SPOILER WARNING - Sorry SE, you've lost me with the latest story

[silentwindfr]

snips....

in HW opening, we don't see the whole group, only the midlander... the roe, the lala, the miqote and the elezen that we follow for ages are missing.
like said they had to do it like this if you think about it.... all the video of FF14 v1 was showing the group act.... no one sole hero (what heavenwards did) the symbolic was easy to grasps. i invite you to check every video of FF14 and you will notice it. the trailer was even showing the group as they was using class and the lala was using this same attack as cast a spell on the arrow of the archer (spell and skill we have never get by theway)

it was possible to create heros of darkness totally different from them.... then why use them? because soo far for FF14 every trailer (outside hw) was showing this group, but it was not us... it was the progression of this heroes, not us.... yoshida have said it, he want to place the player in the center of the story. and how do it more nicely than say good bye to this group that did make us dream. they was a perfect incarnation of FF14 V1, but with the next expansion, finally making us get the whole eorzea, it's time to say good bye to that past for move on to the futur.

i see it like this.... we are all free to see it like we want. but for me the symbolism is too strong for be.... ignored. they was never lazy about the story, yes we can argue that some story look rushed, but it's a mmorpg, not a solo game where you can spend 10-20-30 hours for develop an arc of story, player will want to advance in pve, pvp, craft or whatever they want to do. do i feel it's sad that the story can feel rushed... maybe yes. but if they try to make it longer, they will need to add more quest and the people will one more time complain that it's too long.

plus, nothing say that this story is not simply a teaser saying us.... well one day you will go outside your world. or threat from another dimension can anytime come out disturb you. and it can be something else than ascians. for now, personally i feel the warrior of darkness story to be fitting and really deep. i will never thanks enough for this.

[Seig345]

in HW opening, we don't see the whole group, only the midlander... the roe, the lala, the miqote and the elezen that we follow for ages are missing. [...]

I believe we only see the midlander in HW's opening video for, to use a word you yourself used, symbolism. The entire theme of the ending of the story pre-HW and HW's opening is that of betrayal, isolation, and being alone. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn were scattered, lost, possibly dead, and we were forced from familiar lands into new, unfriendly territory, with only a disillusioned Alphinaud and Tataru accompanying us.

The midlander was still with his companions in 2.0's opening sequence, and the lead of the Warriors of Darkness was certainly our midlander's counterpart, and his Warrior gear (prior to changing into Dragoon regalia) was certainly not the colors of the Warrior of Darkness. It certainly wasn't the Warrior of Darkness midlander waltzing openly into Ishgard. Obviously I have no way of knowing, but I believe the odds are good that in the next expansion's opening cinematic, we'll see our familiar midlander, either as a Warrior or still as a Dragoon, reunited with his companions as he sets off on the next leg of the story.

That all being said, I agree with you that certain aspects of the story can easily be left to the player's own interpretation, and I too greatly enjoyed the Warrior of Darkness segment of the story line.