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

[Rulakir]

TMI perhaps

My TMI is I suffer from major depressive disorder and, frankly, most of the messaging in EW sounded like a typical depression meme. Essentially, meaningless platitudes that are insulting to the intelligence and seem like they came from people who have no concept of what enduring suffering and despair is truly like. (The downplaying of the Final Days appears to play into this too as the characters act like surviving an apocalypse is no big deal and why can't everyone just move on from an extinction level event already?) Likewise, as was noted in a thread in Reddit (something I hadn't thought of until I saw others discussing it), if you had a mental illness you were absolutely screwed during the second coming of the Final Days. You'll turn into a blasphemy and your soul will be destroyed. It's only the mentally strong and healthy who'd survive. I doubt that was intentional, but it's just another thing they didn't take into consideration with their 'self help' narrative.

Saying that we have ten years worth of outlines sort of implies that Ishikawa won't be the one writing those stories directly, which does worry me. I'd rather hear we have ten years worth of outlines from someone like Maehiro and Ishikawa will be the one writing.

She's said in interviews she's stepping down from the MSQ and wants to leave it to the "junior writers", so your guess is as good as mine what that's going to mean going into the future.

[Lauront]

My TMI is I suffer from major depressive disorder and, frankly, most of the messaging in EW sounded like a typical depression meme. Essentially, meaningless platitudes that are insulting to the intelligence and seem like they came from people who have no concept of what enduring suffering and despair is truly like. (The downplaying of the Final Days appears to play into this too as the characters act like surviving an apocalypse is no big deal and why can't everyone just move on from an extinction level event already?) Likewise, as was noted in a thread in Reddit (something I hadn't thought of until I saw others discussing it), if you had a mental illness you were absolutely screwed during the second coming of the Final Days. You'll turn into a blasphemy and your soul will be destroyed. It's only the mentally strong and healthy who'd survive. I doubt that was intentional, but it's just another thing they didn't take into consideration with their 'self help' narrative.

The role quests show even those of strong mental fortitude eventually succumb, but yes those more prone to despair would go first and more readily, so they are screwed. Definitely agree on what was being shown in response to the grieving ancients as meaningless platitudes. Though I would also say the same of a lot of what Alphinaud says.

She's said in interviews she's stepping down from the MSQ and wants to leave it to the "junior writers", so your guess is as good as mine what that's going to mean going into the future.

I know she's said the latter in a tweet (here for those interested), but do we know where she's confirmed it in interview? I've got a similar feeling about it as tokinokanatae.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Bit of a random thing but, yesterday i was looking at my cards and i realized i had the Hermes card so i was interesting in reading it and…apparently Hermes’ staff could be used to commune with Meteion??? Is this mentioned in the story at all and if not why? That seems like such a vital piece of info especially considering that possibly could have been used to help avert the crisis lol.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Bit of a random thing but, yesterday i was looking at my cards and i realized i had the Hermes card so i was interesting in reading it and…apparently Hermes’ staff could be used to commune with Meteion??? Is this mentioned in the story at all and if not why? That seems like such a vital piece of info especially considering that possibly could have been used to help avert the crisis lol.

How though? The whole point was that Meteion's report gave birth to Hermes's sense of nihilism. In fact if he was able to use the staff earlier he would've heard the report earlier and without Emet, Hythlo and Venat's intervention we would've all just been screwed.

[EgilTheStressedMage]

Bit of a random thing but, yesterday i was looking at my cards and i realized i had the Hermes card so i was interesting in reading it and…apparently Hermes’ staff could be used to commune with Meteion??? Is this mentioned in the story at all and if not why? That seems like such a vital piece of info especially considering that possibly could have been used to help avert the crisis lol.

They're more like the item descriptions in general. I wouldn't assume the person or people behind those has any hold over the story beyond slightly enriching it. They're fun to read though.

[Lauront]

It's meant to be a coordinated approach between the writer and lore teams, so I doubt that.

I thought she mentioned it in one of the many Famitsu magazine translations posted to Reddit, but I could be mistaken.

The tweet definitely gives the impression that's the plan, anyway.

[Rulakir]

I know she's said the latter in a tweet (here for those interested), but do we know where she's confirmed it in interview? I've got a similar feeling about it as tokinokanatae.

I thought she mentioned it in one of the many Famitsu magazine translations posted to Reddit, but I could be mistaken.