So is there anything good about Dawntrail at all?

[Nothv13]

Imagine putting any kind of stock in user scores. I mean, at all.

They give a better expression of how the public is receiving the game even with review bombing.

[Lium]

They give a better expression of how the public is receiving the game even with review bombing.

Any 12-year-old with an internet connection can write a "user review". That's why so many of the "reviews" have to be purged. They are either overly positive or overly negative. Designed to drive the score up or down depending on the agenda of the reviewer.

This is why I have always put little to no value in user scores for any media. They are mostly agenda-driven and spammy.

I read reviews from actual journalists, and talk to friends and co-workers whose opinions I trust. But ultimately, I make up my own mind on how I feel about a certain product.

[Nothv13]

Any 12-year-old with an internet connection can write a "user review". That's why so many of the "reviews" have to be purged. They are either overly positive or overly negative. Designed to drive the score up or down depending on the agenda of the reviewer.

This is why I have always put little to no value in user scores for any media. They are mostly agenda-driven and spammy.

I read reviews from actual journalists, and talk to friends and co-workers whose opinions I trust. But ultimately, I make up my own mind on how I feel about a certain product.

Yeah, you should actually go read those user reviews the 5.3 is the rating after they purged nearly 1000 negative reviews

[Catwho]

Reading the forums, there seems to be nothing good about DT at all.
Maybe it's my fault reading before even completing DT. But the negativity starts to affect me, and I'm losing motivation. I just landed in Tural, and I immediately feel like logging off, because I've been hearing all bad things about Wuk Lamat.

So is there anything good to look forward to from DT?

A lot of us have actually enjoyed it - so far. I got blindsided by IRL so I'm still not even done yet, but I've had a good time. (I'm halfway through the Zone 6 in the level 99 MSQ.)

I don't understand why everyone is hating is so much. I've liked almost everything so far. Have I loved it as much as Shadowbringers? No, because that expansions MSQ was a perfect 100 and nothing is ever going to top it. But so far DT is hovering around a 90-95 for me.

I skipped literally every cutscene the game would allow after a certain point and I never, EVER did that before with the MSQ.

Sorry, not sorry, but the moment someone admits they re a cutscene skipper, I immediately elect to ignore their opinion of MSQ. It's a slow build and a slow burn, and if you skipped everything past a certain point, then you lost the whole reason for slow build/slow burn.

There's definitely weak points, but there are some very strong points too, and by blanket skipping, you're throwing out the steak with the spinach.

[Nothv13]

A lot of us have actually enjoyed it - so far. I got blindsided by IRL so I'm still not even done yet, but I've had a good time. (I'm halfway through the Zone 6 in the level 99 MSQ.)

I don't understand why everyone is hating is so much. I've liked almost everything so far. Have I loved it as much as Shadowbringers? No, because that expansions MSQ was a perfect 100 and nothing is ever going to top it. But so far DT is hovering around a 90-95 for me.

Because you likely enjoy Wuk. She is a divisive character but is shoved in your face so much and they try and force you to like her. That it will ruin the entire experience if you don't like her. This alone will sour people to DT, before even getting to the other issues of pacing, practically ignoring other characters that were said to be getting the spotlight, plot holes, seeming retcons and so much more

[Estarriol]

Everything that isn't the story (which I had serious issues with) is unambiguously good and better than Endwalker in my eyes. Dungeons and trials are much more interesting and engaging, I'm generally happy with class changes (speaking as an Astrologian and Black Mage), and the graphics update makes a lot of older content shine - it's a subtle but significant improvement.

I mean, I could do without listening to SHINE again, but the new tracks are generally excellent as always and I will for sure be buying the soundtrack.

I'd still recommend Dawntrail, since the expansion playtime I have ahead of me (which is gameplay focused) is way, way more time than the playtime I have behind me (which is story focused).

