Endwalker was "meh" (for reasons other than technical issues)

[Powercow]

I remember seeing a lot of similar complaints back during the previous expansions too.

"Oh, they BARELY used Amaurot for anything, and we didn't get ANY explanation of what Elidibus was up to!"
"Bah, what was that last zone? Azys Lla was barely used, I can't believe how pointless it was."
"What, Yotsuyu survived and we're not going to learn anything else about her? What a sham of a story!"

And no, 6.1 isn't going to be an entirely new story with no connection to the old one. What, do you think we're going to go to Garlemald, Elpis, the moon, and Ultima Thule again and NOT have it relate to the stuff that's happened before? Or do you think 6.1 will bring with it 6 new zones set in the New World or we'll be hopping over to the Second or something?

[Anatha]

You're confusing aetherial darkness with despair.

There are no redundancies here. Zodiark isn't some evil bringer of death and despair, anymore than hydaelyn brings happiness.

He's just aspected to that element, which is in no way, evil. You were TOLD this in Shb, there is really no excuse for not knowing this.


Meteion is all about emotion. In this case, despair. Nothing to do with darkness or aether. Literally nothing.

You fight Zenos ONCE in EW. One solo duty. No idea why you're whining about a second. That never happened.

[Tsukino]

Somehow I doubt the role quests will really fulfill what I was talking about here: the Final Days were built up through 5.4 and 5.5, through all the trailers, the PLLs—there was a lot of build up for something that, honestly, occurred fairly late in the story (level 84/85), and only affected two zones DESPITE the writers deliberately showing its effects in both Ishgard and Ala Mhigo. But the latter two locations were just completely dropped—and, as I said, it gave me the impression that more had been planned for the Final Days that what actually made the final cut.

Oh, no, they won't change your mind, I don't think they're very good really. I was just pointing out that the ones in Ala Mhigo and Ishgard aren't dropped, they're in the role quests. I didn't mean to suggest that those role quests are good.

As for Zodiark, that's fair, I just don't know what they could have done with him so weakened and devoid of ascian support as he was at this point. Like I said above, hopefully more information on Elidibus might give more insight into Zodiark than the story allowed for.

The thing about Heavensward was just my not-funny way of finalizing all the things I listed about your full opinion, it doesn't mean anything except I thought Heavensward was dumb.

[Bright-Flower]

Zodiark's point of view we already got in SHB though. What more was there to explore? Elidibus was his literal heart and he was explored in 5.2 and 5.3, and with him gone that left Zodiark without an actual character of his own. 5.0 spent a lot of time in the final zone fleshing out the ascians and their past and their reasons for summoning Zodiark. Hydaelyn needed more time because she was brought into question with SHB and was our benefactor/patron deity throughout the story, especially early on. Zodiark didn't have that personal connection to the protagonists. I don't feel like there was really much more to learn about Zodiark, and with his heart gone, not much to get out of him character wise either. It would have just been a rehash of what we learned in SHB.

For end days, the role quests really do not do what you're looking for. They deal with blasphemes that are loose in their respective regions, and delve into some issues those places are having and explore characters a little. But while the blasphemes are bad, it never hits end days status and if you're looking for worldwide apocalypse, yeah they're going to disapoint.

Honestly though, I'm glad that EW was less formulaic. I wouldn't want every dungeon to be a tower, I'm glad only two of them were towers. I wouldn't want every dungeon to be the same thing. Red skies and fires everywhere would get old fairly quickly. Not every dungeon was dealing with 'end days' in the sense that the 85 dungeon was but they were all important to the overall journey and goal.

I liked SHB but I wouldn't want every zone in EW to be a similar pattern of 'go to area, help people fight monsters and not give into despair, move on to next area.'

[Powercow]

Meteion is all about emotion. In this case, despair. Nothing to do with darkness or aether. Literally nothing.

The only relation Meteion has with Dark is that Dynamis and active Aether, which is what Dark aether is strongest at.

This is why the Ancients chose Darkness as the element to stop the Final Days -- they assumed the issue was simply that aether had become too stagnant in the areas hardest hit by the Final Days and decided to use the most active element to counteract that problem. If the Final Days was caused by aether becoming too frantic in an area, Zodiark would have been a being of Light.

They go over it a lot in Shadowbringers (Urianger in the fairy house.) Heck, they talk about Light being the aether of stillness back in Heavensward (Ardbert mentions it).

