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

[Theodric]

I like Hien, though he was never really held accountable for anything. Destroying Doma Castle served to crush many Garlean aligned soldiers under debris and send them to a watery grave. Since the place wasn't forewarned, it stands to reason that there would be non-combatants who were also caught up in the attack. It's never actually addressed though - yet if it were an Eorzean or Doman installation that had been flooded, you'd never hear the end from the protagonists about how horrific and cruel such an act happened to be.

That he doesn't do anything to punish the man who owned Yotsuyu is strange, certainly, though at the same time he was completely happy to not address anything regarding Doma's mistakes when it came to Yotsuyu. If she hadn't survived beyond her initial 'death' then it would never have come to light at all. To his credit, he did attempt to push for a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Garlemald but Asahi and Elidibus unfortunately put an end to that.

Ultimately, though, I don't believe that characters have to always be punished for every last mistake or shady thing they are involved with. It's not realistic - since there absolutely are people who do terrible things but get away with them through pragmatism, lack of accountability or just because there's bigger issues to deal with.

[JeanneOrnitier]

Minor 5.4 MSQ spoilers (it's something very early in the questline, nothing major):

Alisaie talking about Sharlayan felt very "we're telling you this so you're prepared to go there soon", to me.

[RyuDragnier]

Minor 5.4 MSQ spoilers (it's something very early in the questline, nothing major):

Alisaie talking about Sharlayan felt very "we're telling you this so you're prepared to go there soon", to me.

They know we're speculating, because there are flags all over the place.

LUNAR Bahamut meaning the moon is possible, tempered saying "For the glory of Garlemald", Sharlayan references, though sadly nothing Meracydian, so that COULD be off the table.

I daresay we could end up anywhere at this point, lol.

[Kesey]

So what keeps sticking to my mind, is the moment the WOL flashes back to the wall painting of Zodiark and Hydaelyn standing side by side.

Why show this if that isn't the most important panel? Remember the subsequent pictures are Zodiark and Hydaelyn fighting, then Hydaelyn triumphing over Zodiark--why remember the former over these latter?

My speculation is this is the real hint and is probably a beginning of Azem memories starting to backfill. It also implies that Hydaelyn and Zodiark probably didn't butt heads immediately following Hydaelyn's summoning, which I think is what we all believe given the evidence at this juncture.

And is it also foreshadowing that the final confrontation of 6.0 is the WOL verses Hydaelyn and Zodiark?

[RyuDragnier]

I just had a sudden thought on where we could go for 6.0, and it sounds crazy, but it would fit the whole towers popping up thing. We're going everywhere. Assuming Sharlayan becomes our first stop, it will be the main city for the expansion, and somewhere there we may find teleportation magic that can take us elsewhere in the world. This opens up the possibility of a single area in Sharlayan (other than the city), Meracydia, Thauvnaria, Garlemald, The Moon, and possibly the core of the planet itself. Doing this also leaves entrances via these zones for us opening up other areas more should they decide to go further into any of those regions in later expansions.

[FrightfulNight]

I just had a sudden thought on where we could go for 6.0, and it sounds crazy, but it would fit the whole towers popping up thing. We're going everywhere. Assuming Sharlayan becomes our first stop, it will be the main city for the expansion, and somewhere there we may find teleportation magic that can take us elsewhere in the world. This opens up the possibility of a single area in Sharlayan (other than the city), Meracydia, Thauvnaria, Garlemald, The Moon, and possibly the core of the planet itself. Doing this also leaves entrances via these zones for us opening up other areas more should they decide to go further into any of those regions in later expansions.

I hadn't thought of that possibility, it might be a good way of wrapping up multiple storylines and making it feel like a finale, my only concern is that the zones wont feel as connected. I still hold to it that the moon will be the final mystery zone but i imagine there will probably be some special way to get there (the Source's real Bismark, Rocket ship, relic of the Ancient's) I still feel they will hold off on Meracydia for a while since it still is not important to the current story, also it is an entire continent not even on the map. There is mystery around it that I imagine will be saved for season 2. As for the center of the planet again I do not think we will go there this expansion, the most exotic zone I still feel will be the moon, also for the center of the planet I kind of feel they set up the sound to be a threat after the Hydalyn/Zodiark storyline is wrapped up and will be saved for a final mystery zone in whatever season 2 expansion that wraps that up will be.

