What happened to SB (story)?

[ErryK]

I mean, it feels like about the size of Lake Superior and only a little bigger than something like say Lake Constance.

Scale ingame doesn't necessarily have to match with scale in reality. That's why they're called fantasy games.

But either way, we are within a portion of the Ruby Sea, we aren't in the full sea. We only go from the Ruby Price all the way to the East Othard coastline, we don't see what's between the Ruby Price and Hingashi itself. What we see is probably a fifth of what the actual Ruby Sea itself is.

[Anarnee]

I loved every moment of SB, and when I got through Raubahn, I was only sad because the server issues were stopping people from experiencing how great it was.

[DPZ2]

I was pleased with the fact that in Stormblood I am seen as a kind adventurer by most of the people I encounter, rather than THE Warrior of Light. While the main story line was frenetic, the side-stories really make this expansion. There have been side-stories that hit the mark throughout the years of this game, but there are more of them in this expansion.

I have no desire to be worshiped as THE Warrior of Light. I will gladly help my friends reach their full potential without requiring recognition or adulation from those who don't know me.

The story is what keeps me around.

[usalia]

well the story in SB was all over the place, move to fast. we as a small group of nobody's kicked the "Empire" because the Empire didn't give a fuck for this 2 places? what?
why did they conquered it at all?
hw have characters in the story, SB not so much.
if it was onlly one of the places it was better, like HW.
in the end the most interesting part was the Au Ra tribes.
most of the gear looked out of place. most of it looked like it was from HW.
for a "story first" game it not good.

[CosmicKirby]

So uhh, the reason why Xenos could kick our butts at the start is because he's a genetic supersolider monstrosity that is being enhanced by an artificial version of the same echo that makes US the main character.

I don't know how you felt Heavensward was 'big'. I feel the presentation was similarly lackluster but acceptable, I think your tastes and willingness to consume media of middling quality has lessened and you think the story overall worse because of it.

[Verdan]

So uhh, the reason why Xenos could kick our butts at the start is because he's a genetic supersolider monstrosity that is being enhanced by an artificial version of the same echo that makes US the main character.

Yeah, but we don't do anything to overcome it, aside from level up; while we use a magic artifact to beat Stockholm Lady. It's confusing.

Another thing that's confusing: the hell are the Garleans doing here? We hear that they've enslaved the populations and we see them get shipped off to be served as not-slaves-but-we-all-know-what's-goin'-on-here, but why did they bother conquering these lands at all? Sure, megalomania and sure, actually having access to captive populations is a vital part of a supremacist civilization, but the empire builds these shockingly massive structures using materials from... where? Wouldn't it have been cooler to see scars where mountains were and giant, industrial pits? Shouldn't there be scars on the land, not just outposts for occupation but a reminder of the industrial consumption of the empire? There's all these fortifications to protect the soldiers, but what are the soldiers protecting? What do the Garleans get out of Doma and Ala Mhigo?

[Daralii]

Yeah, but we don't do anything to overcome it, aside from level up; while we use a magic artifact to beat Stockholm Lady. It's confusing.

Another thing that's confusing: the hell are the Garleans doing here? We hear that they've enslaved the populations and we see them get shipped off to be served as not-slaves-but-we-all-know-what's-goin'-on-here, but why did they bother conquering these lands at all? Sure, megalomania and sure, actually having access to captive populations is a vital part of a supremacist civilization, but the empire builds these shockingly massive structures using materials from... where? Wouldn't it have been cooler to see scars where mountains were and giant, industrial pits? Shouldn't there be scars on the land, not just outposts for occupation but a reminder of the industrial consumption of the empire? There's all these fortifications to protect the soldiers, but what are the soldiers protecting? What do the Garleans get out of Doma and Ala Mhigo?

The purpose of the Empire, as decreed by Solus zos Galvus, is to save mankind from the threat of eikons by any means necessary. This includes, but is not limited to, the extermination of any resident beast tribes and local customs that could possibly lead to the religious fervor necessary for the spoken races to summon an eikon of their own.

