The feeling of beeing Home ...

[aveyond-dreams]

There’s no way that teenage me would’ve been ok with a story that handled its world and characters the way FFXIV has been doing recently, especially in Endwalker. The ending to ARR and Heavensward’s overall writing was what sold me on this game long term, but that isn’t the sort of thing we’ve been seeing lately.

They had the opportunity to let us go back to being an adventurer but instead we’re about to go liberate the Void. This is all becoming far too predictable and the need for either the return of the Heavensward/FFXVI writing team or a new team of writers skilled in high fantasy works has never been greater.

FFXIV needs to decide just what kind of story it wants to tell and tell it well. From the protagonists to the overall state of the world, they should all be handled with more care than it currently are.

[Eldtagg]

There’s no way that teenage me would’ve been ok with a story that handled its world and characters the way FFXIV has been doing recently, especially in Endwalker. The ending to ARR and Heavensward’s overall writing was what sold me on this game long term, but that isn’t the sort of thing we’ve been seeing lately.

They had the opportunity to let us go back to being an adventurer but instead we’re about to go liberate the Void. This is all becoming far too predictable and the need for either the return of the Heavensward/FFXVI writing team or a new team of writers skilled in high fantasy works has never been greater.

FFXIV needs to decide just what kind of story it wants to tell and tell it well. From the protagonists to the overall state of the world, they should all be handled with more care than it currently are.

I agree

They need to decide if FFXIV "as good as a single player FF game" story should rival emotional scenes like Sazh (you know an ADULT man) in games like FFXIII or is it supposed to be just another Avenger's vs Thanos (like WoW) story in the making?

Now, there's nothing wrong with the Avengers I infact do love watching those movies, but I enjoy them as in; I turn off my brain for 2 hours and ride along the fun.

There's nothing thought provoking, or deep in the movies. Avenger's doesn't expect you to ask any questions, it's just movies with good-looking-people beating up other good-looking-people in costumes that we remember as children.

But, I expect more from a Final Fantasy game " that rivals single player" honestly.

[Rulakir]

Playing the WoL as it has been up to now is unfortunately what I would call akin to backseat gaming because it feels like if someone else is playing my character for me and choosing the reactions which is out of character for mine.

I was relatively fine with it up until EW, but between the lack of dialog options this time combined with an actual personality being imposed upon both Azem and the WoL I felt the most disconnected from my character I ever have. My reactions behind the screen were often the polar opposite of my character's, which was incredibly immersion breaking.

Endwalker's story and the characters that set things in motions felt more like how I saw the world some 20 years ago as a teenager, then I grew up and became and adult...

I also felt that thematically EW was juvenile. I'm not even sure I would've liked it as a teenager.

[Deveryn]

Nah. The whole story.

[BRVV]

We time travel, get plot fed by Echo, have dynamis plot armor, un-death our friends to defeat a villain that came back to life and thankfully never bothered to actually attack our friends. During the "Apocalypse" we ate burgers and showed a bunny what grapes look like. Nothing has meaning. There are no stakes in the plot anymore.

[Jagick]

I know the feeling OP. I'm still on the Moon in Endwalker because the fact that after so much build up the Zodiark "fight" was basically just Fandaniel in cosplay who ended up getting "Snoked" barely half way into Endwalker killed all motivation to continue, never-mind my many other grievances with Endwalker. I especially agree with your disappointment with Garlemald. Ten years of suffering at their hands and I was finally looking forward to a counter invasion and payback. Nope. They destroy themselves off camera and now we have to go help those poor souls, oh, and we better not hurt ANY of their soldiers or else the literal elezen children commanding this operation will frown and clench their fists at us.

[Raoabolic]

I know the feeling OP. I'm still on the Moon in Endwalker because the fact that after so much build up the Zodiark "fight" was basically just Fandaniel in cosplay who ended up getting "Snoked" barely half way into Endwalker killed all motivation to continue, never-mind my many other grievances with Endwalker. I especially agree with your disappointment with Garlemald. Ten years of suffering at their hands and I was finally looking forward to a counter invasion and payback. Nope. They destroy themselves off camera and now we have to go help those poor souls, oh, and we better not hurt ANY of their soldiers or else the literal elezen children commanding this operation will frown and clench their fists at us.

