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

[BRVV]

To be fair, Papolymo "died"
And I guess Zenos.

So thats 2 major Players

Why the quotes? Did Papalymo not die? And Zenos... well is a villain. Even when a lot in the fandom seem to want to hang out with mass murderers.

Just watched the trailer for the next patch. Should i drink a shot everytime we get boring exposition ("i can still use the light") or lame one liners? Some rambling about "Salvation". I could just write an FFXIV boss by that point without giving them any agenda or character trait besides "spouts bs".

"I am Lameness the 14th and i will no longer let this keep on going! Come here Warrior of Light, Darkness, Grey but always good, and face my wraith! I shall bring salvation from you! You are in the wrong! It is the one-sided brethen you haventh listenth to that manipulated thou. Do you not see? Now we will face off in this battle in a patch cycle that people will forget a week after patch! Can you dodge my 'Why-Even-Bother'?"

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Why the quotes? Did Papalymo not die? And Zenos... well is a villain. Even when a lot in the fandom seem to want to hang out with mass murderers.

I dont wanna hand out with a Mass Murderer. But I personally thought Zenos was a Good Villain. At the very least I found him fun and entertaining compared to some other Villains
(Not Emit, he's still the best)

But I should have also put Quotes on Zenos...because him "Dieing" just felt like he got sleepy and passed out. He just wanted to stay there forever now that he got his Rematch. The game says he dies, but I just dont feel that. We didnt kill him, we just beat him
Papolymo I guess "died" when he very well could have just essentially casted "Flow" to dissipate his body into the Lifestream after attempting to recreate the Cocoon to slow down Shinryu. Y'shtola did it and and got brought back out. You could say She "died" to but is now a well taken care of Zombie like Auron who was an unsent

Idk, his "Death" just also felt unceremonious, like he might come back in the future or something.

[Vyrerus]

Papolymo I guess "died" when he very well could have just essentially casted "Flow" to dissipate his body into the Lifestream after attempting to recreate the Cocoon to slow down Shinryu.

Well, no, he couldn't have. It's rather explicit that successfully making the cocoon used all of his life and aether, which is why when the cocoon finally broke, Lyse's Archon tattoo, that Papalymo had aetherically put on her, faded away.