I thought Dawntrail was going to be a grand adventure surrounded by friends

[Drkdays]

I'm still working on the MS, so I haven't experienced it all, but I think you might be forgetting something. This is supposed to be the start of a brand-new arc. Not merely a new expansion but an entirely new saga. I think this slow start is an echo (haha, echo) of how ARR began. I fully expect the story to crescendo.

I'm sorry you didn't get the epic adventure you were expecting, but remember that this truly is a new beginning, a foundation of what is to come. Honestly, I felt like Endwalker moved too fast with all the death and carnage smacking you in the face from the get-go, but that was the very end of a decade long ark while this is a much simpler beginning of a brand-new arc that will no doubt go on for several expansions. I'm eager to see where the game and characters go from here.

In short, give it some more time.

[Malthir]

I'm still working on the MS, so I haven't experienced it all, but I think you might be forgetting something. This is supposed to be the start of a brand-new arc. Not merely a new expansion but an entirely new saga. I think this slow start is an echo (haha, echo) of how ARR began. I fully expect the story to crescendo.

I'm sorry you didn't get the epic adventure you were expecting, but remember that this truly is a new beginning, a foundation of what is to come. Honestly, I felt like Endwalker moved too fast with all the death and carnage smacking you in the face from the get-go, but that was the very end of a decade long ark while this is a much simpler beginning of a brand-new arc that will no doubt go on for several expansions. I'm eager to see where the game and characters go from here.

In short, give it some more time.

As someone who has finished the MSQ, you're wrong. I wont spoil it but functionally everything resolved by the end of the story no setup for anything a terribly tied ribbon on the package that is this expac.

This is ARR if ARR was us following around the chocobo carriage NPC while he spoke to the scions, did everything, and then at the end of that version of ARR he defeated all the Ascians and Zodiark and endsinger.

[Sonoskay]

As someone who has finished the MSQ, you're wrong. I wont spoil it but functionally everything resolved by the end of the story no setup for anything a terribly tied ribbon on the package that is this expac.

This is ARR if ARR was us following around the chocobo carriage NPC while he spoke to the scions, did everything, and then at the end of that version of ARR he defeated all the Ascians and Zodiark and endsinger.

Stormblood didn't really have a whole lot left to turn into magic. It wasn't till 4.1 they started laying the seeds for what would be SHB. I think the main point of the expac might have been to give the WoL ties to tural, and establish a new character for future plot lines. In an interview with Jesse cox, Yoshi P acknowledged they don't have any Concrete story plans yet and are going to gauge how the player base responds to Dawntrail MSQ. Getting the setting established Seemed to be the priority rather than giving players loose plot threads to speculate on.

[SirShady]

Stormblood didn't really have a whole lot left to turn into magic. It wasn't till 4.1 they started laying the seeds for what would be SHB. I think the main point of the expac might have been to give the WoL ties to tural, and establish a new character for future plot lines. In an interview with Jesse cox, Yoshi P acknowledged they don't have any Concrete story plans yet and are going to gauge how the player base responds to Dawntrail MSQ. Getting the setting established Seemed to be the priority rather than giving players loose plot threads to speculate on.

God this should be a real awakening for them then. I really hope they don't go with the plot threads at the end of Dawntrail. I have no faith in them being able to use them in a coherent and interesting way after seeing how they were thrown into the last 10% of the plot.

[Drkdays]

I'm not surprised it seems all wrapped up, but I'm sure it's not. This is an entirely new continent after all, and the man himself says it's a new beginning, so ya, there's a lot more coming. Book one of a second series. You say not to forgive how bad a movie is because there's a sequel coming, but c'mon, the movie isn't even over yet. In fact, it has barely started.

Like credits rolling in FF14 means anything.

[SirShady]

I'm not surprised it seems all wrapped up, but I'm sure it's not. This is an entirely new continent after all, and the man himself says it's a new beginning, so ya, there's a lot more coming. Book one of a second series. You say not to forgive how bad a movie is because there's a sequel coming, but c'mon, the movie isn't even over yet.

Like credits rolling in FF14 means anything.

Well if you want me to be specific about it...

The last 30+ hours of the "movie" have sucked.

Book 1, the one called Dawntrail, sucked.

Final Fantasy 14's 7.0 patch, the one that holds the 30+ hours of MSQ content, sucked.

That thing. You know. The game that we are all currently playing right now? That one. For me, it sucked.

Is that specific enough? Am I allowed to hold these opinions? I really hope I don't have to wait for the servers to close down before my criticisms of FFXIV are valid.

