Thread: The Patch 5.2 Discussion Thread! (Spoilers)

God now I cant wait for the 18th >.<.

Well, that's certainly a lot to unpack!

But I think the first thing that's going to draw the attention of those who frequent this forum is that they're finally coming back around to The Starshower. I mean, I'm sure it won't be what it was in 1.0, but Shadowbringers opened some convenient doors for making it look relevant / prophetic.

The Exarch does not look safe and that worries me above all else.

Nice to see Bae Galvus in his Dissidia outfit at least.

The fact that we see Zenos walking through a recollection of the original Calamity makes me wonder if he got tired of waiting for us to come home.

Considering that he is pretty much an Ascian at this point, hopping between shards isn't really out of the question for him.

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Well, that's certainly a lot to unpack!

But I think the first thing that's going to draw the attention of those who frequent this forum is that they're finally coming back around to The Starshower. I mean, I'm sure it won't be what it was in 1.0, but Shadowbringers opened some convenient doors for making it look relevant / prophetic.

This coupled with Y'shtola's (?) hypothesis that a sufficiently strong memory could continue to impact a soul even eons later makes me think the Starshower Echo users experience when they awaken was definitely a vague recollection of the original Calamity.

Hearing Hydaelyn also with her Hear think feel while watching that star shower in the trailer makes me wonder if we are finally going to be able to talk to her again after two expansions of Silence.

There's a lot in it with no/little context but ...

* Zenos, looking swanky in his Imperial Court outfit, exploring the Amaurot re-creation; does look like they're going to move his plot further, faster. Probably there thanks to his new "friend"/helper and no doubt the ability to traverse the Rift. Does suggest he could be the 5.3 boss.
* Still think Ardbert is linked somehow to Elidibus, possibly in the hopes of restoring the shard to a state where it's ready to rejoin, i.e. reviving the flood. The clouds coalescing over the Crystarium look like regular dense clouds but at the same time there's light bursting through them, so not sure what to make of it... but maybe the early stages of a resurgent flood?
* We see Ryne and the Scions on what looks like the Source; meanwhile, the Exarch is undergoing further crystalisation - connected I guess to returning the Scions home.
* Interesting that the zone of the Empire they show has an Archades feel to it - it's too warm to be Garlemald itself, which last we saw was in snow, but maybe they've begun exploring/reclaiming Goug? Looks like it's set somewhere in Dalmasca's vicinity. Gabranth's Legion is still active there and we see Mikoto from the Ivalice series in the trailer, in what looks like Bozja Citadel to me. Some of the screenshots look like the effects of Construct 7's Tartarus to me.
* At the least it looks like Anamnesis may be giving some insight into how Creation magick worked in terms of the concepts. The "ideal forms" thing is a strong nod at Platonism, but as has been remarked on before, this is probably the basis of the more primitive Primal summoning we know - the god is the "concept". Looks like the Echo itself is also going to be a focal point, probably to do with the MSQs rather than the dungeon itself.
* The Ramuh centaur/Ixion and Garuda/Ifrit combo (which remind me of XV) are interesting; leaves room for Shiva as the third Primal fight, if they implement her in this tier, and what looks like a sin eater to me, but there's a mixture of darkness and light so maybe it's to do with the two Oracles who controlling it one after the other.
* This scene was interesting. Some woman in black, with a depiction of what seems to be the Aetherial Sea/Underworld/Lifestream and the Source? It doesn't jive with the other depictions of Hydaelyn we've seen, so I'm curious if it is her or some other figure of import. I thought the lower body was a squid at first! It looks to be Viis. I'm guessing whatever provides the impetus to go to Anamnesis Anyder might rest in a clue in the (deeper) Ronkan ruins. Also, this image of Hydaelyn (?) is interesting, with the spider legs around it. Very curious to see what goes into that and I wonder if this may suggest some manner of parasite is involved in the whole matter, or just some depiction of how she was worshipped, like the spider having some symbolic significance to the Ronkans. Could signify her link to the shards, even if it does not add up numerically.
* Voice at the end - I'll bet it's Elidibus. Seems like an ironic play on Emet's own words about Elidibus when speaking to Varis, that Elidibus "seldom errs". I think he could be referring to the fact that Emet ended up precipitating your soul's rejoining? Or maybe for not just letting the WoL become corrupted into a Lightwarden? For revealing so much so soon? For not immediately taking the Exarch back to their base as a prisoner? For dying? Who knows.
* Granson is out and about!

Not long to go now at least.

Originally Posted by KageTokage

This coupled with Y'shtola's (?) hypothesis that a sufficiently strong memory could continue to impact a soul even eons later makes me the Starshower Echo users experience when they awaken was definitely a vague recollection of the original Calamity.

Especially considering they're in all likelihood surviving fragments of souls from that time.

Originally Posted by Rannie

Hearing Hydaelyn also with her Hear think feel while watching that star shower in the trailer makes me wonder if we are finally going to be able to talk to her again after two expansions of Silence.

It's kind of overdue at this point!