6.0 Predictions: Will it be Garlemald, Sharlayan, or Meracydia?

[Kesey]

I'm doubling down on Sharlayan. But I'd like point out that they can encompass an entire expansion, to all the naysayers that say its but an island.

Sharlayan dungeons and Eureka have proven that the laws that govern reality are immutable to them. Anti-tower was a fantastical journey that starts by walking through a door in Matoya's cave. Gubal Library seems to forgo the rules of gravity and have ethereal stair cases. Eureka has changed the rules of weather generation, the follow of water, directions like north, south, east, west have all changed direction.

We can go to the Sharlayan island, but I'd posit that the island is just for the city and from that city we can go to places that exist but would never be on a map. Among places that these paths could lead are to the aetherial sea (where Hydaelyn and her crystal are), to the real Amarout ruins on the source, to another Ancient location hidden on the source, to any type of research facility in both technology and magic, to a safe house that contains the means to bring mortals to the moon, and to a location to test our resolve as heroes where we fight ourselves.

My point is 6.0 could be a fantastical journey beyond the idea of grounded game play. These places could be colorful and magical and weird. Remember we are talking about a civilization potentially linked to the Ancients (Hydaelyn faction) that have something to hide.

[tarifu]

... I am feeling incredibly stupid for not having connected the jazzy themes that Amaurotine and Sharlayan dungeons share. (As one of my podcast companion mentioned, "elevator music".) But I have not even seen the nautilus statue in Akadaemia Anyder. I will check tomorrow because it is 3:24 AM but welp. If I was suspicious of Sharlayan before, now more than ever.

For the record, this is what I'm talking about. It's the statue right in front of the exit:



Sharlayan flag:



Another random tidbit is that the HQ swirly symbol looks like a nautilus shell.

Looking at it again, you could argue it's a bit of a stretch and the statue is too abstract to say it's supposed to be a nautilus. I think the rest of my points that connect Sharlayan to the Ancients/Amaurot, as well as other points people in the thread have brought up like Vyrerus, still stand.

[Kesey]

For the record, this is what I'm talking about. It's the statue right in front of the exit:



Sharlayan flag:



Another random tidbit is that the HQ swirly symbol looks like a nautilus shell.

Looking at it again, you could argue it's a bit of a stretch and the statue is too abstract to say it's supposed to be a nautilus. I think the rest of my points that connect Sharlayan to the Ancients/Amaurot, as well as other points people in the thread have brought up like Vyrerus, still stand.

This is a great catch. As others have stated, this only helps confirm that 6.0 will be Sharlayan.

[FrightfulNight]

I'm doubling down on Sharlayan. But I'd like point out that they can encompass an entire expansion, to all the naysayers that say its but an island.

Sharlayan dungeons and Eureka have proven that the laws that govern reality are immutable to them. Anti-tower was a fantastical journey that starts by walking through a door in Matoya's cave. Gubal Library seems to forgo the rules of gravity and have ethereal stair cases. Eureka has changed the rules of weather generation, the follow of water, directions like north, south, east, west have all changed direction.

We can go to the Sharlayan island, but I'd posit that the island is just for the city and from that city we can go to places that exist but would never be on a map. Among places that these paths could lead are to the aetherial sea (where Hydaelyn and her crystal are), to the real Amarout ruins on the source, to another Ancient location hidden on the source, to any type of research facility in both technology and magic, to a safe house that contains the means to bring mortals to the moon, and to a location to test our resolve as heroes where we fight ourselves.

My point is 6.0 could be a fantastical journey beyond the idea of grounded game play. These places could be colorful and magical and weird. Remember we are talking about a civilization potentially linked to the Ancients (Hydaelyn faction) that have something to hide.

Aetherial sea i do not think would be diverse and appropriate for a world zone, a dungeon or trial maybe but a zone, plus we have already seen a copy of the real Amurot in the dungeon, wherever we go i feel they will at least try and have settlements in the world zones with the exception being the final zone maybe, Like i said i still feel they will do something with Sharlyan but i feel that most of the expansion will be Islabard, as this will wrap up most of the current plot points that have been set up since the game launched with both the conclusion of the Garlean storyarch and the Hydalyn/Zodiark story line allowing SE to go to new truly new territory for 7.0 whether that be Meracydia, The New World or some of these more fantastical locations, but first the current plot points need to be resolved for the new stuff and that is what Yoshi P. has stuck to for 6.0

[Kesey]

Aetherial sea i do not think would be diverse and appropriate for a world zone, a dungeon or trial maybe but a zone, plus we have already seen a copy of the real Amurot in the dungeon, wherever we go i feel they will at least try and have settlements in the world zones with the exception being the final zone maybe, Like i said i still feel they will do something with Sharlyan but i feel that most of the expansion will be Islabard, as this will wrap up most of the current plot points that have been set up since the game launched with both the conclusion of the Garlean storyarch and the Hydalyn/Zodiark story line allowing SE to go to new truly new territory for 7.0 whether that be Meracydia, The New World or some of these more fantastical locations, but first the current plot points need to be resolved for the new stuff and that is what Yoshi P. has stuck to for 6.0

I see it the other way. Yoshi-P has stated he has 7.0 plans and hasn't decided if it will be a one off or the beginning of another long story arc. That one off potential has to be felling of the empire, and its potential to start a new long story arc comes by creating a power vacuum. No where does it say that the end of the Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc will be the end of the empire. Heck, it doesn't even say the end of the Ascians. Just the end of Hydaelyn/Zodiark.

