Live Letter Thoughts

[LisSquid]

And a lot of non combat activity.

So is waiting in PF for my savage que, but that doesn't stop it from being combat content.

[Lustre]

People really calling 10 minute yellow quests content lmao

[aveyond-dreams]

People really calling 10 minute yellow quests content lmao

Indeed. While many of us appreciate well done story text, that really is all it is. Story alone does not make someone subscribe for longer than it takes to complete it, that's where content plays a role. Battle content such as Variant/Criterion dungeons should have released with 6.2 rather than being scheduled for 6.25, until then the only current content is PVP and once-a-week grinds. It just isn't comparable to the wealth of things to do when a Deep Dungeon or Exploratory Zone releases. Island Sanctuary, especially given the state it's in, could have used more time to polish and refine and in its place push forward battle content.

Story and the overall writing direction has many players at the point of a crossroads. The over-emphasis on humor and slice of life, coupled with a lack of nuance in approaching the themes of grief and loss has not been received well by a significant amount of players whose ranks only seem to grow as time goes on. "Forge ahead" just isn't how everyone deals with these things, but the heavy-handedness with which the message is imparted can led to an uncomfortable experience for these players when it is delivered by the Scions, now thankfully mostly out of the way, who did not experience many lasting consequences as a result of their actions in the story.

The potential "fixing" of the Void too early on (the trailer already showed dawn breaking in the 13th) would lead to the loss of a whole dark fantasy world in favor of...we don't know. The attitude adopted by the reaper who joins us also has to be considered, as it would be a bit difficult to believe that someone like her has as much goodwill and belief in Hydaelyn as some of the main cast ended up with despite having previously been suspicious of her. It would be more logical for her to have some amount of scorn towards the goddess that effectively abandoned her world in order to bring the WoL's description of the future to fruition.

Pandaemonium is another issue, as upon further analysis it appears we actually did see all 4 fights with the 4th seemingly being Lahabrea, shattering his sigil which was recently described as a "power limiter" so he could face us at full strength. This could imply his demise, and with it no clear path and a multitude of potential inconsistencies arising from Eric becoming our Lahabrea. The woman we fight is very likely Athena, revived by some strange means in Lahabrea's struggle with grief. It is one thing to decide that character will meet his end from the start, but if on the way there the story treats him as a caricature instead of a realistic, dynamic human being then that will severely hurt many player's perception of the character. I do not want to see him be preached to for not "forging ahead" and instead reacting to his grief in a more long lasting way. Some people are just like that, and although we can try to help them it's their choice as to how much of the person they lost they want to carry with them.

The depiction of mourning in general was handled much better in the past despite its rarity in the MSQ. Lord Edmont was clearly beside himself when Haurchefaunt died, and we certainly weren't there to be inappropriately cheery or positive in the face of his fresh grief. Endwalker's "forge ahead" message appears to suggest that we shouldn't react that way, and coupled with the clash between the ideas of reincarnation against permanent and lasting death it all makes for a very unusual situation. With the way in which Ancients were painted for not subscribing to that theme, despite them having every reason not to, it is understandable why some players are unwilling to sit through a repetition of that sort of story.

Despite the amount of research that seems to be going on behind the scenes, it does appear that not enough perspectives were considered when it came to the way in which loss and mourning are viewed by people. "Forge ahead" is just not the lived reality for many.

[Jeeqbit]

The over-emphasis on humor and slice of life

That was intentional to create a sense of calm and happiness after an expansion about despair.

"Forge ahead" just isn't how everyone deals with these things

Which is the reason Hermes becomes depressed and wants to end his own kind, and many people are not convinced there is a future and turn into beasts. Or if we want to go back to Stormblood, everyone we met was not convinced there was hope against the garleans. If the scions don't try to press a message of hope, then what are they supposed to do? Press a message of "yes, you're doomed, guess the enemy has got us"? The expansion is over, because the warrior of light gave up. The Garleans and Zenos are too strong. Probably no way to stop this final days, let's wait it out at Buscarron's Druthers.

It's necessary to push this message on people more than normal because of the fact they can turn into monsters if they lose hope. There probably isn't a reason to do it in other expansions.

the Scions, now thankfully mostly out of the way, who did not experience many lasting consequences as a result of their actions in the story.

Not in Endwalker, but at the end of ARR Y'shtola went blind, Thancred lost the ability to use magic, Alphinaud had his ego destroyed and Alisaie turned into an adventurer. They don't all need to be wounded in every expansion. We had Papalymo, we had Minfilia in Shadowbringers and Arenvald right before Endwalker, who had been fighting primals for us while we were away.

[aveyond-dreams]

It's necessary to push this message on people more than normal because of the fact they can turn into monsters if they lose hope. There probably isn't a reason to do it in other expansions.