[Jandroid]

The end of 5.3 story implies future character development for Alphinaud and Alisaie so what better location than Sharlayan. But just like Gyr Abania in Stormblood, Sharlayan might be a bit too small for an entire expansion to take place. So my prediction is that the developers will prepare something grand and send us to the moon. Seeing as Sharlayan is a nation of magical scholars, I wouldn't be surprised if they prepare an airship in the form of a giant whale to send us to the moon. We might even end up going to the Lunar Subterrane as a throwback to Final Fantasy IV the same way the Crystal Tower was a throwback to Final Fantasy III.

This would save Ilsabard or a section of Ilsabard (since it's a very big place) for when we reach level 100.

I haven't played through Patch 5.4 MSQ yet (and I probably won't play through it until Patch 5.56 to enjoy the pre-expansion story as a whole) but from the small hints and spoilers I've seen, I'm willing to say that it's safe to keep my stance on this.

So far, expansions have always featured six main questing zones with some expansions featuring zones of different regions. In Heavensward, we had one zone in Coerthas, two zones in Alabathia's Spine, and three zones in Dravania. In Stormblood, we had three zones in Gyr Abania and three zones in Orthard. In Shadowbringers, we had all six zones in Norvrandt.

For Forspoken or whatever the name of the 6.0 Expansion is, I'm thinking that we will get two zones in Sharlayan since it's a small area, and one zone in the Moon since I can't imagine something as monotonous and barren with a strong established identity having multiple fleshed out zones. The next three zones are probably zones occupied by the Garlean Empire like Dalmasca and the outer layers of Ilsabard similar to Bozja and Werlyt. This would lead to the 7.0 Expansion to be completely focused in mainland Ilsabard, the heart of the Garlean Empire. Sure this feels disconnected, but so was Stormblood.

I also still think that the next Normal Raid or Alliance Raid will be Final Fantasy IV themed instance that could take place in the moon.

[Kesey]

I haven't played through Patch 5.4 MSQ yet (and I probably won't play through it until Patch 5.56 to enjoy the pre-expansion story as a whole) but from the small hints and spoilers I've seen, I'm willing to say that it's safe to keep my stance on this.

So far, expansions have always featured six main questing zones with some expansions featuring zones of different regions. In Heavensward, we had one zone in Coerthas, two zones in Alabathia's Spine, and three zones in Dravania. In Stormblood, we had three zones in Gyr Abania and three zones in Orthard. In Shadowbringers, we had all six zones in Norvrandt.

For Forspoken or whatever the name of the 6.0 Expansion is, I'm thinking that we will get two zones in Sharlayan since it's a small area, and one zone in the Moon since I can't imagine something as monotonous and barren with a strong established identity having multiple fleshed out zones. The next three zones are probably zones occupied by the Garlean Empire like Dalmasca and the outer layers of Ilsabard similar to Bozja and Werlyt. This would lead to the 7.0 Expansion to be completely focused in mainland Ilsabard, the heart of the Garlean Empire. Sure this feels disconnected, but so was Stormblood.

I also still think that the next Normal Raid or Alliance Raid will be Final Fantasy IV themed instance that could take place in the moon.

Although I feel chances are high that 6.0 ends on the moon, does it even need to be an entire area? Honestly, it can be the setting for a raid series and a trial and still give us 6 other explorable zones.

I say this, because, honestly, you can only put so much stuff on the moon. Even FFIV only had two dungeons and colony of Namingways. The Namingways were just a cave and the dungeons just contained the hardest bosses and the best loot. Only two significant plot moments take place on the moon and one of them requires you to get to the end of the last dungeon.

[Rosenstrauch]

Although I feel chances are high that 6.0 ends on the moon, does it even need to be an entire area? Honestly, it can be the setting for a raid series and a trial and still give us 6 other explorable zones.

I say this, because, honestly, you can only put so much stuff on the moon. Even FFIV only had two dungeons and colony of Namingways. The Namingways were just a cave and the dungeons just contained the hardest bosses and the best loot. Only two significant plot moments take place on the moon and one of them requires you to get to the end of the last dungeon.

I don't know, two questing hubs (one Hummingway abode, one Lunarian Palace), three dungeons (Lunar Subterrane, Bahamut's Lair/Lunar Ruins*, Impact Crater*), one Trial (the Lunar Core), and a whole lot of bizarre alien geography in between is more or less on par with the Tempest and Azys Lla.

*From FFIV Advance and FFIV: The After Years respectively. Really, I just want to hear Soken's take on the Mysterious Girl's battle theme.

[Tsiron]

You're all hyping me up for going to the Moon and I'm gonna be so disappointed if when we don't..