3.1 MSQ Reaction [SPOILERS]

[Alisa180]

ALISAIE! YES! I KNEW she was going to be re-entering the plot soon! Ahahahaha! I’m surprised how giddy I am about it. I blame the fact that I’ve been working on a fanfiction with her as the protagonist, and so I’ve grown pretty fond of her.

We got several reminders that Alphinaud is still a teenager. He got a good deal of grief in this patch, mostly courtesy of Krile (though that one line to Y'sholta...XD).

I didn't expect Count Fortempts would continue to serve as the 'narrator.' Looks like that's going to continue to be a thing for the rest of 3.x.

Lord Haurchefant minion was a very fitting reward for the end of this questline. I was literally thinking ‘I’m going to make getting the minion my second priority’ only for the final quest to give it. Glad I did the MSQ first!

More evidence that Ala Mhigo is the next expansion. I’m just glad Yda and Papalymo are okay!

Didn’t see Krile having the Echo coming. Anyone else notice that all the characters confirmed to have the Blessing of Light/Echo granted by Hydaelyn (assuming the Warriors of Darkness get theirs from Zodiark) are female save *possibly* the Warrior of Light?

Seems I was paranoid about characters dying. Can you blame me, given what we went through in Before the Fall followed by Heavensward???

Lord Atrioel quoted Haurchefant during the final quest. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Haurchefant’s death was heartbreaking, but it was one of the most well-done and meaningful deaths I’ve seen in a story for a while. Looks like Atrioel is going to play a larger role in the plot from here on in. He even picked up a voice actor!

When the girl fell, I first thought ‘OMG are we actually going to see a civilian death here?’ Then I remembered Vindofir was on the way, and realized ‘Yeah, she’s going to catch the girl, isn’t she?’

Thancred lost his magic? That’s not a very big deal, he’s a melee DPS class.

I...honestly expected more from the Warriors of Darkness then what we got. Hm...

Is Uriganer turning on us? What is going on here? There’s something Elidibius is dangling just out of our grasp, and by this point it's starting to get annoying. That said, looks like Alisaie (oh yes!) might be a Spanner in the Works for whatever they are planning.

Otherwise, this was a nice progression of the plot, and it looks like we’re starting to build up to Ala Mihgo.

General 3.1 story reaction thread!

[Remus]

I expected more from the Warrior of Darkness they kinda just appeared and then left saying "We are the Warriors of Darkness blah blah" the scions talk a little about it then back to Ishgard ... Thancred looks awesome now love his new threads. I am just getting more and more confused with Elidibus and whats his face (cant spell his name lol). Also i was a bit sad that the main story was kinda short . I would love if SE could do what SWTOR is doing by doing monthly story updates. Krile having the Echo surprised me and caught me off guard. Bit sad how they are bring all the scions back makes the ending of 2.55 pretty lackluster now and feels like there was really no need for it.

[Balipu]

The Warriors of Darkness are interesting. Exact same looks Derplander and friends had during the ARR cinematic, a flashback evoking the intro cutscene we had in ARR. Yeah they are definitely the original warriors of light.
So everyone except for Minfilia is confirmed alive? Now I really hope she is dead. Someone has to die.
Really happy Matoya and Hilda are back. And Vidofnir. Looks like old NPC's are not forgotten.
So the WoDs 4 maned Ravana? Damn.
Those legs definitely belong to Alisae. Too bad Darklander noticed her. Wanna bet 3.2 begins with a linkpearl message from her? "Thank the twelve I reached you all. I have discovered something terrible. ElidiMMMMPPPHHH"

[Harz]

So the WoDs 4 maned Ravana? Damn.

5 manned. WAR, PLD, BRD, BLM, WHM.

[Balipu]

5 manned. WAR, PLD, BRD, BLM, WHM.

Ah yes. Forgot the black mage. Still, pretty cool for a hard mode trial.

[Morningstar1337]

I think I may had been one of many to speculated that the Warriors of Darkenss were the orgiinal warriors of light. I hope we get to learn more about them

Speaking of enigmatic figures, was that Unukalhai that was at the Library with two certain other white robed figures?

[Balipu]

I think I may had been one of many to speculated that the Warriors of Darkenss were the orgiinal warriors of light. I hope we get to learn more about them

Speaking of enigmatic figures, was that Unukalhai that was at the Library with two certain other white robed figures?

Unukalhai? Where? I don't recall anyone besides the two robed figures and the soon to be abducted Alisae.

[Anonymoose]

As with 2.1, we got a short and sweet addition to the MSQ that probably does more to set up the future than explain the present. We only took a few scant steps from where we left off in 3.0, and nothing seems to have changed course. Tis what it is - they just wrapped up the massive 3.0 story, after all. Ishgard looks like it's in for a hell of a ride to 4.0, though. I can only imagine the clusterf[KUPO!]k awaiting Ala Migho once we roll up. Or fly up. Or however it is we get to the door before we kick it in.

Topic by topic first impressions - read what you will - aaand go!

