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

[Rulakir]

I took a look at the Japanese lore forums again, still uneventful except for one hot take thread where the person didn't like Elpis at all. Despite my disagreeing with most of what they wrote, they did think Kairos was BS (as did most of the respondents) and were irritated at the lack of diverse dialog options throughout EW.

We could assume that it's after since Themis mentions Azem being aware of us but since we are still unaware of how Azem manages to know everything we do before we do it, that might not mean anything either.

I will flip tables if they write Azem as knowing about the sundering and their future, sundered self.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ FLIP THAT TABLE. ┻━┻ ︵ ヽ(°□°ヽ) FLIP THIS TABLE. ┻━┻ ︵ ＼\('0')/／ ︵ ┻━┻ FLIP ALL THE TABLES!

When this was a major driving force behind the entirety of the last expansion pack, you'll have to forgive me for having doubts when I am suddenly told that fixed time loops are now the only possible way forward.

The first thought that came into my head is Venat developed a crush on the WoL and had to ensure the timeline played out as it did so she could see them again. -_-

[PawPaw]

I took a look at the Japanese lore forums again, still uneventful except for one hot take thread where the person didn't like Elpis at all. Despite my disagreeing with most of what they wrote, they did think Kairos was BS (as did most of the respondents) and were irritated at the lack of diverse dialog options throughout EW.



I will flip tables if they write Azem as knowing about the sundering and their future, sundered self.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ FLIP THAT TABLE. ┻━┻ ︵ ヽ(°□°ヽ) FLIP THIS TABLE. ┻━┻ ︵ ＼\('0')/／ ︵ ┻━┻ FLIP ALL THE TABLES!

I...I have a feeling this is where they are trying to go...though I will happily (angrily?) join you in flipping those tables as this would not be acceptable to me either.

[cooker]

Unpopular Opinion but G'raha now sucks.
I like the Crystal Exarch way, way better. I actually wish G'raha never tagged with us and stayed there and help his people there
and possibly fall in love with Lyna (Sorry her name escapes me, I think that's it but the Viera.)

Wasn't the Crystal Exarch more of a father/grandfather to Lyna? I don't think they should get romantically involved lol. I like G'raha overall. I guess he could be a bit more serious, but don't think he's just pure comic relief (i.e., hi I view him as a young guy who had the role leader in a post apocalyptic (or ongoing apocalypse) world thrust upon him and he did it for a long time and finally has the opportunity to let his hair down a bit, but he isn't just comic relief and his serious side is still there and comes out.

[Rulakir]

I...I have a feeling this where they are trying to go...though I will happily (angrily?) join you in flipping those tables as this would not be acceptable to me either.

The one bright side with Pandemonium being so spread out and not voice acted is they have an opportunity to change it and I sincerely hope they did if that's the direction they were going to go with it.

I'm sick of the same team saying they can't/won't develop Azem due to player headcanon and yet that's exactly what they've done in EW. Azem is not only nothing like how I envisioned to the extent of being the antithesis of my personality, but is perilously close to being written in contradiction to the WoL and Ardbert.

[anhaato]

I think the loss of Yda and Papalymo was the downfall of the scions as an interesting group of characters. With them around we got a mildly entertaining dynamic and, most importantly, there was diversity of thought among them. Sure, Yda was the ditzy blonde comic relief but there was nothing wrong with having a "dumb one" around to think of things simplistically because that can prove to be valuable input. Now the scions are just geniuses 1 through 6 who agree on everything, and Estinien is left to fill in the non-genius spot but it doesn't quite work because he still has that "cool" image and ends up on the same page as everyone else anyway. I will never hate Lyse because even though she was a downgrade from Yda she still kept that less-thinking-more-doing rationale and it made for some entertaining moments in 4.0 like when she kicked the shit out of that Namazu. Also, her putting things simply was useful for communicating concepts to readers who couldn't follow along with Urianger's Shakespeare impression all the time. Now when the remaining scions try to put things simply for the reader it just feels like they're talking down to you.

Whoever our new friends end up being, granted that they ARE new, I hope we get at least one meathead who charges into action without thinking and either subverts the situation by showing that the solution was more simple than we thought or creates minor issues by doing so. Give a little bit of spice to our main cast! A bit of fun! Some whimsy!

[Nilroreo]

I...I have a feeling this where they are trying to go...though I will happily (angrily?) join you in flipping those tables as this would not be acceptable to me either.

