6.4 patch speculation

[KageTokage]

I'm expecting 6.4 is going to be the proper close for the void storyline then we get a stinger teasing that something unpleasant is going down in whatever region we're heading to in 7.x and we're getting just one patch of build up in 6.5 as opposed to two like is typically the case.

[Cleretic]

That's nothing new. We didn't know most upcoming main-expansion villains by this point in previous patch cycles.

Not true; by 4.3 I believe we had seen 'Solus', and 5.3 was the expansion where we got both Fandaniel's face and name. By 2.3 Ishgard was... a bit of a factor but that's a weird case. 3.3 was the only time where we definitely hadn't seen anything of the next expansion's villains, but the events of 3.3 did directly lead to Stormblood's inciting incident.

What we really do need to recognize, though, is that this patch cycle is ALSO completely unlike any others. Every other patch cycle essentially treated the x.1-x.3 patches as the epilogue/final chapter of that expansion, and x.4 and x.5 as the leadup to the next. Endwalker's patches have been explicitly said by the devs as being done differently, as they specifically wanted Endwalker's finale to be the actual finale in a way that wasn't true for all previous expansions. They've also said that the hook for 7.0 is coming very late, so 6.x's MSQ is neither epilogue nor prologue; it's its own story.

So yes, Kesey's right that it's unusual that we don't have a future hook or villain, but is missing that this isn't part of some mystery; that's been stated by the developers as the intention of the story we're currently in. Golbez is most likely not some secret mystery hook for the next expansion; he's probably gonna get defeated in these patches because this is just where his story ends.

I wouldn't exactly say it's a daring guess to say that Golbez was somehow involved with the Contramemoria, though. The same is true of everyone else who's a character in the Thirteenth, and the fact that life is in a birthless and deathless stasis there means he can't exactly have turned up late. At this point it'd be a bigger swing to say he wasn't involved in the war, because... well, how the hell do you dodge that one?

[Carin-Eri]

I find it strange that they have decided to reveal the trial instead of keeping it a secret like usual. Moreover, if we're going to fight Golbez's shadow dragon then it's almost guaranteed that the Shadow dragon encounter will be in the Aetherfont dungeon. (It could also be part of Golbez's trial, or not, or fighting the shadow dragon in the dungeon and trial too).

I wonder if the Void story is going to be wrapped up in 6.4, but if it's going to continue to 6.5 then we're probably about to see a major event occurring in 6.4 that's going to be carried into 6.5 and beyond.

Also probably fair to assume that said Shadow Dragon will be a brainwashed/controlled Azdaja - I'd always assumed we'd end up having to fight her one way or another.

[WhiteArchmage]

Honestly, if we DO fight Azadaja that's more fodder for my pet theory that they're building up a (Orthos Spoiler)

The First Brood Ultimate fight, considering we've now fought Nidhogg, Hraesvelgr, Midgarsormr, Bahamut, and Clone Tiamat. Now I don't mean Lore-wise building up to it, rather slowly figuring out mechanics for each dragon of the first brood in case they do decide to design that Ultimate

For MSQ patch-content, my best guess is there won't be any indication of where we're going next or what the next story arc will be until 6.5 or even 6.55. Obviously we as players will know from expansion announcement at FanFest, but we the players knowing WHERE doesn't translate to WHY.

(Still holding out hope for Krile to rise to prominence as we explore the New World and she takes up Native Geomancy which is closer to a more attack-based Conjury and just coincidentally happens to share a name with Hingan Geomancy)

[RyuDragnier]

I wouldn't exactly say it's a daring guess to say that Golbez was somehow involved with the Contramemoria, though. The same is true of everyone else who's a character in the Thirteenth, and the fact that life is in a birthless and deathless stasis there means he can't exactly have turned up late. At this point it'd be a bigger swing to say he wasn't involved in the war, because... well, how the hell do you dodge that one?

