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

[Caurcas]

It's honestly to the point where I can't blame any of the characters for any of their actions.
They don't have any agency beyond what the sub-par writing team gives them, and sometimes this leads to actions that completely run counter to any of their previous characterization or development.
It's also resulted in legitimately not being able to care about this game's world anymore, unfortunately.

It's not just this arc. Prior to ShB some of the most interesting characters and arcs were around Garlemald. Gaius, Regula, Noah, even Varis are/were interesting, especially as we got closer to going to Garlemald proper. Instead all those years of development and waiting, and we got a single zone (cool and atmospheric mind you) whose story is just a footnote in the plot. Same for conflicts setup in Doma and Ala Mhigo. MSQ tier setups relegated to barely there side stories.

[aveyond-dreams]

The writers seem to prefer writing "slice of life!" scenes as opposed to anything of actual importance. Imagine if Garlemald or the entire fiasco surrounding Venat were as fleshed out and had as much care dedicated to them as G'raha Tia and his ridiculous hamburger scene.

[Theodric]

If it wasn't for the Garleans and the Ascians, I wouldn't have bothered investing in this game in the first place.

I dislike the focus on 'slice of life' and 'escort quests'. I don't want absolutely everyone and everything to revolve around my character, either.

[Rosenstrauch]

The writers seem to prefer writing "slice of life!" scenes as opposed to anything of actual importance. Imagine if Garlemald or the entire fiasco surrounding Venat were as fleshed out and had as much care dedicated to them as G'raha Tia and his ridiculous hamburger scene.

As someone who sincerely enjoys writing little slice of life stuff, I could have done without the hamburger scene. And not even because I dislike G'raha. Why the heck does Sharlayan have hamburgers?

[EaraGrace]

It's impressive how they manage to actually make me hate venat in an expansion that supposed to explain her reasoning. I'd rather she sunder because she opposed the third sacrifice, rather than "oh my, the future sounds beautiful. This guy from the future is my ideal vision of what mankind should be. Brb gotta introduce despair to my (previous) people".

At least it's funny to see how venat's stan is so desperate trying to defend her though, lol.

I never want to hear you complain about anyone being bad faith again, Kozh.

[Puksi]

I seem to remember at some point the devs said they did not have all the Ascians' lore planned out from the very beginning, that they were literally just Bob Evils to cheese a story until Shadowbringers? That would explain a lot of things, because at this point everything about the Ancients feels like WoW's "The Jailer was behind everything", XIV Edition. The implication that the players think too much about these things was just the icing on the cake, considering this is supposed to be a "story first" game.

TL;DR: why does my character trust any of these characters ever

[KizuyaKatogami]

I seem to remember at some point the devs said they did not have all the Ascians' lore planned out from the very beginning, that they were literally just Bob Evils to cheese a story until Shadowbringers? That would explain a lot of things, because at this point everything about the Ancients feels like WoW's "The Jailer was behind everything", XIV Edition. The implication that the players think too much about these things was just the icing on the cake, considering this is supposed to be a "story first" game.

TL;DR: why does my character trust any of these characters ever

Story first game, but haha, stop looking too into it you guys, it’s just a story. Stop criticizing it so much!

[Teraq]

Congratulations. You got a villainous Hydaelyn.
You got your Mommy Crystal Genocidaelyn. Your big evil angelic mommy milker crystal of sundering.

Was it worth it?

It might have been if they had actually committed to it, instead of... what we got. I wanted to kick her face in for what she's done, but instead all I got was a friendly little test of my might while I was left to ponder this convoluted and unsatisfying plot as Y'shtola patted her on the back because Dynamis. At least I didn't have to suffer the day 3 DPS queue because it was trust compatible!

I can enjoy villains that are awful people as long as they are fun and entertaining, but there was no fun or entertainment, merely preaching about 'ummm sweaty, this was all for the best, deal with it'.

Along with everyone treating her like a hero, this was her other biggest crime as far as I'm concerned tbh. I could take pre-ShB Emet, Butler Fandaniel clowning around and Nabriales stroking Minfilia's face like a Saturday morning cartoon villain – I'd say I'm pretty easy to please – but even if we consider her something of a villain I just find her boring at it. Come on sis, FLAUNT IT!

[shao32]

I was really invested on the story until they started with all the fake deaths on SB, Yotsuyu final arc was decent but i literally lost any interest on the story when they killed Varis offscreen and the only villians we had was the joker without batman and Zenos warming throne over several patches, my favourite scene on the whole game was Varis roasting the whole alliance.

SHB and EW has been a total dissapointment for me, i be honest that the only enjoable parts i had on of both expansions has been the ascian lore reveal from Emet and the second part of thavnair when i foollish belive things are getting interesting just to find that after that zone the final days and his effects just didn't have more screentime bcs reasons, was more worthy pulling the power of friendship to build the ship i guess.
Emet and hythlodaeus has been the only character along with Quintus i enjoyed, everything outside of that has been really meh, specially venat and the whole time traveling arc wich i consider a mess despite i find interesting how the ancients work there and Y'sthola spoiling they can get back after disapear in ultima thula before the twins and g'raha was just the final screw the scions plot armor for me.

[Teraq]

the second part of thavnair when i foollish belive things are getting interesting just to find that after that zone the final days and his effects just didn't have more screentime bcs reasons, was more worthy pulling the power of friendship to build the ship i guess.

Same here, I loved level 85 Thavnair and thought "well, maybe it was worth it having Zodiark as the level 83 trial if it gets this epic". But that was pretty much it. The Garlemald part felt like an afterthought (although it gave us the catharsis of Alisaie telling Zenos nobody cares). The role quests are just a couple of monsters here and there, though I found some of the story hooks interesting. Are you just going to tell me nothing happened in Ul'dah with all that misery around the city? Really? Come on.

And I genuinely thought it was going to finally pop up in Sharlayan during the Labyrinthos quests, but... nope. I legitimately got a sinking feeling in my stomach when at one point someone goes "you should come outside and see this!!!" and I was like "oh shit it's here in Sharlayan and the sky is going to be blood red" but nah it's just everyone and their grandma showing up to bring you the Unobtainium lol