Patch 7.4 MSQ was Good. Bravo.

[Avoidy]

So I logged in and did Arcadion. Thought the fights were honestly kinda mid except for the second one which was based and 2002-pilled. The ending was very mediocre.
Then I went to do OC but couldn't get in.
So then I went to help my friends do Arcadion and got d/ced. Now I'm sitting in a 1,500 person queue.
I haven't gotten to touch the MSQ yet and I haven't dared craft anything because the undercutter game is serious and I don't want to d/c mid craft.
This patch had a lot going for it, but server instability (or whatever you want to call these disconnections) is really kicking it in the ass right now, and OC being bugged is pretty bad too.

I'm glad to hear that you liked the MSQ. I was debating skipping it. I gave 7.1-7.3 a chance and felt like my time was never rewarded. I'll try .4.

[SamuraiMiqo]

I liked the MSQ, only thing that was a bit weird was G'raha's voice sounded like a whole different character during cutscenes, or maybe my PC's audio was being strange, not sure.
Dungeon was okay.
Trial was strange and interesting in a good way.
Arcadion fights were pretty good, the story aspect of it however was not good at all - I wish I skipped the cutscenes and didn't read any dialogue now, and I'm someone that tries to remain neutral about those things.

Apparently Jonathan Bailey has been so overworked from being in a musical and Bridgerton that he ended up getting sick, something to do with a swollen tongue?

[KiraRavens]

Apparently Jonathan Bailey has been so overworked from being in a musical and Bridgerton that he ended up getting sick, something to do with a swollen tongue?

People are quoting an interview from March 2024 for this and he was talking about even earlier when he was doing Company in London - he's not talking about this patch, though I get the grasping at straws.
I know there's people changing the sound to explain it, but I myself am 100% certain that's not him. I'm just hoping that he was too busy to record for the patch and they'll bring him back next one and hopefully also patch in his voice for this one - and that that is why there's been no official statement or new VA announcement (and no talking G'raha in the EN trailer even though he was in the JP one). Hope dies last? Would be a huge loss if he moved on from the game or SE decided they didn't need him anymore.

[Raikai]

I must say I was extremely happy with Into the Mists story. It had everything a good patch should... And the focus on Krile was so good to see! I love her unique pictomancer spells.

Alas the (really endearing) cliffhanger doesn't give much on where 7.5 and 7.55 (assuming they'll split in 2 parts again) will take place at. I just hope isn't just yet another new area in Alexandria or another terminal from the unlost world.

I'll do the Arcadion tomorrow, but without looking into spoilers, saddens me that everybody is saying that it ends in a dumpster fire, given how well it was developing.

[Moonkittie]

Agreed! I finally found myself enjoying the story again. Krile story should've been part of 7.0, but nevertheless, it was a good story, good writing and fun characters. I loved learning about the Milala.
Halmarut and Calyx showed an entertaining dynamic and I'm very intrigued to where this is all going.
The dungeon was okay, the trial I enjoyed very much. The raid story was a underwhelming to be honest, but I wasn't expecting much from it anyways, and the fights were fun and enjoyble for me at least.

This was the best patch so far for me (though, I do wish we had more in-game rewards rather than an updated cash store), I can't wait to see where the story will go next (and finally to leave Tural!)

Edit: Please add Halmaruts hair!! Pretty please! I'll pay whatever for it! D: I just need it on my WoL.

[Mouthbone]

Have not touched the MSQ yet, but the ending for Arcadion was really disappointing and toothless
I'm kind of impressed how big of a fumble it was tbh, I would have never imagined that Everything Burns could be wasted on a fight like this

[Terhix]

I'll do the Arcadion tomorrow, but without looking into spoilers, saddens me that everybody is saying that it ends in a dumpster fire, given how well it was developing.

These forums are by now just self-selecting for complainers alone. Arcadion is goated from start to finish, even the shitpost subreddit has better taste than people here.

