Revolutions Hype Thread

[Enkidoh]

I'm curious as to what the final boss of the 4.0 MSQ is going to be like, because compared to Ultima Weapon and King Thordan, an imperial legatus wouldn't seem all that impressive when we've already canonically taken on several primals solo.

Don't be so quick to write off a Garlean legatus as being a wimpish fight though - Nael van Darnus was after all the final boss of version 1.0 and he she ended up channelling Bahamut's power through himself herself. Gaius though was sadly underwhelming as an opponent, which greatly disappointed me as I was long looking forward to a one on one fight with him after what he did to my Path Companion in 1.0, and he folded so easily. To say nothing of Regula.

Remember, legatee get to their positions by might not right, so don't discount the possibility of Zenos being 4.0's final boss after all, especially as he's the ruler of not one but two Garlean vassal states (although I am likely to agree it's probably going to be something that comes completely out of left field - this is Final Fantasy after all. ).

Zenos was also shown to be rather intelligent, or at least possessed of a thorough spy network, as he correctly identifies Shinryu by name presumably mere hours after its appearance. That he enjoys standing on the front line suggests he is also a formidable opponent, and the trailer strongly hints that he indeed is - Zenos is seen fighting Lyse, who is saved only by a timely intervention by Y'shtola, as well as Yugiri, capable fighters all.

I assumed that his foreknowledge of Omega came about because of Roaille, as her name kept being mentioned throughout 3.4 and 3.5's story - given that Omega was being mentioned way back in ARR's story, and that the whole reason Cartenau was being fought over was due to Omega being there (which Teledji wanted for himself), is pretty conclusive it was Zenos who was the final recipient of Roaille's espionage - he's known about Omega all along thanks to her (and, presumably us as well). The Ivy may be dead but the breadth her vines spread their bitter seeds are only now just being seen....

That said I don't believe Zenos is malevolent towards his people - he's apathetic, if anything, towards others in general. He fights not for conquest or survival, but for sport. I do hope there is more to him than that, but based on his actions in the past and the response doing nothing elicited from his adjutant, I think he's established himself as a credible threat.

The website you quoted said that he was pretty malevolent - that final scene in 3.57 of him on Ala Mhigo's throne, where that hapless centurion reporting on the devastation wrought by Omega and Shinryu's battle, the look he gives the centurion where he dared to ask if they should devote some of their forces to reconstruction, resulting in the centurion very hastily backpedaling and making himself scarce, all but shows that. We've seen legatee do this repeatedly, killing their own troops on the slightest provocation after all (remember Nero and that Ala Mhigan infiltrator? The poor guy didn't even get a drumhead court martial, he was just killed outright on the spot.)

And besides, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't even Yoshi himself actually state that Zenos is a "monster" who "should not be sympathized with"? If his own creator outright states at how bloodthirsty and monstrous he is, then I think that's pretty conclusive that Zenos is nothing more than he appears to be, a dangerous antagonist that will probably have to be put down eventually for the greater good.

[VargasVermillion]

Don't be so quick to write off a Garlean legatus as being a wimpish fight though - Nael van Darnus was after all the final boss of version 1.0 and he she ended up channelling Bahamut's power through himself herself. Gaius though was sadly underwhelming as an opponent, which greatly disappointed me as I was long looking forward to a one on one fight with him after what he did to my Path Companion in 1.0, and he folded so easily. To say nothing of Regula.

In defense of Gaius you could argue he was past his prime and canonically fought the WoL and 7 other "mercenaries" at once based on the fact that other party members appear in cutscenes whereas with a lot of boss fights it's assumed that the WoL fights them on their own.

[Alleo]

In defense of Gaius you could argue he was past his prime and canonically fought the WoL and 7 other "mercenaries" at once based on the fact that other party members appear in cutscenes whereas with a lot of boss fights it's assumed that the WoL fights them on their own.

And then the WoL who cant defeat a single person alone left his/her friends to die because there was only one mount to ride out of that. (Interestingly in the German speech text of some bosses in those two instances they only talk like we are alone and I really hope that we are canonically alone there. Maybe we left those adventurers behind at the start of the instances and went on alone. Otherwise beating up all those solo fights with 7 other people would feel shameful. )

[Cilia]

-snip-

Well, knowledge of Omega obviously comes from the Ivy. It was brought up as a plot point in, what... 2.2? 2.3? before finally being tapped for plot relevance in 3.56. It was pretty much an open secret at that point. Shinryu, on the other hand, was a nascent primal - unless the Ivy's operatives are still active, there's no way Zenos should have been able to identify it. It's most highlighted in the adjutant's lack of knowledge about Shinryu (he calls it an "unknown eikon"), while Zenos is already aware of what the Domans are calling it through spies. Could be the Ivy's hangers-on.

Either way, it shows that Zenos is not just a dumb brute.