[Catwho]

Because you likely enjoy Wuk. She is a divisive character but is shoved in your face so much and they try and force you to like her that it will ruin the entire experience if you don't like her. This alone will sour people to DT, before even getting to the other issues of pacing, practically ignoring other characters that were said to be getting the spotlight, plot holes, seeming retcons and so much more

I disliked her in the beginning, same way I disliked Alphinaud in 2.x but saw him eat a massive piece of humble pie in 2.55 and get over himself. We all hated Alphinaud in ARR. Nobody really started to like him until we saw him grow up in HW.

In the case of Wuk Lamat, her character flaw was not hubris and being a smarmy little git like ARR Alphinaud, but being naive and sheltered, and unaware of her own skill set. She's willing to put in the work to understand and try to fix someone's problems, and genuinely believes she can find common ground with anyone. (After all, Gulool Ja Ja was able to do it.)

Once she realizes that's her talent, her confidence grows. She's still very much an unga bunga smash your way through problems at heart (she's a better DPS than she is a tank in trusts btw) but she's also happy to do fetch quests if it means understanding other people better. She's a younger version of the WoL.

[Nothv13]

I disliked her in the beginning, same way I disliked Alphinaud in 2.x but saw him eat a massive piece of humble pie in 2.55 and get over himself. We all hated Alphinaud in ARR. Nobody really started to like him until we saw him grow up in HW.

In the case of Wuk Lamat, her character flaw was not hubris and being a smarmy little git like ARR Alphinaud, but being naive and sheltered, and unaware of her own skill set. She's willing to put in the work to understand and try to fix someone's problems, and genuinely believes she can find common ground with anyone. (After all, Gulool Ja Ja was able to do it.)

Once she realizes that's her talent, her confidence grows. She's still very much an unga bunga smash your way through problems at heart (she's a better DPS than she is a tank in trusts btw) but she's also happy to do fetch quests if it means understanding other people better. She's a younger version of the WoL.

Except, that naivity and so forth is never really punished. She never fails at fixing problems or really has her world view challenged. Hell one of the first possible challenges was mcguffined away by a mob attack so the giants couldn't challenge her view on being able to just work things out. Even with Bajool's father, he just magically changes his tone after a lifetime of essentially being in a cult. She has not grown like Alphinaud did. Her tradgedies have nothing to do with her failings (except getting kidnapped, but taht is glossed over so much it amounts to nothing) but the actions of others doing what they do regardless of her presence. Bakool woudl still have been and acted the way he did. Zarool would stil have done what he did. Nothing Wuk did led to any consequence from her actions.

[Tullius]

I like the new dungeons, even though I haven't quite got a handle on them yet. The new locales look nice. Some of the new music added in this expansion is catchy. I know people say the jazz in Tuliyollal seems out of place, but I really enjoy that one.

[Ramiee]

Except, that naivity and so forth is never really punished. She never fails at fixing problems or really has her world view challenged. Hell one of the first possible challenges was mcguffined away by a mob attack so the giants couldn't challenge her view on being able to just work things out. Even with Bajool's father, he just magically changes his tone after a lifetime of essentially being in a cult. She has not grown like Alphinaud did. Her tradgedies have nothing to do with her failings (except getting kidnapped, but taht is glossed over so much it amounts to nothing) but the actions of others doing what they do regardless of her presence. Bakool woudl still have been and acted the way he did. Zarool would stil have done what he did. Nothing Wuk did led to any consequence from her actions.

Yeah compared to Alphinaud in late ARR into HW, I think he got like one personal victory.
Even after his big failure that led to the Scions being hunted almost everything he attempted to do in Ishgard to establish peace between them and the dragons failed. Throughout the entire MSQ he tried and failed to resolve the war peacefully and even in the end of 3.0 he never really had a victory, it was all your victories.
Post Heavensward in the dragonsong war the only personal victory he got was being able to free Estinien from his possession from Nidhogg without killing him.

Compared to Wuk Lamat Alphinaud was put through a massive gauntlet of failures before he started to grow. I don't think even any of the other Scions besides like Thancred come close to how much of a struggle Alphinaud had. It's really so strange that they couldn't repeat what they did for Alphinaud with Wuk.