So, anyone feel like this should have been a bigger deal...? (SPOILERS!!!)

[Iscah]

Again, why is it bizarre? If we weren't told anything beforehand, there wasn't anything to reduce.

Bizarre as a storytelling choice. The writers have chosen to make Zodiark inert and a non-entity without his heart. After so much lead-up and talk about him they have chosen to write him as basically nothing of interest.

Well, Elidibus said he made the decision to separate himself from Zodiark (unless my memory fails me) in order to help the Ascians. That would imply this is the real Elidibus.

It would imply that he thinks he's the real Elidibus, but that isn't a 100% guarantee that he really is. If memories can be implanted, a hypothetical "fake primal copy Elidibus" could have memories that come from his friends' memories of him. If anything that could be a really good explanation of why his memory is failing so badly – its not really his at all, but memories that have been added as part of the primal summoning, and that power is wearing away.

[Theodric]

Bizarre as a storytelling choice. The writers have chosen to make Zodiark inert and a non-entity without his heart. After so much lead-up and talk about him they have chosen to write him as basically nothing of interest.

I find myself wondering how much sense it even makes given that similar entities have come to exist that were treated as still being 'living beings' even if they were little more than animated husks themselves. I speak of the likes of Omega, Alpha, Eden and Meteion. Certainly the circumstances differ in each case but...even absent of Elidibus, Zodiark had a number of Ancient souls dwelling within him and given that they spoke to the Warrior of Light - albeit briefly - so I'm disinclined to write off Zodiark as truly 'mindless'.

If nothing else, I imagine it's disappointing to fans of both Zodiark and Hydaelyn to have so much of the story reduced to 'look at this cool scene, but don't think too deeply about the implications of it'.

As a Garlean fan, I couldn't help but note that pretty much everything I looked to in the lore book for inspiration in role-play and the like ended up showing up in-game with minimal alterations. However so many aspects of the story to do with Zodiark and Hydaelyn appears to have repeatedly been altered over the years.

[linayar]

Bizarre as a storytelling choice. The writers have chosen to make Zodiark inert and a non-entity without his heart. After so much lead-up and talk about him they have chosen to write him as basically nothing of interest.

Honestly, I appreciate that. Having an entity that's been imprisoned for so long suddenly be the big bad would be underwhelming.

Also, this makes Zodiark better in my eyes. Lest we forget, he was created to help the world. This makes Zodiark not be the evil one like everyone might assume, but more a tool that can be used for good or bad. That's a nice implication.

It would imply that he thinks he's the real Elidibus, but that isn't a 100% guarantee that he really is. If memories can be implanted, a hypothetical "fake primal copy Elidibus" could have memories that come from his friends' memories of him. If anything that could be a really good explanation of why his memory is failing so badly – its not really his at all, but memories that have been added as part of the primal summoning, and that power is wearing away.

I would think it's clear by the end of 5.3. Personally, I think I would actually dislike it if we learn in Endwalker that 5.3 was centered around a fake. It would also be problematic for the plot moving forward with Fandaniel's actions.

[ReynTime]

The moon had the potential to be an interesting map, but it turned out to be a white desert with atrocious on-foot navigation.

Labyrintos was the only map with decent detail.

[SenorPatty]

One thing that I don't get or maybe it slipped by me: Zodiark and Hydaelin are primals being the result of wishes. We saw a group wishing for Zodiark so...who wished for Hydaelin? Shb made me think there were several people who wished for her but Ew made it look like she just decided to be a primal.

[icrot]

The map design is mediocre in general imho. The zones are vast barrens.

I much prefer the map design of ARR. Zones from Heavensward onward are just 'meh'. They are beautiful indeed, but they are so big and lack life that just doesn't do it for me.

[Fayt1203]

One thing that I don't get or maybe it slipped by me: Zodiark and Hydaelin are primals being the result of wishes. We saw a group wishing for Zodiark so...who wished for Hydaelin? Shb made me think there were several people who wished for her but Ew made it look like she just decided to be a primal.

there where others from what Emet told us and what we saw in Akadaemia Anyder when someone close to Venat plead her to let someone else be the heart. But there is a lot of unknown territory after that. It could be that they had already sacrifice themself and venat just needed to start the process. then also i dont think they need to be in a group to do so it could be done so when venat started they felt it and started the process.
we can go and on with the speculations on how it happens but perhaps we learn more in the new alliance raid when its out.

[ApolloGenX]

Can I just ask- WHEN did Venat/Hyd make the moon?

I mean... how much power did that take? Where did the technology come from?

If she was that powerful, why not just erect an Aetheric barrier around the planet to shield it? It seems like the planet generates a massive amount of Aether, so instead of creating a whole moon, etc... why not just bubble the world?

The whole thing seems so unnecessary and far-fetched. It was a fun story, for sure. It just seemed... forced.

[linayar]

Can I just ask- WHEN did Venat/Hyd make the moon?

I mean... how much power did that take? Where did the technology come from?

If she was that powerful, why not just erect an Aetheric barrier around the planet to shield it? It seems like the planet generates a massive amount of Aether, so instead of creating a whole moon, etc... why not just bubble the world?

The whole thing seems so unnecessary and far-fetched. It was a fun story, for sure. It just seemed... forced.

I'm not sure if "bubbling" the entire world would be energy efficient, especially when Hydaelyn is weakened due to Ascian actions.

[Iscah]

Can I just ask- WHEN did Venat/Hyd make the moon?

I mean... how much power did that take? Where did the technology come from?

If she was that powerful, why not just erect an Aetheric barrier around the planet to shield it? It seems like the planet generates a massive amount of Aether, so instead of creating a whole moon, etc... why not just bubble the world?

The whole thing seems so unnecessary and far-fetched. It was a fun story, for sure. It just seemed... forced.

The story already established that Zodiark was on the moon, long before they knew what they were (currently) doing with Hydaelyn.

The writers have no choice but to place Zodiark on the moon now doing a thing they had to invent as a reason why he was important beyond being the Ascians' "one true god".

It's forced because they're having to angle the story to line up with dangling threads they set long ago, not actually knowing what they planned to do with them at the time.