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

[FrightfulNight]

They never fully reintegrated Eorzea since the transition to 1.0. Besides, what difference does it make if some of the new areas are in an existing region? They will be new maps regardless. It would also mean giving Eorzea post 3.0 sized maps for once.

Which we got in both 3.0 and 4.0, with the introduction of the rest of the Abalathian spine and Gyr Abania basically taking us to most of the major regions in Aldernard, plus the zones in 5.0 were based on an alternate version of Aldernard, I think we have seen enough of it. I want to see the other parts of Hydalyn that have been talked about for years, plus they would just be similar zones to ARR in terms of look, and again we got that in ShB. It is time to move out into other parts of the world we have not ventured yet.

And besides, I would hope that most of us at least want to see the clouds part on the world map since it is such a big sequel or more specifically expansion hook, it has been four years since we got that map and if we have to wait another two years for it without at least an update then I will seriously be disappointed., you cant map the underground, a lot of these smaller islands on there feel more like side content locations, it is time for Islabard, this rounds out the season 1 storyline by completing a map of the three great continents, then in following expansions we can hopefully do a globe trotting expansion going to the locations we did not visit on the three continents mainly throughout Orthard and Islabard like Dalmascus proper and hopefully Hinbgashi, as well as exploring the distant continents like Meracydia and the New World for post season 1 archs. But right now that layer of clouds just screams this is where the endgame takes place, and it has since it was revealed in SB, and more so what does it look like, it looks like the Garlean capitol sits at the Eye of a maelstrom, or as Fandaniel said, at the heart of the chaos.

[Kesey]

The one hint I saw in 5.4 points to Werlyt and Bozja, as the Imperial capital is "half reduced to rubble" and we're unlikely to fully explore either region before the ending of Shadowbringers (or rather 5.X; Shadowbringers' story arc was 4.4 - 5.3).

Yes, we've gotten a lot of information on the Garlean Empire, and there are ready-made parts of it used in cutscenes... but we know much more about it than the rest of Ilsabard, and with the Empire seemingly collapsing I don't really see the need to go there at the moment, especially given both Zenos and Danny Boy are not resting on their laurels at the capital.

Now, I could be wrong, probably am wrong, and don't know how to make heads or tails of the New Years' hint... but...

(Gotta beat Emerald Weapon EX for the gunblade on my alt 'fore 6.0, cool gunblades are hard to come by and I really don't feel like FATE / Bozja grinding on two characters...)

I have to agree with you regarding the Empire. It seems pointless to go there if Zenos and Fandaniel are on the verge of action and everything has been destroyed.

Regarding the poem and knowing the moon is heavily associated with Zodiark, the safest reading is the conflict with Zodiark will be on the moon and will determine the fate of the star and future generations, the reference to the underground is most likely referring to finding the way to the moon has been buried literally and figuratively with history. But again, this is probably the safest interpretation based on limited knowledge.

[Kesey]

The Hinterlands colony was abandoned, as the people of Sharlayan sought to avoid the Garlean Empire's invasion rather than defend their land or unite with the rest of Eorzea to repel them. But the Sharlayan mainland is where they retreated to. It's in the upper-left section of the map of the Source.

I'm glad you posted this map. Looking at it again, the Sharlayan Island looks bigger than I think many on this forum have made it out to be. Furthermore, I think of a much smaller island, like the Isle of Val, which is also Eureka, and we managed to get 4 big areas out of it, so I'm confident that if we go to the Sharlayan island and have 5 or 6 big areas and a city just out of that space alone.

[MoofiaBossVal]

I'm glad you posted this map. Looking at it again, the Sharlayan Island looks bigger than I think many on this forum have made it out to be. Furthermore, I think of a much smaller island, like the Isle of Val, which is also Eureka, and we managed to get 4 big areas out of it, so I'm confident that if we go to the Sharlayan island and have 5 or 6 big areas and a city just out of that space alone.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hingashi only had Kugane. You couldn't explore any zones outside of the city.

[RyuDragnier]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hingashi only had Kugane. You couldn't explore any zones outside of the city.

Though SAM 61-70 questline DOES hint that we may return in the future.

[FrightfulNight]

I have to agree with you regarding the Empire. It seems pointless to go there if Zenos and Fandaniel are on the verge of action and everything has been destroyed.

Regarding the poem and knowing the moon is heavily associated with Zodiark, the safest reading is the conflict with Zodiark will be on the moon and will determine the fate of the star and future generations, the reference to the underground is most likely referring to finding the way to the moon has been buried literally and figuratively with history. But again, this is probably the safest interpretation based on limited knowledge.

