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

[Lauront]

By the way when I say lives in XIV, I'm referring to the people who sent death threats to the devs. There's other aspects of it but that's the big one that removes all doubt.

Yes, unfortunately there are elements of this community which do such things. On that note though, I've observed that Yoshi will sometimes address an incident, asking people to be a little more respectful to their devs, and immediately you'll find members of the English speaking community take it as free rein to shut down any criticism, not realising he is usually addressing rather more serious, specific incidents within the JP community. However, these situations also occurred in scenarios where for example contingents of the community took it upon themselves to address death threats at streamers (e.g. Scottzone) who were critical of aspects of the game. This game has got problems with players who become too fanatical towards it.

I think it should be obvious though that most of us here are just venting and discussing what we disliked about the story. I have other complaints with the game, so my current position is very borderline as to whether I stick with it. If I continue to dislike what I see, there's other games to play. I alongside others offer my feedback on the forum - if there is no marked improvement, or at least I find it deviates too much from what I enjoy, it's a shame, but at least it brings some closure. Sending death threats is puerile and serves no one well.

In your case I'd just say that if you want to have a discussion, people would appreciate it a lot more if you engaged the way you do with Theodric now, rather than fly by comments like the ancients are dead, get over it. We know that. They're fictional characters at the end of the day - it's more the comparative treatment of them in the story. Stories have to include some characters you enjoy at the end of the day, and while I don't speak for everyone here, I prefer the ancients to the main cast.

[Caurcas]

That poster's sole aim is to get a rise out of people here. There is no intention to discuss anything earnestly. They are best dismissed as a troll, as past experience dealing with them has proven.

Neither party had anything to discuss in "earnest". This thread devolved into Venat hate by posters that have always had a chip on their shoulder about the character. I am just a neutral party pointing that out, but sure I am just a troll. You do you buddy.

[Brinne]

It's always a good time seeing the switch between "see, the Ancients WEREN'T perfect, so it's not a big deal that they died" and "see, the Ancients were TOO perfect, so they would have died anyway" as necessary from moment to moment.

[Caurcas]

It's always a good time seeing the switch between "see, the Ancients WEREN'T perfect, so it's not a big deal that they died" and "see, the Ancients were TOO perfect, so they would have died anyway" as necessary from moment to moment.

Friend, no matter the reasoning the Ancients were a dumb introduction to the plot and the story as a whole. For all the praise heaped upon ShB, all the problems bemoaned in EW also began there. Deviation from plot setup over past expansions, time travel dreck, alternate timelines, overabundance of fanservice over storytelling,etc... The Ancients visually are boring, culturally boring, philosophically boring. But SE had to bring them as the focal point of the story for fanservice because of the Emet simping the broader community did in ShB. Sorry I spread my hatred of plot elements around instead of harping on one character like a dead horse.

[KageTokage]

Neither party had anything to discuss in "earnest". This thread devolved into Venat hate by posters that have always had a chip on their shoulder about the character. I am just a neutral party pointing that out, but sure I am just a troll. You do you buddy.

I'm in the camp that wanted to like her, but they opted to write her in a manner that makes it really difficult to do so with a broader perspective on her actions then "It's a causal loop so it had to happen".

A simple change like making her also lose her memories of our encounter would've been sufficient to avoid that with only minimal rewrites being needed to account for such. I rather dislike the notion that we had a role in swaying her into thinking her people were "flawed" and had to go.

[Ritsuka-55]

I've read a post about how good this game would be if it was a single player, and I agree, that final mcguffin to keep the avatars alive was pure garbage, but it is what it is.

[anhaato]

You know final fantasies tend to be very deep at times so it makes sense endwalker was too deep for a lot of people.

My brother in Christ the story was too deep for the writers, not us.

[CrownySuccubus]

Neither party had anything to discuss in "earnest". This thread devolved into Venat hate by posters that have always had a chip on their shoulder about the character. I am just a neutral party pointing that out, but sure I am just a troll. You do you buddy.

I'm in the camp that still likes her, even if I find her logic and the story's attempts to paint it as "correct" really stupid.

If I turn my brain off and enjoy the story for what it is, I like Venadelyn. But, I shouldn't have to.

[Fiel_Tana]

Neither party had anything to discuss in "earnest". This thread devolved into Venat hate by posters that have always had a chip on their shoulder about the character. I am just a neutral party pointing that out, but sure I am just a troll. You do you buddy.

I went in suspicious of Hydaelyn but liked Venat in Elpis right up to the point she kicks us out having already made her choice.

I don't like having writers try to gaslight us into believing her choice was moral or heroic (a Herois minion?) nor did I enjoy having my WoL implicated in it (potentially twice depending how the player views their Azem) and shown as unthinkingly agreeing with that choice when there were other options. That took all player agency over the WoL away when they could have just as easily given players the choice how to respond as they do in other situations.

Having the scions immediately drop any questions and appear tempered to Hydaelyn when before some were written to question things more, it felt very forced and broke any emotional bonds I had towards those characters.

I doubt that is what the writers wanted to portray, but that's how some of us felt. I wish I could have enjoyed Endwalker, and there were parts I did but being told that a genocidal serial liar is heroic is way to far from my comfort zone and honestly disappointing in a game that had previously dealt with grey morality very well (imo).

[EgilTheStressedMage]

snip

I...have had little interest in logging in. As far as I'm concerned, the story ends with 6.0. Unless the next villain is basically Lord Arktivus Brevon from Freedom Planet, I doubt I'll be sticking around beyond helping my FC clear Extremes.

I've read a post about how good this game would be if it was a single player, and I agree, that final mcguffin to keep the avatars alive was pure garbage, but it is what it is.

Could have made the spell temporary and they'd disappear after defeating Endsinger, WoL included as to pave the way for a new adventurer. Maybe FFXIV-II of some kind but written by the HW team entirely and with top players of each role as job designers.