I get that people are longing to topple the empire, but plot points need to stay in play after Hydaelyn/Zodiark are defeated. This game story is more akin to a television show story than a movie story. We can't just tie up all the loose ends or there is a rough start in the next season.

Also, remember that season 2 of a television show is usually better than the movie sequel (because movies are filmed to be stand alone and fix all the plot threads, as best they can).

[Cilia]

Realization strikes me:

Fandaniel is the Kefkaesque (pun intended).

Kefka is from VI.

Azys Lla is a giant shout-out to the Floating Continent of VI from which Kefka hails.

Most if not all of the stuff on Azys Lla is Meracydian in origin.

CONNECTION?!

(Either way, if Zenos has assumed the throne he better watch his back... we all know what Kefka did to Gestahl...)

[Kesey]

(Either way, if Zenos has assumed the throne he better watch his back... we all know what Kefka did to Gestahl...)

I feel like what makes Zenos/Fandaniel dynamic work is who will betray who first and who will have the upper hand after.

[Rosenstrauch]

Kefka-stuff

I'd always assumed Zenos was the Kefka analogue in this game. He ticks off pretty much every box except the part where he acts like a clown. I guess he and Fandaniel really are made for each other.

[Cilia]

I feel like what makes Zenos/Fandaniel dynamic work is who will betray who first and who will have the upper hand after.

Dunno if Zenos has any designs to backstab Fandaniel. There's nothing to gain in so doing, and Zenos hasn't been shown to care all that much about status.

The opposite is also true, though given Fandaniel was ecstatic to be off of the Paragons' leash, I'm much more inclined to believe he's no interest in genuinely being someone else's toady again and is just setting Zenos up for something.

I'd always assumed Zenos was the Kefka analogue in this game. He ticks off pretty much every box except the part where he acts like a clown. I guess he and Fandaniel really are made for each other.

Yes and no. Replace "destruction" with "violence" and you've got the same basic concept, but Kefka spends all his time on screen enjoying himself; Zenos is bored all the time except when battles require exertion on his part. There's also Castrum Abania, which pretty much is the Imperial Magitek Research Facility with the serial numbers filed off.

Fandaniel is a magically powerful, formerly normal person who chews the scenery every second he's on screen, rejoices at the death of his superiors because it lets him act freely, and doesn't appear to have any designs beyond causing as much death and destruction as possible. Genuinely unhinged, probably.

Zenos and Fandaniel are like two sides of the same coin, almost. One's just manic while the other's depressive.

[FrightfulNight]

I see it the other way. Yoshi-P has stated he has 7.0 plans and hasn't decided if it will be a one off or the beginning of another long story arc. That one off potential has to be felling of the empire, and its potential to start a new long story arc comes by creating a power vacuum. No where does it say that the end of the Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc will be the end of the empire. Heck, it doesn't even say the end of the Ascians. Just the end of Hydaelyn/Zodiark.

I get that people are longing to topple the empire, but plot points need to stay in play after Hydaelyn/Zodiark are defeated. This game story is more akin to a television show story than a movie story. We can't just tie up all the loose ends or there is a rough start in the next season.

Also, remember that season 2 of a television show is usually better than the movie sequel (because movies are filmed to be stand alone and fix all the plot threads, as best they can).

Which is why i believe it will be wrapped up in 6.0 and 7.0 will deal with a power vacuum created by everyone being weakened by the war similar to what happened to the Byzantine and Sassanian empires after they had a taxing war with each other which allowed the newly formed Rashidun Caliphate to come in and both completely conquer the Sassanian and limit the Byzantines dominion to a single peninsula plus all signs seem to point toward Islabard, i doubt they will do another sharp turn two expansions in a row, it will get lazy and repetitive. Plus we already have locations designed there, What other places had locations designed in cut scenes before we went there, the next expansion Ishgard in the 2.X patch series with the vault, and Ala Mhigo at the conclusion of the 3.X patch series.

Also, it is not just a palace any more but parts of the capitol as well. plus i do not think people want to see another expansion worth of Meanwhile at the Imperial Palace, it will just get unnecessarily dragged out and make it into a meme. Keep in mind they said SB was supposed to be the beginning of the conclusion of the Garleans story and ShB was the same thing for the Ascians, it just makes most sense for 6.0 to be that conclusion for all.