As for his attitude and opinion on others... he seems apathetic, not malevolent. He doesn't care about others - he simply doesn't care if they live or die. If they happen to get in the way of his goals or desires he will cut them down, but otherwise he simply doesn't give a damn. Zenos wants to stir up as much shit as he can so he can get a good fight out of it, from the sound of it - I'm currently pegging him as a villainous blood knight. That he would make no effort toward peace simply so he can get a good fight out of it... already makes him unsympathetic.

I get the feeling Yotsuyu may be more nuanced, and Fordola almost definitely will, but as it stands Zenos is just a battle-lusted blood knight. Suffice to say, Fordola is the antagonist I most look forward to clashing with at the moment. I'll strike down Zenos without a second thought if he refuses to surrender.

[YianKutku]

get the feeling Yotsuyu may be more nuanced, and Fordola almost definitely will, but as it stands Zenos is just a battle-lusted blood knight.

Which would be a bit of a shame. Zenos is the Emperor's son, and I'm hoping there'll be some characterization movement on that. At least something more complex than "he likes to fight", which seems more suitable for a supporting side character. Even Ser Grinnaux got more, if only barely.

I have a lot of hopes pinned on Yotsuyu's character description of "Yet all are the hero of their own story" to take the edge off the current apparent characterization of Sadistic Evil Viceroy. And I'm also definitely looking forward to seeing Fordola's motivations and viewpoints, but I'm also cautiously aware that there are so many ways to mess it up.

[Belhi]

Which would be a bit of a shame. Zenos is the Emperor's son, and I'm hoping there'll be some characterization movement on that. At least something more complex than "he likes to fight", which seems more suitable for a supporting side character. Even Ser Grinnaux got more, if only barely.

I have a lot of hopes pinned on Yotsuyu's character description of "Yet all are the hero of their own story" to take the edge off the current apparent characterization of Sadistic Evil Viceroy. And I'm also definitely looking forward to seeing Fordola's motivations and viewpoints, but I'm also cautiously aware that there are so many ways to mess it up.

I think he will have a depth to him in a sense but he is clearly designed to be a villain that we will want to hate even if he is a major badass. He will have his reasons and drive but they will be reasons that will be monstrous and cruel. There is something to be said for a villain that isn't cruel for some personal reason but rather simply because they just don't care enough about anyone else that happens to be in their way.

In the purge after Doma's rebellions were crushed, which Zenos oversaw, anyone involve or even supporting the rebellion was executed along with their families. Which would be more sinister? If he did it because he was angry at the rebellion or he did it because he saw it as effective and just held so little care for the loss of life that families getting publicly butchered didn't even phase him?

[Enkidoh]

Well, knowledge of Omega obviously comes from the Ivy. It was brought up as a plot point in, what... 2.2? 2.3? before finally being tapped for plot relevance in 3.56. It was pretty much an open secret at that point. Shinryu, on the other hand, was a nascent primal - unless the Ivy's operatives are still active, there's no way Zenos should have been able to identify it. It's most highlighted in the adjutant's lack of knowledge about Shinryu (he calls it an "unknown eikon"), while Zenos is already aware of what the Domans are calling it through spies. Could be the Ivy's hangers-on.

Considering Zenos is mentioned as becoming somewhat interested in Doman culture (in particular, gaining a fancy for the katana, which is his preferred weapon), and that Kan-E-Senna mentioned the Doman refugees in Eorzea immediately identified Ilberd's last gasp as Shinryu, based on a "old Doman legend", it's entirely possible that Zenos came to the exact same conclusion as the Doman refugees, that the 'unknown eikon' was a god dragon from Doman legends, and named it accordingly.

Or else he was already informed of it by the Ascians - hells it was Elidibus who all but instructed Ilberd how to summon in the first place (by giving him Nidhogg's eyes to do so), Elidibus might have also been in Zenos's ear as well, playing the two sides against each other, it fits the Ascians' MO after all (remember they've done that in the past with Thordan the VIIth already, nudging him into summoning Knights of the Round).

As for his attitude and opinion on others... he seems apathetic, not malevolent. He doesn't care about others - he simply doesn't care if they live or die. If they happen to get in the way of his goals or desires he will cut them down, but otherwise he simply doesn't give a damn. Zenos wants to stir up as much shit as he can so he can get a good fight out of it, from the sound of it - I'm currently pegging him as a villainous blood knight. That he would make no effort toward peace simply so he can get a good fight out of it... already makes him unsympathetic.

The more I think of it, the more it seems the whole reason he's finally excited about the cold war between Eorzea and the Empire finally going hot is less at he can now have a war to fight in, and more that he's excited about what that will inevitably entail, the prospect of facing down in battle Eorzea's champion, the one the XIVth Legion called the Eikon Slayer - us, the Warrior of Light! Where there is a Primal, inevitably we'd be dispatched to deal with it, and thus all he has to do is then show up and he gets a worthy adversary that he can revel in.

