Thread: Revelations from Patch 5.3

Well, I suppose I have some takes on the MSQ for 5.3 as well.

Let's see... simple opinions and takes first.

I love, love, love the new dungeon. The new trial is OK.

I loved the Archon Loaf. I loved the Alisae hunting contest, reflective of Hien's hunting contest back in 4.0.

I loved G'raha's new outfit and staff.

Now for the meat of my thoughts.

Elidibus came off as being out of character to me this patch. To me, it seemed like they completely rewrote him, just to fit into the story they're telling now, rather than writing him based on his past appearances. It seemed like there was a lot they wanted to do with him, while simultaneously also wanting to kill him off this patch. Everything he did was unsatisfying. From the memory fight instance where he conveniently forgot to have us fight the WoDs to him being unable to replicate air, lightning, and aetherial slashing type attacks. Despite being able to replicate fused soul dragon/dragoon attacks. Meh.
However, I got excited when he fought us as Ardbert, to show us what Ardbert was truly capable of... probably the real reason they omitted the WoD fight was because even when it was current it was a ROFLSTOMP.

Then he seemed to drop a crystal, and first I took it to be Ardbert's Warrior soul crystal. It wasn't, but I was convinced the zodiac convocation stones were job stones till about half way through picking them up. Very cool plot point, but it just opens up so many questions, and I just know most of them ain't gonna get answered. Loved that it turned out to be Hytholadaeus being the one dropping them for us, being a failsafe/beyond the grave way for Emet-selch to aid us, as he hadn't planned on beating us. Something something, the longest suicide note written in history, and he was putting himself out of his misery via our, "beastly strength." Of course, the Shoebill is in the Pendants, and there are people writing up theories on Hades still being alive.

On that note, the most interesting confirmation/story piece from this patch was that we, the WoL, were the 14th Convocation seat, Azem. This just leads me to think back to Hades words to us before our final battle with him, the bit with him saying, "I will take back my birthright!" I don't know if that's an English localization hiccup, but it always struck me as curious, and as of now, it's still unanswered. If it's more than a hiccup, then I want to know, was Hades originally auditioning for the seat of Azem, only for us to take it from him? Were we his old brother or younger or something? There's so much more I want to know about our Amaurotine past.

Also I kinda think Y'shtola is a b{kupo!}ch. I think her giving Runar false hope and flirting with him hard like that is kinda shitty. I don't think the other scions will ever find a way back to the First, and I don't see the story carrying them back there in any capacity, ever. Take your bets now, I guess. Course, that in particular isn't so bad. Runar's a good guy and doesn't deserve to be grilled. What I'm mad at her about is the whole subtle convo she has as current dialogue once everything is done. About G'raha.
She says she won't drop the Tia portion until he decides what he's going to be in life or whatever, basically saying she doesn't acknowledge that he was already a Nunh. Guess she needs him to bang some of his own nieces like a regular Nunh before she gives him true respect. Big props to Alphinaud though.

I found the Feo Ul dream gear Tataru thing with her making them the gear they used on The First to be kinda shitty too. I was looking forward to new gear for all of them, only for them to wind up in the same exact clothes. Like, COME ON!

As far as Fandango and Zenos are concerned... seems like Fandango doesn't really understand who Zenos is as a person. Thinking that he could have bothered him by having possessed someone he knew. But I can't wait to see Zenos kill him. This much is foreshadowed by Fandango tossing the money up into the air, exclaiming his love for it, only for Zenos to stab a gil in half with his katana. My money's on Fandango getting in the way of him fighting us, perhaps accidentally, and Zenos killing him as a repercussion.

Quick thought about the Future NieR Raid.

Alright, I never really finished Automata, but I know about Adam and Eve. And when another user said they could be the next boss, I realised we actually have a hint at that.
Remember Blufever, who were quite on point with their leaks? Well, back then they announced Omega M and F as Adam and Eve, but it seemed that their name was changed later in the production. But why was it changed? Looking at the timing, they most likely already made plans about the Collaboration Raid. And they changed the name of the Final Omega Tier because those boss names would be needed later...
Just speculation.

Sorrow of Sapphire Weapon

Uh, I loved this a lot. It was over and done so quickly, but I found the controls for the G-Warrior to be engaging. Funny enough, I sort of ignored the beam attack, as the last two sword slices cleave, and I killed all the turrets that way. Quite the fun little instance.

The view screen pop ups with simplified mouth flaps made me smile like an idiot. Not sure what all the dialogue options for the WoL were referencing, but I kept it curt. Loved the music in Terncliff, and most of all, I loved that if you talk to the Ironworks engineer behind the resistance guy who will take you back to The Lochs, you get a hangar section where you get to shake down the G-Warrior like you're in the Gear Hangar of the Yggdrasil in Xenogears.

Kinda dissatisfied with what the Duskwight told us about how Gaius is indebted to him. I was hoping more for some sort of dark sorcery being all that's the plank between Gaius and perdition. Seemed sorta lazy and unbelievable, but I guess if that's that, I have no say in it.

New villain had cool armor, but I wonder why they blacked out his face. Child slave attendants is kind of weird...

Also I now wonder what's going to happen to the G-Warrior to make us have to fight the other weapons like normal trials.

Originally Posted by Slatersev

I have seen people say Y'shtola theorized Emet-Selch's last words were also meant for Elidibus. I don't remember that. Is it in a cutscene that I missed or is it something she says if you talk to her at a certain point?

Don't know if she's said anything about his final words, but...

I know she speculates him showing up in the final trial was a plan by Hades to ensure his last unsundered friend died and moved on from everything. Basically, him helping us was as much for Elidibus as it was for us, maybe more so.

Hey, can anyone list where all the involved characters are, post-5.3? I can't find anyone outside those actually in the Rising Stones, Lyna, and Matoya; and I assume there's dialogue I'm missing?

EDIT: Nevermind, found it.

Originally Posted by Crushnight

So a lot of Npcs have updated

-Scions in Rising stones and extra room
-Unikalhai
-Role quest Npcs (Culpa included)
-Crysterium named Npcs
-anyone you say bye to
-Viera sisters who govern Fanow(Whm one is leaving to go to Crysterium)
-Bae Lugg is in Cabinet of Curiosity
-Master Matoya
-Rammbroes click crumpled report option

-Magnai hasn't but what he says with what we know just makes me want to rub it in XD

There may be others I couldn't find Lyse, City leaders still barred from seeing

I'll agree that Elidibus did seem a tad out of character compared to before but

it makes sense in a way. As the last one left the guy had got to be under a lot of pressure, and the calm & collected manipulator shtick he was doing before just kept backfiring horribly.

Random unrelated thought:

Seeing as most (all?) of us are reincarnations of sundered ancients, does that mean Emet will have been shredded up and chucked into the lifestream when he died?
Would he even get sundered at this point?
When the WoL eventually dies, hopefully of old age after a comfy retirement, will the lifestream slice Ardbert off and send his soul back to the First, or will Azem of the source always be 8/14 from now on?

I get the impression that the sundering was a one time deal and Hydaelyn can't re-sunder so to speak, whenever Emets soul gets recycled is he going to be a full 14/14 stuck in the body of a mortal?
Maybe his growth spurt in puberty will see him end up 14ft tall and oddly fascinated with long robes and masks.