[SPOILERS] Heavensward vs Stormblood MSQ Story

[Enla]

Honestly the only thing I'll give 3.0 is that Estinien and Ysayle were leagues better than how our companions were written this time around in almost every capacity; especially Lyse. However the writing for Lyse is so shoddy in places, particularly after Doma, that I don't think one can call that much of an accomplishment. Yes she's the only character to get significant development, but it whole sale plateaus after that point in spite of the writing trying to tell us otherwise in a rather blatant 'show, don't tell' mistaken chain of events that left me scratching my head at the dissonance. It turned a character I was really excited for and interested in, into another glorified Trahearne. Except not even the story would allow Lyse to continue growing organically, giving story beats that should have gone to her to other characters instead and kind of leaving her completely in the dust save for her well written fight with Fordola. However I'm hopefully it'll be fixed in later story patches as the character does have a lot of potential. I just want them to show her ACTING as a leader instead of sitting around like a pretty ornament that continues to follow rather than lead, doling out speeches when the narrative calls for it.

Beyond that however I do much prefer the more realistic tone of 4.0. It bothered me a lot that after a certain point they just shoved the whole Ishgardian conflict aside, tying together loss plot threads rather sloppily so they could jump into the set up for this expansion. Proclaiming everything was going to be fine now when not even one patch before Aymeric was being shot at /again/. It's something I was happy to see retconned in one of the job quests during 4.0 even if it's a little bit of a 'too little, too late' scenario.

[Katryn]

HW was a story about the Warrior of Light dealing with the fallout of 2.x, being a stranger in a distant land and slowly coming to understand, befriend and aid it's people. I found it more introspective and personal.

Stormblood is a story about battles against the Garlean Empire taking place on two fronts and is more sweeping and epic. I liked Zenos more as a villain, but I felt that HW had stronger side characters and a more personally relevant narrative. Stormblood was Lyse's story; not really ours. I also feel that the way Zenos conclusion was dealt with plays into my feelings here. We never really got to finish the fight built up with him from the beginning properly.

The character deaths that happened in HW had more weight and were real. (Not off screen.) The way that Ysayle, Estenion and Alphanaud travel with you mirrors a traditional FF better than how things went in SB, and the gradual thawing of Ishgard toward the WoL over the expansion's whole--and the patches that followed it--seemed much more concise than the way SB's story was presented. It's true we don't have the whole of it yet, but it's dividedness worked against it, imho.

On the other hand, SB has fantastic music, it's zones are far more bright and colorful, it had some very fun additions to the overall quest mechanics and while I didn't find it's story was as personal or compelling as HW's (Minus Zenos--I adored Zenos.) I don't think it was 'bad'. I just didn't connect with it quite as intensely.

[loreleidiangelo]

I prefer the Heavensward story so far too (the overarching grudge of 1000 years made for a pretty intense backdrop, especially considering the revelations that come out about the original Thordan and his knights), but the SB story has promise and I won't write it off just yet.

I hope they can convince me with these upcoming "redemption" arcs, though. I'm not wholly convinced that SE will ever be able to get me to view Fordola, Yotsuyu and maybe retroactively Zenos as likable, sympathetic people.

[Waliel]

Zenos, Yotsuyu and The Azim Steppe saved the SB story for me. I really dislike Garleans as a faction, and secretly hope I'd never have to deal with them in any way. Gosetsu was fine, neutral on Hien and generally liked the Xaelas. Other companions just felt... not there, for the lack of a better word. I feel like nothing would have changed, if I had just traveled alone. I'm not sure if they did anything but tell me what to kill next. And what was that singing all about at the end? Got me really confused.

As for HW... I guess this is as good as time as any to confess I felt nothing when Haurchefant died. Overall I liked HW story better.

[ItaruKarin]

Liked SB MSQ much more than HW. Alysaie keeping it real helped ease what could quickly have become an oppressive arc, which was sorely lacking from HW in my opinion.

That and we got awesome villains.

[NolLacnala]

[Alleo]

Well both had their good points and their bad points but at least right now I like HW better.

Story:
When they showed the whole trailer at fanfest I got the bad feeling that Ala Mhigo will be rushed and even after they said that it would be 50/50 I remained skeptic. Since we still have the other patches left I will not say that this is my final opinion about this but I got the feeling that Doma was focused way more and felt better too.

You already leave after one or two levels and you only come back to Ala Mhigo around level 68. All the part between that was in Doma. Maybe this is also the reason why I like that place more? Azim was super cool, I liked Hien and his comrades but maybe I am biased as a Xaela Au Ra. Everything was good paced in Doma until the last fight..and suddenly we just leave and then the things in Ala Mhigo happened way faster.

