Revelations from Patch 5.2

[RicaRuin]

Which is the problem, because as we found out in Shadowbringers..

light is actually associated with the umbral pole (stasis), and darkness with the astral pole (active). So a light attack should be an UMBRAL attack rather than Astral attack.
Given this, the only way the attacks make sense is if the white coloured birds are actually darkness birds. Or the battle design and translation teams forgot that Light is Umbral in this game for that one mechanic.

Oh, completely forgot about that. But then they would have to change the german localisation in ARR, because...

... the german version refers to the Astral Era as 'Ära des Lichts', so basically an Era of Light. That's probably the reason I keep connecting Astral with being Light.

Edit: Or maybe not, the Astral Era is usually peaceful and without change, so quite 'static' hm...

[Zohar_Lahar]

Eden and Elidibus

I noticed that while we got the six elements done, it still hasn't really explained what Eden even is or what triggered the Flood of Light in the first place. It seems likely that Elidibus's plan with all these Warriors of Light is to eventually push conditions back to initializing the Eighth Umbral Calamity,

Given that Ryne and now Gaia are essentially retooling Eden into a terraforming system, I wonder if that's going to sabotage Elidibus' plans. If that is the case, perhaps we'll be facing him in 5.4 in the finale of the Eden raid, with 5.3 just having Sapphire Weapon trial.

[Tracewood]

The X.3 patches usually are the finale to the expansion, so I'm curious what they're going to throw at us as far as trials. It was obvious for Nidhogg, and sorta understandable for Tsukiyomi (I think they kept that one a secret until patch day though)

They've revealed that Sapphire Weapon is our next "weapon", though I wonder if they're pushing it back to 5.4, and we face off Elidibus as a trial maybe? I'm kind of ready to end the Ascian plotline.

The "Warriors of Light"

So... I'm wagering that Elidibus want's to make as many commoners WOL to try and reignite the flood, putting all our efforts in 5.0 in vain, repeating history. Either that, or turn them against us in a sense... we find a way to foil than plan, getting Elidibus upset, forcing a confrontation before our Scions leave the First. I did chuckle when Alphinaud was shot down after hearing "I'm not going to reveal my plans to you just because you asked!"

Eden

Not going to lie, Gaia is a very insufferable character. They really were trying to channel Nomura's broody, mean spirited character writing in her. Sure she'll come around, but that's one of the things looking back I hated about Squall and Lightning. Cloud was tolerable at least, but it's a change I guess since we're so used to the Scion's way of bantering. So now that we have all the elements... what's left?

Qitari

I really hope they name the mount from this tribe "Pot of Scree"... other than that, this is a fun little side attraction I'll be enjoying with my FSH class.

[JeanneOrnitier]

Nomura didn't write Squall or Lightning. He was only the character designer for 8 and 13, just like he's only the designer for Gaia.

I agree I'm not much of a fan of Gaia though, at least not beyond how Ryne interacts with her.

[Ultimatecalibur]

Ruby Weapon:

Bit annoyed with how easily Gaius's "family" turned their backs on him. Gaius, whatever his crimes, whatever his faults is EXTREMELY stubborn, loyal, and devoted to his cause. His "children", if they know him at all, really ought to know that for someone like him to turn his back on Garlemald, it's time to ask some serious questions. Not just stalk off all butthurt that daddy abandoned them. In fairness to them, I suppose, he WAS standing as a comrade-in-arms to the one who just killed their sister - but that death was in the combat of warfare, in a sortie initiated by their sister no less. It wasn't like the WoL cornered her in a back alley or something.

In the cutscene after the orphans return to their base one of them makes a comment that implies that they are not fully willing to pilot the Weapons and that they are piloting them under duress. It is quite possible that other members of Gaius' orphan family are being held hostage to force the ones we've met to fight.

I agree I'm not much of a fan of Gaia though, at least not beyond how Ryne interacts with her.

The Gaia/Ryne relationship seems to be based around the concept of balancing "community focused selflessness" (Ryne) versus "individually focused selfishness" (Gaia). It takes Ryne acting Selfish to get Gaia to act Selfless.

[WrenElessedil]

Eden and Elidibus

I noticed that while we got the six elements done, it still hasn't really explained what Eden even is or what triggered the Flood of Light in the first place. It seems likely that Elidibus's plan with all these Warriors of Light is to eventually push conditions back to initializing the Eighth Umbral Calamity,

Given that Ryne and now Gaia are essentially retooling Eden into a terraforming system, I wonder if that's going to sabotage Elidibus' plans. If that is the case, perhaps we'll be facing him in 5.4 in the finale of the Eden raid, with 5.3 just having Sapphire Weapon trial.

Eden and Elidibus

I'm not sure how Eden is going to fit in with the MSQ if at all (they may just be setting it up so the world will recover eventually), but there's no way they tie a major MSQ fight into a raid series. I would wager a large amount of money that Ultimecia is the faerie talking to Gaia and that she will be the final boss of the Eden raid.

