Thread: The Road to 5.0

Originally Posted by Cilia

All I'm going to say on the subject is that killing off characters, while useful for emotional torque, can actually be detrimental in the long run; and as MMOs are designed to run for a long time with an expansive cast, might not be in the best interest of the story.

WoW's latest expansion, while bland gameplay-wise and lacking the "grey morality" so many people assumed it would have, is narrative-wise very compelling precisely because of the history behind the majority of the cast. That wouldn't be possible if a big chunk of the characters were killed off every couple expansions. There are major character deaths, but they are done only occasionally, and they have meaning (Varian's death in the prologue of Legion is one of the greatest Heroic Sacrifices I've ever seen).

I don't agree a lot of characters need to be killed off to illustrate what the stakes are. One or two, done well, should suffice.

That said, I'm still not sure how much we're going to be fighting the Empire in 5.0 - what we saw in the Shadowbringers teaser suggests our primary enemies will be agents of the Light, for whatever reason, so while it was the most logical conclusion before I'm not sure the Empire is going to be our center-stage antagonists past 4.5(5).

Geh. I am going to disagree with you in a lot of ways about WoW's latest expansion. It has totally destroyed the horde's old identity and much of the horde's narrative has characters acting out of character. That said, I think they handled Jaina's story very well.

However this is more about FF14. Honestly deaths are a fine tool if used effectively. You don't need deaths to have an effective or emotional story. I seriously doubt any of the main leaders are going to die since we know a war between the Allied nations and Garlemald will play a big role in 5.0 and potentially act as a precursor to a new Calamity. As for the Scions, I think they likewise are safe apart from potentially being 'Called'.

My current theory on 5.0 will be our character dealing with the fact they are kind of in a doomed if they do and doomed if they don't scenario. If they beat the Ascians it triggers a Flood of Darkness. If they lose it triggers a Calamity. The WoL/WoD needs to find a third option and it seems that option will require changing something in the past, 'rewriting history'. Since we see Thancred in the trailer my guess is that the past is where the Scions are getting 'Called' to.

I suspect 5.0 will have our character moving back and forward from the present day and the past, trying to achieve that third option and our becoming the Warrior of Darkness will less be us switching sides and more us replacing the Ascians and thus averting the Flood while allowing us to stop their machinations. How that is going to work is anyone's guess. Having the Echo I am betting will allow us to transition backwards and forwards in time.

It is clear we are still going to be friendly with the city states at least at the end of 5.0 because we know crafters and gatherers will have the rebuilding of Ishgard as their endgame content. I still think in the present day Garlemald will be the backdrop as out major enemy simply because even if Elidibus is somehow finished off in 4.5, we now have Solus holding the reins in Garlemald.

Its worth remembering that the teaser is only part of the full trailer. Do remember that the first Stormblood trailer didn't even have a whiff of Doma or the Far East and it was only in the later fanfest they dropped that bomb on us.

after watching the trailer have to ask that moment where we see us as wod if you look at sky behind him it looks like a eye or a portal or sumthing wondering what you all think it is?

This may be my first post here, but I am a person who enjoys lore and a good story.

I went back to some of the cutscenes and believe we may have already seen Zodiark if only briefly. At the end of 2.0 after we destroy Ultima and escape Praetorium, as the leaders are declaring the end to the 7th Umbral era, we are pulled into a state similar to the one Hydaelyn calls us to. Instead of seeing a crystal of light, we see a crystal filled with darkness. If Hydaelyn is portrayed as a crystal of light, then it only seems right that Zodiark is portrayed as a crystal of darkness. While I may be reading too much into this, it may have been a prelude to all that is coming in 4.5 and 5.0. I am starting to think since we can't hear Hydaelyn as we once did, it may also be plausible that the Ascians can no longer hear Zodiark's wishes. Zodiark may try to contact us which is what is happening when our fellow Scions souls get plucked from their bodies. It is also plausible that our Echo is shielding us from the effects of the "calling" of our soul. It may be Zodiark's way of telling us to embrace the darkness and prevent the twin dooms from happening. Kind of like a sword of darkness and a shield of light. If we win and beat the Ascians, we get a flood of light. If the Ascians succeed with their plans, we get a flood of darkness.

We need order (light) and chaos (darkness) in equal parts to maintain balance. Feel free to poke holes in this theory.

Oh, we definetly see what is probably Zodiark at the end of 2.0.

In fact, the best evidence I can think of that the Voice in 4.4 is Zodiark is that the screen effect in that sequence is really similar to the screen effect used when we see Zodiark in 2.0.

The voice didn't say that the Ascians winning would cause a Flood of Darkness but rather another Calamity. The final Calamity if what they said at Fanfest was correct. Maybe they don't need all 14 shards to make Zodiark whole. I don't think that would necessarily mean we get a Flood of Darkness but I don't trust it to be a good thing either with how the agents of Zodiark have acted in the past. A group with so little care about the people they are killing off cant really be trusted to have a goal which is in any way ok for those people. That is ignoring the terrible loss of life that a Calamity causes.

I think our twin dooms are a final Calamity and whatever the Ascians are trying to achieve vs a Flood of Light. Whoever the child is from the trailer I suspect they will somehow be repping the Light by the end of 5.X which means we take it on ourselves to boot the Ascians out of the job and take over the role of rep of the Darkness. I suspect this will result in us dealing directly with Zodiark and I am very interested to see his side of things.