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

[FrightfulNight]

Which means the expansion will be linked to that. Which...may rule out Garlemald. Meaning either Sharlyan or Meracydia.

Sharlyan i can see playing an important role, Meracydia however i just do not see that being the focus of 6.0, it is more abandoned now and there just is not any focus on it like there is Sharlyan and Garlemald. like we already have a map for the three continents i would like to see it filled out more before we go anywhere else. Plus it might just be this section of the resistance weapons tied to HW, the next one in 5.45 might be tied to SB and 5.55 might be ShB. I still hold to it that 6.0 will deal with both Sharlyan and Garlemald, otherwise it would not feel like the season 1 finale it has been toted as being.

[Kesey]

I still hold to it that 6.0 will deal with both Sharlyan and Garlemald, otherwise it would not feel like the season 1 finale it has been toted as being.

I guess the question at this juncture is if Sharlayan and Garlemald might be too much content for one expansion? Is it worth the split here? I feel like Ala Mhigo and Doma split in Stormblood is what weakened its plot and reception over all.

Also, as I progress through the Southern Bojzan Front, those imperial forces are convinced that the empire is on the verge of collapse and want to form their own nation. Add what is happening in Sorrows of Werlyt and I find myself asking if the empire even needs to be visited?

[Seraphor]

I guess the question at this juncture is if Sharlayan and Garlemald might be too much content for one expansion? Is it worth the split here? I feel like Ala Mhigo and Doma split in Stormblood is what weakened its plot and reception over all.

Also, as I progress through the Southern Bojzan Front, those imperial forces are convinced that the empire is on the verge of collapse and want to form their own nation. Add what is happening in Sorrows of Werlyt and I find myself asking if the empire even needs to be visited?

I don't think Sharlayan would be enough on it's own to fill an expansion, and I think we've seen enough of Garlemald throughout various expansions and side content that we don't need an entire expansion there.
Splitting it between them would probably work out much better than the Doma/Ala Mhigo split did.

But I'd be more inclined to give the expansion the starting city state and 4 zones in Sharlayan or there abouts, and then just have the endgame hub and final couple zones and climax in Ilsabard.

[FrightfulNight]

I don't think Sharlayan would be enough on it's own to fill an expansion, and I think we've seen enough of Garlemald throughout various expansions and side content that we don't need an entire expansion there.
Splitting it between them would probably work out much better than the Doma/Ala Mhigo split did.

But I'd be more inclined to give the expansion the starting city state and 4 zones in Sharlayan or there abouts, and then just have the endgame hub and final couple zones and climax in Ilsabard.

I to feel the spilt would work better here as it allows them to wrap up the Season 1 story better but not be a complete repeat of SB i am also hoping the Hub city is Sharlyan and the Endgame hub is the Garlean capitol, with you know it not being done dirty like they did Ala Mhigo (which should have been the endgame hub of SB, not Rhalgr's reach) but considering how small Sharlayan is and how big Islabard is I am more on the mind of an even split or 2 zones, 2 zones Islabard Provinces, 1 zone Garlemald proper and of course final mystery zone the Moon. with more Islabard zones being added in future content like whatever Eureka 3.0 is or the future raid or trial series. I still feel we will get a globe trotting expansion at some point in the future that will shed more light on unexplored areas of Orthard and Islabard like Hingashi.

[FrightfulNight]

I guess the question at this juncture is if Sharlayan and Garlemald might be too much content for one expansion? Is it worth the split here? I feel like Ala Mhigo and Doma split in Stormblood is what weakened its plot and reception over all.

Also, as I progress through the Southern Bojzan Front, those imperial forces are convinced that the empire is on the verge of collapse and want to form their own nation. Add what is happening in Sorrows of Werlyt and I find myself asking if the empire even needs to be visited?

To never go to this location that has been teased for years and plays a significant part in the story would be both incredibly lazy and disappointing, it would be like not getting Ala Mhigo Proper all over again. I know you do not like the idea of going there but there are also a lot of us that want to see it at some point, preferably 6.0 since it has been teased for two expansions now.

