6.0 Predictions: Will it be Garlemald, Sharlayan, or Meracydia?

[Kesey]

While I think Ivalice, Weapons, and Bozja will be mandatory in the future, I don't think it will be for 6.0. I like the idea of Gabranth being a constant foe in the future as the "corrupt" WoL, who shares our ideals but is willing to go to extremes for them. However, I don't think those will come into play for 6.0. Probably 7.0 to give us an excuse to continue adventuring in the world.

Considering that the last weapon/Bozja stuff will be coming right before 6.0 in the 5.5(5) patch, I don't think they'll be playing that card to have us go into Garlemald just yet because it would be far too soon to make those mandatory quests to go through. They'll let it simmer while we go elsewhere to deal with Zenos. That way when it's finally time to go towards 7.0, more than enough time ingame (months if we've traveled by boat long distance to our next destination) will have passed to where Garlemald will be truly ready for our arrival with a new ruler, more soldiers trained, more superweapons for us to destroy, and more plots and secrets to keep us busy.

I agree. I believe that whatever the Zenos/Fandaniel play is, they will damage the Empire and fundamentally cause its full collapse.

[FrightfulNight]

While I think Ivalice, Weapons, and Bozja will be mandatory in the future, I don't think it will be for 6.0. I like the idea of Gabranth being a constant foe in the future as the "corrupt" WoL, who shares our ideals but is willing to go to extremes for them. However, I don't think those will come into play for 6.0. Probably 7.0 to give us an excuse to continue adventuring in the world.

Considering that the last weapon/Bozja stuff will be coming right before 6.0 in the 5.5(5) patch, I don't think they'll be playing that card to have us go into Garlemald just yet because it would be far too soon to make those mandatory quests to go through. They'll let it simmer while we go elsewhere to deal with Zenos. That way when it's finally time to go towards 7.0, more than enough time ingame (months if we've traveled by boat long distance to our next destination) will have passed to where Garlemald will be truly ready for our arrival with a new ruler, more soldiers trained, more superweapons for us to destroy, and more plots and secrets to keep us busy.

Or it could be that they will not make it mandatory, for instance the trials quests in HW somewhat dealt with the Garleans who were prevalent in SB but it was not mandatory, Going somewhere else just does not make any sense, it would feel overused since they already did it with ShB i agree with Ceasaria that we HAVE to go there in 6.0 to deal with the threat of Zenos and Fanadial and stop them from awakening Zodiark, it has been built up long enough anything else will just be lazily dragging out the conflict. I feel that maybe the ShB trials will be required for it since it was introduced very significantly in the MQS but I do not feel the Bozjan stuff will be required since they are setting up Gabranth to still be a threat even after Garlemald's defeat, and instead doing it will just give us some unique dialogue for it, but i will say if it is somewhere else i will most definitely feel cheated and be disappointed.

[RyuDragnier]

Or it could be that they will not make it mandatory, for instance the trials quests in HW somewhat dealt with the Garleans who were prevalent in SB but it was not mandatory, Going somewhere else just does not make any sense, it would feel overused since they already did it with ShB i agree with Ceasaria that we HAVE to go there in 6.0 to deal with the threat of Zenos and Fanadial and stop them from awakening Zodiark, it has been built up long enough anything else will just be lazily dragging out the conflict. I feel that maybe the ShB trials will be required for it since it was introduced very significantly in the MQS but I do not feel the Bozjan stuff will be required since they are setting up Gabranth to still be a threat even after Garlemald's defeat, and instead doing it will just give us some unique dialogue for it, but i will say if it is somewhere else i will most definitely feel cheated and be disappointed.

It makes sense because Zenos does not care about Garlemald, does not care about its struggles, only getting to Zodiark and absorbing it so we can have the greatest battle in existence. His way to Zodiark will not be in Garlemald, it will be elsewhere. If we were to go to Garlemald now, it would be cheating us out of a proper battle with the empire because the empire will no longer have the resources or the strength to fight back against us, Bozja, Dalmasca, Nagxia and the Eorzean Alliance. It will be a full on curbstomp battle that will not do it justice and frankly, would be boring as hell and wouldn't give us much to work with storywise.

Not to mention...if we've beaten Garlemald and finished the Zodiark saga in 6.0 by going to Garlemald, then there are no main villains anymore, nothing to go with. We're at a dead end, the devs would have to come up with new villains, a new reason to journey. Whereas if Garlemald is NOT our 6.0 destination, it allows them to create a comeback with Resonant soldiers, new weapons, and push back the fronts, allowing us to still have an enemy and opening new avenues of where the story can go due to the alliances being pushed back by Garlemald. This also still gives us a reason to fight. We won one war, now we have to win another.

[FrightfulNight]

It makes sense because Zenos does not care about Garlemald, does not care about its struggles, only getting to Zodiark and absorbing it so we can have the greatest battle in existence. His way to Zodiark will not be in Garlemald, it will be elsewhere. If we were to go to Garlemald now, it would be cheating us out of a proper battle with the empire because the empire will no longer have the resources or the strength to fight back against us, Bozja, Dalmasca, Nagxia and the Eorzean Alliance. It will be a full on curbstomp battle that will not do it justice and frankly, would be boring as hell and wouldn't give us much to work with storywise.

