On a scale of 1 - 10, how disappointed are you so far with Stormblood news?

[Vexander]

while I can't talk about the story perspective (I don't like it, so I skip it), I think it's less about "bait and switch" and more like "more japanese stuff because japanese stuff is cool!". For all I can speculate, maybe they really did want to put Ala Mhigo

They are putting Ala Mhigo. It'll be at least 50% of the content for the expansion, they've stated.

Personally, Ala Mhigo bores me. Interactions with the NPCs do not generally leave me sympathetic to their cause. I always figured we'd -have- to free Ala Mhigo eventually, so when SE made it clear we were going that direction I rolled my eyes and just prepared to focus on other parts of the expansion to enjoy. I'm rather glad they're including Doma, as I have at least a marginal interest in that because the Doman Refugee NPCs are all really interesting characters, and I have sympathy for them. My guess is we go to Ala Mhigo -and- Doma because Garlemald conscripts soldiers from one country and sends it to another to prevent rebellion. Soldiers in Ala Mhigo to Doma, Soldiers in Doma to Ala Mhigo, etc... So, this seems like the best chance to destabilize and liberate both regions. Its clever.

My only concern would be that neither nation might get the necessary exposure and development the deserve though. Rather than an expansion focusing on each, its one focusing on both. I'm also a little worried SE might run out of future content for future expansions. There's still Garlemald itself, Radz-at-han, also Meracydia and the New World to the West, but after that, what would be left?