February 5th Announcement, Realistic Expectations Thread

[Hank_Hotspur]

I'm hopeful we'll get something of a preview of a few new level 90 artifact gear for jobs.

[shao32]

My realistic espectations are just the usual stuff:

-New expansion
-Plot directions
-Cinematic trailer
-Job announcement

The same stuff of always.
About what yoship say about high spectations well to be honest he make a lot of promises he couln't keep later on and i think making that sentence could be anything but if im gonna do as he say and my high spectations are:

-HW DRK gameplay adaptation an return.
-more dunegons and more engaging
-more battle content from midcore to highend content
-a training ground on the novice network that introduce a deep tutorial of every job at max level that teach you how all the mechanics works (not optimal gameplay but only teaching you how to work the mechanics) and a area to practice with all roles.
-both viera and rogthgar update in head customization and genders.
-tanks and healers gameplay more engaging and complex, more skill flor for the ones that want to be dedicated to the roles.
-and overall less brainless and short content that last just one week.

I doubt any of this will be true to be honest but a dream is a dream.

[Raltar]

All I want is a release date so I can put in for time off from work.

[Auryan]

Seeing as the initial reveal showcase will also have the live letter and act as a fanfest replacement, I'm expecting a more than usual amount of information. Certainly more than either SB and ShB's reveal.

As what you might reasonably expect:
- a short, ~6 sec trailer with the expansion name reveal. Since they're not going to go in depth with the location of the new expansion in order to avoid spoiling 5.5, the trailer will be pretty vague.
- they'll flat out say the roles for the new jobs, while revealing one (the non-spoiler-y one) outright. I could say they'll reveal both since they have less time to tease the jobs without the fanfests and media tour, but one of the two jobs will probably too involved with the new expansion to actually reveal. Or maybe not. That would be pleasant surprise.
- mention the title and creator for the new 24-man series. This has been a big deal since SB, so I wouldn't be surprised if they continue the trend of doing crossovers with other SE IPs.
- a reveal of the title of the new 8 man. Just the name of the raid series, as well as a single still. Short and mysterious.
- some new features they've been talking about.
- maybe a date for the Xbox release.
- dates for everything from the next event and maybe even the launch of the expansion.

That's a very general idea of the bare minimum. I'm sure they're will be plenty of more things and details that I can't summarize.

As for the 5.5. live letter: outside of the usual (story, 24-man finale, Weapons storyline conclusion, etc.), I expect a teaser for the next Ultimate, talk more about the next and final part of the Bozjan Resistance which includes the new zone. And a surprise announcement of the content they've talked about last time. Which could be the farm content they talked about years ago. Maybe something about beast tamer, if we're following the way Blue mage came out (is there a precedent?).

That's all I have for now. And even though the forums is just a cesspool of pessimism and cold apathy that makes me question why I even lurk here, I'm very excited for the showcase. No matter what they actually end up revealing.

[Aniya_Estlihn]

- a short, ~6 sec trailer with the expansion name reveal. Since they're not going to go in depth with the location of the new expansion in order to avoid spoiling 5.5, the trailer will be pretty vague.

I think this angle is a bit strange. There is almost undeniable proof that we're going to Garlemald, so they could easily reveal that and then be like "Find out why we're headed there in 5.5!" Which is one of the things they actually did for 4.0's first fanfest. As we knew we immediately knew were going to Gyr Abania/Ala Mhigo, but we didn't know exactly how or why until 3.5. In fact they said we'd have to wait until 3.5 to find out exactly why we were going there, but we knew from the start it was Gyr Abania due to the MSQ and the general direction of the story.

In fact, the narrative is currently pushing towards Garlemald rather blatantly—the towers are Garlean, Fandaniel says Zenos will wait for us in the midst of the chaos. As Lyse put it "Huge swathes of the episode have been reduced to rubble", which is only natural in a country—that has too many military legions that operate separately and all have interests in controlling the throne—under the grips of a civil war... like? Is that not obvious enough? It sounds chaotic enough.

So it's pretty easy to assume we're going to Garlemald as the build up for it has been stirring since late 4.X and Shadowbringers only acted as a small diversion from it. There's no reason to go anywhere else now that we know both Zenos and the only remaining Ascian who poses a threat are working together. And while they could throw a curveball and subvert expectations, I think that'll be in the reasoning for us going to Garlemald, rather than a question if if we are or aren't.

[Theodric]

I'd rather not face another bait and switch expansion so it'd be nice to know in advance where we're going with 100% certainty. Other MMO's announce where upcoming expansions are going to be set. I can understand not wanting to reveal specific story details but I'm not a fan of the habit of trying to avoid any and all spoilers at any cost. We're spending money to buy the expansion - usually in advance - which is a good enough reason to give us more than a very vague premise of what to expect.

I'm hoping that, at the very least, it's set on the Source. If it's another world hopping expansion so soon after the last...then I'll be rather disappointed.

[SpiralMask]

i'm betting there'll be zero acknowledgement of current healer suffering, and no mentions of healers whatsoever in any slides relating to class or combat changes.

best not to expect more, since that's exactly what the last year and a half or so has been.

[Aniya_Estlihn]

i'm betting there'll be zero acknowledgement of current healer suffering, and no mentions of healers whatsoever in any slides relating to class or combat changes.

Considering this is exactly why they didn't introduce a new healer so that they could address them in 6.0... bit weird to think this will be the case when we've known since ShB launched they'd be doing exactly the opposite of what you're saying?

I'm hoping that, at the very least, it's set on the Source.

Taking into account the towers being built by house Brutus—which is why Fandaniel flaunts his wealth as the "very much alive" "sole heir" of House Brutus in 5.2 to Zenos and says he would "proceed with the plan"— and thus being of Garlean origin, as well as the fact that 5.4 literally spells out that Zenos is going to recreate the final days on the source. I think we can safely say that next expansion, and finale of this arc, is set on the Source exclusively. Which means it'll be Garlemald as they've been the antagonists since 1.0. The Motherland and the Provinces of Garlemald, to be exact, as that's how Islabard is divided.

[Fredco191]

- Male races get better beards

* angry sobbing *

[Burningskull]

I expect the name of the expansion.
Where we are going in game.
The name and role of the 2, maybe 1, new job(s). Probably Geomancer and Time Mage.
The name of the 8 man and 24 man raid.
Beastmaster as a limited job for 5.55. Even tho I really don't want more limited jobs.