[KizuyaKatogami]

Zodiark's point of view we already got in SHB though. What more was there to explore? Elidibus was his literal heart and he was explored in 5.2 and 5.3,

Yes, the heart of the main deity primal that’s been around for 8+ years had 2 patches(and he wasn’t even around much to talk in 5.2) to shine. Vs the entire expansion Emet got, and the multiple expansion visits to Hydaelyn and Venat’s entire Elpis arc. My point is we got to have our own time with both Hydaelyn and Venat at separate times, yet we didn’t get that with Zodiark whatsoever. I think there’s a lot more we could learn about both tbh. Who was it that Elidibus swore a promise to? Who or how did they originally develop Zodiark and get the idea for him. Why were there already statues of him created before he had even been conceived. There’s lot of questions they could’ve gone into and answered. Not to mention the 5-6 remaining sundered ascians still around we could’ve gotten insight on that will probably just be thrown into pandaemonium and killed off.

[Divinemights]

Yes, the heart of the main deity primal that’s been around for 8+ years had 2 patches(and he wasn’t even around much to talk in 5.2) to shine. Vs the entire expansion Emet got, and the multiple expansion visits to Hydaelyn and Venat’s entire Elpis arc. My point is we got to have our own time with both Hydaelyn and Venat at separate times, yet we didn’t get that with Zodiark whatsoever. I think there’s a lot more we could learn about both tbh. Who was it that Elidibus swore a promise to? Who or how did they originally develop Zodiark and get the idea for him. Why were there already statues of him created before he had even been conceived. There’s lot of questions they could’ve gone into and answered. Not to mention the 5-6 remaining sundered ascians still around we could’ve gotten insight on that will probably just be thrown into pandaemonium and killed off.

Not every question need to be answered.
Venat still hasn't got a chance to hear our reply to her question isn't it?

[KizuyaKatogami]

Not every question need to be answered.
Venat still hasn't got a chance to hear our reply to her question isn't it?

That’s an excuse for sloppy and lazy writing. Sure let’s just not address the plot points we’ve brought up. At that point why even write a story if you’re going to ignore your own points.

[HyoMinPark]

Oh, no, they won't change your mind, I don't think they're very good really. I was just pointing out that the ones in Ala Mhigo and Ishgard aren't dropped, they're in the role quests. I didn't mean to suggest that those role quests are good.

I elaborated a bit more to mention how they were kind of dropped out of the MSQ. Idk. I guess it was meant to be a role quest teaser, but it felt a bit hollow. Tbh, I forgot about the role quests since they were also brought up so late. Kind of also seemed like an afterthought, but maybe because they’re less integrated in the backstory compared to the ones in ShB with the Cardinal Virtues.

As for Zodiark, that's fair, I just don't know what they could have done with him so weakened and devoid of ascian support as he was at this point. Like I said above, hopefully more information on Elidibus might give more insight into Zodiark than the story allowed for.

I do hope we get more, since I feel like we were more so fighting Fandaniel during the trial versus Zodiark himself. And I just didn’t like how forgettable he ended up feeling, being that he was built up for so long as a main antagonist to our character and their cause. I’d like him to have more to him, so maybe I’ll get that from Pandaemonium.

The thing about Heavensward was just my not-funny way of finalizing all the things I listed about your full opinion, it doesn't mean anything except I thought Heavensward was dumb.

Ah. I suppose we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that, since I really enjoyed Heavensward and the Dragonsong War. It may also be because of when I started playing and nostalgia blah blah, but I’ve always enjoyed the story. To be honest, the only main story I can give a below average rating to is ARR—if only because it is so full of filler, even after the condensing. Some filler is fine and necessary to an extent, but ARR tests my patience a lot lol.

[Divinemights]

That’s an excuse for sloppy and lazy writing. Sure let’s just not address the plot points we’ve brought up. At that point why even write a story if you’re going to ignore your own points.

The focus of writing was not about Zodiark himself to be honest.
The is just a manifest combines by minds that wants to restore everything back to the old.
There is nothing special and while you may be interest, I personally thinks any time wasted on him is not really necessary.
From story purpose, it is better narration if you put focus on Hydaelyn and Venat and we did get our answer of why Hydaelyn need to shatter original into 14 different worls.