What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[aveyond-dreams]

Man, I sure do love it when they decide to "subvert expectations!" It always has an interesting result.

I remember back when they subverted all of our expectations so much back in 2019 when they surprised the anime-loving playerbase of FFXIV with Hrothgar instead of the male Viera people were expecting and the JP fanfest crowd proceeded to actually boo the trailer. Similarly, they strongly teased the moon only for us to get no more than a half-hour with Zodiark who people have wanted to see since forever and instead made it into a Looney Toons cartoon with the loporrits.

Can we pretty please return to the Heavensward era back when twists actually paid off in the end and characters were actually believable? Or is Heavensward too simple of a story? Because fighting dragons sure sounds a lot more appealing than another war of morals right about now.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

Man, I sure do love it when they decide to "subvert expectations!" It always has an interesting result.

I remember back when they subverted all of our expectations so much back in 2019 when they surprised the anime-loving playerbase of FFXIV with Hrothgar instead of the male Viera people were expecting and the JP fanfest crowd proceeded to actually boo the trailer. Similarly, they strongly teased the moon only for us to get no more than a half-hour with Zodiark who people have wanted to see since forever and instead made it into a Looney Toons cartoon with the loporrits.

Can we pretty please return to the Heavensward era back when twists actually paid off in the end and characters were actually believable? Or is Heavensward too simple of a story? Because fighting dragons sure sounds a lot more appealing than another war of morals right about now.

I don't see how the Loporrits section was much different than the segment of Heavensward where the Moogles annoy your party with pointless chores, to the point that not only does Estinien get angry about the time wasting, but you get several options to bully Moogles in future content in reaction to that first segment.

If anything, the Loporrits have more immediate importance to the story presented (while also reinforcing the lesson that will be taught to Meteion down the line) and are also a needed moment of levity between all of the suicide in Garlemald and the upcoming bleakness in Thavnair.

[aveyond-dreams]

I don't see how the Loporrits section was much different than the segment of Heavensward where the Moogles annoy your party with pointless chores, to the point that not only does Estinien get angry about the time wasting, but you get several options to bully Moogles in future content in reaction to that first segment.

If anything, the Loporrits have more immediate importance to the story presented (while also reinforcing the lesson that will be taught to Meteion down the line) and are also a needed moment of levity between all of the suicide in Garlemald and the upcoming bleakness in Thavnair.

Moment of levity? Wow if only Endwalker wasn't full to the brim with those. Anyway, the star of the moon should have been Zodiark. Not the Loporrits. End of discussion.

The Heavensward moogles may have been a nuisance but they certainly didn't torment us for as long as these rabbits did, and they didn't take the place of someone as crucial to the plot and core of the game as, idk, the main big bad that's been hyped up since 2013?

I sure remember how in FFX once we got to Zanarkand, the party decided to have a sing-along and played bliztball-oh wait instead of that the plot actually stayed serious as was appropriate given the gravity of the situation. Much how it should have in this case considering that the WoL had just killed the being responsible for warding off the final days.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

Moment of levity? Wow if only Endwalker wasn't full to the brim with those. Anyway, the star of the moon should have been Zodiark. Not the Loporrits. End of discussion.

The Heavensward moogles may have been a nuisance but they certainly didn't torment us for as long as these rabbits did, and they didn't take the place of someone as crucial to the plot and core of the game as, idk, the main big bad that's been hyped up since 2013?

I sure remember how in FFX once we got to Zanarkand, the party decided to have a sing-along and played bliztball-oh wait instead of that the plot actually stayed serious as was appropriate given the gravity of the situation. Much how it should have in this case considering that the WoL had just killed the being responsible for warding off the final days.

I will admit that Zodiark being just a random throwaway boss was a bit surprising, but I suppose that's kind of the result of Shadowbringers deciding that Elidibus was basically Zodiark and was basically operating a giant meat suit in the shape of a god.

Granted, that just makes me wonder why people worshipped Zodiark instead of Elidibus.

[KizuyaKatogami]

I will admit that Zodiark being just a random throwaway boss was a bit surprising, but I suppose that's kind of the result of Shadowbringers deciding that Elidibus was basically Zodiark and was basically operating a giant meat suit in the shape of a god.

Granted, that just makes me wonder why people worshipped Zodiark instead of Elidibus.

But in this case we didn’t even get to see anything Zodiark themed with Elidibus. Instead they just used him to shill out ff1 WoL fanservice. We didn’t see him really use any darkness themed stuff. It’s always just light light light. Venat got her own solo instance fight and then Hydaelyn trial which was themed around her. Elidibus got random shitty fanservice and then Zodiark is just…a whole bunch of random.

[AnaviAnael]

Man, I sure do love it when they decide to "subvert expectations!" It always has an interesting result.

I remember back when they subverted all of our expectations so much back in 2019 when they surprised the anime-loving playerbase of FFXIV with Hrothgar instead of the male Viera people were expecting and the JP fanfest crowd proceeded to actually boo the trailer. Similarly, they strongly teased the moon only for us to get no more than a half-hour with Zodiark who people have wanted to see since forever and instead made it into a Looney Toons cartoon with the loporrits.

Can we pretty please return to the Heavensward era back when twists actually paid off in the end and characters were actually believable? Or is Heavensward too simple of a story? Because fighting dragons sure sounds a lot more appealing than another war of morals right about now.

Star Wars subverted expectations by killing Snoak in The Rise of Skywalker. Fans hated it.
Game of Thrones subverted expectations by having Arya kill the Night King instead of Jon Snow. Fans hated it.
FFXIV did what was mentioned above.

Are we noticing a pattern?

[Floortank]

Star Wars subverted expectations by killing Snoak in The Rise of Skywalker. Fans hated it.
Game of Thrones subverted expectations by having Arya kill the Night King instead of Jon Snow. Fans hated it.
FFXIV did what was mentioned above.

Are we noticing a pattern?

Yeah, that you haven't read any books.