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

[aveyond-dreams]

I still have some hope that they can salvage the Garlean expansion after getting expansion gutted though. I hope that maybe one of the reasons they did this was to make the situation more unique in Ilsabard so that the plot was not to similar to Stormblood. Now with us having helped the capitol and Ilsabard being devastated by both the Civil War and apparently suffering the most damage from the final days, the various still active legions and the power vacuum that they wanted to create a more unique Ilsabard experience. I also hope that the developers see people wanting the clouds removed on Ilsabard and more traditional European fantasy zones which Ilsbard will have. I can imagine there could be a zone in Ilsabard inspired by Germany and Switzerland, something hinted at with the Online Store outfit as well as a Norwegian like zone and a more Gothic Romania like zone. And of course they can do a better conclusion to the Garlean storyline and do further world building with the Three Continents.

My main fear is that they are just going to Lazily have Ilsbard be resolved offscreen just like the Empire fell anticlimatically offscreen and all these storyarchs just remain on the cutting room floor and we will instead just go to Meracydia, or the New World, or other Shards to "Move On", locations i have almost zero interest in going to until this story is resolved in Ilsabard. If it is one of those locations first for 7.0 however then I may consider "moving on" and unsubscribing until an Ilsabard (or another Orthard) expansion is confirmed and use that time to whittle away at my increasing game library or further raise a Viera alt.

My personal preference for the future at this point is to go explore the former imperial territories and perhaps going about restoring fallen monarchies/heirs to their respective thrones. I would love to see zones based off the countries you mention in your post, as opposed to the community-held perception that Meracydia and the New World have to take after lands that I'm just not interested in visiting.

The people who seem to be so vocal about having the representation of a country like Australia of all places do not seem to realize that people don't come to Final Fantasy for that, nor do they come for New-World like aesthetics after that game turned out to be what it was, and beyond 1-2 Egypt like zones I simply wouldn't be interested in a full-on African themed expansion.

You can sell Final Fantasy players the classic "castle in the sky" vs "magitek empire" but I do not see them being interested in some of the ideas that people go on and on about for the sake of "diversity." There is plenty of diversity within the countries of Europe/Asia, which I have no problem being straightforward in saying that is what I am first and foremost interested in seeing.

[Lauront]

My personal preference for the future at this point is to go explore the former imperial territories and perhaps going about restoring fallen monarchies/heirs to their respective thrones.

Agreed. I'd also like to see Garlemald transition to something like Archades.