Thoughts about 8.0 MSQ

[Lukha]

I would honestly be really happy to have an expansion that went back and expanded on previous areas; there's so much untrodden territory that's just kinda gonna get left to rot if they don't. I wasn't a 1.0 player, but I'm told there are still several areas that never made it back into the game, that might be a good place to start.

And literally any Endwalker area would be a great place to start, since cramming an entire nation into ONE SINGLE ZONE is insane, and we barely spent any time in any of the nations we visited, so they could easily expand any of them. Both Ala Mhigo and Doma would also be contenders, since the way Stormblood split the story meant they both got short shrift.
If they'd finally acknowledge that time is passing in-game, the First could also be a great place for a new story, as people start re-exploring and settling the areas that were previously inaccessible due to the flood.

And I can't be the only one who would absolutely lose my mind if they chose to revist The World Unsundered. Have the WoL get knocked on the head by the first boss of the expansion and spend the rest of the .0 MSQ roleplaying their way through a dream about some of Azem's adventures. That would have made a much better 'vacation' expansion than Dawntrail, since it could just as easily be used as a way to lead in to the next major arc, OR a 'filler' that wouldn't effect the stakes in the present at all.

[DynnDiablos]

Nothing so far has hinted at Meracydia, and Yoshi P. did reveal his desire awhile back for another winter-themed expansion ala Heavensward. The hints dropped in 7.3 seem to make me believe we are headed North, and will explore the areas around Garlemald still clouded over. If not that, we absolutely are utilizing the key and hopping to another shard for Shadowbringers the Sequel.

[Volgia]

There's way more than that tho. Warriors of Darkness and their storylines. Storyline of Unukalhai's connections in The First.
Also like anything Emmet Selch related is pretty much the reason we are in The first in the first place and how he manipulated the entire Garlean Empire which literally causes the black rose incident.

In Tuliyollal all you have is Krile, it would have worked better if they focused on her story more and add more connections.

The Warriors of Darkness/Unukalhai/Minfillia/Graha/Crystal Tower were there as a connection but were you really excited about maybe seeing them again in the future? We also had no connection to Norvdrant nor it's issues other than a passing tale you hear at the end of Heavensward.

I feel like you equivocate here, see, the problem isn't the subject matter but how it was handled. You can make a lot of parallels between SB and DT because the storyline between the two major stages (Tural and Alexandria) feel like they're pulling you apart. Tural feels mismanaged and fillerish, Alexandria feels like where they wanted the plot to go but also having the baggage of the underdeveloped Tural.

Like don't get me wrong, if you put it in a few words the premise is interesting, you venture deep into the jungle and find the golden city, which ends up being a nearing cosmic horror of cyberliches trying to turn humanity into some weird version of the SIMS, and you realize how much damage the Ascians did in their quest to rejoin reality. It just felt awkwardly put together is all.

[Sani2341]

Based on the story progression in patch 7.3, I’m really looking forward to the 8.0 storyline focusing on the remaining Ascians.
It’s clear that the entire Dawntrail arc serves as a proxy experience created by the Ascians to gauge the strength of the Warrior of Light.
I think it would be amazing if the entire expansion revolved around the mystery of Azem.
Imagine if 8.0’s main plot centers on the remaining Ascians trying to collect the final five Azem soul fragments — that would make for an epic and compelling story!

Great, now you have me imagining a story set up where some misguided ascian is all 'we need unsundered Back' latches on to the azem shards for some reason and thus leads to an Expansion where most Dungeon/Trial end bosses are a 'what if' broken/antagonistic take on ardbert.

[undull1]

Based on the story progression in patch 7.3, I’m really looking forward to the 8.0 storyline focusing on the remaining Ascians.
It’s clear that the entire Dawntrail arc serves as a proxy experience created by the Ascians to gauge the strength of the Warrior of Light.
I think it would be amazing if the entire expansion revolved around the mystery of Azem.
Imagine if 8.0’s main plot centers on the remaining Ascians trying to collect the final five Azem soul fragments — that would make for an epic and compelling story!

See, this is how you escalate.

What is stronger than the WOL at this point? Another corrupted version of themselves, anything else like this spheeeeeeeeene nonsense will always open up a plethora of plot holes.

In my head cannon this villian could be a background force in 8.0 and then end up being confronted as a final climax to 9.0.

[Miohazuki]

Nothing so far has hinted at Meracydia, and Yoshi P. did reveal his desire awhile back for another winter-themed expansion ala Heavensward. The hints dropped in 7.3 seem to make me believe we are headed North, and will explore the areas around Garlemald still clouded over. If not that, we absolutely are utilizing the key and hopping to another shard for Shadowbringers the Sequel.

Winter is coming

[All_Nonsense]

We all know that with this new writing team, whatever they touch in 8.0 will be completely and irrevocably ruined. With this *fact* in mind, I hope we go somewhere else entirely so they don't ruin the old FF14 - the part that was actually good. I don't wanna see Eorzea turn into Shonen Jump. I want it to stay the way it is. They can pour their nuclear waste in Meracydia. 8.0 is going to be an abomination and we need an ocean's distance to prevent contamination.

[Divinemights]

See, this is how you escalate.

What is stronger than the WOL at this point? Another corrupted version of themselves, anything else like this spheeeeeeeeene nonsense will always open up a plethora of plot holes.

In my head cannon this villian could be a background force in 8.0 and then end up being confronted as a final climax to 9.0.

First of all, Azem remains a character shrouded in layers of mystery.
He/she did not align with either the Convocation or Hydaelyn, yet based on Azem’s personality and history, this is not someone who would simply sit idly by in the face of doomsday.
There must be something happening behind the scenee, perhaps connected to the device we saw in the 7.0 storyline.

Secondly, the central narrative has almost always revolved around an Ascian antagonist, and there are still unanswered questions about the remaining Ascians.
It’s important to remember that the Ascians are not inherently evil; from their perspective, we are the antagonists.

Finally, at this stage, who could realistically be stronger than the Warrior of Light?
We are essentially a walking incarnation of a living god.
Who else could pose a real threat other than the remaining five shards of Azem?
Could this be why the WoL often feels like a side character in Dawntrail?
After all, we survived a city-wide electronic shock attack and walked away without issue.

[Boblawblah]

First of all, Azem remains a character shrouded in layers of mystery.
He/she did not align with either the Convocation or Hydaelyn, yet based on Azem’s personality and history, this is not someone who would simply sit idly by in the face of doomsday.
There must be something happening behind the scenee, perhaps connected to the device we saw in the 7.0 storyline.

Secondly, the central narrative has almost always revolved around an Ascian antagonist, and there are still unanswered questions about the remaining Ascians.
It’s important to remember that the Ascians are not inherently evil; from their perspective, we are the antagonists.

Finally, at this stage, who could realistically be stronger than the Warrior of Light?
We are essentially a walking incarnation of a living god.
Who else could pose a real threat other than the remaining five shards of Azem?
Could this be why the WoL often feels like a side character in Dawntrail?
After all, we survived a city-wide electronic shock attack and walked away without issue.

edit: HER cook, but the image was toooo cute