Adding to that, the real question happens to be who IS Golbez? We have not seen his face, and his power and ability to strategize is far outside of the norm of Voidsent. Is he a Sundered Ascian from the 13th? Is he Azem's Shard? Does he happen to be a shard of anybody we know? Or is he something even more outside of the ordinary that will throw us all for a loop when we discover it?

[Kranel_San]

Adding to that, the real question happens to be who IS Golbez? We have not seen his face, and his power and ability to strategize is far outside of the norm of Voidsent. Is he a Sundered Ascian from the 13th? Is he Azem's Shard? Does he happen to be a shard of anybody we know? Or is he something even more outside of the ordinary that will throw us all for a loop when we discover it?

I think he's just similar to Rubicante's case in having a strong willpower that keeps his personality from before the flood intact while overcoming his voidsents instincts, at least to a degree.

[Cleretic]

Adding to that, the real question happens to be who IS Golbez? We have not seen his face, and his power and ability to strategize is far outside of the norm of Voidsent. Is he a Sundered Ascian from the 13th? Is he Azem's Shard? Does he happen to be a shard of anybody we know? Or is he something even more outside of the ordinary that will throw us all for a loop when we discover it?

My favorite theory I've heard is that he's an eidolon/primal who's just... alive forever, now; we won't see under his helmet because there's nothing actually meaningful under there, it's like Susano. It would also explain his kinda cycloptic look when we do see him straight-on; that is not a humanoid in there. That doesn't super square with his stated goal at the end of 6.3, but it also doesn't contradict it.

I mostly like that theory because it completely throws out 'oh he's a shard of X', which I find a dreadfully boring answer that would actually completely flatten Golbez and probably whoever he's a shard of, too. Suddenly he is not his own character, he's merely a narrative extension of somebody else. And he can't even do that right, because the best explorations of that (mostly seen in comic books, think alt-universe Superman or Batmen) are exploring that overtly and right from the start, so you can follow all of that very well. Golbez just hasn't been given that chance.

[Kesey]

That's nothing new. We didn't know most upcoming main-expansion villains by this point in previous patch cycles.

We knew many villains by this point. Zenos leading into Stormblood, Emet into Shadowbringers, and Fandaniel into Endwalker. Even Heavensward, while not establishing a direct villain, had laid the ground work pretty fast for entire war before we walked into Ishgard.

And I understand that this patch cycle is different. But it seems counterintuitive to introduce a villain who by all hints is going to disappear before the big chunk of story is released in the expansion. I think the start of a good villain is routed in mystery first, character development later. But we have no one if Golbez is killed next patch.

But there is a mystery with Golbez, which is rooted in his identity behind the mask and who/what was he before 13th was corrupted. Are they really going to just gloss over this to get to another story entirely? Their track record says no.

[Kesey]

My favorite theory I've heard is that he's an eidolon/primal who's just... alive forever, now; we won't see under his helmet because there's nothing actually meaningful under there, it's like Susano. It would also explain his kinda cycloptic look when we do see him straight-on; that is not a humanoid in there. That doesn't super square with his stated goal at the end of 6.3, but it also doesn't contradict it.

I mostly like that theory because it completely throws out 'oh he's a shard of X', which I find a dreadfully boring answer that would actually completely flatten Golbez and probably whoever he's a shard of, too. Suddenly he is not his own character, he's merely a narrative extension of somebody else. And he can't even do that right, because the best explorations of that (mostly seen in comic books, think alt-universe Superman or Batmen) are exploring that overtly and right from the start, so you can follow all of that very well. Golbez just hasn't been given that chance.

I'd prefer him to be an Ascian than a primal or shard of x. At least as an Ascian he can make their choices, even if the Ascians are over done. Primals are too one sided and shard of x are just a what-if scenario (looking at you Mowena and Gerolt). An Ascian will at least be a better story from a character development point of view.

[RyuDragnier]

If it's an Ascian, my money is on Pashtarot. Why? Because his title (going by FF12's info on the Scions of Light and Darkness) is Knight-Star...and Golbez certainly looks like a knight. Plus his other half is Zeromus, the Condemner. Makes for a perfect Ascian to be play the role I'd think.