It is not pointless, that is where the towers are being made, and it could be a preempted strike before they initiate the final part of their plan, plus this wraps up most major season 1 storylines and makes it feel like a complete finale so we can have new storylines in 7.0. I also need to point out that the towers are not an Eorzean specific phenomenon, there is one in Yanxia as well, so one could probably imagine that they might be all over the three continents, perhaps there are even more in Islabard. Plus Islabard sounds way more interesting and set up then the underground, it is way more cultured, with civilizations we have heard about for years, compared to the underground which has almost no set up and will not be cultured in the slightest. Plus they have been hinting at it pretty hard for two expansions now compared to the underground which gets no mention, it would just feel like an unnecessary delay.

As mentioned before Yoshi P. said he likes to plan two expansions ahead. 2.X gave us the first mention of Doma, and in 4.0 we went there, 3.X gave us mention of the first and 5.X we went there, 4.X gave us hints at events going on in Islabard, Not the underground. Plus they already have zones built in Islabard which I know some people have said that gives us more reasons not to go there since we have seen to much of it, but for me that gives me more desire to go there and more justification because of its importance in the story. We have seen areas built ahead of expansions 2.x showed us scenes in Isghard and we went there in 3.0, and 3.X showed us scenes in Ala Mhigo and again we went there in 4.0.

As for that Interview Yoshi P. just said that he was going against players expectation, he did not say we are not going to Islabard, this could mean that we have a different reason for going there or are fighting a different threat there, or maybe i was just an attempted misdirect because the interviewer was right on the money for where 6.0 would be set and it was a similar case to Khan in Star Trek into Darkness or Blofeld in Spectre.

[Kesey]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hingashi only had Kugane. You couldn't explore any zones outside of the city.

True. But I would like to think that a Hingashi expansion is something that will come in the future, further down the road. You can see that there are exits in Kugane that are just blocked by npcs. It would very much be a fantasy Japan expansion to FFXIV as Kugane and Hingashi are a Japan ruled by the Shogun who only had one port city open for trade with the rest of the world.

[Kesey]

As mentioned before Yoshi P. said he likes to plan two expansions ahead. 2.X gave us the first mention of Doma, and in 4.0 we went there, 3.X gave us mention of the first and 5.X we went there, 4.X gave us hints at events going on in Islabard, Not the underground. Plus they already have zones built in Islabard which I know some people have said that gives us more reasons not to go there since we have seen to much of it, but for me that gives me more desire to go there and more justification because of its importance in the story. We have seen areas built ahead of expansions 2.x showed us scenes in Isghard and we went there in 3.0, and 3.X showed us scenes in Ala Mhigo and again we went there in 4.0.

To be fair, there has been talk of Sharlayan since 2.0. And we have no idea what it looks like (ironically all the Scions know) and it is surrounded in such mystery. Furthermore, Alphinaud wrote the equivalent of a dissertation on why Sharlayan should help the rest of the world. I'd say with the towers, lunar bahamut, a pending war action from Zenos and Fandaniel, and the threat of resummoning Zodiark might be enough to want bring one of the more powerful nations in the world to our side. But hey, I could be wrong.

[FrightfulNight]

To be fair, there has been talk of Sharlayan since 2.0. And we have no idea what it looks like (ironically all the Scions know) and it is surrounded in such mystery. Furthermore, Alphinaud wrote the equivalent of a dissertation on why Sharlayan should help the rest of the world. I'd say with the towers, lunar bahamut, a pending war action from Zenos and Fandaniel, and the threat of resummoning Zodiark might be enough to want bring one of the more powerful nations in the world to our side. But hey, I could be wrong.

I have also been advocating that Sharlyan should be the primary hub city on this thread as well, if this is the season 1 finale then we need to go there for it to feel like it, especially with it being the conclusion to the Hydalyn/Zodiark storyline, its just there is not much else of note on the Island from what we see on the map, no real landmarks besides the city and I feel the exploration zones should be in Islabard, as there is a lot of stuff going on there and I feel it would be a great way to cap off season 1 by finally removing the mists and showing us a complete map of the three great continents. That being said I feel Sharlyan should have the significance of Ishgard in the story, instead of what Kugane had, where it was just a port and most of the MQS happened elsewhere.

But right now most of the flags are on Islabard, and it would feel strange for them to be building up the story there then at the last minute do a sharp turn away from it two expansions in a row. It worked for ShB but it will not work twice, it will get repetitive and feel like they are dragging out that story when we have been building up to it for two expansions now. Plus Thancred and Urianger departed for Islabard to go undercover and get a grasp on the situation with Zenos, I do not think they would go back even with the situation as it is as these towers are being made in Islabard and Zenos is responsible, which was one of the reasons they said the departed for Islabard in the first place.

[Seraphor]

To be fair, there has been talk of Sharlayan since 2.0. And we have no idea what it looks like (ironically all the Scions know) and it is surrounded in such mystery. Furthermore, Alphinaud wrote the equivalent of a dissertation on why Sharlayan should help the rest of the world. I'd say with the towers, lunar bahamut, a pending war action from Zenos and Fandaniel, and the threat of resummoning Zodiark might be enough to want bring one of the more powerful nations in the world to our side. But hey, I could be wrong.

What are the chances there's a tower in Sharlayan too?