[Felis]

What do the Garleans get out of Doma and Ala Mhigo?

Ala Mhigo was conquered because it is the entrace door of Eorzea. Only the lost fight above the silver tear lake keeped the garleans more or less out.

[CosmicKirby]

Yeah, but we don't do anything to overcome it, aside from level up; while we use a magic artifact to beat Stockholm Lady. It's confusing.
Another thing that's confusing: the hell are the Garleans doing here? We hear that they've enslaved the populations and we see them get shipped off to be served as not-slaves-but-we-all-know-what's-goin'-on-here, but why did they bother conquering these lands at all? Sure, megalomania and sure, actually having access to captive populations is a vital part of a supremacist civilization, but the empire builds these shockingly massive structures using materials from... where? Wouldn't it have been cooler to see scars where mountains were and giant, industrial pits? Shouldn't there be scars on the land, not just outposts for occupation but a reminder of the industrial consumption of the empire? There's all these fortifications to protect the soldiers, but what are the soldiers protecting? What do the Garleans get out of Doma and Ala Mhigo?

I feel the more looming bugbear in the plot is how easily Garlemald lost two of their assets in decisive military losses,have at least 10 more Legions of soldiers, each with their own commanding officer as strong as Gaius or Zenos was, and yet they proceed to NOT confront the root cause of their losses, or even the opposing force in general in anything except a single file manner of one at a time.

Nor, when faced with a looming apocalypse that they KNEW was going to happen and were DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR through their own negligence, they simply allowed their already doomed and defunct legion led by a mad woman into a conflict against soldiers of no importance, while doing nothing to address the most powerful eikon known to mankind at the time.

Nor, did they, upon seeing the successful results of a single man and his group of hippie friends bind the primal and save the world, consider helping, thanking, learning from, or stealing their methodology of countering the Eikonic threat, their stated prime directive and reasoning for committing what at least SOME OF THEM must find to be questionable actions of enslaving and conquering nations that want nothing to do with them and hold no real advantage of conquering. ( IE Doma)

The Garlean's motivations make NO SENSE at all if you look at them beyond anything other than THE BIG BAD GUYS. And the hand waive for 'any' of these gaping holes in their motivations is "bureaucracy", political infighting and debate draws them in contradictory directions because their emperor that brought them to such power was dying or recently dead.

(Their only actions that SEEMED to make sense was anything regarding Gaius' plans as a whole. And even then, this might be brought into a whole SLEW of questions, because there's a (SPOILERS) Distinct possibility that Gaius is Elidibus.)

PS, forgive me if my bit regarding 1.0 events and Nael is a BIT off, my knowledge of the battle of Carteneau is rusty.))

The purpose of the Empire, as decreed by Solus zos Galvus, is to save mankind from the threat of eikons by any means necessary. This includes, but is not limited to, the extermination of any resident beast tribes and local customs that could possibly lead to the religious fervor necessary for the spoken races to summon an eikon of their own.

And it's worth noting this 'requirement' was partially undermined when Illberd summons an entirely fabricated primal without any real religious zeal, just a very angry speech and a bunch of blood 'sacrifices'. There wasn't really a ritual either, he just got really angry and used a bunch of aether in some dragon eyes (Which somehow weren't spent YET, but will be AFTER...) to summon what is apparently a primal strong enough to rival Bahamut. (Which was probably summoned by a whole SLEW of dragons, with a lot more eyes than just two, and should be far more powerful....)

The eyes were a mistake. Illberd's ending arc was a mistake. Many of the end-of-xpac cliffhangers have been written poorly, lest we forget the BACKPEDALS from 2.5 -> 3.0

[Jandor]

And it's worth noting this 'requirement' was partially undermined when Illberd summons an entirely fabricated primal without any real religious zeal, just a very angry speech and a bunch of blood 'sacrifices'.

Primals are definitely getting a bit silly.
Originally they required huge piles of crystals, a lot of worshipers and a complicated summoning ritual taught by the Ascians.
Now though, they apparently require none of that, one very upset snake lady is enough to bring them into being.