Not to mention...if we've beaten Garlemald and finished the Zodiark saga in 6.0 by going to Garlemald, then there are no main villains anymore, nothing to go with. We're at a dead end, the devs would have to come up with new villains, a new reason to journey. Whereas if Garlemald is NOT our 6.0 destination, it allows them to create a comeback with Resonant soldiers, new weapons, and push back the fronts, allowing us to still have an enemy and opening new avenues of where the story can go due to the alliances being pushed back by Garlemald. This also still gives us a reason to fight. We won one war, now we have to win another.

Exactly, we would get new villians, since 6.0 is the end of the season 1 storyline it makes sense that we would move on to the next arch afterwards and that includes new antagonist, they have done almost everything they can with Garlemald at this point, having new antagonist would be a great way to start the season 2 arch. Plus i believe Yoshi P. himself said he was looking at incorporating new antagonist so that it is not just the same old same old. Plus if Garlemald is not included in 6.0 then that means all that build up including the 5.3 final cutscene would be for nothing or would just be prolonged another expansion, that's annoying at this point, it has been prolonged long enough. They said SB was the beginning of the end of the Garlean story arch, and ShB was the same for the Ascian and Zodiark storyline so what better way then to have them both conclude in 6.0 since they are season 1 plotlines and it is the season 1 finale, anything else would not be satisfying to me.

[Kesey]

Exactly, we would get new villians, since 6.0 is the end of the season 1 storyline it makes sense that we would move on to the next arch afterwards and that includes new antagonist, they have done almost everything they can with Garlemald at this point, having new antagonist would be a great way to start the season 2 arch. Plus i believe Yoshi P. himself said he was looking at incorporating new antagonist so that it is not just the same old same old. Plus if Garlemald is not included in 6.0 then that means all that build up including the 5.3 final cutscene would be for nothing or would just be prolonged another expansion, that's annoying at this point, it has been prolonged long enough. They said SB was the beginning of the end of the Garlean story arch, and ShB was the same for the Ascian and Zodiark storyline so what better way then to have them both conclude in 6.0 since they are season 1 plotlines and it is the season 1 finale, anything else would not be satisfying to me.

Okay, I've been wrong before, but here is my logic:

But is Garlemald the threat or is Zenos, Fandaniel, and Zodiark the threat? The latter is the answer. That is not the promise of an empire expansion. These guys want to fight us, summon Zodiark, and bring the apocalypse. Their play is to go where they can start an 8th calamity (and that's clearly not in the capitol of the Empire because why sit on the means of summoning Zodiark if its under your thumb?) or kill the WOL (who conveniently isn't in the Empire). And honestly, given the state of the Empire represented in Bozja and Sorrows of Werlyt, putting down Zenos and the Ascians negates the need to "finish off" the Empire. Opening the possibility of a future story about the Empire that is more organic and "less conquer the evil empire".

Yoshi-P also stated that they will be subverting expectations with this coming expansion. The obvious plot thread when you don't look at the real threats and what they really want, screams Empire. Instead our theories should center around where can the villains go to start the 8th calamity/rejoining.

[Rosenstrauch]

At this point I'm convinced Fancy Dan and Zenos are themselves a red herring, and that they'll be dealt with by the end of 5.5/5.55. Instead of going into 6.0 to deal with them, we'd instead be dealing with the aftermath of whatever they were up to. It's not like there's a lack of precedent for that, either: We got roped into fighting for Ala Mhigo as a direct result of Ilberd's false flag operation and primal summoning.

[Tsiron]

Would be interesting if they pulled a Kefka

with Fandaniel backstabbing Zenos and revealing himself to be the real big bad

but... I don't think they have it in them. Aside from that, I'd love if Unukalhai came back (he never left but y'know), given his connection to the Ascians and stance on the Empire, but I don't think the devs remember he exists.

[LineageRazor]

Yeah, I seriously doubt Fandaniel could pull off something like that. Besides, Zenos is the real Kefka analogue, being a nihilist who cares only for self-amusement at the expense of anyone and everyone else. And he's already backstabbed everyone he could possibly backstab. Usually from the front. The back is more challenging to reach that way. He's not a zany trickster like Kefka, but hits most of the other story beats.

[FrightfulNight]

I just feel with how much they have been building up the Garlemald story these past two expansions that it will be very disappointing if we do not at least go there this expansion, like how many more scenes do we have to see in the capitol and wonder, when we are finally going there. It will feel like they are just dragging it out and since 6.0 is the season 1 finale and both Garlemald and Zodiark are season 1 plotlines it makes sense that they would both be solved in 6.0, plus if Zenos did not intend to use it and instead just wanted to go somewhere else then why would he take back the palace in 5.3 and not just go the location, why would Fanadial brag about taking over a member of a influential family. I feel it has been going on long enough and 6.0 needs to wrap up this storyline as well, otherwise it wont feel satisfying to me or like a complete season 1 finale. Then in season 2 we can move on to new threats and arch's and locations.

[Kesey]

plus if Zenos did not intend to use it and instead just wanted to go somewhere else then why would he take back the palace in 5.3 and not just go the location, why would Fanadial brag about taking over a member of a influential family. I feel it has been going on long enough and 6.0 needs to wrap up this storyline as well, otherwise it wont feel satisfying to me or like a complete season 1 finale. Then in season 2 we can move on to new threats and arch's and locations.

Because taking the over the palace stops the civil war that erupted following the death of Solus. Fandaniel wearing the skin of an influential person allows the people to not question who he is. Giving them control of the Empire and it's resources to say, idk, start the end of the world. The real question is what will they do bring back Zodiark? And why do they need an army to do it? Probably because we are going anywhere but the Empire.