endwalker was an unacceptable unfished product

[Doozer]

You don't even need to type that many words, just mention that horrific abortion called SMN to indicate how badly job design team dropped the ball hard.

Hope DRG isn't still your main job or you're the one getting it next.

[Ariabeth]

Your opinion is valid to yourself, but I am glad you realize few share that opinion with you. The expansion isn't done yet, and while that may not be an excuse to not be critical of what we have currently, it doesn't make it right to write it all off the table.

The post story can indeed feel a bit underwhelming, but I commend them for trying something new. The Hydaelyn and Zodiark story has finally concluded in what I believe was an amazing finale that covered all bases and shed light on every detail, they said they want to keep the upcoming stories shorter- not spanning a base game and 4 expansions like we had now. They are trying something new- knowing FULL WELL that it is difficult to match or even surpass the story we have walked on all this time. And for that I commend them. As for you, you get a big L for even joking about ARR being more compelling.

I also see no mention of DSR

Edit: Also stop hiding behind that whole 'I criticize to make the game better' schpiel. All you did was complain without bringing any suggestions to the table.

[Tsumdere]

Scraping the bottom of the barrel for reasons to make a very, very brave "EW sucks!" post and regurgitating the same things people have been saying for nearly two years.

[KenZentra]

Your opinion is valid to yourself, but I am glad you realize few share that opinion with you. The expansion isn't done yet, and while that may not be an excuse to not be critical of what we have currently, it doesn't make it right to write it all off the table.

The post story can indeed feel a bit underwhelming, but I commend them for trying something new. The Hydaelyn and Zodiark story has finally concluded in what I believe was an amazing finale that covered all bases and shed light on every detail, they said they want to keep the upcoming stories shorter- not spanning a base game and 4 expansions like we had now. They are trying something new- knowing FULL WELL that it is difficult to match or even surpass the story we have walked on all this time. And for that I commend them. As for you, you get a big L for even joking about ARR being more compelling.

I also see no mention of DSR

Edit: Also stop hiding behind that whole 'I criticize to make the game better' schpiel. All you did was complain without bringing any suggestions to the table.

I dont really like the "trying something new" is pushing a trial series story into the MSQ, resulting in less overall story and an MSQ story that a lot of folks don't like. That story takes off and wraps itself up in the post-expansion and as far as it seems now, has nothing to do with the next expansion coming up. It truly was a filler arc of all time and Endwalker is lesser for it.

That being said, I dont think Endwalker is unfinished. I think it does a good job for the base story, though it leaves me hopeless that we'll ever see all of Garlemald or its surrounding areas.

[Ariabeth]

I dont really like the "trying something new" is pushing a trial series story into the MSQ, resulting in less overall story and an MSQ story that a lot of folks don't like. That story takes off and wraps itself up in the post-expansion and as far as it seems now, has nothing to do with the next expansion coming up. It truly was a filler arc of all time and Endwalker is lesser for it.

That being said, I dont think Endwalker is unfinished. I think it does a good job for the base story, though it leaves me hopeless that we'll ever see all of Garlemald or its surrounding areas.

True but they needed to fill those trial slots. And instead of a detached small story along a detached small msq story we only really missed out on a warring triad, four lords or a wherlyt story. On the bright side the conclusion to the void is part of main story now, unlike the 3 aformentioned (very cool and lore important) side stories. And honestly despite the 13th having loomed over our head for 9 years, who is truly jumping at the thought of another full expansion off-source save some shard adventure like we had just one expansion ago?

Patch story had always been filler, some parts good other parts bad. All in all I enjoyed the quick wrapup so we can move on to something new and exciting.

[sindriiisgaming]

Your opinion is valid to yourself, but I am glad you realize few share that opinion with you. The expansion isn't done yet, and while that may not be an excuse to not be critical of what we have currently, it doesn't make it right to write it all off the table.

The post story can indeed feel a bit underwhelming, but I commend them for trying something new. The Hydaelyn and Zodiark story has finally concluded in what I believe was an amazing finale that covered all bases and shed light on every detail, they said they want to keep the upcoming stories shorter- not spanning a base game and 4 expansions like we had now. They are trying something new- knowing FULL WELL that it is difficult to match or even surpass the story we have walked on all this time. And for that I commend them. As for you, you get a big L for even joking about ARR being more compelling.

I also see no mention of DSR

Edit: Also stop hiding behind that whole 'I criticize to make the game better' schpiel. All you did was complain without bringing any suggestions to the table.

there is a character limit, nobodys hiding and i dont like such accusations. id happily offer suggestions for those who need them spelled out. as for dsr. what of it.. its an ultimate.. i dont do them.. i have no say in them

[sindriiisgaming]

The main thing I'm getting from this is that you disliked the patch story and I'd definitely agree with that. They just copied wholesale from FF4 which is just lazy nostalgia pandering, and really excludes people who haven't played FF4 to get the references.

everything fell flat honestly for me. i disliked the savages, i disliked the dungeons, i dislikes criterion. i disliked IS, i disliked all the new collectable vendors.. i disliked job changes. i disliked ex trials.. everything in EW was a legit downgrade from shb

[Gember]

I wouldn't consider it unfinished. I'd actually argue it's entire problem was it was so good at finishing things it forgot about starting anything. I do not believe there has a been a lack of care or effort I just feel like they made a lot of choices for EW that I find bemusing and counter intuitive. This frustrates me because everything I was looking forward to about EW post 6.0 has been a Malformed Beast. Like it's all still there [mostly] and kinda shaped like what I used to really enjoy but just ...off.... in a disquieting and kinda diluted way. All a bit overwatered ribena.

