The Griffin

[Qojon]

I prefer Gaius because it'd be so much more interesting. Same with the Ala Mhigans in Ala Mhigo being divided over the Garlean occupation, instead of just GARLEANS=BAD.

I remember Rhitahtyn Sas Arvina mentioned that the Garleans brought a lot of change for the better in Ala Mhigo.

[Theodric]

Yeah, I'm hoping there's more to the next expansion than just slaying Garleans at every turn. I'd like to believe that there will be more Ivalice style intrigue as the plot moves forward but the game seems to shy away from ever taking the leaps required to achieve that. A prominent example is Nanamo's apparent demise. It was reversed and then aside from Teledji being killed pretty much everybody else ended up being perfectly fine. Other than Minfilia...who likely would have run off and helped Hydaelyn no matter the circumstances. Even Raubahn who lost an arm can still fight perfectly well - so we miss out on seeing him humbled and forced to adjust to his condition. Y'shtola is 'blind' but can pretty much see perfectly (and apparently is killing herself slowly but so slowly that it's unlike to result in her demise anytime soon). Thancred can't use magic but...has no problem leaping through the air and blocking a sword or axe with a dagger on three separate occasions.

I don't want the Garleans to be portrayed as weak. Or so cruel that they're hard to sympathise with. Regula seems like a pretty decent guy - there's an honour to him similar to Gaius and his loyalty to his people, homeland and Emperor is quite refreshing when the other Garleans we've seen so far have mostly been defectors. I also hope that they don't just introduce sympathetic Garleans purely to kill them off - like they just did with the Warriors of Darkness. I'm cautiously optimistic that the Ala Mhigans will be painted in a pretty terrible light given how extreme their methods are but that means little if the plot just has the Garleans resort to even more dubious methods.

With that said...I'd prefer this 'Griffin' to be Ilberd rather than Gaius. Let Gaius rest in peace or if he does return then don't tarnish him further by having him consort with an Ascian yet again when it brought about his destruction last time. Plus if he turns against Elidibus then it's just regurgitating the Archbishop's plot point.

[Naria]

Ugh don't me started on the Nanamo plot. I'm a little less aggravated by 2.55 since the events of it has resulted in a great amount of character development for the PC and the Scions (I've been replaying the 2.x series on my alt and Twelve was Alphinaud an arrogant little brat). That said it seems pretty clear that the only protagonists that can die are the ones that will have personal impacts on the PC/Scions and not any sort of effect on Eorzea's stability as a whole. Vidnofir has some pretty impressive plot armor as well.

I'm not enamored with the Garleans or the Ala Mhigans. Ala Mhigo was a mess when Gauis took over, so I'm sure as a strong and competent leader he probably did improve some things, but I don't want the Ala Mhigan expansion to turn into "no the conquering empire is right, prepare to be civilized for your own good". That to me would be a cop-out.

Archadeas and Larsa were done well in XII--the Empire wasn't a caricature evil, but it still wasn't particularly nice or self-aware outside of a few individuals. Something like that would be nice. There is a certain superior attitude (justified or not) that it would seem strange for an expansionist empire not to have. I would like to see to some ordinary Garlean citizens or colonists, people who aren't really invested in politics one way or another and just want to get on with their lives. Depending on how the team played it, you could do several different types of storylines with that, both sympathetic and not.

While I do wish that they had done more with Gauis before they dropped a castrum on him, Gauis having anything to do with the Ascians again just seems odd.

[Cilia]

The thing with Rhitatyn and "improving" Ala Mhigo by conquering it is, Rhitatyn is heavily biased and Ala Mhigo had been suffering under a tyrant (the King of Ruin). While I can't agree with his extremist methods, I do agree with the (False) Griffin when he says they only traded one tyrant for another. The Rebellion overthrew the King of Ruin, not knowing the Garleans were supporting them to destabilize the nation and subsequently conquer it with minimal effort.

Clues and hints point to Ilberd. Or someone new. Trying not to be biased and avoid getting into the "virtues of Garlemald" political debate again.

[Frederick22]

Do you think that the "false griffin" will be our new GC leader
We cannot ignore that his gear is unique, the simbol of Ala Mhigo is on his cloak

Yea thats how I call them, I called Aymeric the same way.

[Cilia]

Griffin too extreme to be a GC leader. Aymeric always moderate and open to working with others, politics notwithstanding; Griffin warmongering and secretive, trust only Ala Mhigan Resistance. (Not wholly unjustified, but even so.)

Maybe if character development. Otherwise no.

[Annana]

It is interesting to note that whoever it is, Papalymo knows. What kind of person he regrets giving the mask to, or would even be willing to help conceal the identity of in the first place, could potentially shake up the contenders a bit. However, since Papalymo knows, I would assume that any two-bit character is out of the question. It is either one of the current two main speculations, or someone from Yda's past (the King of Ruin? unlikely. Her relative, or the lost prince? I digress).

He was talking to Yda, right after Yda was recognized.

[Zohar_Lahar]

I feel the bigger question is what will the Griffin do with Nidhogg's eyes.

[Addicted]

I feel the bigger question is what will the Griffin do with Nidhogg's eyes.

They'll be to Omega Weapon what the Heart of Sabik was to Ultima Weapon.

[HorseBoots]

As much as I would both love and hate to see Gaius come back the idea of The Griffin being him seems like a bit of a stretch. Especially given the last scene with presumably the real one given the lack of voice acting to give it away.

One of the last thing Gaius did before being pretty much vaporized at The Praetorium was actively cursing the Ascians for playing him like a fiddle and ruining his hopes and plans for the Ultima weapon by revealing well, Ultima.

Do you really think Gaius would be stupid enough to accept the help of Ascians again?