Quote Originally Posted by Rulakir View Post
This. The problem is that the Hydaelyn & Zodiark saga is the foundation of all the lore in FFXIV, but it seemed like for whatever reason they wanted to sweep it under the rug and be done. Despite nothing in ShB and little in EW supporting that the Ancients were incapable of change, we end up getting a cutscene with a group of strawmen and told that's how everyone was and they were never going to be any different. This also conveniently ignores the "no small number" of those who were in opposition of the third sacrifice, including Venat's own followers. Clearly there was a substantial number of Ancients who could change, but we're meant to believe they all only wanted a return to "bliss". The unsundered world wasn't even presented as being free from problems or sorrow, just better than an apocalyptic world (understandably).

I've seen people say that Venat is the voice of the writer and if that's the case I had no idea Ishikawa viewed the Ancients so poorly. As much as I loved Emet & Hythlodaeus, going back in time and not being given an option to spare them the Final Days felt sadistic. I am an unabashed Ancient fan and, like many others, EW was probably the worst case scenario I could think of in terms of what I'd least like to see. I don't consider "fan service" watching your favorite characters get effed over, while your character has no power to do anything about it, and then treats the person responsible as some sort of benevolent goddess. At the end of the day, she was an ideological extremist and I'm not about to praise her for that.

I hope whatever new story we're getting was worth it, but I have my doubts.
You literally could not save the Ancients and even if you could it would undo everything that happened after the Final Days which would have meant the Source and even all the shards wouldn't exist.