[MoonNoire]

I enjoyed 7.4's MSQ a lot. Not just the story, but the detail and care put into the characters' movements. There's a lot of bespoke animations for many scenes and I hope this will carry over into 7.5 and 8.0. The camera work was great, with almost every angle feeling dynamic and super cinematic. The dungeon was a little on the easy side but the trial was SO FUN. Really happy with this patch and I hope this keeps up

[PaleYonder]

I really enjoyed this patch too. I kept thinking during the MSQ that this was what I'd wanted out of Dawntrail in the first place. Ironically coming right after Dawntrail was supposed to be finished, story-wise.
Exploration of a new place, actual proper focus on Krile, while taking her seriously and letting her shine and be cool including in her solo duty (I'd like that butterfly attack now, please and thank you) instead of always shoving her to the side with "Not now" like in 7.0, the lalas were generally well-realised people, no big preachy message but people trying to get by and make the best out of a rough living situation, and the end was really fun too. Intrigued by Halmarut, happy we get Ascians back, Calyx continues to entertain, and I love that he is so all-in on his determination not to have a body of flesh anymore. It's extreme in an interesting way, and the duo is excentric enough to catch interest again. And the promise of doomed worlds and things mattering again was great too, and placed well after a relatively low-stakes but enjoyable patch story.
The dungeon wasn't my cup of tea, too much of that typical Dawntrail fight design that I just don't enjoy. But the train! The train was awesome. Thematically, I'd expected more existential/body horror à la Anima or some of the Pandaemonium fights, and instead they went for goofy pulpy fun, even calling it "the Doomtrain", and the fight reflected that mood, and I loved it. It was exactly the right thing to do for that patch story. The fight design too - actually fun for once. The last time I really enjoyed a boss fight of any kind in this game was in Endwalker. More of this please.
I thought G'raha and Y'shtola were a little underwritten for how exciting it was that we were just going to the 9th together to explore, voluntarily with no expectations of doom, and with plans to go back home. We've been wanting to do this for a long time. Adventuring with G'raha just because we want to, shard travel with Y'shtola specifically. A bit more reaction on how cool this situation was would have been in order. But I can imagine constraints in the short patch and they absolutely did the right thing focusing on Krile this time, so this is only a minor nitpick.

Arcadion, cinema. I enjoyed it. Not so much the first fight's design but the other three much more, and the story had exactly the right over-the-top conclusion that fits the genre. And I'd partly expected this to go more in the way of Werlyt with all the doomed exploited youngsters, and that it went in a wholly other direction was a nice surprise and made this a really fun finale.

I had my hopes in the last patches, and wanted to think things might be improving, but in reality this is the first DT patch that I feel more than very mixed about, no big complaints, right direction overall, I had fun, I want to see more of the story this way; I think the game is finally back.

[Jeeqbit]

I mean the story was good but as always, takes a lot of time showering us with praise, nodding heads at eachother and not having conflict or tension with eachother, when, of course, even families often have a little argument once in a while or say something they don't mean.

It was also entirely predictable so I didn't care about spoilers this patch. It was obvious where we were going and what boss we'd fight. The moment the trailer showed a preview of the buildings that was it, that was the patch, story basically entirely spoiled by the trailer and dungeon screenshots.

I love all the FF9 music and everything, but it is a blatant ripoff and we'd had so much blatant ripoff of other FF games in recent years that we are due for some originality for a while. Seeing more of it is enough to make one think that the future of the game is just blatantly copying other FF games almost to the letter.

What was good though was that the city isn't overloaded with Cyberpunk technology and that they created some emotional scenes that were capable of making you cry a little.

did Arcadion. Thought the fights were honestly kinda mid except

I actually thought they were mid as well. People in my parties thought they were fun and amazing. Although there were some wipes I just felt like they got through their mechanic rotations too fast and then it was just repeat mechanics for the whole fight. M9 is a blatant A10 ripoff, as far as mechanics go - it even has steamroller.

I haven't done the final Arcadion part yet? Is it this bad in everyone's view?

My opinion is the Arcadion story was good. Shows they have team members somewhere that can write. I feel like its story will successfully help people appreciate what wrestling is supposed to be, because not many people do.