particular segment succeeded more in painting the WoL as fallible and even naive, and maybe also in providing some tiny bit of Thancred fanservice (worked for me!)? I really was not able to muster up much sympathy for any Ishgardians other than those who actively worked to help us: Fortemps family, Haurchefant, Aymeric, Lucia. I find it hard to feel sorry for people who make no effort whatsoever to get themselves out of a bad situation and instead wait for a Savior to come fix everything for them.

Midgardsormr really just seems to poke his head in when we need that final push, or perhaps passive letting us use his power whenever, considering what accorded before Heavensward even began. I mean, really what does he need to do besides give us a bit of power and a push when we're suppose to be the way the war is solved. Not Midgardsormr. I agree with you that I'd want more answers involving him and all, but I'd also would love more bits about the dragons in general, considering Heavensward lacked any actual attempts to flesh them out in more apparent ways imho.

That's really all he is after all: an observer. He isn't there to support your causes, but rather to judge them as well as your worth as one of Hydaelyn's Chosen.

There's a lot of directions I wish they would've gone with 3.x's dragons, but I really wish we just got more of them. I feel the 3.X series has just been kinda bad writing on the behalf of the dragons and heretics (Who we saw even LESS of). On the contrary, I'm sick of working for Aymeric and Ishgard, but I expect we'll be doing just as much work for them in the upcoming patches as we return to Eorzea proper with the entire unified Alliance.

This may be my mistaken impression of that scene, but I got the feeling that Nidhogg at least got some small measure of peace at the end. I've always felt that he and dragonkind as a whole were far more sympathetic than the Ishgardians, so I was glad to see that. Dragons do not display the same sense of entitlement and despondence that the Ishgardians do, and they are much more straightforward with us, so I've always wanted to see more of them and less of the Ishgardians. The heretics were interesting because they had other beliefs than bling religious faith and showed a kind of passion for their cause. Ishgardians in general are rather lacking in that department, except of course for Haurchefant.

[Laili]

Dragons and Ishgadians, it makes little difference to me, I'm just tired of snowy landscapes. I'm looking forward to the expansion if for no other reason than some new scenery to look at.

[PArcher]

To be frank, their attempt to paint the barmaid in a sympathetic light rather failed imo. She came off sounding more like a drama queen than anything else, not to mention her whole "let's advocate war when our leaders are actively trying for peace" made absolutely no sense. She was no better than Nidhogg, her entire message was literally just "we have no other reason to live than for revenge", a literal translation of one of her lines from the Japanese version. What did she think more fighting and revenge would accomplish? Did she somehow believe that they would gain an edge over the dragons and that their loved ones would stop dying if they continued trying to fight them?

This kind of thing happens in real life more often than you'd hope. People that spend time fighting one particular group often just cannot accept peace with them. Same thing with a group of people that is prosecuted, or treated poorly (ie religious suppression and plain old racism) and then...not. Many want to lash out against those that hurt them, or continue fighting even when the fighting is over.

That's what I feel this was more about; its a lot more realistic than everyone just accepting peace in an instant after a 1000-year long war.

[Tenkuu]

This kind of thing happens in real life more often than you'd hope. People that spend time fighting one particular group often just cannot accept peace with them. Same thing with a group of people that is prosecuted, or treated poorly (ie religious suppression and plain old racism) and then...not. Many want to lash out against those that hurt them, or continue fighting even when the fighting is over.

That's what I feel this was more about; its a lot more realistic than everyone just accepting peace in an instant after a 1000-year long war.

You're right about that, it was realistic. That girl still was completely unsympathetic to me though. Not to mention her last words to you before you lose consciousness, in Japanese, are actually "It's all your fault".

[Dualblade]

It's not still 5 years after Bahamut, it's been approximately 6 years since that.

A: Long ago, you mentioned that 1.0 took place in a “Simpsons Time Bubble.” Are we still in a bubble? Or does time move now that we know Patch = Canon?

KF: It’s still a bubble; you have to have a bubble. There are players joining in Heavensward that are starting at the beginning. The bubble’s just gotten bigger.

Relevent interview: http://gamerescape.com/2015/06/18/lo...h-fernehalwes/

While my personal headcanon is that we are indeed atleast 6 years after the Calamity, as far as the story is concerned it is still 5 years. If you have proof against this I will gladly take it so my headcanon no longer needs to have head in it.

[Draginhikari]

You're right about that, it was realistic. That girl still was completely unsympathetic to me though. Not to mention her last words to you before you lose consciousness, in Japanese, are actually "It's all your fault".

I think it kind of plays into the whole theme of Heavensward and what the cycle of anger and revenge does to people. Dragonkind was wrong and sought vengeance killing probably thousands if not more in a 1000 years, during that time in response those people of Ishgard demanded vengeance and round and round it goes. The desire for vengeance against those who wrong you feels right, it feels like justice and like with most emotion it is easily for people to get caught up in them and outwardly hate anything that prevents your feeling of anger form being satisfied. In their eyes the Warrior of Light has gotten in the way of their sanctification of revenge against the dragons who they feel wronged them by revealing the truth. It shows how little truth actually influence how we feel about strong emotional responses.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

[Berethos]

You're right about that, it was realistic. That girl still was completely unsympathetic to me though. Not to mention her last words to you before you lose consciousness, in Japanese, are actually "It's all your fault".

I think she was meant to show how broken Ishgard has become - even in the face of peace, they'd rather get one of the staunchest advocates of peace out of the picture, even if temporarily, and continue to seek vengeance even in a hopeless (for them) situation...

And were still so quick to pick up the cry of "Death to Nidhogg" at the end of 3.2.

Which is why I think even with the reforms that were passed quickly for changes in how the government of Ishgard works at the end of 3.3, you're still looking at years before old hatreds and old habits are truly set aside or overcome, whether it be against dragon or Elezen who happen to be "of that other kind" (commoner versus noble and vice versa).