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

[Ariabeth]

Seeing the length of this thread, OP has probably had their nose pushed in the explanations on why they are wrong enough.

So I would like to add to that: OP did not understand the story

[pigzig]

I found endbringer good and shadowbringers boring except Vauthry
opinions... how do they work

[KageTokage]

Seeing the length of this thread, OP has probably had their nose pushed in the explanations on why they are wrong enough.

So I would like to add to that: OP did not understand the story

The discussion rather quickly deviated away from "Reasons why the TC didn't like Endwalker" into "Reasons why people in general didn't like Endwalker".

People seem to be largely disinterested in engaging with any manner of negative critique, though I have noticed more and more chiming in with less then glowing opinions as time has gone on.

[Rulakir]

How to tell someone replied without reading any of the thread. :P

I've largely loved XIV's story, but I really don't want it to continue going in a direction where the impressions we're getting from it are completely at odds with what the writers intended, especially when none of the prior expansions had such an issue.

Same. I continually quote Lurina saying it felt like the writers and I weren't ethically on the same page because it's so apt and also deeply concerning going into what Yoshi-P has said will be a conflict in values. What values is my WoL going to be championing this time? What values are the antagonists going to hold that we're supposed to demonize and confuse the writers if we don't?

I've also heard no other expansion was as divisive as EW, but as someone who just started playing last year I wouldn't know.

[CrownySuccubus]

How to tell someone replied without reading any of the thread. :P



Same. I continually quote Lurina saying it felt like the writers and I weren't ethically on the same page because it's so apt and also deeply concerning going into what Yoshi-P has said will be a conflict in values. What values is my WoL going to be championing this time? What values are the antagonists going to hold that we're supposed to demonize and confuse the writers if we don't?

I've also heard no other expansion was as divisive as EW, but as someone who just started playing last year I wouldn't know.

Hm. I started during Stormblood, which I think mostly got negative reception for its story. Heavensward and Shadowbringers were almost universally beloved.

I think Endwalker is suffering from "Fridge Logic"; before I finished it, I heard almost nothing but clamorous praise for it, but the closer to the end I got and the more spoiler-filled discussions I was able to participate in, the more people I found critical of it. That leads me to believe that the earliest players were the ones who were most eager to love it and least receptive to criticism, while the more measured players are the ones that started beating it in the following months. Also, some of those early players who are now coming down from the high of the "honeymoon phase" are either just starting to see criticisms they agree with or are rethinking some of their earlier takes.

As I've said a few times, I was absolutely loving the story right up until Elpis. That was the exact moment that the story started veering into "What the hell are you guys talking about?" territory.

All this being said, the people who dislike Endwalker's story or the expansion as a whole are still a minority. A growing minority, but still a minority.

[PawPaw]

As I've said a few times, I was absolutely loving the story right up until Elpis. That was the exact moment that the story started veering into "What the hell are you guys talking about?" territory..

Ah Elpis. Somehow both the best and worst zone of the game for me.

[KizuyaKatogami]

I have to say it’s just so frustrating. I think Garlemald and Thavnair was some of the best writing i’ve seen in this game. And then to go from that to the moon, and then to Elpis it was just…it’s just infuriating honestly. They had so much to work with, so much potential in everything to make this expansion exceed even Shadowbringers, but it’s like you can see exactly where they either stopped caring or just had to rush everything because they don’t want to work with the arc anymore. There were just so many things that scream last minute changes and dropped plot threads that it’s just immensely disappointing and sad.

[SieyaM]

I will agree that Elpis is where things seem to have gotten a little off the rails for me. It seemed like there was a purpose and momentum and then it kind of went into a screeching halt as the plot went into time travel which tends to always make a mess of things.

[EgilTheStressedMage]

I zoned out through all of Elpis. All I recall was Hermes being a Ramuh reskin (how the christ hard was it to remove the beard polygon...) and Meteion played nothing but Yoko Taro games in their free time while watching people melt.

[KageTokage]

I have to say it’s just so frustrating. I think Garlemald and Thavnair was some of the best writing i’ve seen in this game. And then to go from that to the moon, and then to Elpis it was just…it’s just infuriating honestly. They had so much to work with, so much potential in everything to make this expansion exceed even Shadowbringers, but it’s like you can see exactly where they either stopped caring or just had to rush everything because they don’t want to work with the arc anymore. There were just so many things that scream last minute changes and dropped plot threads that it’s just immensely disappointing and sad.

As much as I like Yoshi, I'm questioning how much of an influence he might've had on Endwalker's story because in the interviews he often seems really out of touch with his expectations on player reactions vs. how they actually reacted. Particularly in regards to not understanding the love for Emet-Selch where he seemed to think people would automatically find him unsympathetic because of all the death the Ascians caused, while simultaneously not understanding why others didn't approve of Venat when she similarly caused immeasurable amounts of suffering but for reasons that felt a lot less easily understood/justified.

I'm feeling like with this being the grand finale he might've felt like he wanted to have more say in how things played out for better or worse, especially with it being mentioned they went through multiple drafts of the story before they finally settled on one, plus they were supposedly still finalizing things up to just a few days before the actual launch.