Would Endwalker have been better if we never visited Elpis at all?

[Kolsykol]

We went there to answer a question. So long as we find the answer to that question elsewhere I see no reason why we would have to go there. Yes I think it would have been better if we just visited ruins or something.

I don't think that would've been nearly as fun and exciting, and ultimately it's a video game that needs to be taken into consideration too.
I generally don't like time travel stuff but I had more problems with the Crystal Exarch and Crystal Tower or the insanity of the Alexander raid than I did Elpis.

My preference tho would've been that we had somehow used our connection to Azem to sorta enter her/ his memories in a sort of physical way ( for gameplay purposes ) and it could've played out the same.
Meteion could still feel a connection to us because of Azem the same way that Hythlodaeus opened up so easily he even said it himself that it was probably because of our soul.

Ultimately tho I really wonder if people are as critical of time travel in other movies or games, or motives and methods of other villains like Thanos or uh... Emet.
Like do people even actually think it was poorly executed or do they just hate time travel?
Because there is a difference...

oh yeah and another thing

elpis takes away from the whole idea of being just a random lowly adventurer who rises to the occasion because of timetravel bs. in order for the plot to work (ie venat to trust us) we need her traveler's charm, and we get the traveller's charm in the arr intro sequence. it re-contextualizes everything in a bad way

............
This hasn't been a thing since basically early ARR o_O...
I dunno why when we got the blessing matters at all there.

Also the story was never planned out from the very beginning which is something worth remembering.
I mean it was really SHB that went in and rly started to connect things.
There are going to be holes or some retcons...

[Xirean]

I don't think that would've been nearly as fun and exciting, and ultimately it's a video game that needs to be taken into consideration too.
I generally don't like time travel stuff but I had more problems with the Crystal Exarch and Crystal Tower or the insanity of the Alexander raid than I did Elpis.

My preference tho would've been that we had somehow used our connection to Azem to sorta enter her/ his memories in a sort of physical way ( for gameplay purposes ) and it could've played out the same.
Meteion could still feel a connection to us because of Azem the same way that Hythlodaeus opened up so easily he even said it himself that it was probably because of our soul.

Ultimately tho I really wonder if people are as critical of time travel in other movies or games, or motives and methods of other villains like Thanos or uh... Emet.
Like do people even actually think it was poorly executed or do they just hate time travel?
Because there is a difference...

I've actually suggested something like this in other threads. But I think Kuro put it very plainly that the issue is our ability to return there whenever. The reason I suggest ruins is for the possibility of a zone to explore that also allows for location based echo visions. Looking into someones memories and having the WoL take the place of that person in said visions would allow for the instanced duel with Venat and the dungeon to remain as well as any story cutscenes though they would need to be reworked. Having the WoL view events rather than experience them changes quite drastically the implications of what is going on with that moment of the story. I've said it before; don't let me shake hands with a memory and not expect me to try to change things.