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

[KageTokage]

I love the fact this thread is still going.

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not, but I personally appreciate the fact that more and more people are chiming in about feeling dissatisfied with how things played out since it makes me feel like less of an anomaly.

on the discussion of "the sound" , the way the final days (in the present) where presented it looked more like meteions song of oblivion or whatever its called in english enabled the transformations but still needed a trigger to activate. if i'm not completly wrong right now than Pandemonium is in fact far below the ground and potentially? going deeper the further we go. considering every raid storyline so far while not absolutely necessary to complete did in fact have some tie ins to the mainstory it certainly is possible that "the sound from below" would in fact come out of Pandemonium and act as a catalyst for meteions song.

It's possible, though I feel whatever threat is in Pandemonium is going to be resolved by the time the raid is over and wouldn't be active during the original Final Days thanks to the closed time loop shenanigans.

The thing that bugs me the most is Azem's involvement in this mess suggesting they somehow knew all of this was going to happen already...

[Theodric]

At this point, I don't think they can reasonably "fix" the awkward writing decisions they made in Endwalker with any manner of supplementary lore or sidestories.

I'm just praying we get more stories with proper nuance to their morality/ideology like HW and ShB going forward.

To be fair, they did manage to flesh out Nidhogg retroactively with one of the Dragoon job quests that came after Heavensward. I'd say it's more so a matter of whether the development team even care to go back to any of the plot threads that were hastily closed off during Endwalker since they - or at least Yoshi-P - seem strangely eager to wash their hands of certain things.

I suppose it doesn't help that the Ancients were meant to be 'scary' but weren't considered or portrayed as such within the game itself in the eyes of many players. I still think a lot of the problems are due to a sharp, sudden change in direction. I keep glancing at some of the ShB era interviews and Yoshi-P seems to 'get it' when it comes to the nuance and tragedy inflicted upon the Ancients only for EW to bizarrely try to blame them for not rolling over and letting themselves be wiped out at Venat's behest.

[Lauront]

I love the fact this thread is still going.

Well what are your thoughts on the story?

[GrizzlyTank]

Only complaints for this expansion was Zenos (whom could have been cut from the story and nothing changed) and Hermes being put in the finale painting.

Yes, depression sucks but god damn Hermes. Your egoism killed planets.

[DevonEllwood]

I love the fact this thread is still going.

Yeah it's great that people have a place to vent and discuss the crappy parts of the story without people taking it as a personal insult

Maybe the sound was from the star, but a response noise to Meteion's song? That's what I originally thought it was. It could be the copium though. I mean it wouldn't be a retcon, since they never specified in game that the sound was Meteion's song, just people assuming from what I remember.

As a kid I was adverse to certain cartoons and characters because I didn't find them "realistic" enough. I hated Buggs Bunny; he didn't make sense because he showed no flaws. Daffy Duck on the other hand got angry, was constantly struggling, I can't take a "good guy" character seriously when their only flaw is "overly self sacrificing". The scions barely get upset at anything anymore. Estinien is basically a joke character in Endwalker, a far cry from the reserved but seething anger and disbelief from Heavensward. G'raha never showed any negativity and we we know about his struggles, but all of it was done off scene. The only "bad" traits that are shown is him pushing himself, showing self doubt, (which both got repetitive) and trying to open an envelope with a fish. He is always all smile. It's just not enough for me. All the scions have become completely lobotomized. It's gotten to the point where every scion could drop dead the next patch and I wouldn't care.

I am honestly thinking Ardbert was a complete fluke. He was a very fantastic "good guy" character who you see, on screen , struggle with himself and his actions. I don't understand why they can't make more characters like that. Why do all the characters with problems need to be relegated to side content. There's nothing really "wrong" with "all smiles" characters. Arenvald is one of those character (still haven't done role quests, maybe that will change) and I feel he works fine. It's when that characterization is the only thing we get front and center is when I feel it's a problem. I can't believe I'm mentioning this, but I miss Lyse. I miss her being elevated to a position she didn't deserve (and she knew this herself), her stupidity, and her struggling to understand a people she called her own but knew she didn't understand how they actually felt.

Endwalker is full of wasted potential and wasted opportunities.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Only complaints for this expansion was Zenos (whom could have been cut from the story and nothing changed) and Hermes being put in the finale painting.

Yes, depression sucks but god damn Hermes. Your egoism killed planets.

Same thoughts but with Venat. Why do Hermes and Venat get to be on the finale painting, but Elidibus/Zodiark are nowhere to be seen. Really baffling when you remember they’re the only reason we’re even alive to this day.

[Raoabolic]

There's nothing really "wrong" with "all smiles" characters. Arenvald is one of those character (still haven't done role quests, maybe that will change) and I feel he works fine.

You know, the role finale quest fell flat in my eyes but Arenvald was the silver lining in that quest line since you see what drives him to do what he does. He doesn't really change, it just puts his attitude in a new light. Even then, I think it was a fluke that the good writing is tucked away in side quests. That or the writer REALLY hates garlamand.

[GrizzlyTank]

Same thoughts but with Venat. Why do Hermes and Venat get to be on the finale painting, but Elidibus/Zodiark are nowhere to be seen. Really baffling when you remember they’re the only reason we’re even alive to this day.

Venat played it safe. She gambled on our time-line prevailing, on the other hand had she confronted Hermes and the Convocation there is no telling what Hermes might have started doing.

And by the time we get to see the painting we have yet to face pre-ascian Elidibus.

Maybe the sound was from the star, but a response noise to Meteion's song? That's what I originally thought it was. It could be the copium though. I mean it wouldn't be a retcon, since they never specified in game that the sound was Meteion's song, just people assuming from what I remember.

High chance that the Beast creating the scream within the planet is the source of the issues appearing within pandemonium, a beast created by ancients who were affected by meteion to propagate her will.

Also guessing that the last part of Pandemonium is actually going to be in present time putting whatever remains of the beast down.

[Maxilor]

[KizuyaKatogami]

Venat played it safe. She gambled on our time-line prevailing, on the other hand had she confronted Hermes and the Convocation there is no telling what Hermes might have started doing.

I’m sorry but how is placing the lives of the universe on the shoulders of a single person you’ve only met for a day playing it safe? She clearly didn’t fully believe in us herself as she had a huge backup plan years in the making lmao. I’m not sure how resorting to mass genocide and permanently shattering the world is “playing it safe.”