Endwalker was a great mess(SPOILERS)

[ApolloGenX]

I thought EW was good... not great. HW and ShB were GREAT. I loved the music in EW.... although I have loved all the FFXIV music.

In the end, though- I found that unlike SHb or HW, where the characters IN the expansion were really well developed and I felt so attached to them- EW relied almost completely and solely on pre-existing character ethos that had been developed over 8 ish years and that was a crutch they leaned into HARD.

Rather than the expansion bringing all that richness to the table, it felt like it just used it plus some outside plot introduction to wrap up a very long running story. It honestly felt a bit cheap plot wise.

Were there good parts? Sure, I can't deny learning more about the history was really nice... but it just doesn't rate overall with HW or ShB. I guess it is kind of like ARR was for me.... good- not great. ARR was also a huge comeback, so that made it special.

[MagicPeanut]

I’m honestly confused how people can dislike EW’s plot. I thought it was amazing, personally. I enjoyed every bit of it. (I do have issues with how often some of the antagonists get redeemed even though they’ve massacred a bunch of people, but that’s just me.)

Although, maybe ending it in 7.0 could have solved a lot of the issues people have with it? At least FFXIV is now released of it’s connection to 1.0. I’m interested in what original plot lines the writers will come up with for the next decade of content.

[Neotempest]

I’m honestly confused how people can dislike EW’s plot. I thought it was amazing, personally. I enjoyed every bit of it. (I do have issues with how often some of the antagonists get redeemed even though they’ve massacred a bunch of people, but that’s just me.)

Although, maybe ending it in 7.0 could have solved a lot of the issues people have with it? At least FFXIV is now released of it’s connection to 1.0. I’m interested in what original plot lines the writers will come up with for the next decade of content.

Forums is just an example of how some people just should not write stories.
"It felt rushed" Sure, why? Need details on what "rushed" means to you. If loose ends are tied up well, regardless of your opinion of how they were tied, then it wasn't rushed. Rushed means that more lose ends are created and will never be solved. Like when an anime gets a rushed ending. Lose ends are left behind and will never be addressed. "How did X happen?" "Dunno, don't ask" is what is usually asked when a story is rushed. If you aren't asking, "Doesn't this leave lose ends?" Then it wasn't a rushed ending.
"World wasn't completely in chaos in msq" The world was in complete chaos and just because they were done in role quests doesn't mean the world wasn't. Or else you now have to make an argument on why the Role Quest from shadowinbringers dealing with the extra content from HW is terrible just because it concludes a major part of ffxiv lore as side content. It's petty nit picking just because the content, in game, was given in an msq mission

[van_arn]

Man I'm actually surprised by some of the critiques haha
I mean to each their own obviously but man
I wouldn't rate it above Shadowbringers, and it's maybe pretty close to HW, but it's still a far step above Stb and like 90% of ARR imo

I think the core of this is the ending. No matter how it ended, people would be upset because x or y did or did not happen or we needed to spend more time on z.

I, myself, and more excited about what comes next now that an arc that was a bit overlong has come to a close.

It’s a brave new world, and I’m beyond excited to see where the path leads from here.

Yes, it was worth it, Venat. It was absolutely worth it.

[Rulakir]

Lose ends are left behind and will never be addressed. "How did X happen?" "Dunno, don't ask" is what is usually asked when a story is rushed.

Like the following?

-"Did Emet-Selch find a way?" - what was Fandaniel referring to in regards to Zenos that Emet supposedly did
-What is the reason for Zenos having dreams of the Final Days since childhood? Is this related to something Emet did to him or does he have a connection with an important Ancient?
-Why was Midgardsormr guarding Silvertear Lake and what is that location's significance? The same location on the First is called "The Source".
-How did Emet, Lahabrea, and Elidibus escape the Sundering? Did Venat just "ignore" them because she was told by us that they escaped?
-What was Azem doing during the Final Days if it wasn't assisting either the Convocation or Venat's group?
-Who is Zenos's avatar? (YoshiP highlighted its identity as important)
-What of the other sundered Ascians; Deudalaphon, Halmarut, Pashtarot, Altima?
-Nerva?
-Why do Garleans not have access to magic?
-How was Elidibus in 5.3 able to cast multiple LB3s and even a LB4, if Unsundered weren't able to interact with Dynamis as well as the Sundered? Sundered can barely cast a single LB3 once per fight.
-If Midgardsomr removed the Blessing of Light/Traveler's Ward from the WoL at the end of ARR... then how did the WoL not get Tempered by Ravana/Bismarck/Thordan during the events of HW?

Not my questions, btw, so don't feel compelled to answer them for my sake. It's just a compilation of some I've seen on Reddit and other places.

[Neotempest]

Like the following?

-"Did Emet-Selch find a way?" - what was Fandaniel referring to in regards to Zenos that Emet supposedly did
-What is the reason for Zenos having dreams of the Final Days since childhood? Is this related to something Emet did to him or does he have a connection with an important Ancient?
-Why was Midgardsormr guarding Silvertear Lake and what is that location's significance? The same location on the First is called "The Source".
-How did Emet, Lahabrea, and Elidibus escape the Sundering? Did Venat just "ignore" them because she was told by us that they escaped?
-What was Azem doing during the Final Days if it wasn't assisting either the Convocation or Venat's group?
-Who is Zenos's avatar? (YoshiP highlighted its identity as important)
-What of the other sundered Ascians; Deudalaphon, Halmarut, Pashtarot, Altima?
-Nerva?
-Why do Garleans not have access to magic?
-How was Elidibus in 5.3 able to cast multiple LB3s and even a LB4, if Unsundered weren't able to interact with Dynamis as well as the Sundered? Sundered can barely cast a single LB3 once per fight.
-If Midgardsomr removed the Blessing of Light/Traveler's Ward from the WoL at the end of ARR... then how did the WoL not get Tempered by Ravana/Bismarck/Thordan during the events of HW?