On one hand, I really want them to recover from this mess, as they've granted us beautifully crafted stories before, and I believe they could do it again. On the other, as a connoisseur of hot anime cringe in jrpg's à la Kingdom Hearts, I'm morbidly curious as to where they're going with this.

Whoever our new friends end up being, granted that they ARE new, I hope we get at least one meathead who charges into action without thinking and either subverts the situation by showing that the solution was more simple than we thought or creates minor issues by doing so. Give a little bit of spice to our main cast! A bit of fun! Some whimsy!

I'll gladly take Fordola as my meathead .

[RedaAlert]

Unpopular Opinion but G'raha now sucks.
I like the Crystal Exarch way, way better. I actually wish G'raha never tagged with us and stayed there and help his people there
and possibly fall in love with Lyna (Sorry her name escapes me, I think that's it but the Viera.)

He has now suffered the 'Cute Neko Man" diseases where he does cute things like eat borgers
and do nothing but be useless the entire time. I actually kinda side with Eistenin now. He's good company
and he isn't idolizing me at every second...though he reminds me of Kain Highwind and I can't stand that mfer.
But anyways yeah lol. Just wish G'raha wasn't turned into this now because he lost his character for me.

That is not an "Unpopular Opinion" here in this forums, people here love to hate on G'raha at every chance they get.

I agree that he needs to have more badass moments where he shows his prowess and leadership more, but to say he was useless is just wrong and I will stand by this statement no matter what, all through EW he was the most competent out of all the Scions, saving the lives of countless people, but it really doesn't matter because people hate him purely out of personal feelings, if he does nothing people will call him useless, and if he does anything people will scream 'mary sue'. I think it is pretty clear that as the Crystal Exarch he was still a fanboy who idolized the WoL yet he kept his emotions and feelings tamed cause he needed to play the role of the enigmatic leader, he literally kind of told you how he feels on that hill on Kholusia, and all until 5.3 the possible outcome of his death haunted his mind as he used his very essence to put everything into the soul vessels to bring back the scions. Does that mean that the game should neglect his 100 years of leadership? no and that is why I want them to show his exarch side more.

After 5.3, having now given a 2nd chance in life, he decides to re-live his lost forgotten youth, free from responsibilities and stress, a 100 years, from an apocalypse to another to another, the man finally gets to live how he wants, but this is how he always was, with his exarch life popping in and out life like the Thavnair scene. I, personally, don't mind his affection, I don't mind him being who he is, and living as he wants, after everything he's been through, I kind of understand people who find him uncomfortable out of personal feelings, or feel like he is too attached, but I don't cry over fictional, pixelated characters being clingy to my pixelated character. Maybe I'm just weird idk, also the whole crystarium mentioned that Lyna is like a granddaughter to the Exarch, so unless you are into that I don't think it will work.

[anhaato]

I'll gladly take Fordola as my meathead .

See I would've loved getting to travel with her and Arenvald but Square hates Ala Mhigo so bad they permanently injured one of them and took him out of the story forever!

Edit: also I forgot to mention that one of the highlights of HW was how Estinien and Ysayle were at war with each other for a good portion of our travels. Give me more sidekicks who don't get along at first! I'd accept having one scion holdover if it's Urianger and we get to see him hate someone else who's new to the cast. I think it would be hysterical if we got to see him just absolutely seethe at someone for minor reasons.

[SieyaM]

Maybe it's just me but I also feel like the prove yourself by combat trope is way overused in FFXIV. It seems like they want to set up a scenario for these battles to take place but can't think of anything good or fitting for the narrative so it's just a standard "prove yourself worthy" line.

[Skyborne]

On one hand, I really want them to recover from this mess, as they've granted us beautifully crafted stories before, and I believe they could do it again. On the other, as a connoisseur of hot anime cringe in jrpg's à la Kingdom Hearts, I'm morbidly curious as to where they're going with this.

If we're talking about cringe, I hope we get fun cringe in the future and not just whatever EW was. Nomura/Ishikawa collab without any meddling when?

Maybe it's just me but I also feel like the prove yourself by combat trope is way overused in FFXIV. It seems like they want to set up a scenario for these battles to take place but can't think of anything good or fitting for the narrative so it's just a standard "prove yourself worthy" line.

I really wonder if that's going to be the case for the rest of the 24man, but I'm on the same boat.