Is anyon else tired of Ascians story?

[Mansion]

I like Ascians in MSQ up until 5.0, and here and there when they have been meddling.
I am getting a bit tired of the shift we had since Emet Selch were the game tries to give them a bit more depth and while it did work on Emet, I think it fell flat for Elidibus or the Mitron Loghrif bit we had in Eden. I have absolutely no interest in neither Zenos nor Fandaniel right now, so I'm only curious about the end of the Hydealyn / Zodiark story and that's about it.

I don't think FFXIV will have another big story ark running for multiple expansions, and I'd be far happier with smaller self contained arks that last for an expansion. They aren't that good with keeping long plot points updated (Elidibus and Zenos mostly) relevant, but I love the little story bubbles like 5.0, or 4.2 / 4.3 with the end of the Doman storyline.
The Ascians honestly felt lackluster in the whole 2.X to 4.4 (or 4.5 ? when we learn about them being behind Garlemald in the first place), sometimes tying them back in because they weren't involved for some time felt a bit awkward (understand : all scenes with Elidibus mumbling on the moon, shaking his fist to hydealyn). I was very disappointed to see them appear in Eden, I felt it was lazy.

[Cilia]

I was fine with how it played out in Shadowbringers' story arc (4.4 - 5.3); my main problem with the Ascians was how they were basically the Illuminati beforehand: always responsible for whatever new ill was plaguing the world, but too powerful to kill outright so fights against them felt largely pointless. Add in the fact they just tease us with knowledge of what's really going on with every appearance, and it gets downright frustrating they don't just tell us the truth (even Emet-Selch needed prompting in the form of the Ronkan murals).

I am cautiously optimistic about what's coming. On the one hand both Zenos and Fandaniel are pretty boring right now. On the other, that gives them potential moving forward, though between Zenos' absolute apathy toward everything other than his long sought-after rematch with the PC and Fandaniel's omnicidal intentions I have a pretty hard time believing anything particularly interesting is going to come of them.

[YianKutku]

The real power behind the Ascians is Zodiark though and we know that 6.0 is going to be the last part off the Zoidark/Hydaelyn conflict. The entire 1.0 to 6.0 "main story arc" will be about ending the Ascian threat for good most likely.

The issue I have is that we had the actual heart of Zodiark come down and go "my plans and goals are beyond your understanding" and when we actually asked him what those plans were, he went "I have no idea who I am or why I'm here, I only know that I must fight".

I'm not confident that Zodiark's ultimate goal (beyond the immediate Rejoinings) is any more coherent than Elidibus's. Like, Zodiark had a chance to communicate his viewpoint to us by sending a spokesperson, and that spokesperson was senile.

[Rosenstrauch]

The issue I have is that we had the actual heart of Zodiark come down and go "my plans and goals are beyond your understanding" and when we actually asked him what those plans were, he went "I have no idea who I am or why I'm here, I only know that I must fight".

I mean, he wasn't wrong. If even he couldn't understand his plans and goals, how could we ever hope to?

But yeah, I'm not expecting anything more than Blind Idiot God behavior from Zodiark at this point.

[Vyrerus]

I mean, he wasn't wrong. If even he couldn't understand his plans and goals, how could we ever hope to?

But yeah, I'm not expecting anything more than Blind Idiot God behavior from Zodiark at this point.

I assume Zodiark is more of a power MacGuffin for Fandaniel or someone else to channel or absorb/pilot by this point.

[MicahZerrshia]

Well since I have been dealing with ascians since 2010 in one form or another, yes. But if I could have kept Emet Selch alive and kicking I would have. He was an amazing antagonist, and much like Yotsuyu and Iceheart, was killed off much too quickly. They seem to like to do that though, create these amazing villains and kill them off real quick while the bland and annoying ones who would make headlines repeatedly on cringetopia *cough Zenos cough* they just refuse to get rid of. Even in the post emet storyline, they seemed to be working toward something with Elidibus, then just killed him off for a completely ridiculous, over the top, overused trope character in the form of fandanial. The conflict with Elidibus could have easily lasted another expac which could have been ended with what so many have been waiting for... moving the battle to garlemald which culminates in the fight against zodiarc and the fall of the empire. But noooooooooo.

[Lium]

The game's Ascians story was a bit interesting, but we already got to the point where it is tired, is like the creators ran out of ideas.
I would love to see other more creative stories.

Not really. Considering that...

...we are an Ascian as well.

So, unless that gets retconned, Ascians are here to stay in some form until the game is shut down.

[Vulcwen]

While the Ascians were an antagonistic organization up to this point, I don't think it will remain so. Without leadership, the sundered Ascians will choose different paths, so we might end up finding allies among the remaining Ascians, ones that oppose Fandaniel's mad nihilistic plans.

[Kesey]

Not really. Considering that...

...we are an Ascian as well.

So, unless that gets retconned, Ascians are here to stay in some form until the game is shut down.

I think you have misunderstood the what makes an "Ascian". Although like the Ascians, the WOL is a reincarnated Ancient soul, but very much unlike the Ascians, the WOL is not tempered to Zodiark. It's the latter that makes you an "Ascian," not the former.

But the issue with Ascians being here to stay is really a plurality problem. There are at least 13 of them, and we've only put about half of them to the sword. There will always be more of them for the foreseeable future.

[Veloran]

but very much unlike the Ascians, the WOL is not tempered to Zodiark. It's the latter that makes you an "Ascian," not the former.

We have no real evidence that the sundered Ascians are tempered. Fandaniel's behavior would suggest just the opposite, really.