A humble word of thanks to FFXIV Dev Team and Endwalker feedback (EW Spoilers)

[Nairat_Flammvor]

WARNING!
This thread contain Endwalker spoilers so please don't read it if you haven't completed your main scenario yet. Also English isn't my native language so I apologize in advance. Text split into 3 pieces because I reach maximum of characters for one message.

Usually I don't post my thoughts and feelings online but after finishing my EW MSQ and after I read New year greetings where Yoshida san asked to share players impressions about it I can't stay silent anymore and I hope my words will reach the dev team.

First of all I want you to know that you are my personal Warriors of Light, all of you. Your game is a masterpiece in my opinion and I'm honored to have an opportunity to play it. No joking! I play it for a year already and it became my second home where I always glad to return. I play MMO's since I was 6, changed a lot of games and this is the best MMORPG for me. The level of quality, story, world of Etheirys are stunning. I love this game with all my heart and I feel a deep respect to everyone who create it despite the fact I don't know your names. Thank you very much for everything you do!

Endwalker hit me hard to be honest in many ways. I never felt so much different emotions because of a game. I thought that Shadowbringers took the all of me, but EW feels like the game broke the 4th wall and you are on your character's place. It's a beautiful, sad and fun at the same time, cruel and encouraging story that takes you and makes a better person. I had a bad moral period in my life and some of things from the game really helped me to get well. I felt joy and sadness, cried like never cried because of games and laughed a lot. (gosh that episode with aetherial sickness, I still laugh when remember it xD)

I would like to highlight separately episodes that had much impact on my feelings:
1.Vanaspati. It's still hard for me to run this dungeon... Vrtra, who couldn't harm his people, burning forest, overall atmosphere of hopelessness. That misfortune in Arkasodara family is impossible to see without tears. I can't understand how you convey such pain in just one dungeon, it's a great work.
2. Elpis episode. Despite it's bright and nice appearance it shows a very important opinion about humanity and what it does to the world. Don't know if you intended to do this but I can't help but feel that ancients are us in some ways. I always questioned the humanity stand about its supremacy over animals and nature and Hermes thoughts touched me. Also I felt like I'm in a company of old friends (Emet and Hythlodaeus) and it was very pleasant. One of most pleasant things was that I could run a dungeon with them. I asked for this in my mind when ran MSQ and was very happy to have them in Ktisis Hyperborea.

[Nairat_Flammvor]

3. Venat/Hydaelyn. I'm absolutely amazed how you transformed an unknown force of nature into one of best (in my opinion) characters of the game. Never before I got so attached to a game character, but she is my favorite now. She's a true Mother. I heard her, I felt her, I thought about her. That cutscene in Amaurot made me cry a lot and loudly. First I couldn't understand it whole because of my level of language but despite this fact I felt something close to pain and my heart was heavy when saw how she walked through that grey scene... It was one of most powerful and painful cutscenes. Can't say I understood the whole cutscene but it's... it's just a masterpiece. Thank you very much for this experience! It's sad that my character can't share an adventure or two with her.
Also Minstrel Ballad: Hydaelyn's Call was my very first actual extreme. Very beautiful and interesting fight.
4. Aetherial Sickness and The Great Work cutscenes. That was just a lot of LMAO from my side. It's so fun that I nearly slip under my table xD
5. Ultima Thule. The hardest episode for me I think. I mean I knew that everyone will be alive in the end and all but after G'raha left I felt so empty and sad, started to cry and after that Twins left... I cried so much that my heart ached. That moment when your character walks to that rainbow bridge and meet ghosts... It's powerful. I don't even have words to describe what I think and feel about it. Now when I come to Ultima Thule music reminds me of everything and I cry again.

Endwalker story is very deep and multifaceted. Thank you for this great experience! I thought that Shadowbringers is powerful enough but EW is really a culmination in all means. This is how a good game should look like. I can't even say that much singleplayer games can boast with such great story.

Also I want to talk about new content that is awesome too. First of all I want to say that EW gave me everything I wanted and even more.
When I first saw reaper announce, I was very happy but when I unlocked the class and played it I was maybe the happiest person in the world. I love scythe wielding warriors and reaper has everything I wanted. So again thank you very much!

I'm a SMN/SCH main and first announce of sum's rework scared me a bit. Now I definitely won't change my main class. New sum is good! First few runs it was like "wait, what? What should I do with all this new stuff again? Where is my second shield pray tell?" but now I'm used to all this new things and absolutely like them. Only thing I have question to is Physic's amount of HP restored but well it's too much to ask since I have a phoenix that can heal almost full hp bar. I like it's much improved mobility (it's a MCH from magical ranged world xD) and thank you for not removing ressurection.
SCH is good too, I like new skills so much! Full party sprint is really a lifesaver sometimes. Also combo Protraction+Recitation+Adloqium is for immortality xD

[Nairat_Flammvor]

Also I want to say how happy I was when I got an opportunity to get a Radiant armor set (that I first saw on NPC and started to want it very much) and that by coincedence was the day before my birthday!

Sorry if I bored you with so long message but I just want you to know that what you do makes other people happy and help them to overcome their life trials like it was with me. FFXIV did a lot for me (ex. improved my English a lot) and my mental condition and for that I have you to thank. You are very good developers who value your project and players, and we, players, value you too. Your efforts, transparency, love and passion for your game (you did a miracle since 1.0 and it deserves a praise and respect), your attitude to community are a rare and valuable qualities that deserves all the good words in this world. I know that not everything went smooth with launch but personally I had no problems since early access, not a single disconnect.
Please keep up this wonderful work and don't forget to rest. We all await what adventure you are planning for us next patch and next 10 years.
Much love!

[BaconBits]

Your wholesomeness will not stop me from taking the WWE Championship belt from Yoshi-P.

[Sorimachi87]

Well said. Despite all the flames and hate for this expansion, such threads are nice.

It goes without saying, that... you can't please everyone.
Endwalker 6.0 was awesome in many ways.

[KizuyaKatogami]

3. Venat/Hydaelyn. I'm absolutely amazed how you transformed an unknown force of nature into one of best (in my opinion) characters of the game. Never before I got so attached to a game character, but she is my favorite now. She's a true Mother.

Idk about you but i dont want a mother who's willing to kill me and the rest of my family not even giving me a chance to survive.

[Snorky]

I agree, I enjoyed this expansion very much. The story was great.

[eaudaemon]

the only best thing that came out of 2021

[Shougun]

I've not finished, so I've not fully read the OP (light scanning) - but I want to offer cheers to the team as well. I'll try to make comments here and there as I go, but it's been fun so far.