[Alleo]

Eden and Gaia

I did like the Ramuh fight and I look forward to the rest of it but I honestly dont like Gaia. I dont like her appearance (those lips) and especially dont like her actions. It was great that the WoL could say that she should learn some manners but sadly that did not help at all (but was awesome to just do). A bit strange how everyone just trusts her like that but I guess we simply have no time to fully introduce her before getting into establishing new relationships.

I have already read that Thancred and Urianger will say goodbye at the end and I am honestly not sure why they did that now. We got some extra quests with the Nier raid this patch even though there was no raid itself so if the scions truly go back next patch or something happens to them that make them not be part of Eden anymore then why not introduce a quest then? If its goodbye then they could do a sidequest where we get an echo version of it (we barely get those anymore).

[Cilia]

Nomura didn't write Squall or Lightning. He was only the character designer for 8 and 13, just like he's only the designer for Gaia.

I agree I'm not much of a fan of Gaia though, at least not beyond how Ryne interacts with her.

To be a bit more comprehensive, Nomura did creature designs for pre-VII games. When the series jumped to 3D Amano's designs were considered impractical to render, so they went to Nomura for character designs and his reputation really took off. Nomura did character / creature designs for VII, VIII, X, and XIII; he also serves as the director of the Kingdom Hearts series, and has directed some of VII's compilation materials (Advent Children, Crisis Core (I believe), and the upcoming remake) and other stuff.

To my knowledge he is not much of a writer, so any complaints about Gaia's character should be directed at the writers of the Eden storyline. To my memory Nomura contributed character / creature designs and that's it.

Moving on!

Gaius

I'm not sure what direction they intend to go with him, but I agree that using the Sorrow of Werlyt arc as some kind of redemption arc for him is... a bit misplaced?

People tend to gloss over the fact he's responsible for 1.0's pre-Meteor conflict, the Meteor Project's conception, and tried to use Ultima Weapon to force the Eorzeans into submission. He is better than most Imperials in the sense that he has standards, but that's not saying a whole lot.

To wit, he wanted to conquer, not destroy. Thus, wanton destruction and slaughter have never been part of his agenda; he decommissioned Black Rose for leaving nobody alive and covertly condemned and opposed the use of Meteor to annihilate Eorzea in its entirety for the same reason. That said his reasons for doing so are not altruistic - it's not out of concern for the lives of those affected by his actions, but because killing people prevents the Empire from exploiting their talents. (Literally his own words.)

He may have turned a new leaf following his defeat in the Praetorium, but I'm still not willing to be buddy-buddy with Gaius. I'm willing to forgive, but I do not forget - but his unwillingness to forgive himself for becoming an Ascian pawn and the self-awareness to acknowledge his actions as hubris means I'm willing to deal with Gaius in an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" sort of way. I'll still hold him at arm's length, but for now we are on the same side.

Really wish they wouldn't drag us into his "family" drama though.

[Lauront]

On Elidibus...

I'm wondering whether Urianger is actually correct. In the end, we don't have a scooby about how these "hearts" function, and the only plot-relevant thing that comes to mind is the Heart of Sabik. The funny thing is, looking at the Wikipedia page on it, there is this little interesting tidbit, relevant part highlighted:

It bore the traditional name Sabik, from the Arabic السابق al-sābiq "the preceding one", of uncertain reference.

They said they were going to pick up on the Heart of Sabik in a future plot, and it looks like an obvious way to resolve that loose end.

Still, with Zodiark "dormant" and divided, it's not a foregone conclusion that the Heart would be, too. Venat apparently would not fade from the world by becoming Hydaelyn, and this "Elidibus" we're seeing thus could be the original. The wrinkle with that is that he does refer to Zodiark's will as that of a third person, e.g. when speaking to Lahabrea, but that can be explained away by saying that once he is in that form, it is effectively another entity altogether, like all the other Primal with a vessel transformations we've seen. It'd be consistent with Elidibus's affinity to Zodiark.

Another layer to this is that, if the original was somehow destroyed through the Sundering, perhaps it would fall to this "Elidibus" to sacrifice himself too, to become the revived Zodiark... and that is where Zenos and "Asahi" may fit into it. If Elidibus - original or otherwise - should perish or otherwise forego his agenda, this third party may be baiting Zenos into becoming the Heart of Zodiark, with the goal of both him and Hydaelyn being destroyed. I certainly think it could be a fragment of the 14th, who spent some time with the Ascians.

Either way, I hope they write him well and avoid having him killed off for silly reasons/in stupid ways.

[myahele]

About Elidibus

To us the audience it looks like we have an idea on what he's planning: tip the aetheric balance of the 1st towards light again using the WoLs, maybe recruit some of them and manipulate them to kill the WoD. Afterall, they are "puppets" to him and doing exactly what he's wanting them to. It almost feels like he's doubling down on the Ascian arrogance. I believe that this might end up being his downfall. He thinks he can manipulate the WoLs of the 1st to turn on the WoL, but they might not be so easily swayed and they'll turn on him instead. Or maybe I have a bit too much faith in the 1st?