Why are people settling for an "ARR Tier" story?

[Kashou]

ARR is really bad and it's like 80% filler, but at least it builds up the actual world and sets up the story. Dawntrail is just horrific and it does NOT do the same thing at all. It is a net negative and it has done nothing but harm the overarching plot of the game. We would be better off of they said "well oops we'll redo it" and rolled the servers back for a year so they could rework it as opposed to keeping it in.

[Tethan]

ARR is really bad and it's like 80% filler, but at least it builds up the actual world and sets up the story. Dawntrail is just horrific and it does NOT do the same thing at all. It is a net negative and it has done nothing but harm the overarching plot of the game. We would be better off of they said "well oops we'll redo it" and rolled the servers back for a year so they could rework it as opposed to keeping it in.

I really wish they would. Last time is was this bad they literally blew up the world. I'm not sure the story can be salvaged from here, with anything less than a complete retcon.

[DreadCrow]

Because A Realm Reborn is good, actually. It wasn't as strong as what followed but it was essential to world building and I wouldn't have enjoyed what came after as much as I did, if it wasn't for the groundwork that was 2.0. And I say this as someone who went through it before it was shortened.

ARR is really bad and it's like 80% filler, but at least it builds up the actual world and sets up the story. Dawntrail is just horrific and it does NOT do the same thing at all. It is a net negative and it has done nothing but harm the overarching plot of the game. We would be better off of they said "well oops we'll redo it" and rolled the servers back for a year so they could rework it as opposed to keeping it in.

Dawntrail spoilers for the aftermath of the final trail...

I mean considering we have the key to the Golden City, and what that actually entails... There's a lot of ways the story can progress. We have the way to get into other reflections - and a way to merge realities. This means we could explore other worlds. Or fix the Thirteenth, bring our friends back to the First to see people they care for, or one of the remaining Ascions could get it either to continue the legacy of Emet Selch... Or try to use it to shape the world in their own image, because they have a reality warping device. And that's just what I pulled out of my arse, in my over tired mind.

[SirShady]

... bring our friends back to the First to see people they care for...

Ok, I hadn't thought about that at all. I doubt the current writers could give me a good explanation for how it works, but there is some massive potential there for some really sweet emotional scenes. Thanks, now I actually have something to look forward to in the post patches! Please don't screw this up!

[Lusarae]

ARR is really bad and it's like 80% filler, but at least it builds up the actual world and sets up the story. Dawntrail is just horrific and it does NOT do the same thing at all. It is a net negative and it has done nothing but harm the overarching plot of the game. We would be better off of they said "well oops we'll redo it" and rolled the servers back for a year so they could rework it as opposed to keeping it in.

Yeah you can't compare the ARR "filler". ARR is building up to future content. We can see the need to bring Ishgard into the fold, the need for Ala Mhigo to be restored, and quiet a few instances of people even as far as Doma needing your help. In addition to having it explain why you are just more than some ordinary adventurer with the echo and other little power ups we get along the way.

What is DT's "filler" giving us? We go to some random tribe and trade petty goods. Go to more worthless spitholes on the map and have the dumbest among us learn a very simple lesson. Meanwhile I'm over here wanting to see where the Viera (Shetola) are desperate to see what their towns are like. While Estinien is doing what the WoL should be doing and teases us about it everytime we personally bump into him. I'm also wishing we could have just had Krile be the protag and have us helping her find her history as a focus rather than a footnote of a sidestory. Why couldn't her character be enough? Why did we need someone that half of the audience is probably not going to like?

So far the only thing with actual tangible repercussions on the overarching story and world is from the 96+ part of the MSQ. Between exploring that stuff and knowing what we did in the 6.x content it opens up nearly a dozen or so possibilities for us to explore. None of which have to do with Tural. The new world should have been so much better. Hopefully we unexplored parts of it are more interesting assuming they don't just count these initial DT maps as the entire two continents.