6.1 MSQ showcases the narrative problems that continue to plague the game's story

[aveyond-dreams]

If we're seriously getting a void expansion of all things I'm dropping this game no cap. Who the hell cares about an entire shard that's been destroyed when we have the rest of our non destroyed world to visit? I'm sick to bastard death of nothing but ruins.

The Source has lost its empire, every leader nods and agrees with each other and as much as fans want to go to Meracydia, the New World, or the fallen Imperial Territories the writers have the mission to subvert our expectations, seemingly no matter the cost. They advertise 6.1 as a new adventure then *surprise* us with the Scions and the Void. I suppose there isn't much else to do about it until they *surprise* us again and spontaneously send us off into whatever FFXIV's version of Valhalla is, if it even exists.

I believe the Void could be fleshed out enough to host an entire expansion on it if they do the following: add humanoids to serve as NPCs, take inspiration from the likes of Dark Souls or Castlevania-like environments, and have decent antagonists to make up for the pathetic state of the Scions. Void humanoids should be something along the lines of Au Ra or their original concept art, or possibly Amano style humans if they want to go for that ethereal look his drawings have, functionally serving as high tier voidsent. I'd love to see them have a full on Vampire society, a world full of gothic beauty and dark creatures.

Just as there are the ruins we have already seen in the Void, there should probably be several strongholds or last bastions where the humanoids dwell away from the monsters. There's no shortage of settlements they can draw inspiration from that belong to Fromsoft games that would work well for that purpose. Add in some forests painted in the darkened blue hues of something like WoW's Ardenweald, or something along those lines.

The possibilities are endless. Assuming that the remaining budget is not spent on the next sequence of Estinien putting his boot on the balcony in Sharlayan or Alisae removing pickles from her latest McDonald's order.

[PawPaw]

We know she didn’t tell Emet nor Elidibus, which if she didn’t tell on of her closest friends i highly doubt she told anyone else on the convocation. Also she has the echo….she can literally show them what happened. Also as Lauront said, Zodiark was the one who seeded those souls into the planet.

She doesn't even tell her own closest allies. The Watcher is just as lost as to the cause of it all as we are and you'd think it'd be useful for them to know this so they could pass the message on to us when we arrive? Nope.

[SieyaM]

Because there is no clear passage of time with the MSQ, it does feel like we said our farewell to the scions at the end of 6.0 and then the next day came around to them.

[Lauront]

Tbh I think we won't get a void expansion. My guess is this void plot is going to be the 6.x trials.

Main expansion needs a full new areas with NPCs, towns, and sidequests. Kinda hard to do it with a completely dead and broken world. Not impossible, but super hard imo, unless they pull a "some group of people actually still alive" (which seems impossible). Then again, I will be extremely curious and hyped if they decided to do a void expansion, since that means they will be doing something new and break the old "unlock new area, go to the town/settlement" formula.

Second, they can't really make a "restore the 13th" plot, since the voidsents are crucial to the story and side contents since ARR. Plus it will interfere with reaper job.

I second this. I think if anything they may be opening the way to travel another Reflection and just using this as the warm-up/taster. I wouldn't have an issue with a Void expansion, especially the way Aveyond described it, but it'd require some significant groundwork to be laid.

[Kaurhz]

I second this. I think if anything they may be opening the way to travel another Reflection and just using this as the warm-up/taster. I wouldn't have an issue with a Void expansion, especially the way Aveyond described it, but it'd require some significant groundwork to be laid.

I pretty much third this. It’s just providing a means to an end whilst giving a little substance to the Void. I don’t think we will touch on the void at all much until later on. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind this is likely just paving the way for the next trial series as opposed to expansion.

[YukikoKurosawa]

World building and the payoff we get later is literally the best part of FFXIV's story telling. OP clearly doesn't read a lot of books and just wants Michael Bay films.

Wrong. Worldbuilding is important and I actually like it, but there's such a thing as too much. If you're dragging the plot because you're too fixated on fleshing out your world and countless side-characters who aren't particularily interesting themselves, it becomes a problem.

[Ransu]

Wrong. Worldbuilding is important and I actually like it, but there's such a thing as too much. If you're dragging the plot because you're too fixated on fleshing out your world and countless side-characters who aren't particularily interesting themselves, it becomes a problem.

The plot isn't being dragged though.

[DPZ2]

The 6.1 storyline was fairly decent. A brief foray into someplace that the WoL and friend Estinien happened to run across after the Scions disbanded. A reference to the location we decided to explore was given to us in 6.0, so that makes sense. Bringing along a few of our friends to what one would best describe as "another dungeon, but without world-changing impact". Finding things much more complex than we first thought.

Y'shtola finally getting to the point where she can bow out of the story gracefully after it ends. [Which I know a number of posters on the forum welcome]. Information on the companion of a now dead Reaper.

It continues on, as do most of the post x.0 stories, with the promise of more, which we know should be resolved by 6.3, when 6.4 starts on the themes of 7.0.

It is an interlude, not an entire expansion's worth of content.

[Syln]

I must admit that the 6.1 msq was slightly disappointing for one major reason : I just wanted my adventure, no big plot, no thavnair economy stuff involved, no nothing just my character exploring stuff and nothing more.

Imagine you go into a gigantic instanced and dense jungle with no map and a lot of stuff to explore ! Dungeon, solo boss, treasures, monster ambush, anything ! ADVENTURE ! EXPLORATION ! ..... yeah i know i have to much expectation but still.

[IdowhatIwant]

I pretty much third this. It’s just providing a means to an end whilst giving a little substance to the Void. I don’t think we will touch on the void at all much until later on. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind this is likely just paving the way for the next trial series as opposed to expansion.

I would prefer a void expansion at some point. I think the MSQ is doing a decent job on introducing it so far and starting to lay down some ground work for a potential expansion in the future involving meracydia and the void. I wouldn't mind some sort of content this expansion where we go to the void for limited time to collect stuff or do quests, like something from metroid prime 2 going into the dark world.