What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Swordsman]

It would be an interesting topic to delve into, citizen, and it would have made for an excellent subplot. All we know from Stormblood and Ala Mhigo is that a Garlean discovered a way to separate a soul from its body, but it didn't describe any method of implanting that soul into someone else's body. There is much to be clarified.

Yeah, a better explanation would be great. Sadly, minor plot points like this won't get clarification like the "clarification" we got from Yoshi P during the Letter from the Producer Live Part LXVIII regarding the paradox of the Unsundered. As of now most of this is left to our own personal interpretations.

They need to pick a power and intelligence level for the WOL and base all future interactions with the antagonists to stop this pointless superman dilemma drama

I 100% agree with this. It seems the writers will adjust the power level of the WoL based on whatever the story calls for at the time and I'm tired of seeing these wild power fluctuations happen just for the sake of seeing the plot progress.

Well citizen, that would make things difficult for the MSQ writer who is so used to pulling the WOL and the Scions out of any bad situation on a whim.




Light be with you.

Lmao, this is true. It acts as a very handy get out of jail free card that can be used at any time. I think I said something like this a while back too.

[WeebPolice]

Yeah, a better explanation would be great. Sadly, minor plot points like this won't get clarification like the "clarification" we got from Yoshi P during the Letter from the Producer Live Part LXVIII regarding the paradox of the Unsundered. As of now most of this is left to our own personal interpretations.

Hmm, citizen? Was the poorly improvised reason from YoshiP during the live letter not to anyone's liking?




Sun and moon light your way.

[Swordsman]

Hmm, citizen? Was the poorly improvised reason from YoshiP during the live letter not to anyone's liking?




Sun and moon light your way.

Man that live letter was painful to watch. The director of a game struggling to answer lore questions about their own game doesn't leave a good impression.

[Vyrerus]

Interesting and long survey some guy on reddit setup to see how people view Endwalker.

Reddit Link

Direct link to survey

Survey maker seems to be aware of common complaints, but also went as far as having some categories revolve around them. Kind of a breath of fresh air.

[CamuiKushi]

Zenos and the DRK quests are the most compelling stuff in this game, and they fly in the face of the BS we got during the ending parts of 6.0. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the MSQ. But holy crap did it feel like someone on the writing team had a hate-boner for our best frenemy when you look at a lot of the dialog options. Asides from the "I can't deny that" line, none of the dialogue options conveyed how I felt about him. The best you can be is neutral towards Zenos. Meanwhile the even greater threats get nothing but sympathy and forgiveness and a comfy little spot in the key art at the end of the credits? Bugger that nonsense. I can't stand ancient Elon and feel bad for his pet bird.
Honestly the only thing that redeemed Endwalkers story for me was the fact that the optional side quests in Elpis and Pandemonium felt like they were calling out the main scenario writers on their BS.

Snip

Thanks for the link. Just filled it out myself!

[Vyrerus]

Yeah, of course Zenos was right about the WoL. That was his entire character design from the start. The seeker of challenges who wept because there were none or none left.

He's the settings most powerful NPC (sundered anyway). We are its most powerful PC. He's fated to lose, we're fated to win. And he wants that fight with us anyway, because he finds thrill in a struggle, as so few things bring him a struggle.

He is every raider who does the MSQ as a means to an end to reach the Savage and Ultimate content. Every challenge runner. Every solo artist.

And if he's truly dead, he's almost a commentary on the game's trajectory. It went from having some of the most brutal content without clear, cookie cutter telegraphs in every fight that sought and prided itself for its difficulty, and was embraced for it... to the opposite of that, to the rejection of that.

And if they bring him back, I wonder what they'll use him to say next. That the game will regain some spice? That the gameplay is what's most important in a game?

That the WoL's motive for helping the Scions doesn't really matter, even if it's on the darker side of humanity's instincts?

We are predators, after all. Humans hunt.

[ReynTime]

Yeah, of course Zenos was right about the WoL. That was his entire character design from the start. The seeker of challenges who wept because there were none or none left.

He's the settings most powerful NPC (sundered anyway). We are its most powerful PC. He's fated to lose, we're fated to win. And he wants that fight with us anyway, because he finds thrill in a struggle, as so few things bring him a struggle.

He is every raider who does the MSQ as a means to an end to reach the Savage and Ultimate content. Every challenge runner. Every solo artist.

And if he's truly dead, he's almost a commentary on the game's trajectory. It went from having some of the most brutal content without clear, cookie cutter telegraphs in every fight that sought and prided itself for its difficulty, and was embraced for it... to the opposite of that, to the rejection of that.

And if they bring him back, I wonder what they'll use him to say next. That the game will regain some spice? That the gameplay is what's most important in a game?

That the WoL's motive for helping the Scions doesn't really matter, even if it's on the darker side of humanity's instincts?

We are predators, after all. Humans hunt.

I think that's giving the writers way too much credit. You can draw those parallels about hardcore raiders and XIV's game design with Zenos, but I doubt they made them intentional. They just thought giving the WoL a forced rival would be "cool". No way the people who brought us depression bird and a smile better suits a hero thought any deeper than that.

[Vyrerus]

I think that's giving the writers way too much credit. You can draw those parallels about hardcore raiders and XIV's game design with Zenos, but I doubt they made them intentional. They just thought giving the WoL a forced rival would be "cool". No way the people who brought us depression bird and a smile better suits a hero thought any deeper than that.

Well it was different writers back in Stormblood for the MSQ, wasn't it? He's not an Ishikawa original, is he?

But yeah, I probably do give them too much credit. I'm just one of those folks that thinks Zenos gets a bum rep.

[ReynTime]

Well it was different writers back in Stormblood for the MSQ, wasn't it? He's not an Ishikawa original, is he?

But yeah, I probably do give them too much credit. I'm just one of those folks that thinks Zenos gets a bum rep.

In spite of the Deus Ex Machina near the end he was both the highlight AND one of the wasted opportunities in Endwalker in my opinion. I almost want to say he accidentally went from being a bland antagonist to the more tolerable character right up to his death.