Endwalker is the most controversial expansion

[anhaato]

Can someone please explain to me why people despise criticism of the game enough to cope about “WELL THE SILENT MAJORITY AGREES WITH ME” and act like we’re trolls or we want to see the game fail or something? Like, what about us wanting to enjoy the game again is so awful?

[Theodric]

Most of the people who play the game dont even know these forums exist and those that do mostly just laugh at all the horrendous from afar

I don't think that's the case at all, for the reasons I outlined in response to the previous attempt to try and declare it as such:

The official forum really isn't anywhere near as bad as the likes of Reddit or Twitter, where credible death threats and horrific abuse are sent to people who dare to subscribe to an opinion that goes against the carefully curated 'correct' opinions.

The fact that the FFXIV Reddit Discord is run by individuals who had a secret channel for inappropriate images of Lalafell is reason enough to declare this place harmless in comparison. At the very least, anything genuinely unsettling or explicit will be removed by the moderators.

Furthermore, a lot of the people who attack the official forum just so happen to be bitter ex-posters who were banned for going too far at some point in the past. Or they simply echo what other players say about the place despite having no meaningful engagement here themselves.

You should probably look into what Scottzone was subjected to for a good example as to how this 'great' community handles criticism of the game.

I daresay more people are looking at the game's community on Twitter and Reddit only to start backing away slowly given how volatile such places are in general, let alone when it comes to a specific fandom. This place is pretty civil and I do find myself genuinely confused that some light critique is being pushed as some grave, unreasonable sin.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given how volatile some people get over the idea of someone placing pineapple on a pizza...but I also think it's worth noting that some of us don't make the game itself a part of our personality to the degree that we take criticism of it as an attack upon our very being.

[OhNooo]

Can someone please explain to me why people despise criticism of the game enough to cope about “WELL THE SILENT MAJORITY AGREES WITH ME” and act like we’re trolls or we want to see the game fail or something? Like, what about us wanting to enjoy the game again is so awful?

Random Player: "I was disappointed with this expansion and here's why..." *states all of their opinions*

The Great Community BTW: "You obviously didn't pay attention to the story..." "You didn't understand the theme fof the story..." "You must've skipped some cutscenes..." "Well you're in the minority. Most people enjoy it. *shrug*" "Just unsub if you're so unhappy. Complaining about it isn't gonna change anything." "You need to touch grass because you're analyzing things way too deeply. It's just an mmo." "THIS IS BAIT" *makes forum post titled If You Hate the Story Why are you Here?*

Random Player: "Damn all I did was say my opinion."

The Great Community BTW: "You said it like it was objective fact. It's like art, everyone has their own perspective."

Random Player: "...I'm sorry. I didn't realize I had to add "IMO" after every sentence."

[aveyond-dreams]

The forums may have bizarre takes every now and then but there is stuff that is still universal (aside from spaces where people know they'll be talked down to if they share a dissenting opinion).

"Actually, Summoner should keep its poison magic because Rydia had Bio, managing Carbuncle's (glitches and ghosting) behavior was the fun of the job for me" is an example of a take from these forums that neither the twittersphere nor serious players take seriously. Man was that a conversation.

"Summoner is missing X still, despite the rework. I want to play this but it feels lacking for a level 90 job, even if I am grateful for a break from the carpal-tunnel rotation of Shadowbringers" is an example of a middle ground/reasonable take, and my own opinion regarding that whole situation. Would that people suggested actual improvements as opposed to dots and busywork/reversions then perhaps those cyclical SMN threads might have gone somewhere (but apparently my ideas of adding more Summons, ogcd or otherwise was too radical for a job literally called Summoner).

Likewise, in terms of story there are actual arguments underlying people's opinions that aren't just strange one-offs that don't stand on their own. Here people have discussed at length their grievances with Venat, yet if you even dare to say the same of twitter people have accused me of being unemotional or that I dislike women. How is that logical? Or worse if I dare to criticize G'raha Tia I get met with the endless drone of "he went through so much just let him take a break!" as if that makes his scenes any less weird or creepy.

I only hope that sector of the community doesn't follow me into FFXVI, the last thing I want is to deal with adults who equate Alphinaud's scholar personality = feminine like the one user who drew him in a dress earlier this week to apparent acclaim from the twittersphere. I don't want to see people drawing Joshua that way given that he's more a bookish type person too. Or worse, goodness forbid they try to justify whatever machinations led to the destruction of Rosaria as being "for the greater good" if it turns out to be the woman present at the council meeting, and any attempts at criticizing her will be branded as hating women.

[Larirawiel]

The problem existed in the original series though.

Maybe. But the problems with causal loops in EW are so obvious, that i wonder how they made it into the game. Did the story writers really overlook them? I can hardly imagine that.


Cheers

[EaraGrace]

Maybe. But the problems with causal loops in EW are so obvious, that i wonder how they made it into the game. Did the story writers really overlook them? I can hardly imagine that.


Cheers

I guess I just don’t see causal loops as a problem.

Because it's used to explain major plot points in a story arc introduced 10 years ago instead of a minor thing?

It's all about context. People usually don't care about handwaved stuff and inconsistencies in side content like Hildibrand, but when the entire myth arc depends on it, it's a whole another story.

That applies to ShB as well right? I guess I just struggle to see where Endwalkers handling of time travel is so different as to make it a problem

[Rulakir]

As much as I enjoyed Emet & Hyth, being in another situation of 'you're Azem but not really' wasn't particularly satisfying. I would've preferred first person perspective Echo flashbacks as Azem or a 'follow along silently and eavesdrop' situation similar to the mechanic introduced in Garlemald and the moon. Making my character an accomplice to the sundering was definitely not worth whatever 'fan service' I may have gotten out of Elpis.

Regarding the "silent majority", I'd just like to point out that's what was said in WoW too. "People are happy playing the game, only 1% of players come to the forums to complain."

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Honestly, I love the Expansion...but I cant accurately Grade it per-say until it is 100% done and concluded, and now we are at the next Expansion
Like it was easy to put down Stormblood because of its rather weak Vanilla Narrative. But over time, its side content and its post story leading up to Shadowbringers was amazing, and it overall made me thing Stormblood had a weak start, but a great Finish. So I see it Positively.

I cant say the same with Endwalker, until it is finished. MAYBE something might change and alter thoughts later.
Thats just my take

[KageTokage]

That applies to ShB as well right? I guess I just struggle to see where Endwalkers handling of time travel is so different as to make it a problem

The problem with Endwalker was that it attached a causal loop to one of the most fundamental far-reaching events in the game's lore that shaped the world and the motivations of several characters in ways both direct and indirect.

It also left a very ugly question hanging in the air of just how much Venat/Hydaelyn knew was going to happen and just let it happen because "the future said so", and makes some instances where she claims have been trying to prevent tragedy (Such as with the First and the flood of light) feel like she was going through the motions because it had to happen in order to maintain the loop.

I feel like it cheapened a lot of the decisions made by various characters in general. IE, the context for Emet-Selch saving us from Elidibus was no longer just a matter of him having been convinced to place faith in us and the sundered; nope, he already knew us personally beforehand and that we were to be instrumental in stopping the Final Days.

[Necrotica]

Based.

That's a pretty hot take, most of the community is in absolute love with the PvP Changes.

For curiosities sake, would you care to elaborate?

No.

Is what I would say, but it won't let me cause I need more characters. So instead I will say that I liked the old PVP in Frontlines. I liked being my role in PVP. Everyone is going off about how the pvp changes are somehow better for class fantasy.

I am a fucking white mage. Death star laser is not part of my fantasy. Healing my party is.