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

[SpectrePhantasia]

I feel like in the progression from Shadowbringers to Endwalker the writers tried to change the Ancients to fit this mold for their themes that just doesn't work because that's never really what they were. The Ancients weren't Eulmore, they were never shown to be these complacent bliss-chasing fools who knew no difficulty in their lives. They never appeared to lack empathy or be selfish, rather their selflessness was their defining trait.

Their society was just simply better, and that's where the whole conflict in Shadowbringers stemmed from. That's why Alphinaud was stunned silent a moment when Emet asked him if half the Sundered could ever be so noble and act with the intent to save those they loved, because he knew they wouldn't. The Ancients' worth was never put into question, rather it was whether or not it was worth purging all that was birthed from their tragedy to bring them back. Obviously the answer the Scions provided was no, but I think the narrative successfully conveyed that was THEIR answer, not THE answer. It was that proclaimed 'matter of perspective' that made the conflict so compelling and impactful in the first place. It's what made Emet-selch so sympathetic.

To then completely 180 on that and try to imply that the Ancients were doomed from the start and there was no way they ever could have survived due to this contrived unwillingness to change, well it left a very bad taste in my mouth. "Humanity wins because humanity" is a very tired message and given the scope of the world we have here, it felt pretty self-serving. Some of that nuance I loved so much was sadly diminished.