I have to agree with this reply from OgruMogru. I think Endwalker truly just wrapped up its content, and now were in the waiting room for a new beginning. Post Endwalker was a lot of filler that may or may not come back in a latter expansion explaining more of the Void. I am sure a lot of fans really would like to delve into the void a whole lot more someday since there is more characters and lore involved with it.

The Void:
The 5th Astral era had an amazing lore on the void, but it became side content in Heavensward. The final Shadowbringers role quests had a lot more details on the void. I don't think its going to end with post Endwalker filler. Maybe it will be one of the last expansions this game will release when it comes to really focusing on the void, but the devs decided to sprinkle a little here and there to keep us thinking about it. Its been a thorn in our sides since A Realm Reborn. That is my theory, so please take this as a grain of salt.

The Lack of Content Perhaps:
I don't know how many people read the developer's blog, but I came across some information on one of them that might be the result of why content is so light this time.

https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/blog/003432.html

This quote is above the screenshot of the graphical update example of the Lalafell:

"In addition to working on patch-related tasks, we're also working on the graphics update planned for 7.0 at the same time. That involves creating prototypes and new features for our development environment, then checking with other teams involved to see if there are any issues with the direction of our results. I make sure to set aside sufficient time for our teams to work on that in the midst of working on patches."

I don't know all of the reasons, but this could be one of the factors why. It sounds to me that the developers are spending all of the extra time to really work on the graphical update. It would make sense, because they have over 10 years of content to update, including the new 7.0 expansion. Then again, I am not 100% sure, but this is the evidence I found. (I don't think any of it is because of FF16 since there was different teams for each game.)

I get how you feel OP, and how a lot of people feel about post Endwalker at the moment, but, I sort of understand why its like this.

[Denji]

I can't believe we got criterion instead of something similar to bozja or eureka; expecially because bozja felt like eureka but with huge quality of life changes.

I love how people were like "I hate fate grinding in the real world and running antitower 500x times" and they took it as "Oh just scrap the entire thing".

It was a great place (and still is!) to level your alts at the very least. smh.

[Jeeqbit]

pushing a trial series story into the MSQ, resulting in less overall story and an MSQ story that a lot of folks don't like. That story takes off and wraps itself up in the post-expansion and as far as it seems now, has nothing to do with the next expansion coming up.

The void was something we were bound to have questions over after we saved the First. If we can save The First why not the Thirteenth? This question also came up in the quest that becomes available after beating all the Shadowbringers role quests and the Warring Triad. They were trying to clear up any remaining questions about the past, so they could move the game forwards.

The patches did build on Y'shtola's understanding of how to travel to other shards, which will most likely be crucial for a future expansion (probably 8.0, because they usually foreshadow the expansion after next in the patches).

They did reintroduce the gleaner who will be used more in the next part of the MSQ, set to release before 7.0.

it leaves me hopeless that we'll ever see all of Garlemald or its surrounding areas.

Graha mentioned Corvos quite a bit through Endwalker, so this may be foreshadowing their intention for us to go there. It is one of the areas of Ilsabard just beyond Thavnair. I don't think they would have Graha bring it up like he did if that wasn't their intention.

What form we will go there though, may not necessarily be in the MSQ. If they can't fit it into the MSQ, they have a tendency to make us go places in sidequests such as dungeons, Eureka, Bozja, Alliance Raids and now Variant Dungeons. But we will most likely go there one way or another.

I can't believe we got criterion instead of something similar to bozja or eureka; expecially because bozja felt like eureka but with huge quality of life changes.

I don't have as much problem with criterion, because criterion was requested by many wanting a Mythic+ system. I think people are more disappointed that we got Island Sanctuary instead of it.

I love how people were like "I hate fate grinding in the real world and running antitower 500x times" and they took it as "Oh just scrap the entire thing".

You did not have to FATE grind or farm Antitower. You could do almost all of the steps within Bozja itself, it's just that most people chose not to. That's on them. You could say "remove the choice so they have to do it in Bozja", but they tried that in Eureka and people complained saying they wanted to grind FATEs and Crystal Tower, so SE let them this time.

They get criticised whether they make you do new content or whether they make you farm old braindead content, so they tried a concept of "do whatever content you want as long as it drops tomestones" instead. It's just that we get the other tomestones from capping the weekly tomestones via Expert roulette, hunt trains and any other method we use to cap, so it doesn't feel like a grind anymore.

It sounds to me that the developers are spending all of the extra time to really work on the graphical update. It would make sense, because they have over 10 years of content to update

No, they will be gradually working on updating old expansion graphics through the 7.x patches. Just like they added Duty Support for expansions and then patches throughout 6.x, they will do that for graphics in 7.x, which means it has not yet all been done beside 7.0 and generic changes that affect all expansions such as shaders, settings and grass generation.