TO BE FAIR, they do tie up the Garlemand thing during the role quest finale in EW. I don't want to paint your perception one way or another but it is something to look at!

[Deveryn]

I know the feeling OP. I'm still on the Moon in Endwalker because the fact that after so much build up the Zodiark "fight" was basically just Fandaniel in cosplay who ended up getting "Snoked" barely half way into Endwalker killed all motivation to continue, never-mind my many other grievances with Endwalker. I especially agree with your disappointment with Garlemald. Ten years of suffering at their hands and I was finally looking forward to a counter invasion and payback. Nope. They destroy themselves off camera and now we have to go help those poor souls, oh, and we better not hurt ANY of their soldiers or else the literal elezen children commanding this operation will frown and clench their fists at us.

I've read about how Garlemald could've gone on longer, taking up a full expansion. I'm kinda glad it didn't, though it would've been cool to see Anima and the role finale as bigger fights. The whole thing would've dragged on for too long.

They didn't really destroy themselves off camera. We saw enough going on with things falling apart thanks to Zenos and later Fandaniel.

[Jagick]

I've read about how Garlemald could've gone on longer, taking up a full expansion. I'm kinda glad it didn't, though it would've been cool to see Anima and the role finale as bigger fights. The whole thing would've dragged on for too long.

They didn't really destroy themselves off camera. We saw enough going on with things falling apart thanks to Zenos and later Fandaniel.

We see a couple of cutscenes of a few faceless Garlean grunts chasing each other down on Magitek and arguing over who the new emperor should be while Zenos and Fandaniel just kind of let it happen. Eventually the tower tempers a lot of the Garleans at which point they continue to do more or less what they were before but as tempered zombies. We never actually get to be there as characters during the civil war though, we never get to really endure the tragedies (or get some well deserved revenge.) By the time we arrive in Garlemald it's all over, its a ruinous heap with a few survivors and a handful of roving drones. If you just beeline through the Main Story Quests you'll be in and out of the only zone related to Garlemald in a couple hours and be done with the zone completely.

I'd argue we didn't spend nearly enough time there, but that would require there actually be something more interesting to experience.

TO BE FAIR, they do tie up the Garlemand thing during the role quest finale in EW. I don't want to paint your perception one way or another but it is something to look at!

Why must you give me hope?! When you say role quest finale though, is this something you can experience with any role? Or is it similar to Shadowbringers where you get an additional bit of content (what you speak of for example) if you finish each of the role quests? I typically only play DPS classes as I do not enjoy healing or tanking.

[Raoabolic]

We see a couple of cutscenes of a few faceless Garlean grunts chasing each other down on Magitek and arguing over who the new emperor should be while Zenos and Fandaniel just kind of let it happen. Eventually the tower tempers a lot of the Garleans at which point they continue to do more or less what they were before but as tempered zombies. We never actually get to be there as characters during the civil war though, we never get to really endure the tragedies (or get some well deserved revenge.) By the time we arrive in Garlemald it's all over, its a ruinous heap with a few survivors and a handful of roving drones. If you just beeline through the Main Story Quests you'll be in and out of the only zone related to Garlemald in a couple hours and be done with the zone completely.

I'd argue we didn't spend nearly enough time there, but that would require there actually be something more interesting to experience.

Too bad the WoL doesn't have a convenient ability to see other's memories to the point the WoL can somehow experience them firsthand. :/

Why must you give me hope?! When you say role quest finale though, is this something you can experience with any role? Or is it similar to Shadowbringers where you get an additional bit of content (what you speak of for example) if you finish each of the role quests? I typically only play DPS classes as I do not enjoy healing or tanking

It's the questline that opens up AFTER you finish the other role quests. All I will say is that it will answer some questions about a couple of key Garlean players. If you need a quick healer then you can get one by leveling SMN since your SCH levels up with it. As for leveling tank, you could always cheese it by hitting up PotD until 50, get some poetic gear and knock out a MSQ roulette while spamming PotD/HoH and doing your wonderous tales. Once you hit 71 unlock Bozja/Zandor and fate farm to 90!