Patch 5.4 Story Continuity Error (Spoilers)

[Novaura]

I have completed the new set of quests with Cyella after finishing the 5.4 main story beforehand. I discovered in the initial quest with Unukalhai that he speaks with Urianger. However, if one does the main story first, they will notice that Urianger has left to go to Garlemald with Thancred. If that's the case, how is Urianger able to help Unukalhai when he is with Thancred?

[Jojoya]

I actually did those quests first yesterday instead of MSQ because they were a conclusion to prior content and I wanted to see how that all resolved before moving onto "new history". No continuity error for me. Likely most players in the future who do it will also be doing at a point where there wouldn't be a problem.

There is a lot of side quests and side content in general that will have continuity errors depending on where you are in the MSQ. Imagine unlocking Coils for the first time while progressing through 4.5 to 5.3 MSQ. It absolutely wouldn't make sense.

You just need to accept that your character is doing that side content at the appropriate time in lore history.

[DrWho2010]

Urianger is there because he came back cuz he forgot something and you caught him loafin around.

[Rollout]

Quests happen in their own little bubble when they're supposed to happen. It's simply that the role quests happen before any of the 5.4 MSQ happens.

The same thing occurred with Nanamo in 2.55. She was presumed dead after being poisoned, but still showed up in the final Culinarian quest.

[Rosenstrauch]

It's a rare instance of this popping up in the same patch as a conflicting quest. But much like past events like this (Nanamo and Eden's Gate/Verse), you shouldn't worry too much about it.

[TheMightyMollusk]

I just assumed it happened offscreen at some point between 5.3 and 5.4.

[Sauteed]

Not wanting to spoil anything but Urianger was in Walking Sands all during 5.0 and beyond for me. >_>

[Iscah]

Not wanting to spoil anything but Urianger was in Walking Sands all during 5.0 and beyond for me. >_>

That's because you haven't finished off all his quests so he "can't leave" until you do so.

Essentially it's still his earlier self there, even though in the present time he has moved elsewhere.

If you finish off all of his quests, then the next time you go there, he will be gone.

They seem to avoid doing this with standing NPCs for the most part, which is why you have prerequisites like finishing the three hard-mode primals before the end of ARR so the other Scions aren't left sitting around the Waking Sands as well, and why all of Unukalhai's Lv60 quests have to be cleared before you can start on the Void quest story.

I think Urianger was in an awkward place story-wise for quite a while because of that early decision to make him a questgiver NPC - unlike the other Scions who can move about and "change appearance" (at a technical level, represented by a different character model) but he is permanently tied to that location and appearance for so long as the player hasn't done the quests - which could be never. He generally turns up in cutscenes and then departs again, or is only present with the group for a short time. I think it just got to a point where the writers have said "if the player hasn't cleared ARR story content by now, we can't keep holding up continuity for them".

[Stepjam]

Yeah, that occurred to me too. Usually they are pretty good about not letting that happen with concurrent content, but I guess they slipped a bit here.