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

[CrownySuccubus]

While we potentially can create a new timeline if we stay there long enough to avert any chance of a Sundering – not just the scenario we ultimately saw but any deliberate or accidental process that could cause it – anything short of achieving that would likely end up being part of the known timeline one way or another because we have basically no idea of what we are trying to avert.

I was talking about a worst case scenario. The premise that I was responding to was the assumption that the WOL could change the timeline enough to undo their own existence or that of the world they knew. If that's the case, then whether or not they were aware of what changes to make or how is irrelevant, because we're starting the thought exercise at the point where they'd already done it.

And if we succeeded, we would have no way back to the original world that we are trying to save by acquiring information about how the original Final Days started.

Yes we would. The portal in the Ocular connects back to the world the WOL left, regardless of whether or not the future changes. We wouldn't, say, wind up in the new Elpis's future. I think one character raises that as a possibility, but they were theorizing, since time travel was an unfamiliar concept.

And, even if we did, the WOL sure didn't care. Despite being warned not the change the past by Elidibus, the WOL made every effort to do just that. They clearly didn't give a single crap about whether they would have a home to get back to.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Yeah, most of the "memorable" stuff from SB seems to only be things which are meme-worthy, such as Scholars catching Susanoo's huge sword with their books, Lakshmi's "bosom", and Gosetsu having a whole death monologue and conversation while he struggles to hold up a collapsing building. Even when I was going through every dungeon in the game while leveling all my classes to 80, I could recount exactly why the WOL had to fight in places like the Aery, the AC Research Center, Holminster Switch, Qitana Ravel and Mt. Gulg...but I was scratching my head trying to remember what the purpose of fighting in the Sirensong Sea or Castrum Abania was.

To its credit, I don't think Endwalker is going to have that problem. For all the faults I have with its story, every dungeon was pretty memorable. The Tower of Zot is probably the least of them, but I don't think it'll be possible to forget why you're there.

Personally i found the doma flooding memorable, the steppes battle when the imperials come and both sides of the steppes work together to fend them off, Yotsuyu in the leading patches and her story and especially her trial. I’d take all of that over the latter points of EW, although yeah they definitely stepped the game up when it comes to dungeons. The only one i really don’t care too much for is zot, which is a shame because i’ve always looked forward to the magus sisters in game. Speaking of which, why did they hype them up so much? Yoshi P and the website stated that this would be the most intense form they’ve ever taken yet but….it’s literally their ff4 iterations.

[CrownySuccubus]

Yotsuyu in the leading patches and her story and especially her trial.

Yeah, I deliberately didn't include any post-SB content, because people almost generally acknowledge it (at least Yotsuyu's story) as good.

Ghimlyt Dark is still pretty "meh" to me, though. Having had to run it so much for leveling characters past 70, it's basically just another generic battlefield against Garlemald like we've fought in dozens times. Hell, the main SB questline had three Garlemald dungeons.

Pretty fitting/hilarious in hindsight, since SB would be the finale of the Empire as an antagonist.

[Theodric]

I thought Matsuno did a better job in Bozja at handling a storyline involving war and occupation than whatever the Ala Mhigan portion of Stormblood was meant to be. Whoever handled Garlemald in Endwalker also did an excellent job.

At the end of the day, I'm not particularly interested in seeing something as complicated as war and occupation be reduced to 'GUD GUYZ vs BAD GUYZ' since it's rare that people wake up one day and just decide to go and invade their neighbours. There's usually a spark - often multiple sparks - that cause such a thing to happen. Sometimes those factors are internal, other times they're external and then there's the possibility for a combination of both.

[KageTokage]

I thought Matsuno did a better job in Bozja at handling a storyline involving war and occupation than whatever the Ala Mhigan portion of Stormblood was meant to be. Whoever handled Garlemald in Endwalker also did an excellent job.

At the end of the day, I'm not particularly interested in seeing something as complicated as war and occupation be reduced to 'GUD GUYZ vs BAD GUYZ' since it's rare that people wake up one day and just decide to go and invade their neighbours. There's usually a spark - often multiple sparks - that cause such a thing to happen. Sometimes those factors are internal, other times they're external and then there's the possibility for a combination of both.

Honestly, that's largely what Bozja ended up feeling like to me with how borderline comically evil most of the IVth legion was, which is made worse by the fact that they don't even have indoctrination as an excuse due to not being Garlean.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Honestly, that's largely what Bozja ended up feeling like to me with how borderline comically evil most of the IVth legion was.

I think the problem was, they didn’t give us as much insight on Gabranth. The evil stuff going on seemed more like sub branches of the legion and outside groups coming in and doing crazy shiet. But let’s be honest here, they did a fairly good job at depicting there really are no good guys or bad guys in war. Not when we repeatedly hunt down a combat medic, something that is actually extremely frowned upon, to the point she’s begging us to stop and her people are being slaughtered left and right.

[aveyond-dreams]

I found Bozja interesting due to the presence of Misija, as well as Lyon. I didn't end up finishing the story in its entirety due to Zadnor's lackluster armor rewards for both genders, but it would be great to see characters like those two in the future. Garlemald was also a very well-written zone and was one of the better parts of my experience in Endwalker, I only hope that Alphinaud won't turn it into another republic.

[KizuyaKatogami]

I found Bozja interesting due to the presence of Misija, as well as Lyon. I didn't end up finishing the story in its entirety due to Zadnor's lackluster armor rewards for both genders, but it would be great to see characters like those two in the future. Garlemald was also a very well-written zone and was one of the better parts of my experience in Endwalker, I only hope that Alphinaud won't turn it into another republic.

Sadly i have a feeling the future “battle of morals” yoshi p referenced is going to be some remaining Garleans like Nerva not wanting to give in to the eorzeans and wanting to keep their government the way it is and we cut them down in favor of Alphinaud’s Republic. Because yknow, just like the ascians the garleans always have to be the enemy.

[KageTokage]

I'm mostly hoping it doesn't just end up being "good Garleans + the Eorzean alliance vs. bad Garleans" and that perhaps the people of provinces end up stirring up their own issues that need to be dealt with.

With Garlean influence weakened, other powers might intend to move in to fill the voids left behind and the provinces regaining their independence may not be an entirely good thing.

[CrownySuccubus]

Clearly "Bad Garleans" will still need to be a thing because there's still going to be various Castrums scattered throughout the maps.

They'll probably be like FFXIV's equivalent of the Imperial Remnant/First Order.