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

[ObsidianFire]

Tempering varies a lot in quality. Some primal completely erase a person's personality, others leave it mostly intact. Even withing one primal, sometimes they only subtly tweak someone into serving them, other times they basically wipe out all traces of a persons personality. There's a very large range.

With Zodiark, just about all the Sundered Ascians we've run into feel a lot more like the "subtly tweaking" type of Tempering. In "Through his Eyes" and "Ere Our Curtain Falls" Emet-Selch has a very similar manner and personality before he was Tempered as after he was Tempered. When you look at all the Ascian's we've run into, sure, they're arrogant, but that seems to stem a lot more from them overcoming death and seeing themselves as immortal rather than someone actually changing their personalities. So unless we get an Echo vision of Fandaniel before he was Tempered, I'm going with "yes, he has always been like that; getting tempered didn't change him all that much".

[RyuDragnier]

I'm of the mind Fandaniel and by extension, Zodiark are the main villains going forward. I think Zenos is getting the thing he wants from Fandaniel (a reason to have us show up and fight) and either is getting fooled by or, more likely, doesn't care about Fandaniel "masterplan".

I expect Zenos to kill Fandaniel in the end, simply for Fandaniel trying to get in the way of his hunt.

If it's not Garlemald, we rage.

If it's not Garlemald, expect them to attempt a good reason behind it.

[Kesey]

I expect Zenos to kill Fandaniel in the end, simply for Fandaniel trying to get in the way of his hunt.

I think the opposite. The grand plan is Fandaniel's and Zenos has made the deal with the devil to get what he wants in the bargain.

That being said, we didn't see the scene where Zenos expels Elidibus from his body, meaning he may know something or have something that will give him the upper hand on an Ascian. But that still doesn't change the fact Fandaniel and Zodiark are the future villains.

Zenos is the WOL's foil. Meaning his purpose in the story is to highlight what is different between him and the WOL and eventually cause the WOL to take a different path.

[Deusteele]

I think it is going to be Garlemald by way of Sharlayan or Sharlayan by way of Garlemald. Sharlayan is just too small to carry an expansion itself. It could work as a hub with a dungeon or two. I do think at the very least we'll have dealings with Sharlayan because of their similarities to Ancient culture.

Garlemald is on the table because our "friend" has returned there and is pulling an Orcus on his throne.

[Veloran]

All of Eureka was just a small island off the Sharlayan coast. I think the mainland itself plus the rest of the Northern Empty plus Northern Eorzea makes more than enough content for an expansion. Not to mention if we include Northern Eorzea here that handily checks the "Hey, remember Heavensward?" box.

[Morningstar1337]

All of Eureka was just a small island off the Sharlayan coast. I think the mainland itself plus the rest of the Northern Empty plus Northern Eorzea makes more than enough content for an expansion. Not to mention if we include Northern Eorzea here that handily checks the "Hey, remember Heavensward?" box.

Coerthas does have other Zones that went unexplored since 1.0

[Seraphor]

Fandaniel can't be a threat in terms of strength, so it must be in terms of mind and scheming.
I expect Fandanial could pull an Ilberd on us and convince the 'world' that we are a threat, and send us on the run.
Zenos takes advantage of this, and turns it into The Hunt.
We have to simultaneously clear our name and stay ahead of Zenos, and one of our first point of calls is to a place that isn't too familiar with us while still having good relations... Thavnair.
From there, we jump off to Meracydia, as an unfamiliar landscape that will give us an advantage against Zenos, with some aid from old and new friends, including... Estinien and Midgardsormr?

So yeah, I think we'll get Thavnair, Meracydia, and perhaps close the whole arc by visiting Garlemald, maybe even the capital.
For Meracydia I'd love something kinda Australian, with some inspiration taken from FFIX, such as the 2nd continent with Madain Sari and the Iifa tree. Imagine a large mostly flat plain, with some deep canyons like Conde Petie, Ulura/Ayre's Rock, and a giant tree like Cleyra/Iifa. Throw in Qu's marsh somewhere, and that could make a couple of unique zones. IX's forgotten continent with stuff similar to Oilvert, or even go further south to a snowy area for contrast like Esto Gaza, and you've got some variety as well.

Maybe 1 zone + city state for Thavnair.
3-4 Zones in Meracydia.
1 Garlemald/Islabard zone as the final zone with an end-game hub ala Ralgr's/Eulmore.

[KageTokage]

That sounds like retreading plot points we already went through back in both ARR and SB, except with less justification.

I'd legit be pissed if we didn't go to Garlemald at this point when we currently have two on-going stories that are working to push the Eorzean Alliance further into Ilsabard by dealing with two of the legions stationed on the fringes of their territory, plus we already got pulled away from them once with ShB.

[FrightfulNight]

All of Eureka was just a small island off the Sharlayan coast. I think the mainland itself plus the rest of the Northern Empty plus Northern Eorzea makes more than enough content for an expansion. Not to mention if we include Northern Eorzea here that handily checks the "Hey, remember Heavensward?" box.

Right now Eorzea has around 30 zones while Orthard has only 3 and Islabard have none, i think we have added about enough Eorzean Zones or Aldernard zones to get an idea on what the continent is like it is time to flesh out the other zones on the three continents and right now that includes lifting the mist on Islabard.

[FrightfulNight]

That sounds like retreading plot points we already went through back in both ARR and SB, except with less justification.

I'd legit be pissed if we didn't go to Garlemald at this point when we currently have two on-going stories that are working to push the Eorzean Alliance further into Ilsabard by dealing with two of the legions stationed on the fringes of their territory, plus we already got pulled away from them once with ShB.

Which is why i believe it has to be Islabard, I mean we already had the curveball thrown at us once i do not see them doing it two expansions in a row, that would feel repetitive and lazy and drawn out meanwhile they have been building up to this conflict throughout both SB and ShB, I agree I will seriously be annoyed if it is not finally Islabard.