Not my questions, btw, so don't feel compelled to answer them for my sake. It's just a compilation of some I've seen on Reddit and other places.

Try my best to answer some because some of those questions are painfully nit picky. Like questions asked for the sole purpose of trying to create plot holes instead of curious how those lose ends would effect the over all plot at all.
-The best I can tell from the scene is kinda self explanatory. Did emet find a way to implant memories of the final days onto sundered hosts. As Fandaniel mentioned, he only knows the final days second hand, no real memories. So Emet could of been tinkering on a way to implant that into sundered Ascians. For potential future use just in case of his "death" as he has died before and left plans to go the way he wanted afterwards.
-Could of been his home once he landed or other issues. Problem with this is something caused by the 1.0 writers. We have yet to do the 24 man raid, so it could be there that we go.
-Accidental for all we know, only 3 out of millions isn't chance but luck. That's like asking a plane crash survivor how they survived while the hundreds of others didn't. As said, a painfully nit picky question designed to find a plot hole.

[Neotempest]

-What was Azem doing? Dozens of things to possibly pull who ever is still "alive" to solve the problem. From what we saw on the Venat cutscene, it looked like a whole lot of people were more than happy to sacrifice lives to get their "paradise" back. When the main issue was that it looked like only a handful of people are willing to face a harsh reality check and almost everyone else wants to put their head in the sand over the reality of the situation.
-Good question, this is more of a character issue than a plot one though. I too would like to know if there was a lot of focus on it.
-So weak that a normal "Etheryian(Earthling)? Is that what we call them now?", like Gaius can handle them. Elidibus made it clear they are no threat to the world if Elidibus dies. So even if they are around, most adventurers will be able to take care of them. A nit pic question designed to try to find a plot hole.
-Here I thought the Garlean "Minecraft self" scene was too obvious. The scene lets you know the Garlean empire, as we knew it before, is gone. Lucia tells us that there is no communication between Legions and all of them have fallen apart. So if we do run into any former commander, it won't be as a typical Garlean conqueror. So whatever they were before no longer matters versus who we may potentially meet later. So if we ever run into Nerva, it won't be as a legion leader.
-Could be many reasons, potentially even biological. This is like asking, "It breaks lore that there are male viera present" or "It breaks lore that X race has a special quirk to them". This is another nit pic designed to look for a plot hole. It's a race quirk to them, no need to dig deeper as if finding the truth will change the way we see ffxiv. Is there a deep plot hole discussion on why Aura look like dragons but have in no way blood relation to them?
-This ones easy, Elidibus took in the spiritual power of innumerable amount of sundered souls. People who do have access to LB attacks. If Ascians always had LB potential, why did emet not use it? The only time Elidibus used LB3 when he became an Avatar of the Warrior of Light from all those sundered souls he took in.
-Another easy one. Midgard didn't remove the blessing of light, he placed a seal on it. If you want other "media" who do something similar, than look at Naruto. Orochimaru didn't remove the seal on naruto's stomach, he placed another seal on Naruto to weaken him. Same thing with Midgardsomnr. Also middy mentions that his seal on the WoL is weakening. Also one more thing to point out why this one is also a nit pic to find a plot hole. The WoL had 1 crystal unlocked by the time he faced Ravana, the Ice Crystal from Lady Ice Heart. The WoL didn't need the full strength of the Blessing to face primals, he or she needed the full strength to face Ascians.

[Melorie]

painfully nit picky. Like questions asked for the sole purpose of trying to create plot holes instead of curious how those lose ends would effect the over all plot at all.

This is a bit rude tbh. It might not be a relevant question for you but doesn't mean that they are just nit picky questions for people that aren't truly curious. Sometimes certain aspects of the story aren't relevant for you but are for other people.
Even if it doesn't affect the overall plot, something can still be poorly explained and wanting an answer for something isn't "looking for plotholes", it's part of being curious and enjoying the lore.

[Avidria]

This is a bit rude tbh. It might not be a relevant question for you but doesn't mean that they are just nit picky questions for people that aren't truly curious. Sometimes certain aspects of the story aren't relevant for you but are for other people.
Even if it doesn't affect the overall plot, something can still be poorly explained and wanting an answer for something isn't "looking for plotholes", it's part of being curious and enjoying the lore.

Yeah seconding this. I liked EW a lot but I'm also personally VERY interested in WTH Azem was up to while we were running around in Elpis, and while the world was ending, and in how the three unsundered managed to end up being, y'know, unsundered.

I'm hoping the raids address at least some of the questions I still have, so I'm reserving final judgement on things like this, but yeah. There are definitely still some unanswered questions roaming about that I'd love some more answers to.

[Banriikku]

For me its the pacing.
Certain parts are way too fast and others are way too long.
For example, i wish Garlemald would be longer or the first half of the Moon. Both parts are incedibly fast, on the other hand Sharlayan had some long parts and in these parts we got the same information over and over again.

And my second problem is the missplacement of comedy relief. Puddingway is a funny Character but why there ? That was irritating - "dramatic thing is happening, oh and btw. this is funny " for me it was sometimes hard to keep track of is this now serious stuff happening or is this just the prep for the next slapstick moment?

Also i wanted to learn more about Elpis and its residents but also about how and whys of their daily life instead we got a sherlock holmes section (Venat accompanies you) where a good character is almost sacrificed - this part was not good staged.
Oh and btw. the illusion of choice was terrible executed.

My problems are not "the what is told" more HOW it is told. I liked the SHB style more.