Krile

I really like Krile's personality; there's so much focus on the perfectly practiced high-society decorum and quick wit that I wonder what's under it, you know? However fun it is to watch her outmaneuver people in conversation and sort everyone out into their proper places, I think (like with Iceheart) watching her fumble those tools when faced with joy or rage or anguish might make for powerful storytelling, perhaps on the topic of Val or Minfilia. (Watch, I've just damned her to become another redshirt.)

Confusion about Hydaelyn's Gifts (Please Send Help, I am Dying)

Back in 2.5, Midgardsormr's actions made us draw a distinction between the Echo and the blessing of Light, but don't the conversations with Krile muddy our theories a bit? Remember how Krile says she was saved thanks to the blessing of Light and Alphinaud immediately equates it with the Echo? ... What?

I'm still trying to suss it all out, what it is then that makes us different (and something must, Midgardsormr didn't care that we had the Echo, he was furious about us being "Her champion"). The blessing is still seemingly different than the Echo, but (at this moment) I think what's going on is that [Echo & Blessing] are potentially linked even when [Champion] is not included - that I had previously lumped aspects of [Blessing] in with [Champion] and failed to make the third distinction.

Krile says that Hydaelyn bestows a Crystal of Light upon many who are gifted with the Echo, which fits with Ysayle. Yet the Ascians make a big deal out of the fact that we have a bunch of them - that they are drawn to us - that we can interfere with the aetherial realm to manifest them. Perhaps that is the third tier. There are people who are gifted with the Echo, chosen warriors best suited to bear Crystals of Light (and through them, the blessing), and then there is the Warrior of Light, with a few other perks (and much more power).

Anybody else got any ideas? Especially simpler ones? I tend to extravagantly overthink the unknown.

Thancred

At first glance, I thought the Thancred thing was ridiculous - that he was, like, the direct-to-video unofficial sequel of himself. Upon reflection, however, that assessment was colored by the scene with the Warriors of Darkness (more on that in a moment). We learned in 2.00 that the smooth, confident bard we thought we knew actually puts himself under too much pressure, cares too much what people think, and doesn't like receiving assistance. He's not going to tell anyone that he's helpless to find his friends because he - an Archon of Sharlayan - can't work a simple teleport anymore. You throw that guy naked into the forelands with no MP and that's exactly how things are gonna end up.

The Warriors of Darkness

That was bizarre. First things first - we saw normal Derplander in the Echo, throwing some hefty weight behind the theory that Derplander (Player Symbol and Individual) has split into Darklander (Individual) and DRGlander (Player Symbol). He treats the Warrior of Light like they're last year's model, like they've got a lot of catching up to do on "The Truth." He is the player that joined Elidibus, trusting that the white-robed Ascian, Emissary of Zodiark, was being honest about the whole "putting the world back on the right path" thing.

Speaking for Team Hydaelyn, Team "let's not turn our back on the mothercrystal and follow the party line of Lahabrea's best frenemy forever", I'll admit that this puts me back on the "Hey, are we actually doing the right thing?" ledge. Especially after seeing Elidibus and Darklander trying to get Urianger to embrace some long-lost inevitability hidden in Gubal's forbidden section named after the leader of the godsdamned Occuria. In for a ponze in for a tonze, though. I'm with the Crystal. Elidibus' smirk was too untrustworthy - I think he's telling the truth, but warping it. I think he's the most dangerous person in this game. I think Darklander took the bait as hard as Iceheart did. And I think... that I will quietly admit the very real possibility that I could be very wrong. But I digress - back to the "bizarre" part.

Am I the only one who thought like the WOD's introduction was like a shonen action sequence? Between the condescending dialogue and cocky body language and hilarious facial expressions (you got me, Dev. Team, they could get sillier), I couldn't not see him as practically channeling the hip teenage badditude of Sonic the Hedgehog or the Power Rangers. I hope that doesn't sound like a harsh critique, I just thought it was weird. (Maybe Thancred's not the only one getting old.) Full disclosure, though, I originally watched the scene with muted sound. The solid choice for a voice actor definitely toned it down a bit on the replay. (At the very least, I stopped imagining that Darklander punctuated his sentences with DAAAWWWwwwWWWG instead of a period.)

Hints of Yda, Papalymo, and the obvious fate awaiting the Garleans and the Warring Triad
No comment. Please look forward to Patch 3.2!

[CyrilLucifer]

I'm chalking up the Blessing comment to be a something of a mistranslation. Krile's words were basically in contrast to everything we know.

My pet theory with how much they're building Elidibus up is that he's going to fail before becoming the game's main villain. WoL will defeat WoD and significantly hinder Elidibus' plans either at the end of this questline or the end of the next expansion. He's not going to die to your character, though.

His failure is going to tick just about all the rest of the Ascians off, because he's always going on about everyone else failing him (and Him, too). There's a reason why Altima was one of the voices we've heard so far. They've been pushing these XII references onto us, I can't help but see Altima as a traitor of some sort in the future.

[ExKage]

I'm chalking up the Blessing comment to be a something of a mistranslation. Krile's words were basically in contrast to everything we know.

Or it goes along with how this game goes about how we are constantly misinformed. We could have been wrong about everything before.