The future

[Raigoth]

What do you hope for? Mainly talking about with the story mode as it continues. The thing id like to have happen is more emotion from the WoL. Its definitely gotten better since the beginning, but I feel like there should be more opportunities to select what you want to say. I wonder if they could even implement a way for you to select how you want to react to certain things.

I dunno, I just want my character to do more than just act like a statue when I feel like they should react some other way.

[JisKing98]

For SE to actually kill off characters and not bait us out. Thancred shouldve died a long time ago, Yshtola shouldve been dead since HW.
This one is my personal opinion but i want more evil choices. Like if someone asks for my help let me say no im busy. Matter of fact let me join garlmald please. They actually have cool armor pieces that shouldve been in the game since arr.

[MoofiaBossVal]

For SE to actually kill off characters and not bait us out. Thancred shouldve died a long time ago, Yshtola shouldve been dead since HW.
This one is my personal opinion but i want more evil choices. Like if someone asks for my help let me say no im busy. Matter of fact let me join garlmald please. They actually have cool armor pieces that shouldve been in the game since arr.

This. I would like for there to be actual stakes and consequences.

Would also be nice if the player could participate in some morally dubious stuff, though I have no hope of SE doing that.

[Iscah]

I wonder if they could even implement a way for you to select how you want to react to certain things.

To a degree, your script choices come loaded with different emotes sometimes, though you can't always guess your character's exact delivery from the text choices.

We're not ever going to get "evil choices" though - at least not beyond the occasional grumbling but doing it anyway approach we already have. This just isn't a story that wants to allow that degree of flexibility in how the character acts.

While it's an inconvenience for people who want free choice, it makes it a lot easier to tell a single clear story, and we all have the same shared experience of events instead of having to constantly compare notes or debate which is the "correct" version of events.

[Sicno]

To wake up, discover Endwalker was all just a bad dream and we're back right after 5.3.

[Theodric]

I'd like to see the player character move away from being the 'Warrior of Light' and go back to being an adventurer. I'd like a return to more grounded threats as well - at least for a while.

More lasting consequences for the protagonists and less fake deaths would be wonderful, too. I would also quite like to see more of the established nuance in the story embraced.

If, for example, we go to the Void then having our character wield darkness rather than light in a MSQ cutscene would be pretty neat. Between Reaper and Dark Knight there's less and less excuse to hide such things away in job quests.

[NanaWiloh]

I'd like to see the player character move away from being the 'Warrior of Light' and go back to being an adventurer. I'd like a return to more grounded threats as well - at least for a while.

More lasting consequences for the protagonists and less fake deaths would be wonderful, too. I would also quite like to see more of the established nuance in the story embraced.

If, for example, we go to the Void then having our character wield darkness rather than light in a MSQ cutscene would be pretty neat. Between Reaper and Dark Knight there's less and less excuse to hide such things away in job quests.

Final cutscene of EW basically says we are adventurers again. No godly magic or mystic other worldly voodoo to keep us safe.

[OhNooo]

I’d like to break away from the scions and do my own thing. But honestly, I think I just have to accept that all the things I want are not going to happen so I’m in the process of researching other games where character choices matter - which would pretty much exclude mmorpgs. Also looking into D&D.

I think finishing the current story has left me in a good spot to end my adventures in Eorzea. I’ll definitely peek in on steamers every now and then to see what direction the game goes in. I’ve noticed that I prefer watching others play this game than playing it myself now.

[Jennah]

To wake up, discover Endwalker was all just a bad dream and we're back right after 5.3.

Well, not all of it.
Basically, everything before Meteion made her report was awesome, probably the best SE has ever done.
The final 15% or so dealing with what REALLY caused the Final Days felt rushed, full of plot holes and bizarre decisions.

[Sicno]

Well, not all of it.
Basically, everything before Meteion made her report was awesome, probably the best SE has ever done.
The final 15% or so dealing with what REALLY caused the Final Days felt rushed, full of plot holes and bizarre decisions.

That's true. EW is a mixed bag with highs and lows and my post was an exaggeration. But it still pains me that this is how "the saga" concludes with such a disconnect between what came before and how it ends. The lore being trampled over, the characters taking so many stupid pills, the whole final zone. At times I prefer to believe that the story ended in 5.3, that with no more unsundered ascians we no longer have to fear any more rejoinings, Zodiark keeps doing its thing, the galaxy is at peace. The end. Even the final cutscene with the returned scions at Revenant's Toll could have been a fitting conclussion.

More seriously, for the future I also think they should keep things more grounded. In my opinion FF14's story shines the most when it focuses on the people, the relationships they keep, how they find a way to overcome their struggles, how THEY fit within the lore, etc. The things that made Eorzea feel like a living world. And when the lore keeps more grounded too and focuses on "things working". Please no more "mysterious energy sources that encompass all of creation but that we didn't know about in all these years". PLEASE NO MORE TIME SHENANIGANS. The FF14 universe with the "rules" that already exist has plenty of avenues for telling stories. Please remain focused on those and don't try to force new rules if they don't fit with what we already have.