Shifting and Concerning Moods Regarding the Writing

[Theodric]

I think a lot of people critical of the story's current trajectory would be more in favour of a filler expansion if not for Endwalker artificially taking many of the more intriguing elements of the setting and rushing to end their storylines prematurely. At the very least, perhaps Endwalker's patches could have been devoted less to filler and more to properly wrapping things up.

Dawntrail is still quite a way off and if the expansion itself is filler then that means...another three years until the expansion after that. I don't think it's unreasonable, then, to raise an eyebrow in concern. I know that various posters - myself included - have politely requested more variety in terms of themes and characters to better cater to a broader variety of personal tastes. For as much as some really like the Scions, they're wearing rather thin for many others - incidentally even amongst some of those who like them. I know quite a few fans of G'raha, for instance, who would prefer that he acts less like a clingy fanboy of the player character and instead a bit more like the Crystal Exarch.

I'm fairly easy to please, though it's hard not to notice that in terms of both PvE/PvP and the story itself a lot of things are being streamlined. Dragonflight in World of Warcraft is a filler expansion but that doesn't bother me because there's a great deal of exploration and interaction within the overworld. The same cannot be said of FFXIV, which sadly doesn't offer very much in terms of exploration. The closest we've gotten to that is a throwaway hidden quest where you can hand over a potion to a specific NPC to unlock two secret minions. There's also Eureka and Bozja, of course, which I enjoyed - but we didn't get an equivalent this time around and though it's stated that we might get one in Dawntrail it probably won't be until deeper into the patch cycle.

[Turtledeluxe]

I think a lot of people critical of the story's current trajectory would be more in favour of a filler expansion if not for Endwalker artificially taking many of the more intriguing elements of the setting and rushing to end their storylines prematurely. At the very least, perhaps Endwalker's patches could have been devoted less to filler and more to properly wrapping things up.

Dawntrail is still quite a way off and if the expansion itself is filler then that means...another three years until the expansion after that. I don't think it's unreasonable, then, to raise an eyebrow in concern. I know that various posters - myself included - have politely requested more variety in terms of themes and characters to better cater to a broader variety of personal tastes. For as much as some really like the Scions, they're wearing rather thin for many others - incidentally even amongst some of those who like them. I know quite a few fans of G'raha, for instance, who would prefer that he acts less like a clingy fanboy of the player character and instead a bit more like the Crystal Exarch.

I'm fairly easy to please, though it's hard not to notice that in terms of both PvE/PvP and the story itself a lot of things are being streamlined. Dragonflight in World of Warcraft is a filler expansion but that doesn't bother me because there's a great deal of exploration and interaction within the overworld. The same cannot be said of FFXIV, which sadly doesn't offer very much in terms of exploration. The closest we've gotten to that is a throwaway hidden quest where you can hand over a potion to a specific NPC to unlock two secret minions. There's also Eureka and Bozja, of course, which I enjoyed - but we didn't get an equivalent this time around and though it's stated that we might get one in Dawntrail it probably won't be until deeper into the patch cycle.

Imo G'raha is a symptom of the larger issue which is that many people are complaining about plot or characters when what they're actually tired of is XIV. What we really need is a level of new setting and new cast that we can't feasibly get by pushing on with the Scions in the Source.

Just imagine the next time someone praises the warrior of light or a Scion talks about how you never back down..

[Swordsman]

At the very least, perhaps Endwalker's patches could have been devoted less to filler and more to properly wrapping things up.

Yeah, but if they spent additional patches wrapping things up then they would be indirectly acknowledging that their story writing didn't provide proper closure the first time around. Knowing SE, these are issues that they are willfully going to ignore to avoid admitting fault.

[Theodric]

Yeah, but if they spent additional patches wrapping things up then they would be indirectly acknowledging that their story writing didn't provide proper closure the first time around. Knowing SE, these are issues that they are willfully going to ignore to avoid admitting fault.

Oh, I don't doubt it. They'll probably address stuff in passing in the future in a similar manner to how Nidhogg was touched upon again briefly in the MSQ's and the Dragoon quests. To their credit, the development team do have a habit of bringing up events that have transpired in past expansions. This is particularly true of characters that prove to be popular. I believe a number of the developers themselves are on record citing some of the 'Amaurotine' characters as being amongst their favourites and the Ancients as a whole being something they'd like to see more of in the future.