[RyuDragnier]

To never go to this location that has been teased for years and plays a significant part in the story would be both incredibly lazy and disappointing, it would be like not getting Ala Mhigo Proper all over again. I know you do not like the idea of going there but there are also a lot of us that want to see it at some point, preferably 6.0 since it has been teased for two expansions now.

Who says we'd never be going there? If we don't go in 6.0, we'll be going in a later expansion. And what would there really be to do in Garlemald at this juncture? The 4th Legion believes the empire is falling now and has basically rebelled to create its own country, so Garlemald is down one Legion. Zenos killed X many troops, we're about to destroy the super weapons. Garlemald doesn't have anything left it could throw at us, what would be exciting that we would actually do there at this juncture? What is there actually left to do that would actually surprise us? Not to mention our attention is about to move back towards Ishgard in 5.4, which is as far from Garlemald as you can get.

[Kesey]

Who says we'd never be going there? If we don't go in 6.0, we'll be going in a later expansion. And what would there really be to do in Garlemald at this juncture? The 4th Legion believes the empire is falling now and has basically rebelled to create its own country, so Garlemald is down one Legion. Zenos killed X many troops, we're about to destroy the super weapons. Garlemald doesn't have anything left it could throw at us, what would be exciting that we would actually do there at this juncture? What is there actually left to do that would actually surprise us? Not to mention our attention is about to move back towards Ishgard in 5.4, which is as far from Garlemald as you can get.

I agree 100%. I believe that when we factor this in with whatever the Zenos/Fandaniel play is, the empire expansion becomes the least interesting option. The events of 6.0 will cripple the empire and we won't even have to be there.

[RyuDragnier]

I agree 100%. I believe that when we factor this in with whatever the Zenos/Fandaniel play is, the empire expansion becomes the least interesting option. The events of 6.0 will cripple the empire and we won't even have to be there.

There's one other reason why I don't think it'll be the empire. Zenos himself. He wants a grand stage for his battle with us. A falling empire is so...not fitting for a battle. I have a feeling he'll be leaving Garlemald by 5.5 and we'll be pushed towards our next destination. It also means we could get an entire Alliance Raid dedicated to Garlemald, which IMO would be easier to pull off and be far cooler depending on what they do (a FFXV style lategame empire area perhaps?).

[FrightfulNight]

There's one other reason why I don't think it'll be the empire. Zenos himself. He wants a grand stage for his battle with us. A falling empire is so...not fitting for a battle. I have a feeling he'll be leaving Garlemald by 5.5 and we'll be pushed towards our next destination. It also means we could get an entire Alliance Raid dedicated to Garlemald, which IMO would be easier to pull off and be far cooler depending on what they do (a FFXV style lategame empire area perhaps?).

Or it could be him setting up a big war to try and release Zodiark to consume him (but hopefully not succeed seriously I do not want Zenos as the season 1 final boss after seeing much better villians this expansion) and turning the entire continent of Islabard into a battlefield including the capitol similar to the third Hunger Games book. This will also work with Sharlyan being the main hub city as you try and use the resources there to stop him but the actual exploration zones being in Islabard. plus I would rather they not take examples from how FFXV handled it's imperial capitol with that ring mission (Shudders) i want it to be done right and i think after the criticism Ala Mhigo received the Dev's want to do it right too.

[Zohar_Lahar]

Who says we'd never be going there? If we don't go in 6.0, we'll be going in a later expansion. And what would there really be to do in Garlemald at this juncture? The 4th Legion believes the empire is falling now and has basically rebelled to create its own country, so Garlemald is down one Legion. Zenos killed X many troops, we're about to destroy the super weapons. Garlemald doesn't have anything left it could throw at us, what would be exciting that we would actually do there at this juncture? What is there actually left to do that would actually surprise us? Not to mention our attention is about to move back towards Ishgard in 5.4, which is as far from Garlemald as you can get.

Even if the empire collapsing, the the citizens of Garlemald aren't going stop existing. And they will be the ones caught in the crossfire of Zenos and Fandaniel's planned chaos, if not Eorzea and the Far East. We'll go there and do the same things we've always done, just like in Ishgard and Norvrandt.

Remember Lousoix's creed?