3.4 speculation

[Tracewood]

I predict the patch will release October 25, same day as Xenoverse 2 so that means I'll have to wait to play it like they did with 3.1 during Fallout 4's release, and 3.2 during Dying Light:ED heh.

Also, I agree with the other poster that Snowcloak Hard will be the optional dungeon, someone on Reddit mentioned a pattern of the hard mode dungeons being released, not sure what new one they'll come up with. Dragonsong war is over, but there could still be some kind of conflict in Ishgard, maybe the next chapter of the Warring Triad might be a dungeon with one of the remaining two as the final boss. The dev team could kill two birds with one stone this way. Chances are the Garleans will be the primary target in this coming patch.

New Alexander will bring that storyline to a close I'd imagine.

I get the feeling the Warring Triad and the Garleans will be the ultimate distraction while the WoD plan their actions behind the scenes, there needs to be some answers as the past three patches were just buildups and more questions. Some of the important characters should start to come clean on what's going on.

Grand Company rank ups... this has been a long time coming. They've neglected them for so long aside form PVP matchmaking.

Anima questline, next step to bring the weapon to 250 or higher. Might not be as grindy but will take time to complete.

There's been some foreshadowing for such a thing already as well since the refugees have previously attempted to summon Rhalgr but failed. Finally having one of the Twelve summoned may give us some answers on their origins as well.

It just donned on me, wasn't there talks among the syndicate that Teledji was planning on uncovering Omega Weapon? What if perchance Illberd and his lot were planning on reviving Omega for their own purposes since they failed with Rhalgr? Crackpot theory, but lets just say they did find Omega Weapon but have no means to revive it... but Ascians come by with a pair of Nidhogg's eyes... think Omega Weapon, powered by Nidhogg. The Ala Mhigans will want to rage war on the Garleans, and in a bizarre twist we have to assist our old enemies on a threat that could wreck havok on the world... It could happen.

[EdwinLi]

I picture 3.4 to be the beginning of the City State preparations towards retaking Ala Mhigo now that Eorzea is finally fully united at last. Probably a few contacts with the Ala Mhigo Resistance and maybe the return of Ilberd from the shadows.

The other part of 3.4 we may end up having to confront Urianger about his connection to Elidibus now that a certain someone is about to join the picture soon with knowledge about Urianger's secret meetings.

I picture after 3.4 that the story in 3.5/3.55 may be the First Battle for Ala Mhigo and the battle ends up going wrong causing events that result with the WoL being stranded in Ala Mhigo and his allies are forced to leave him there until they can find a way to him with some side notice at the end stating all events after 3.55 is set in Pre-First battle for Ala Mhigo until 4.0 story begins and the story picks up right where 3.55 ended.

[Morningstar1337]

I picture after 3.4 that the story in 3.5/3.55 may be the First Battle for Ala Mhigo and the battle ends up going wrong causing events that result with the WoL being stranded in Ala Mhigo and his allies are forced to leave him there until they can find a way to him with some side notice at the end stating all events after 3.55 is set in Pre-First battle for Ala Mhigo until 4.0 story begins and the story picks up right where 3.55 ended.

Wouldn't that be better served as the plot of the expansion itself. Unlike Coerthas, Gyr Albania didn't have a zone in 2.0 and having the player trapped there would run into problems like "You escaped from Ala Mhigo? I though you were trapped there!" which are bound to happen since the content itself would also have up making appointments at Mor Dhona, the Sea of Clouds and Azys Lla. Even in a proposed 3.55 it would still cause problems since we can still teleport. (Then again, so id the plot of 2.55 now that I think about it)

[Frederick22]

I picture after 3.4 that the story in 3.5/3.55 may be the First Battle for Ala Mhigo and the battle ends up going wrong causing events that result with the WoL being stranded inAla Mhigo and his allies are forced to leave him there until they can find a way to him with some side notice at the end stating all events after 3.55 is set in Pre-First battle for Ala Mhigo until 4.0 story begins and the story picks up right where 3.55 ended.

