Yoshida's latest interview, Comic Exhibition Taiwan 2025

[arstoka]

I raise my hand in regards to wanting a Garlemald-focused expansion. It would have been a nice return to previous political intrigue that was brought up back in ARR (take for example the conflict within Ul'dah between the Sultanate, Syndicate and so forth). It would have also, in my opinion, offered the ability to have a soft 'power scale reset' in which the primal god-slayer would be dealing with issues other than 'beat up the big bad and save the day'. Plot lines COULD have focused on the politics and engaging with the people of Garlemald, Thavnair, Corvos and other conquered areas where the WoL and Scions, while having a huge impact on Eorzea and the East would have little foot holds in societies that are actively hostile towards them.

There could have been explorations of the different political factions, resistance and, very importantly, more investment in learning about Garlemald and her people.

While I enjoyed Endwalker at launch, the story has lost its charm for me after time has passed and more thought was put into reviewing the minutiae.

In the end, however, I put on my tin foil hat and say that 'Concluding a 10 year old Saga' sounds a lot better for marketing since it's a nice round number.

[Hallarem]

I raise my hand in regards to wanting a Garlemald-focused expansion. It would have been a nice return to previous political intrigue that was brought up back in ARR (take for example the conflict within Ul'dah between the Sultanate, Syndicate and so forth). It would have also, in my opinion, offered the ability to have a soft 'power scale reset' in which the primal god-slayer would be dealing with issues other than 'beat up the big bad and save the day'. Plot lines COULD have focused on the politics and engaging with the people of Garlemald, Thavnair, Corvos and other conquered areas where the WoL and Scions, while having a huge impact on Eorzea and the East would have little foot holds in societies that are actively hostile towards them.

There could have been explorations of the different political factions, resistance and, very importantly, more investment in learning about Garlemald and her people.

While I enjoyed Endwalker at launch, the story has lost its charm for me after time has passed and more thought was put into reviewing the minutiae.

In the end, however, I put on my tin foil hat and say that 'Concluding a 10 year old Saga' sounds a lot better for marketing since it's a nice round number.

I have a bad feeling that now that Yoshi P and the team have gotten rid of politics and "sad storytelling" we are getting more traditional japanese fantasy good vs evil without any nuance or deep storytelling whatsoever. Dawntrall read like a childrens story to me at times.
Which is NOT wrong, but the former expansions aside of parts Endwalker where I think this issue started. The storytelling was nuanced and adult. The toneshift was extremely jarring at times. Including character assassinating Y'shtola into somekind of a sassy comic relief same with G'raha. Enough for Yoshi P to snap at their own team for doing it to Y'shtola.

[Hallarem]

Snip

If all this boils down to personal preference and likes, then by all means. I skipped nearly every cutscene in the patch content of Dawntrail because I felt absolutely disrespected by the writing of 7.0. If the whole of Garlemald would be a similar experience for you and you'd made up your mind, that would be your right too. All I'm arguing against is that Garlemald while doing horrible things, isn't exactly the only one doing these horrible things during warfare. They deserved to be nuked, but I think we just missed way too much good possible politics and factions rising up to try and become the leader of a reformed Garlemald, even the aftermath of THOSE could result in riveting dialogue and cutscenes. But currently the dialogue has been reduced to "I will protect the peace and something something dream" Scions: "The thing must be that and that, go this way" *exposition dump* They have robbed all personality from them.

Ul'dah has debt slavery and pillowhouses, we can do the math
Thanalan has prostitutes out in settlements
Limsa has prostitutes, pleasure barges and pirates doing horrible things to captured women in Sastasha.. albeit some of them act a bit too "Oh no save me I'm a damsel.. I swear"
Ala Mhigo has prostitutes
Doma has red light districts where for example Yotsuyu was sent if memory serves correct
Even Thavnair has hints of pleasure barges
Then there's the whole priest thing in Ishgard and lords bedding their servants

It's a pretty f'd up world, but that's what makes it alive. And it's Hien's business to end all that, it's HIS DOMAIN. See how everyone walked out on us when Ilberd started wilding out against Raubahn. None of the leaders wanted to start an incident. Because that could possibly end in a WAR between city states in an already volatile situation where the Empire was knocking at the door. That's nuance and good writing.
The warrior of Light cannot touch politics, because if he does and starts wilding out, he might cause a political disaster, and if he uses power to solve political issues he might just become a TYRANT.

(Though if we are being honest, if the WoL singlehandedly put an end to the sex trade in Doma, I doubt Hien would start raging.) BUT BUT, you need to ask again, okay, you free all these women, some of them were sent there by their families to pay back debt, are you going to pay all of their debts? Are you going to arrange living quarters for all of them? Steady jobs? Means to provide for themselves? Do they KNOW how to provide for themselves? DOES HIENS GOVERNMENT have enough resources to resettle all of them? Saving someone is good and all, but you cant just nuke a brothel and be like "You are saved, good day".

[Hallarem]

The Garleans were not only corrupted to the core by propaganda, they were also driven away by magic users long ago from their homeland if memory serves me correct, so they have that innate "its payback time" kind of deal. And Emett supercharged that with pulling strings and creating the magitek revolution.

I think the expansion towards Garlemald should a 100% be antagonistic, they have been the main villain for so long. Honestly there could be so many ways to approach it. Off the top of my head, I would make it a "Warrior of Light gets invited as an ambassador for the Eorzean Alliance, to discuss possible peace and withdrawal of the empire because we beat their ass so bad with the Eorzean alliance, bla bla negotiations on what they get to keep of their territories. And woosh, imperial assassination, the emperor gets killed. We get caught in between political intrigue of which imperial family member did it, some might even blame us, get to know them all, maybe it was one of the Legions and their Legatus? As they sometimes operate very independently (Very Roman). Maybe that is the moment the empire gets enroiled in fire and a big civil war. And punishment is doled out and the reform happens. Legions disband, the Eorzean Alliance rolls in as peacekeepers to aid, war tribunals are had, the worker / slave class gets abolished. Honestly, anything but an offscreen kaboom that they gave us.

Maybe we see the faction from Dalmasca that actively hunts down war criminals appear and demand tribunal. But in all honesty, I get the hate. Like I said, they suffer from the same cartoonish dumb writing that the Ascians suffered from for a long time until a bit of nuance was introduced, and it was shown that not ALL of them are like that.

BUT, I gotta say. It felt VEEEERY awkward when the four garleans come and spend a beach holiday at your island sanctuary. "Yeaaaaaaah, maybe not, we ain't that close, shoo back to Garlemald"