I don't think that's quite true. ARR now has a lot of defenders for establishing the setting. Its still to date, the worst story experience in the game, and people do defend it because it did establish some neat threads. To clarify. i am not trying to invalidate your feelings about Dawn trail. I am merely saying people do give ARR props for what came later.

This is valid, but I can tell you right now that the plot threads established at the very end of Dawntrail do not excite me. They could potentially develop and use them in interesting ways, but the setup so far is literally just a mcguffin with no explanation as to the how or why. If it becomes a good plot device later, it will not be because of what was done with it here. It would be like ARR just dropping the word ascian and showing a dude in a black robe right before the credits roll. Ultimately nothing, even if it becomes something much larger and greater later down the line. ARR's plot threads are interesting and developed within ARR itself, and are expanded upon later.

[Daralii]

Well if you want me to be specific about it...

The last 30+ hours of the "movie" have sucked.

Book 1, the one called Dawntrail, sucked.

Final Fantasy 14's 7.0 patch, the one that holds the 30+ hours of MSQ content, sucked.

That thing. You know. The game that we are all currently playing right now? That one. For me, it sucked.

It's also the one you paid for, and will need to continue to pay for to see anything past 7.0.

[SirShady]

I'm still working on the MS, so I haven't experienced it all, but I think you might be forgetting something. This is supposed to be the start of a brand-new arc. Not merely a new expansion but an entirely new saga. I think this slow start is an echo (haha, echo) of how ARR began. I fully expect the story to crescendo.

I'm sorry you didn't get the epic adventure you were expecting, but remember that this truly is a new beginning, a foundation of what is to come. Honestly, I felt like Endwalker moved too fast with all the death and carnage smacking you in the face from the get-go, but that was the very end of a decade long ark while this is a much simpler beginning of a brand-new arc that will no doubt go on for several expansions. I'm eager to see where the game and characters go from here.

In short, give it some more time.

No, I did not forget! You and everyone else defending Dawntrail against any criticism keeps dropping that line like it means anything.

"It's the start of a saga, so you shouldn't have any expectations going in." is some of the worst logic and excuse for any criticism. The story DOES crescendo. They wrap up Dawntrail. My experience with Dawntrail SUCKED.

I'm not here to talk about the next expansion. I'm not here to talk about the new story arc. I'm here to talk about Dawntrail. When the other expansions are released I will talk about those.

You don't go "Well that movie sucked, but I can't judge it because it has a sequel in the works". You judge a piece of art as it is. If the rest of the arc is great, then that's GREAT! I hope it is! My experience with Dawntrail would still suck. This is how criticism, media, and the general flow of time works.

[Sonoskay]

No, I did not forget! You and everyone else defending Dawntrail against any criticism keeps dropping that line like it means anything.

"It's the start of a saga, so you shouldn't have any expectations going in." is some of the worst logic and excuse for any criticism. The story DOES crescendo. They wrap up Dawntrail. My experience with Dawntrail SUCKED.

I'm not here to talk about the next expansion. I'm not here to talk about the new story arc. I'm here to talk about Dawntrail. When the other expansions are released I will talk about those.

You don't go "Well that movie sucked, but I can't judge it because it has a sequel in the works". You judge a piece of art as it is. If the rest of the arc is great, then that's GREAT! I hope it is! My experience with Dawntrail would still suck. This is how criticism, media, and the general flow of time works.

I don't think that's quite true. ARR now has a lot of defenders for establishing the setting. Its still to date, the worst story experience in the game, and people do defend it because it did establish some neat threads. To clarify. i am not trying to invalidate your feelings about Dawn trail. I am merely saying people do give ARR props for what came later.

[Coratanni]

I'm still working on the MS, so I haven't experienced it all, but I think you might be forgetting something. This is supposed to be the start of a brand-new arc. Not merely a new expansion but an entirely new saga. I think this slow start is an echo (haha, echo) of how ARR began. I fully expect the story to crescendo.

I'm sorry you didn't get the epic adventure you were expecting, but remember that this truly is a new beginning, a foundation of what is to come. Honestly, I felt like Endwalker moved too fast with all the death and carnage smacking you in the face from the get-go, but that was the very end of a decade long ark while this is a much simpler beginning of a brand-new arc that will no doubt go on for several expansions. I'm eager to see where the game and characters go from here.

In short, give it some more time.

Alot of us are sick and tired of that excuse about "It's a brand new arc. Of course it's going to start off slow. It needs to cook."

Just stop with that. There are ways to start a new arc. To show a new area(which coincidently, is what every single expansion has done, though none so poorly as DT). The characters were flat. Mary Sue Wuk Lamat was terrible in every single way imagineable, and was forced down our throats 139 times, and the story was a mess. I didn't pre-order every expansion over the last 9 years, to enter someone's middle school fanfic.