Dawntrail is so painful; is it on purpose?

[MoonStoneX]

The story really has pacing problems. It's talking >95% of the time and huge parts of the MSQ do little to advance the plot and feel like side quests that drag on forever. For example, the multiple trades in the first part and the bracelet thing later on. Then they make cutscenes that last way too long and bring nothing to the story such as the one at the end of the Xibruq pibil quest where Wuk can't stop praising the dish (ok she likes it, can we move on please?).

Yeah this expansions has some of the worst pacing issues. They focused far to long on unimportant things like the Pelupelu trading "mini game". After the 3rd time it should have been enough. But they also focused far to little on important things. Like Bakool Ja Ja and his redemption being rushed.

Dawntrail is the start of a whole new story after the climatic expansion that was Endwalker, nearly a full decade after the beginning of ARR. It has to build stuff up before things can be exciting so yes, it's "painful' because it's nothing like Shadowbringers or Endwalker.

So because its the start of a new story it should excuse poor writing and pacing? So they haven't learned from the last 10+ years of story telling? Come on man...

[Basteala]

Yeah this expansions has some of the worst pacing issues. They focused far to long on unimportant things like the Pelupelu trading "mini game". After the 3rd time it should have been enough. But they also focused far to little on important things. Like Bakool Ja Ja and his redemption being rushed.

This I completely agree with. And I'm going to say Zoraal Ja was undercooked, too. Honestly, it feels like the character arcs themselves were kind of lacking compared to the plot beats--but that's kind of a problem with a smaller, less epic story when characters are supposed to win over the day.