Patch 7.4 MSQ was Good. Bravo.

[Liyinabi]

At this point Dawntrail shows me they were so scared to introduce new villians that they either played safe or grab something the community would latch onto and im calling it now. They are planning to redeem the ascians and make them out to not be villians but to be broken people who are just depressed about the final days.

Isn't that just Emet? You can have villains who have understandable motivations but can't be allowed to continue what they're doing for the greater good - That's the foundation they set for the unsundered and continued with Sphene (who they never ever bothered redeeming, they just killed that version of her off.) On the other hand, Zoraal Ja was pretty irredeemable in main patch, and looks even worse in post-patch. They've had a little bit of both this expansion, but I agree that the reveal at the end of the Arcadion was set up poorly.

Spoilers:

I don't even mind the "they were good all along!" bit, I just kind of wish it was foreshadowed in some way instead of randomly being dropped on us. As for real consequences and character deaths that stick, I can kind of excuse both of the characters that came back having done so for different reasons. Eutrope dying off-screen would've been anticlimactic as hell, and Hector is obviously a reference to the Undertaker. You know, the guy who refuses to die.

[Empyr]

At this point Dawntrail shows me they were so scared to introduce new villians that they either played safe or grab something the community would latch onto and im calling it now. They are planning to redeem the ascians and make them out to not be villians but to be broken people who are just depressed about the final days.

I agree that Dawntrail has a problem with playing safe and trying to have everything wrapped up in a bow with the least amount of conflict possible. That being said however, explaining the why behind someone's actions, does not exonerate a villain. Plus we're done with the Final Days. It'll just be sundered stuff for now.

The M12 boss was also disappointing design wise. Me and a few friends wondered if maybe it was some Pandemonium leftovers, since it seems like it'd have fit there much more.

[Luluna]

I enjoyed the MSQ this time round and for the first time since DT I am interested in where it is heading.

Interesting character with the hair I would kill for lol >.<

[Aviatorhead]

I liked doomtrain and the lala town. I wish they hadn't spoiled what doomtrain looks like. Idk why they like aggressively spoiling their own stories in trailers/even in the story itself but I could really do without that. Otherwise msq was good.

Arcadion I was meh about. I don't care for the 'no one was evil actually' storyline, ik its a wrestling thing but I really couldn't care less. I liked the drama of people dying or having their lives at risk and it feels like that was ripped away last minute. The newer fighters all look pretty bad to me, their songs are weirdly generic compared to the earlier tiers, and the last boss just Looks kinda stupid to me, layered with the ending I kinda hated it. Idk. Not the end of the world, i liked the rest of the story before this, but I became way less attached to the arcadion after his patch.

Also the arcadion needed way way WAY more voice acting. So many scenes would've hit harder if we could hear the characters speaking.

[Hyperia]

They are planning to redeem the ascians and make them out to not be villians but to be broken people who are just depressed about the final days.

Well, they has somewhat already done this with Gaia so I do not mind them showing that not all of them are the villains. I want them to show us a spectrum of the remaining members, we have seen Amon with his insanity, Gaia and her gentleness, the rest should fall in between. Some we befriend, others we have a confrontation.

Here is my speculation, Venat left the mother crystal of aether to keep the shards intact. When Zenos used it, there was nothing left to prevent a collapse of all of the shards. This will be the big story arc for the next 8 years / 3 expansions. I expect the key will either be used as an evacuation tool or to prop up the shards in some way, maybe we replace Venat as the will of the star? The remaining members of the convocation will either help us or fight us in regards to saving the shards.

[Veritas-Ancora]

I enjoyed the MSQ this time round and for the first time since DT I am interested in where it is heading.

Interesting character with the hair I would kill for lol >.<

I'm glad someone agrees with me on this. I have really hated DT MSQ up until this point. Finally it feels like we're heading into an expansion that won't suck. I'm really excited for it.

[ZephyrMenodora]

I'm glad someone agrees with me on this. I have really hated DT MSQ up until this point. Finally it feels like we're heading into an expansion that won't suck. I'm really excited for it.

Makes me wonder if after SE drew the ire of their investors over the company's performance, they had their stronger writers pay more attention to XIV at this point.

[Veritas-Ancora]

Makes me wonder if after SE drew the ire of their investors over the company's performance, they had their stronger writers pay more attention to XIV at this point.

I have a strong feeling that the investors had a lot to do with this decision.

They tried to change it up, and that was a terrible idea.

Hopefully everyone will be restored to their original positions and work upward.

I think it's also a wake-up call to Square-Enix that they don't have a golden calf. The game is built on the hard work of really good artists and developers and trying to change that up is dangerous.

[Luca_]

More Lumull please. I love him.

Waugh, the flatcar!!!

[Barwara]

I've started 7.4 MSQ and I'm really enjoying it. Feels like the first patch I'm actually enjoying since the end of DT. I love the return to a more fantasy setting and putting all the neon-techy stuff like Solution 9 behind us. I think that was a big part of DT that didn't really speak to me. Too bad the end of Arcadion isn't getting the best of feedbacks. :/