The atrocity that was the "In from the Cold" quest ending - *STORY RANT*

[SannaR]

Besides, it’s just good sense to eat before :3

Exactly. It just goes back to Titan. Where we eat a meal before people think we might not come back from. The game just continued the tradition of eating a meal before we go do a thing. We eat with the Mol before heading off to Bardam's Mettle the next day.

[SannaR]

I only remember one dining in the EW MSQ but that can be my memory mushing them together. The right before Ultima Thule... no before we got there. That's my point though. Can you imagine camping in front of the final boss of an expansion and be like "ah all the things we went through. Want some tea?" Imho makes more sense to do that after

Definitely some mashing them together. As the meal with those three happen at the same time we have that talk with Alphinaud and Estinien after they had tea with his mother.

The burger scene was slightly after we had just delt with the tower of Zot and had just returned to Old Sharlyean.

[Kazhar]

I only remember one dining in the EW MSQ but that can be my memory mushing them together. The right before Ultima Thule... no before we got there. That's my point though. Can you imagine camping in front of the final boss of an expansion and be like "ah all the things we went through. Want some tea?" Imho makes more sense to do that after

I'm not usually one to defend anything about EW's writing, but to be fair, it wouldn't be exactly the first time it happened in the series. One of FFX's most memorable scene is the protagonist team doing exactly that. (in their minds at least)

Yes, it doesn't really make logical sense but stories aren't just about that. Having the restropective moment just before the climax is a good place to maximize the intended emotional impact.

[Iscah]

It's a classic jrpg staple to have a final "winding down" moment before a final boss. It's in every jrpg.

It's a lot like the campfire scene we had in Heavensward before going to meet with Hraesvelgr, or the opening scene from FFX that turns out to be a flash forward to another "late-game reminiscing at the campfire before a major event".

It's like a moment of calm before the storm. Stop and take a breath before you plunge into it, and appreciate the significance of what you're about to do.

[Eisi]

And that shows you didn't understand Zenos at all. (I personally hate him because he is a horribly written character)
So, he wouldn't kill any of the Scions because they were beneath him.

It's really easy to just say "you don't understand the character" and then use one's own fan-fiction version of the character to explain why they acted out of character.

Killing people that are below his power level is precisely what Zenos has done time and time again. Just because he doesn't gain satisfaction of battle from it doesn't mean he won't kill someone for other reasons. To believe that people were safe all along because Zenos would never kill anyone beneath him is such horrible logic.

He wouldn't kill us in the Legionnaires body because we are too weak. He wants to fight us when we can actually defeat him.

You think I don't know that? You think I think Zenos would want to permanently kill us there? No, obviously he would do it right before we body swap back, just to let us taste death as he has. He sees us as a sort of complement to him, so it would be appropriate.

[Boblawblah]

I won't try to defend 'in from the cold' because it feels like they wanted to throw in a new mechanic and have a different experience but didn't really think of how to incorporate it properly into the story, combined with not wanting to upset people too much, so it comes across as weird for a lot of people.

For me, once I died because I tried to beeline it for the camp not realizing there was a very specific Sierra adventure games-esk style of 'puzzle' I was supposed to solve, the illusion was shattered and I just got annoyed by it, I didn't feel what I was supposed to feel. Not to mention the nonsensical motivations from the villains, and lack of any relevance after the quest, just made the whole quest fall flat imo.

Also, on the 'eating before a battle' thing, I'm convinced that the only reason people don't like that scene is because they don't like the characters. If it was Fordola, Gaius, and Jullus having a super edgy gathering where they all mocked the scions while eating super detailed military rations, I'm sure a lot of the naysayers would suddenly be thrilled.

[Eisi]

Also, on the 'eating before a battle' thing, I'm convinced that the only reason people don't like that scene is because they don't like the characters. If it was Fordola, Gaius, and Jullus having a super edgy gathering where they all mocked the scions while eating super detailed military rations, I'm sure a lot of the naysayers would suddenly be thrilled.

Beautiful ♥

[Absimiliard]

Also, on the 'eating before a battle' thing, I'm convinced that the only reason people don't like that scene is because they don't like the characters. If it was Fordola, Gaius, and Jullus having a super edgy gathering where they all mocked the scions while eating super detailed military rations, I'm sure a lot of the naysayers would suddenly be thrilled.

Joke's on you. I would consider that a waste of resources as well. A rather large one, I might add. The time and money going into those ridiculous scenes could've been better used elsewhere. A slice of life scene every once in a while is fine, but I don't think it's something they should ever put center-stage for any reason. Just show enough to make clear what they're doing, maybe let one or two characters say something meaningful or entertaining, then move on. Pretty straightforward.

[Kazhar]

Also, on the 'eating before a battle' thing, I'm convinced that the only reason people don't like that scene is because they don't like the characters.

For me that's not it.
I'm fine with scenes breaking the tension. Some stories who mastered their rythm do that to a great effect. But in EW it's way overused to the point that it feels jarring.
Cute comic relief (and I must say pointless) scenes with the Loporrits just after Zodiark's death signaled the Apocalypse? It destroyed the pacing of the story at a point when it really needed to pick up.
Labyrinthos 88-89 when we spend time discussing about dumb carrots metaphors and other completely mundane things so late into the expansion? The worst possible place for filler. Has anyone found who played this expansion felt threatened by the Final Days? The absurd amount of filler is part of the reason why it was so underwhelming. No character seems to really care that much.
Especially since it's immediatly followed by Ultima Thule where everything slows down to a crawl so that the Scions can have moving speeches about nothing in particular since their heroic sacrifices are just a performance.

[Simple_Barghest]

Also, on the 'eating before a battle' thing, I'm convinced that the only reason people don't like that scene is because they don't like the characters. If it was Fordola, Gaius, and Jullus having a super edgy gathering where they all mocked the scions while eating super detailed military rations, I'm sure a lot of the naysayers would suddenly be thrilled.

Make it the Ascians having a tea party while the Scions are hanging in the background and you'd have the forums busting multiple nuts.