[Nayukhuut]

Oh, I don't doubt it. They'll probably address stuff in passing in the future in a similar manner to how Nidhogg was touched upon again briefly in the MSQ's and the Dragoon quests. To their credit, the development team do have a habit of bringing up events that have transpired in past expansions. This is particularly true of characters that prove to be popular. I believe a number of the developers themselves are on record citing some of the 'Amaurotine' characters as being amongst their favourites and the Ancients as a whole being something they'd like to see more of in the future.

Well, isn't that a horrifying thought. On one hand, the Ancients are my favourite thing in FF14. If you had asked me two years ago I would have loved an excuse to dive head first into their world. On the other hand, I don't really trust whoever is doing the writing now to do that well. I want to keep my love for them intact rather than getting another story about how all the Ancients I love were bad and oh here is how Venat and her followers helped out this time.

That said, should interest start to wane in whatever adventure we find ourselves in next, I have no doubt they will be brought back. Something like Amaurot ruins on one of the Shards, or perhaps even a secret pocket of Ancients who survived, or even just Sundered people who actually remembered after the Sundering and hid themselves away to keep the remnants of their culture intact. Maybe the bonds between the planets start to break down despite the best efforts of Venat and her followers, and we have to find a way to maintain them...

All those sound really interesting, and I would love any of them. Sadly, again, I do not trust the current writers to do them justice.

[Theodric]

Well, isn't that a horrifying thought. On one hand, the Ancients are my favourite thing in FF14. If you had asked me two years ago I would have loved an excuse to dive head first into their world. On the other hand, I don't really trust whoever is doing the writing now to do that well. I want to keep my love for them intact rather than getting another story about how all the Ancients I love were bad and oh here is how Venat and her followers helped out this time.

That said, should interest start to wane in whatever adventure we find ourselves in next, I have no doubt they will be brought back. Something like Amaurot ruins on one of the Shards, or perhaps even a secret pocket of Ancients who survived, or even just Sundered people who actually remembered after the Sundering and hid themselves away to keep the remnants of their culture intact. Maybe the bonds between the planets start to break down despite the best efforts of Venat and her followers, and we have to find a way to maintain them...

All those sound really interesting, and I would love any of them. Sadly, again, I do not trust the current writers to do them justice.

Yeah, I share similar sentiments. Personally I wish the development team had deployed a slow burn over the years and taken the time to work with what they had established instead of rushing through it with increasing speed. Heavensward and Shadowbringers at least took place in regions all directly connected to each other with some side content taking place elsewhere. Ala Mhigo and the surrounding region could have served as its own expansion with more of Othard being given its own time to shine in its own unique expansion.

Really, instead of trying to tie so many different aspects of the game together they should have simply had each expansion serve as a standalone experience that mostly dealt with unique regional issues whilst serving to uncover more pieces of the greater narrative that they had in mind. As it stands, by choosing to rush to a premature conclusion they've now effectively sowed the seeds of division. Some people want more of what was squandered or cast aside. Others want something new. Yet more - myself included - would prefer a healthy balance of both.

I wouldn't actually mind less G'raha. I liked him as the Crystal Exarch, and I was meh on him in the original Crystal Tower quests, but since coming back home to the Source he always just seems way too much like an overeager fanboy with a crush. I am sure that is exactly what some people want, but I wince every time I see him come on to the screen now.

Edit: That angle would even be okay if the game gave me some dialogue options to shut it down, too. Let the people who like him choose the favourable ones, and let people like me tell him to back off a little, but the game gives you no options. Just sorta assumes you are not completely uncomfortable.

Agreed with that as well - I don't particularly like the character to begin with and his behaviour borders on outright creepy at times. He's far too clingy and most games with romance options or deeper friendships usually grant players the agency to consent to leaning into that sort of thing.

I don't like the canon crush displayed by Alisae, either. For starters she's a sixteen year old girl and thus underage but both myself and my character are gay with my character even having an Eternal Bond to another guy. It's rather immersion breaking for the game not to acknowledge that in any way. There should be an option to gently let her down at the very least.

[Nayukhuut]

Yeh, Alisae's fangirling weirded me out at times too. I am not actually against romance or hints of romance in games, but it feels weird when it feels forced on you. Dissenting dialogue options would be perfect, even though none of it would mean much since the story is written in such a way that it has to stay on the same track. But hey, even the illusion of choice is better than no choice.

[Absimiliard]

Yeh, Alisae's fangirling weirded me out at times too. I am not actually against romance or hints of romance in games, but it feels weird when it feels forced on you.

Even weirder when it's coming from a child. That's a whooolllleee lot of nope considering the undertones of some of what she says/days.