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

[Lauront]

This song will play for the 10000th time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0YM...PAWRa&index=27

(I like this song actually but they really overuse it to the point I can almost consistently predict when it's going to be played. Really need to make more sad OSTs honestly.)

It's gotten to that point where you just know what music will play next and whether there will be a fist clench or pump.

I have heard the "keening beneath the earth" line was a translation error exclusive to the english version, but I haven't seen any proof of this.

Also yes, I think ShB ending with Zodiark's death, then the next expansion being the fallout would've been much better than him being a lvl 83 trial boss in EW, and have the entire expansion revolve around said fallout leading up to the source of the Final Days. But who knows why we got what we got in the end. I just know for a fact that they were not trying their best with EW, it was a step down in all respects and held up by fanservice and "cool" moments rather than a good. compelling plot.

I don't believe it was. The Watcher re-affirms it on the moon, and it also exists in the FR version:





Now it may not exist in the JP version but I am very sceptical that it doesn't.

I didn't think the 'Sound' was going to be addressed in 6.0 and in hindsight I don't think it should have been either. It could've been the 'big bad' of the next arc if they'd written Zodiark's demise to slowly unravel the 'laws of nature' whereby we gradually start to see the Final Days begin to creep up around the world with increasing intensity across expansions. One of other complaints about EW is the Final Days, an extinction level event for the Ancients, is arguably no worse than any other calamity for modern mankind.

Additionally, rather than a time loop paradox, the WoL could have started having dreams or Echo flashbacks to the Final Days. I'd argue they're overdue as those less rejoined than the WoL have visions/memories of their past lives. We could've been trained in how to hone our Echo by any one of the unsundered. Elidibus should've procured from the CT to aid us with Zodiark and offer a glimpse into what happened from his POV. We were denied seeing everything from Zodiark's summoning, to Elidibus' mediation, to the sundering.

There's so much more that could have been done. Unfortunately, I think the issue is Yoshi-P was bored of this story (if he ever liked it at all) and wanted to move on to something else. I already had that feeling before the interview where he mentioned needing to be interested in what he was doing. It feels like Ancient and lore fans got the shaft because he just wasn't into it. I also wonder how much of a factor that was in Ishikawa stepping down as MSQ writer. I'd find it difficult to believe EW is what she intended.

I agree with all this, including the true origin of the Sound being the focal point for the next arc. Wasted opportunity.

The real sad part is that the cinematic trailer they showed off for EW made it seem like we would be dealing with the voidsent and eldritch horrors. The tower of Zot actually re-enforced that feeling with some of the "human" enemies after the first boss. After the Raz at hand situation though, they kind of dropped that part off. That, combined with the elpis made it feel like a huge bait and switch imo. Perhaps 7.0 will pay off considering the way the story is going but after the string of plotholes EW left, I really am feeling lukewarm to the MSQ and even some of the side story content (The role quest finale felt really flat compared to the ShB role quest finale. If anything, I feel like the Garliens really are getting a raw deal all around but that's for another discussion).

Even as someone who enjoys the aesthetics of the Void, I am not particularly excited by what they've cooked up so far, and I think they burnt through too much of their plot in too little time, too shallowly. I was rather shocked (though probably shouldn't've been) when I saw how swiftly and poorly they resolved the Garlean plot. It's just not a very satisfactory resolution to me.

Not sure how he would have been cliche or boring as the final boss considering he’s been built up for 10+ years. Also an amazing fight? I’m scared to think what you think is a lackluster fight considering this is a primal capable of bending the laws of creation and reality yet his signature ability is….moving the arena WHOAAAAAA. Vital part of the story? We were literally there for 10 minutes on the moon and then immediately killed him and he’s hardly even mentioned again. He isn’t even praised for being what saved the world!

As far as your twelve theory goes….it’s gonna be a bit hard for her followers to be the Twelve when we were told she consumed their souls lmao. They’re gone.

The devs didn’t confirm anything. They said what venat thought is probably what would happen, yes probably. Not “yes that’s going to happen,” because you can’t make assumptions on something 1000+ years in the future.

It's even more tenuous than that. They said it's their vision of what would probably happen if the ancients didn't change - in turn, they said that it was her belief that they wouldn't change. This is all very loosy goosy stuff.