The feeling of beeing Home ...

[Ceasaria]

I feel same, especially each time I listen to the Piano Collection (ARR-HW-SB music).
We were exploring our beloved Eorzea and then Aldenard and Othard during those expansions following the story, places and threats being in place since the 1.0.
In most of those places, I have felt a sentiment of serenity (visual, music and global ambiance) when exploring them for the first time (and the numerous times after for La Noscea, Black Shroud and Thanalan).

In Shadowbringers, the direction taken was innovative, but not incompatible with what we have. And some side quests (Trials for example) allowed us to still deal with Garlemald.
But in the First, I didn't felt the emotions from before (also my beloved healer enjoyment was gone...), or not in the same amount. I accepted it, it was well driven.

For Endwalker in the other hand...to me, it was cut in two parts, two small expansions that packed many things into one. At the result, it didn't manage to continue and end of the best possible way some stories and plots.
Furthermore, exploring two times Thavnair (a beautiful area I can see with the tribal quest) under two extreme threats, it was not what I expected at first.
I understood, because of the story, the exploration would not be peaceful, but it's a shame.
To me, we should have had a 6.0 with Isalbard focus (Nagxia, Dalmasca, Thavnair, Garlemald, another Garlemald area, and the Moon), and then 7.0 with Past / Space focus.

Like many there, I would have liked to not reconnect with others scions already at 6.1. It's very weird, especially after the goodbye speech at the end of 6.0.
Also, we are supposed to go on new adventures, right ? Can we not just chill here and there in every place we visited since 2.0 instead of already having a new threat showing up at 6.1 ?

I would love to begin 7.0 with no threat at all, having the choice to explore 3 reposing and pretty areas (cut in several parts as La Noscea, Black Shroud and Thanalan) far away with no major scion at our side at the start of the next expansion.
SE, just give me that 2.0 vibe again. It's the perfect time for it, and I want it.

[CrownySuccubus]

Garlemald is quite clearly inspired by a combination of the Romans and the Russians, just with a technological twist thrown in for good measure. The attempts to try and tie them to a certain era in Germany's history are misguided and deceptive - usually based around taking one or two specific elements, greatly exaggerating them and presenting them as something completely different to what is actually being portrayed.

No, the Garleans are definitely more like Nazi Germany than the Romans, in terms of modus operandi. But even that hair is one that is pointless to split (more on this later).

The Romans liked to conquer things and incorporate them into the empire sure, but as long as you weren't rebelling and paid your taxes, Rome would leave you alone and (to an extent) even try to incorporate people and cultures into Rome, such as developing Roman versions of local gods or incorporating other aspects of culture. Garlemald, however, liked to roll into whatever area they conquered and completely eradicate whatever the local culture was, replacing with with wholly Garlean ideals and beliefs and taking various members as conscripts or workers (aka "slaves", based on how it's described in Stormblood and Endwalker). In short, the Romans tried to avoid things like genocide (whether cultural or ethnic) at all costs because dead or devastated people don't pay taxes, while the Nazis and Garleans were all about that life.

Further, all of this is pretty superfluous because the Nazis explicitly modeled themselves and their fascist ideology on the Roman Empire. The entire point of the name "Third Reich", in fact, is in deference to the Holy Roman Empire, which was the First Reich (the Hohenzollern Germany was the Second). Even the term "fascism" comes from a Roman term for a bundle of sticks. The Nazis were pretty much Roman Empire LARPers, much like the Garleans are.

Which is a key point, I've noticed. Whenever it is suggested that maybe the protagonists could actually endure some meaningful losses amongst the major characters such a suggestion is shot down - but it's considered acceptable for the game's antagonists, no matter how sympathetic, to lose absolutely everything they care about.

Because the antagonists choose to fight to the last man and live and die by the sword. There were multiple attempts to find common ground or peace with, for example, the Ascians and Garlemald, but both of them made it very clear that they were going to fight to the bitter end. Even if we argue that this was "understandable" for their parts, it doesn't change the fact of.

As I've said before, you can't advocate that only the strong survive or that morality is decided by the victors, and then be upset when it's not you.

So I certainly don't blame them for getting their hands dirty out of necessity to protect their loved ones.

That argument may work for the Ascians, but not the Garleans. The Garleans were waging war of expansion, not defense.

Furthermore, as I've said every other time this exact same discussion has occurred supporting the antagonists does not equal expecting the protagonists to just roll over and die. I liked ShB a lot for that reason. It didn't pretend that both sides lacked a point or that one side winning came at the cost of another. That's how...any conflict works.

While it's nice that Emet-Selch had more nuance, there are many conflicts (both real and fictional) in which one side is either more in the wrong or COMPLETELY wrong.

[Hazama999]

Past times which are fondly remembered are irrecoverably in the past and cannot be relived.

The phrase "you can't go home again" or in this case "you can't go back to regular adventuring" feels a bit apt, in my opinion. I definitely look back to those early days of ARR when we explored dungeons and caves to fulfill a relatively mundane task and there's a certain nostalgia in there... But you can't go back to that. Despite what the devs have said, despite what Tataru suggests... shaking off your titles and all that, it's clear as day that you've left a mark in the world, and you can't "just" be another adventurer... least that's what I believe.