Throwing away countless lives on both sides means nothing to him as you mentioned. Just as long as he gets the battle to end all battles against the most powerful warrior on Hydaelyn (lets face it, the Warrior of Light technically is), he's happy. He's like some cannibal god, rejoicing in the ruin of his own temple as it burns down around him. Hence it makes him far more dangerous than Gaius or even Nael ever were.

I get the feeling Yotsuyu may be more nuanced, and Fordola almost definitely will, but as it stands Zenos is just a battle-lusted blood knight. Suffice to say, Fordola is the antagonist I most look forward to clashing with at the moment. I'll strike down Zenos without a second thought if he refuses to surrender.

Oh I have no doubt Yotsuyu is nothing but a shameless quisling who will either a) be overthrown by the Domans and disposed of accordingly, or B) will have to be taken down by us to liberate Doma - the scenes in the Revolutions video makes it clear she is basically a cruel, cold-hearted villainness (driven home when she is shown apparently stomping down on Gosetsu's head with a glare that could melt lead). It's clear SE doesn't want the player to like her or sympathize with her at all (even less so than Zenos probably), and they made that plain in the video.

Fordola to me though comes across as more a reluctant Garlean collaborator - Ala Mhigan born but drafted in the Empire while being shunned by both, she hence to me appears more likely the one to actually swap sides once the excrement really starts hitting the fan as hostilities heat up and the revolutions on both sides of the world start making inroads - she comes across to me as FFXIV's version of Beatrix from FFIX. So yeah, I am definitely intrigued by her as a character and really look forward to finding out more about her story and motivations (I just hope I didn't get things horribly wrong and find SE has pulled a bait and switch on me and turned her into the cold hearted monster and instead make Yotsuyu more sympathetic.)

Something I've just thought about.



That is a huge flag. I know MMOs tend to build the environment much larger than normal due to stuff like camera angles, but that is in an oversized scale of its own.

Also, I'm pretty sure I've seen that symbol before, but I've completely forgotten what it means. Could someone please refresh my memory?

That flagpole is also shown at other points in the video with a Garlean banner, so it's clear that scene shows the moment Ala Mhigo falls to the Alliance/Resistance (further given weight by M'naago on it blowing on a horn), therefore that banner is either the flag of the Eorzean Alliance or the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Personally I don't think it's the Resistance, as the Ala Mhigan flag would suffice for that, so the Alliance would be a better fit. Either way, that had me wondering as well (no doubt it's something we'll find out soon enough in a month or so. ).

[Cilia]

-snip

My memory was a bit foggy - in the scene in question Zenos states verbatim that his spies have informed him the Domans named Shinryu. I'd still question how that information traveled as quickly as it did, though... then again, the Garleans are pretty big into tech, and even Eorzeans have Linkpearls (basically cell phones), though that's easy to forget when Minfilia isn't calling with new orders every 5 minutes.

As for Zenos looking forward to this war so he can face us in battle... it's reasonable enough. We're a beacon of hope for Eorzeans, but I'm honestly very surprised the Garleans don't flee in terror when they realize who they're up against. Since he's stated to revel in combat it makes sense that Zenos wouldn't (and would in fact seek us out to push his limits) - even though we're (in)famous for going through just about everything that stands in our way.

Yotsuyu... I think it's a little too early to really make a proper judgment call (this arguably applies to all the characters, even the seemingly one-dimensional Zenos). While she is stated and shown to be cruel and ruthless, her bio on the official site states she believes herself to be the "hero of [her] own story," suggesting there's a motivation behind her callousness beyond sadism for its own sake. What that is I could not venture to guess, though.

Fordola, though... well, because of her unique circumstances, she is the villain I am most interested in. She is where things get morally complex, not the "power-hungry tyrants hiding behind environmental health concerns" we get from the Garleans. Long story short: while it might be a shithole of a home, Imperial Ala Mhigo is her home, for better or worse. Liberating Ala Mhigo isn't terribly different from her perspective to Garlemald's conquest of Ala Mhigo is to Lyse (and most everyone outside the Empire), which may be why she appears to be Lyse's rival. Not to mention how the Empire (and Zenos in particular) treats conquered peoples... while it's easy to conclude she will defect when things start getting serious, I remain unconvinced. It depends on where her true loyalties lie, and I'm anxious to find out either way.

As for Zenos using incarnate summoning... well, it could be interesting, esp. if he incarnate summons a more powerful Susano-o (i.e. using his full name, Takehaya Susano-o no Mikoto), but the vast majority of Garleans cannot manipulate aether, and I have a hard time believing they'd pull the same cat out of the bag a third time. What Zenos' endgame is (assuming he has one) is anyone's guess, but that combined with the Garleans' atheism makes it a tough sell.