Why I like SB MSQ more than HW

[Kazrah]

For being such a pivotal character and the "final boss" of the expansion, Tsuyu/ Tsukuyomi felt shallow with the "because amnesia" plotline, and Asahi's hurried introduction to make her seem at least somewhat sympathetic felt very forced. Everything was finished too quickly to feel any real sense of development in order to send us off to 5.0, and considering we've been hearing about it since 2.0, the whole thing felt incredibly anti-climactic.

You do realize we're still not done yet for Stormblood, right? The ends of Totsoyu and Asahi simply marked a close to the Doma storyline according to Yoshi. Can't really have a final boss when there are at least two more patches to go: one to cover Ala Mhigo, and the other to bridge between it and wherever we go for the next expansion.

I do agree with you though on the overall Tsuyu story did feel really half-hearted as far as the writing for it goes.

[Linx0r]

It might be a shocking revelation, though FFXIV is a Japanese game. It's also not the first time that a Final Fantasy title has embraced Asian inspired elements, be it in terms of architecture or mythology. Wutai in FF7 and Bevelle in FF10 spring to mind.

Well no shit! It’s different in those games - you play those sections for maybe a few hours? This is for two years. Too much

[Lunaxia]

snip.

I was going off the previous patch cycles - in both 2.0 and 3.0 the final trial happened a patch or two before the actual ending, and the remaining patches were spent building up to the next expansion. So far I don't really see it deviating from that pattern, though I suppose I could be wrong.

Ala Mhigo feels "done" to me after 4.1, and I can't really imagine what else there is to take us back there that wouldn't feel as hurried and awkward as Tsuyu's story did. The whole Zenos plot seems to be moving away from there and towards Garlemald to set us up for 5.0.

[Ameela]

Honestly I think it's the opposite, maybe SB doesn't linger for too long after 4.0 but I feel like 4.0 itself is already being dragged along by previous patch content, some of it even dating all the way back to ARR.
The biggest thing that I think will make people decide between Heavensward and Stormblood's main stories is that Heavensward can kind of be enjoyed in a vacuum (apart from a handful of quests which most people probably know about), you get most of the characters, settings, antagonists, etc, established through the course of the expansion, even if you don't particularly care about Ishgard at the start the game goes through great lengths to make at least some of its inhabitants likeable and feel like they're worth fighting for for the player.
This isn't really the case in Stormblood, for the most part it kind of expects you to already care about the conflict in Othard and Gyr Abania based on lore and stuff that happened in the previous patches and it never really gives you a reason to fight for these people apart form the fact that the empire is bad and I guess needs to be stopped because people say so (inb4 "that's the point they even say that you have no reason to fight at the before the final boss!")

Ironically enough it ended up making it feel like the smaller scale expansion focused on a single city had infinitely more stakes than the one focusing on the liberation of two countries, at least for me as someone who's never really cared about the Ala Mhigo and Doma storyline.

[Theodric]

Well no shit! It’s different in those games - you play those sections for maybe a few hours? This is for two years. Too much

There's numerous MMO's out there that adhere strictly to a 'Western' aesthetic is that's what you desire. Perhaps you'd be happier investing in them, instead?

[Lauront]

Well no shit! It’s different in those games - you play those sections for maybe a few hours? This is for two years. Too much

Wherever an MMO chooses to focus on, it will consume much of the lifecycle of an expansion. I don't see the issue with a focus on far eastern culture in a Japanese, MMO, personally. As for it not being authentic to the FF brand, it is more so than dwarves, which you mentioned. Talking animals, such as moogles and the Four Lords are also a part of past Final Fantasies. I think you must no be too familiar with the earlier parts of the series. Dragons were covered extensively in HW, and I am sure Shinryu will make another appearance. You can't focus on dragons for 2 years, either.

Besides, it's scarcely a year at this point, and SE is done with the Doma quest line, and is moving on to another. So I am not sure what the complaint is.

[Lauront]

Honestly I think it's the opposite, maybe SB doesn't linger for too long after 4.0 but I feel like 4.0 itself is already being dragged along by previous patch content, some of it even dating all the way back to ARR.
The biggest thing that I think will make people decide between Heavensward and Stormblood's main stories is that Heavensward can kind of be enjoyed in a vacuum (apart from a handful of quests which most people probably know about), you get most of the characters, settings, antagonists, etc, established through the course of the expansion, even if you don't particularly care about Ishgard at the start the game goes through great lengths to make at least some of its inhabitants likeable and feel like they're worth fighting for for the player.
This isn't really the case in Stormblood, for the most part it kind of expects you to already care about the conflict in Othard and Gyr Abania based on lore and stuff that happened in the previous patches and it never really gives you a reason to fight for these people apart form the fact that the empire is bad and I guess needs to be stopped because people say so (inb4 "that's the point they even say that you have no reason to fight at the before the final boss!")

Ironically enough it ended up making it feel like the smaller scale expansion focused on a single city had infinitely more stakes than the one focusing on the liberation of two countries, at least for me as someone who's never really cared about the Ala Mhigo and Doma storyline.

I'll admit, I did not find the Ala Mhigans or even the Domans particularly sympathetic. Also, there is the issue that Zenos's rule differed to what goes on in the rest of the Empire. Hopefully 4.4 and beyond will clarify these issues.

[Rofel]

SB is a funny thing...

I see plenty of people saying they felt the Doman part of que MSQ was filler, but I enjoyed it way more than the Ala Mhigan front. I dunno if thats because of the maps... Peaks, Fringes and Lochs lacks the variety of scenery... and even the diversity of culture we got with Yanxia and Azim.

The NPCs were stronger on that front (Hien is charismatic, Gosetsu is the best and even Yugiri was pushed enough to do stuff harshly when a shinobi wouldn't, and Yotsuyu and now Asahi stole the spotlight for a long time) and rallying the nomads, villagers and ninjas agains the Empire gave me a greater sense of Liberation. I think I'm just not a big fan of Lyse and how she was put in a sudden position of leadership.

I am optimistic with the focus shifting to wherever the story takes Alphie and """the hunter""".

[Linx0r]

Wherever an MMO chooses to focus on, it will consume much of the lifecycle of an expansion. I don't see the issue with a focus on far eastern culture in a Japanese, MMO, personally. As for it not being authentic to the FF brand, it is more so than dwarves, which you mentioned. Talking animals, such as moogles and the Four Lords are also a part of past Final Fantasies. I think you must no

Sorry that was meant to be over exaggerated sarcasm. I am aware of the position and culture for moogles and the 4 Lords. I’m just saying that so far SB has been too asian for me. (This is no offence to anyone asian). I hope you are right and we start moving in another direction though

[Linx0r]

There's numerous MMO's out there that adhere strictly to a 'Western' aesthetic is that's what you desire. Perhaps you'd be happier investing in them, instead?

Yah no I never said I wanted more western mmo. SB is but a part of ff14 and I happen to not like it for reasons I have stated. I loved ARR and HW.