At the end we lost people but it still felt way to easy. I never got the feeling that this is war. Also it had lots of points where I just thought "wait we did just free x with only y people..damn those rebells are bad if they did not manage to do so much without us."

It would have been better (imo) if we had just Ala Mhigo for 4.0 and Doma and their surrounding countries in 5.0. Yet at least on story telling HW and SB were both alright. They both had their weak points (Nanamos situation and the solution to it..) but mostly I still enjoyed them. I just wish that SE would put more people in cutscenes that are about war...

Characters:
This is the point where SB just lose it against HW imo. I like Alisaie but at some point her sass got a bit too much. I just felt like she just want us to see her in a better light than her brother and as someone that loves Alphinaud it was annoying after some time. Ysayle, Estinien and Alphinaud were just the dream team for me in HW and the traveling with them felt really good. They all had their mistakes but also interesting sides and I liked the dynamic between them.

And SB had Lyse....I dont really hate her but I would not cry if she never would play a big part again..Her attitude annoyed me so much that I felt like punching her in the face quite a lot. She did not do much for the rebellion before Papalymo and her went to it to be safe and she only chose to help them now, because Papalymo died..yet she verbally attacks the people when they dont want to join them instantly. She completely ignores that her hometown has barely any young people left, that they were punished for the smallest things and that most cant even fight..I had hope that this would be the start of her development (maybe have those new recruits that have no idea how to fight die with the attack of Zenos...yet they survived and someone like Meffrid was killed) but she was that till the end. And somehow I should believe that she is good for leading the whole rebellion? What did she do to deserve this? Naago did way more and motivated Conrad to go on and there are probably lots of other people in the army that were there for a much longer time..Most of what happened was thanks to the WoL and yet it was her that got the position..

Hien was way more likeable for me because he also thought about the possibility that the people might not want to have another rebellion thus he would have been ready to give up his life. Also he was thinking stuff through, showed kindness and compassion but was also ready to punish those that did horrible things. (I kinda wonder if Fordola will become a problem for Lyse later)

Gosetsu was also a nice character and I also liked Yugiri. So I can say that the Doma characters were all interesting in their own way.

Ending:
The first ending of HW was imo also better than the SB one. Not only did Nidhogg take over the body of a friend and thus you knew that its not over but the scene where you rode in on a dragon was awesome too. And then you had the hint with the WoD. (Sadly that part of the story was done not so good later) With SB you not only defeat Zenos but also Shinyrue and after that you had that awkward walking scene and the singing. Unlike HW where we were the middle point after defeating the big bad, in SB it was Lyse again..even though she had no hand in defeating Zenos..Also the after credit scene completely destroyed one of the better moments in SB for me..The scene in Doma castle was already a bit cringeworthy thanks to us standing there and talking to Gosetsu for a time instead of running away instantly but at least the part after that hit the feels a bit...and yet somehow that person survived it..I just hate how characters that are meant to live will survive the most horrible wounds (Ysthola too..) yet others die for the whole sake of drama..

Also the climps of Varis and Elidibus was kinda like "ugh its the ascians again" so i am not really looking forward to this..

[Eldevern]

End of HW went too fast from my point of view and SB even more. I understand why but it sound to easy, too fast for me. So few, so little battles to make countries free. Are there countries or just a little dark anynymous districts? The final battle for 4.0 is the one I expected for the end of 4.x. FFXIV world looks more and more little to me.

To avoid missuderstanding, the story is not bad, it only sounds shorten (as for HW).

Anyway Gosetsu rules ^_^

[Vexander]

So far I would say, objectively, I enjoyed Heavensward more. Stormblood seemed to try and force an impression of our characters upon us towards the end, what with that whole conversation with Zenos and the options for a reply to his question. I also enjoyed the Ruby Sea and Yanxia, but Azim Steppe held nothing for me whatsoever, to the continued consternation of my friends. Going back to Ala Mhigo likewise felt... rushed. Honestly I would say the whole story after liberating Doma felt rushed. Probably because I got SO tired of 30 side quests popping up after each step of the MSQ was completed, that I stopped doing them.

When you just do the MSQ quests, zones last less than an hour. I think that may be my issue, that there ISN'T as much of a story to Stormblood as there was to Heavensward.

[Pomelo]

I like aspects of 4.0 more: Job stories, music, and areas
The general story I honestly preferred Heavensward.