What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Kazhar]

I'm so sorry you've had to go through that. That's absolutely vile. I can't fathom who on earth would do such things. Are there parts of the playerbase so genuinely offended by these opinions, or is it opportunistic trolls looking to create misery?

I'd say both but leaning on the latter. They just want a target and pretend to have moral high ground (while going on unfiltered transphobic tirades, truly ironic).
Having full access to the discord history like some of us do, the leaker had enough context to see that the "brigading" in Pint's video was really 3 people arguing in circle in one comment chain. Yet they felt their epic infiltration mission lacked spice so they grasped at every straw possible to make it bigger. (with good amount of real life fanfiction to fill the blanks) Just go on YouTube and just see for yourself what the "raiding" amounted to. Even out of context, that quote, which is pretty much the one thing they have against us, was a clear exageration.
It's absolutely nothing compared to whenever MrHappy or Zepla link this very thread for clicks, yet you don't see them complaining about that.

[Xeronia]

*sigh* lucky you. I don't have RL friends to rant to since all of them doesn't even play games (and the one who does don't like MMO). Once I foolishly rant to big ffxiv community place (reddit, reddit discord, twitter) and, well, I quickly learn how this playerbase treat minority (of opinion). So yeah, while it's not perfect, and I too occasionally went into argument/fight with people there, I'm thankful that place exist. Otherwise I'll go crazy.

Oh don't feel too bad. I just have a real stubborn set of friends determined to have fun with the MSQ and thus stupid outfits, gotta make it fun somehow.

I'm so sorry you've had to go through that. That's absolutely vile. I can't fathom who on earth would do such things. Are there parts of the playerbase so genuinely offended by these opinions, or is it opportunistic trolls looking to create misery?

Honestly I would say things are getting better as you can pretty much say you found the patch content story underwhelming and no one would really bat an eyelash at you, at least to what I have noticed myself.

I do hope those unhappy are still trying to find something they like about the game or have found something new to enjoy elsewhere. I myself intend to see the Duty Support changes and thus making an alt to play casually through the game with. I also have just picked up some other stuff myself while waiting on FF16.

Oh and as I just remembered it is today if any of you are trying savage this tier good luck to you and I hope it is as good as Normal was, it may not be my cup of tea but I hope those doing it enjoy it.

[R041]

Honestly I would say things are getting better as you can pretty much say you found the patch content story underwhelming and no one would really bat an eyelash at you, at least to what I have noticed myself.

To be fair though, we've been able to comfortably criticize MSQ until Shadowbringers happened. After that? It's been literal hell trying to even say 'Stormblood bad'.. Because Shadowbringers somehow cleansed all of ARR-Stormblood. It was SO GOOD, "You have to like everything before it, because it sets up the story!"

They often forget all 3 ARR, Heavensward, and Stormblood had horrible pacing issues for the majority of their story. There are some good nuggets in there, but they could have been had for far less linear time and text.

[Lunaxia]

Oh don't feel too bad. I just have a real stubborn set of friends determined to have fun with the MSQ and thus stupid outfits, gotta make it fun somehow.

I can't help but feel it's a little less a case of "things are just getting better" - the forums went really off the rails with the mud-slinging prior to 6.4's release - and more that previously, people with more positive inclinations towards the story were "this is fine"-ing the MSQ and holding off on criticism for what they presumed would be an eventual pay-off, only to have another patch offer... really not much of anything at all, which has led to more grumbling in a good chunk of the playerbase and by default made taking a more critical look at the game suddenly much more common and acceptable. There's still an air of bitterness about though, and some players still can't help but get in digs, as you can see here.

Personally, I am out - my sub actually ran out several days prior to 6.4's release after I resubbed in an effort to get myself through the MSQ for Panda, but I just... couldn't justify spending more money on the incredibly high likelihood I would be disappointed again, so I caught some streams, realised I was right to save my money, and now I'm basically just chatting until my forum access goes, lol.

[RyuDragnier]

I can't help but feel it's a little less a case of "things are just getting better" - the forums went really off the rails with the mud-slinging prior to 6.4's release - and more that previously, people with more positive inclinations towards the story were "this is fine"-ing the MSQ and holding off on criticism for what they presumed would be an eventual pay-off, only to have another patch offer... really not much of anything at all, which has led to more grumbling in a good chunk of the playerbase and by default made taking a more critical look at the game suddenly much more common and acceptable. There's still an air of bitterness about though, and some players still can't help but get in digs, as you can see here.

Mud slinging prior to 6.4 is an understatement. If I recall, it started during Shadowbringers, especially when it came concerning whether or not one felt "Emet-Selch did nothing wrong". You'd have the Ascian stans getting on the case of people who weren't in their favor, and people who weren't in their favor getting on the case of everybody who was. I do not recall any insane amounts mud slinging prior to that...off the top of my head anyway.

[Lunaxia]

Mud slinging prior to 6.4 is an understatement. If I recall, it started during Shadowbringers, especially when it came concerning whether or not one felt "Emet-Selch did nothing wrong". You'd have the Ascian stans getting on the case of people who weren't in their favor, and people who weren't in their favor getting on the case of everybody who was. I do not recall any insane amounts mud slinging prior to that...off the top of my head anyway.

I wasn't around when that was going on, so I can't really comment. I just know that previously most of the conflict was contained to this and a few other threads, and generally happened when someone with a grievance against negative opinions would come in and obliquely imply something unflattering to start off an argument. For the past few weeks it seemed to suddenly reach a peak with both sides forming factions and taking out grudges on the other, until basically everyone was strawmanning each other and trolls started joining in and further stirring things up. 6.4 seems to have poured some water on it, thankfully.

...I kind of regret not being around, though. I'd love to see the logic employed behind such arguments.