And how are we going to ala mhigo withouth the expansion? you think we will have an area just for an instance?
Is nice to speculate but you also need to understand on the consistencies, is like saing taht the WoL has become pure evil and wants to destroy eeverything.

Having said that, I really doubt of another cliffhanger, to lost "everything" on a way just to recover it and become stronger on the process i really doubt. In orther to story to work you can put a cliffhanger at the end of every expansion so to start another one, ortherwise it will make it very boring beacuse it just more of the same.

[EdwinLi]

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For such a story ending event for 3.X era it would certainly be completely instanced into a Dungeon/Trial or at least a very long Solo Instance just like how 2.5 ended as those are the easiest reasons to allow players access into zones they cannot normally enter.

I doubt they would keep up the concept of lose everything but this would be the start of a Great War that Eorzea has all been worried about since 2.0 and not everything goes as planned when it would involve indaving a Heavily Fortified Fortress City. Compared to 3.X I actually sepculate 4.X would have a Successful Victory over taking Doom Train, by how Yoshi-P hinted he want to save it as a possible "Access" into Garlean Empire, so players end the story with Doom Train being prepared for 5.0 when we enter/infiltrate the Garlean Empire.

We weren't physically stranded in an area by the 2.55 plot though, we were just "in exile". Slightly different.

That is why I said there would be a notice stating all events after completing 3.55 is set before 3.55 until the player begins 4.0 and pick up where 3.55 ended. We would probably get a small instance area for where our character ends 3.55 and begins 4.0 as the bridge zone between the game content just like in 2.55 we got a bridge zone being the "Falling Snow"

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Other hypothesis is that...

Despite losing the first battle of Ala Mhigo in 3.5 the story ends with Papalymo and Yda finding the WoL still alive and brings him to a Ala Mhigo Resistance Hideout where the WoL wakes up in. Thus the Hideout serves as a Bidge Zone Instance between 4.0 area and the 2.0 area. 3.55 then continues the story with all Scions finally reunited and a new plan begins on how to take back Ala Mhigo with a extra scene at the end of the credits forshadowing another Ascian plot in Ala Mhigo like every single extra scene after the credits.

Another would be

the First Battle for Ala Mhigo is a victory and a foothold is established as the Base of Operations for the Eorzean Alliance and to serve as our Bridge Zone Instance for entering 4.0. A simple and easy plot as the WoL plot armor saves the day once again and defeats all obstacles in his/her path. Then a bunch of cutscenes and dialogue happens staing this Victory is only the First Step into retaking Ala Mhigo yada yada yada then we get glimps of Ilberd and his Crystal Brave showing disdain for them in the distance because he would see this as only a grab for power over Ala Mhigo and that he will free Ala Mhigo his own way to never allow something like the Garlean Conquest over Ala Mhigo from happening again.

and then extra scene after credits showing another Ascian Plot in Ala Mhigo.

The Base of Operation would look rather small and a lot of empty space during 3.5/3.55 but as 4.0 progress this Instance begins to change and develop based on where the WoL is in 4.0/4.X.

[Frederick22]

First battlle in alla mhigo

We are not going to see the expansion area withouth the proper expansion itself.
The only battle that could be related to the expansion and can be close to what you said, is a batle on castrum orients.

[EdwinLi]

We are not going to see the expansion area withouth the proper expansion itself.
The only battle that could be related to the expansion and can be close to what you said, is a batle on castrum orients.

Sorry but that was a typo on my side. I was typing too much too fast too early in the morning so I missed some typos. That is meant to be the "First battle of/for Ala Mhigo" which is a battle that begins the long War for Ala Mhigo that 4.0 may cover. Where it takes place is certainly up for debate because a Instance/Dungeon battle can cause SE to place it anywhere with the use of lore item like Airship Dropping off the WoL and his/her "Strike Team" in X location within a large battlefield.