[hagare]

The Nazis were pretty much Roman Empire LARPers, much like the Garleans are.

now I'm just imagining the SS doing the biggus dickus skit

[kaynide]

This is just my armchair analyst opinion, so don’t take it too seriously but, I am of the opinion that the devs have a good idea of what they want to do, but there is a bit of stumbling in the execution.

It reminds of of how Disney worked out their theme park Epcot. Originally they had 2 different ideas, one for future tech and another for a kind of countries of the world…but they couldn’t decide which park to make so they just said “F it, just smash em together and make one”.

I think the same thing happened in Stormblood and Endwalker where they had 2 different ideas that just got smashed together. While I don’t particularly like the story of Stormblood, it did lay a lot of foundation that was useful in future expansions, so it has grown on me to some extent. I think (hope?) Endwalker will do similar things.

[kaynide]

since the whole 'EMPIRE BAD' trope is dull, tiresome and rids a setting of a key fantasy cornerstone. I certainly wouldn't find the Elder Scrolls games interesting if they decided to randomly remove Imperials.

That aside, nobody has ever claimed that Garlemald is free of sin or perfect. They've simply pointed out that there's some good reasons why they did what they did - because they didn't the Warrior of Light to solve all their problems before they could fester and escalate.

Which is a key point, I've noticed. Whenever it is suggested that maybe the protagonists could actually endure some meaningful losses amongst the major characters such a suggestion is shot down.

I don’t expect anything of it, but I’m on board with this. Loss is an important part of character and story growth, and as much as people would hate it, losing one of the twins, for example, would allow for very interesting development of the other. A “he was the best of us” moment, followed by the sister becoming somewhat of an Antagonist bent on her revenge would be a heck of a ride.

On the Empire…I know it’s building up to that Legion somewhere south of us to be some kind of antagonist, but I really hope it turns into a situation where we help establish a new homeland for them.

Just saying if Dragons and Ishgard can get over their beef, this should be possible.

[Rulakir]

At this point, I'd rather the Scions just follow their own pursuits separate from the WoL because if they did kill one now we'd never see the end of it. I think it's bad enough that Haurchefant and Moenbryda are milked to death. Granted, I think part of why they are is because they've refused to kill anyone since HW. There's also the issue that there's been so many fake-outs even if they did kill one nobody would take it seriously. There'd just be a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop and the moment wouldn't have the intended impact.

They're going to have to introduce new characters with no expectations of plot armored immortality if they want to ever write stakes for the protagonist's side back into the game.

[XiRon]

At this point, I'd rather the Scions just follow their own pursuits separate from the WoL because if they did kill one now we'd never see the end of it. I think it's bad enough that Haurchefant and Moenbryda are milked to death. Granted, I think part of why they are is because they've refused to kill anyone since HW. There's also the issue that there's been so many fake-outs even if they did kill one nobody would take it seriously. There'd just be a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop and the moment wouldn't have the intended impact.

They're going to have to introduce new characters with no expectations of plot armored immortality if they want to ever write stakes for the protagonist's side back into the game.

The tragedy here being the would kill off any new msq good guys quicker than they killed off moenbryda so White Hair McSharlayan could cry about it for character development.
I totally expect Runar to die because (apart from far too many players being annoying their uguuu waifu having a love interest who isnt them) he committed the sin of not being a scrawny white haired hyur/hyur but french race and thats not marketable I guess.
Its only because of how bad it would look to kill off the one scion with melanin after stormbloods genius writing of killing off meffrid and conrad so Lyse could be the star of ala mhigo Arenvald didnt die in 5.5.

[TaleraRistain]

You might consider taking a break. Maybe you're just burned out. Go away for a bit. Enjoy something else. If you dwell on something negative, then it will just continue to weigh on your mind. If you go away for a bit, then you may be able to come back with fresh eyes or a different perspective. You may find certain things don't bother you quite as much. Or if some story has built up, maybe we will know our next foe. I don't see where we are now as we've lost our foes. I'm curious which will reveal itself next. Because there will always be something to pit ourselves again.

If things still bother you after a short break, then maybe you need a longer break. Or it's time to move on. But forcing yourself will almost guarantee that things won't get better for you.

[TaleraRistain]

Part of what Yoshida believes/believed is the approach to making it successful is to listen to one's customers. Not exactly unheard of as a principle in business.

It's entirely possible and even desired in business to listen to your customers but still maintain your own vision and identity. If you constantly act only on the whims of customers, then that becomes unsustainable. Either you start to lose customers because you're too lenient and trying to keep up with demands becomes impossible and causes you to neglect other customers, or you're so inconsistent your customers can't have faith in you. My company actively seeks customer input, but there are some things some of them ask for that are just flat out impossible to accommodate.

I would argue that Yoshida's team has been too lenient and now that they are starting to push back more, people who were used to the old way are unhappy. But setting boundaries is going to be healthy for them in the long run.