Castrum Orients would certainly be a easy place to start as the First Battle for Ala Mhigo so they can set up the place to be the Bridge Zone Instance for 2.0 and 4.0 area.

I don't expect the First Battle of Ala Mhigo to take place inside Ala Mhigo since that will be too early and a Story scale of taking back a Garleanized Fortress City like Ala Mhigo will require a full Main Scenario being 4.0 to cover this type of storyline.

At best my expectation is that we have the battle inside Castrum Orients and/or in the area on the other side of Castrum Orients so SE can have a Dungeon that looks like a actual battlefield as the WoL and his/her Strike Team travels through the battle to reach their objective in the First Battle of Ala Mhigo. Similar to how Steps of Faith was a Trial Instance zone between 2.0 area and 3.0 area.

Though where did you find that typo? Was it before I edited my post or after becuase the forums tend to have a delay with updating a edited post on time sometimes.

[Laili]

We weren't physically stranded in an area by the 2.55 plot though, we were just "in exile". Slightly different.

[Cilia]

Personally, I feel there are too many possible pieces and too few threads to follow, so just about anything predicting further story development amounts to this:

The thread we've been following since 2.3 has finally finished spinning. There's a lot of pieces, a lot of possibilities, but nothing really hinting at further development unless the Warring Triad becomes MSQ relevant. The only things I can say with relative certainty are that it will be setting up 4.0, there will be Garlean involvement, and Ala Mhigo will probably have something to do with it.

[Tracewood]

Personally, I feel there are too many possible pieces and too few threads to follow, so just about anything predicting further story development amounts to this:

The thread we've been following since 2.3 has finally finished spinning. There's a lot of pieces, a lot of possibilities, but nothing really hinting at further development unless the Warring Triad becomes MSQ relevant. The only things I can say with relative certainty are that it will be setting up 4.0, there will be Garlean involvement, and Ala Mhigo will probably have something to do with it.

Really curious how this will play out, as with each patch there will be new dungeons but since Nidhogg is slain, what will SE come up with that will prompt us to revisit a HW zone (aside form Azys Lla) and go, "hey something is going on in here we should look!" and slap a dungeon entrance at that? The Scions are spread too thin right now so it'd be nice to start getting back on track. The Dragonsong War was a pretty big diversion but in the end we gained an ally with Ishgard which is worth the struggle. And Yshtola seems to be all over the place with the main story, warring triad and Alexander... well at least next patch Alex is expected to come to a close.

If I recall, we spent much time on Cortheas dealing with the rising heretics while pursuing the primal Shiva and it escalated us going to Ishgard. I wonder if we'll be spending time in another zone that will be the launch of the new area? Was assuming some ARR zones will start to open up a bit more (there is a cut off pathway very bottom left in Southern Thanalan that leads to an open stretch of desert. And in Cortheas Central, an ixail guarding a gate you cant get past) Maybe a couple sections in East Shroud where imperial troops will start patrolling... in a way it could irritate the Twelveswood causing some kind of mini-calamity in as of itself.

I'm getting far into this game than I have in years, not even XI had me interested in it's full lore aside from the storylines, possibly more than I should but it's fun for me so pardon my rambling. Yoshi-P would you consider creating ONE new area to explore before expansion? Just one, why? It'll tide people over until, give us something to talk about anyway. Make it where you have to get to a certain point in the main scenario before you can enter (3.4/5), Cortheas Central gave us a small glimpse of Ishgard from the distance, this new zone could give us a preview of the new place... or could leave a bit of a mystery too.

I hope Ala Mhigo does have an Aht Urghan vibe to it, I know nostalgia is blinding me right now, but I can practically taste it.

I want to assume crossing the desert would be the next course of action, but can't take to the skies right away since the regions surrounding Ala Mhigo would be under heavy surveillance (or could be more aether currents). Also a change of scenery since we dealt with the biting cold of the north.