I'm choosing to highlight this specific part of your post because of how much it stood out to me. This is not a message that I feel does justice to the issues surrounding loss and grief. I expect better care for topics such as these from the story.

[VelKallor]

has not been received well by a significant amount of players whose ranks only seem to grow as time goes on.

This again? You DO realise that these sweeping statements, backed up by well..nothing..have zero credibility?

"Forge ahead" just isn't how everyone deals with these things, but the heavy-handedness with which the message is imparted can led to an uncomfortable experience for these players when it is delivered by the Scions <snip>.

Why do you keep making claims you speak for others..when you dont? You have ZERO idea what people think.

Pandaemonium is another issue, as upon further analysis it appears we actually did see all 4 fights with the 4th seemingly being Lahabrea, shattering his sigil which was recently described as a "power limiter" so he could face us at full strength. This could imply his demise, and with it no clear path <snip>

Or it could imply a dozen other things....maybe a good idea might be to wait until the MSQ is available, playing it and THEN drawing conclusions???

Endwalker's "forge ahead" message appears to suggest that we shouldn't react that way, and coupled with the clash between the ideas of reincarnation against permanent and lasting death it all makes for a very unusual situation. With the way in which Ancients were painted for not subscribing to that theme, despite them having every reason not to, it is understandable why some players are unwilling to sit through a repetition of that sort of story.

Speaking as someone who worked in a hospice, dealt with dying people and helping their families cope every single day with grief and loss for years?

You have no idea. None.

"Forge ahead" is just not the lived reality for many.

It is the lived reality for each and every one of us, a harsh inevitable reality we all have to face one day. The hardest choice of all is to find a reason to live after a shattering loss, to be able to face a new day in the knowledge that we must continue, that we mourn those we have lost , yet must return to our lives regardless..that the living still need us.

We have to forge ahead because we have no choice, we can either live and wallow in grief forever...or we can celebrate their lives by making each day we have on Earth the best we can.

I birth a world of suffering to mire and plague. In one fleeting moment lives come and go, ever moving towards the unknown . And in that fleeting moment they cry for the answer to the question

Why, given life, are they meant to suffer, to die. As fragmented imperfect beings, yours is a never ending quest..a quest to find your purpose, knowing your end is assured.

To find the strength to continue when all strength has left you..to find joy even as darkness descends..and amidst deepest despair, light everlasting.

You watched that cutscene, Aveyond..but you did not see it.

[Tlamila]

For my part, live letter wise:

I already was not convinced about island sanctuary, but waht we've seen made me completely uninterested. the whole thing looks very mobile game, mechanics-wise, and you don't even actually get to use your DoH/DoL classes, or craft stuff yourself. Eh. Maybe nice to take pictures in and stuff? I'm just sad the mandragora mount is tied to it cause it looks so cute.

Excited about Variant and Criterion. The rodent mount is like the best mount ever and I want it badly, though I've heard diffreent translations on how to get it so I'confused. Some said criterion, some said variant for completing all stories in it.
I don't like any of the new gear they've shown, but what seems to be the relics looks super cool so rip to my idea of skipping relics this time or only doing my main classes.

Kinda worried about the crit changes, cause unless they adjust potencies to it it will buff WAR so much and leave PLD in the dust too far behind the other tanks.

Story and raids are wathever, I guess we'll see. Also meh about another mount that miniaturizes you, but we'll see. ill have to rerun wassname dungeon in explorer mode to see the pre-story of Omicrons.
Shocked they said nothing about the new trial, not the trial itself but the eventual secondary questchain it's tied to? It can't be Tataru's, right?

Most exciting change is the one to the glamour dresser of course.

[Lustre]

Having gone the entire MSQ start to end 2 or 3 times?...no. There is a huge percentage of non combat MSQ...ALL the crafter / gatherer content is not combat related at all, there are many tribes questlines that arent combat either.



Many of those are chain quests, that last a lot longer than 10 minutes.

Yeah, maybe in a years time when the entire chain is complete. For now and the foreseeable they're still 10 minute yellow quests. Tataru's grand adventure aka, talk to a couple NPCs, port to sharlayan, done. See you in 4-5 months for the next 10 minute adventure.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Yeah, maybe in a years time when the entire chain is complete. For now and the foreseeable they're still 10 minute yellow quests. Tataru's grand adventure aka, talk to a couple NPCs, port to sharlayan, done. See you in 4-5 months for the next 10 minute adventure.

Back in ARR, they made the patches full-length quest chains. Now it's one of the most widely reviled parts of playing through the MSQ, even after being trimmed down. So, blame the player base for it.

[aveyond-dreams]

Back in ARR, they made the patches full-length quest chains. Now it's one of the most widely reviled parts of playing through the MSQ, even after being trimmed down. So, blame the player base for it.

Hmm maybe we should put more fun and engaging battle content in the MSQ to improve the player experience rather than leaning too much into the visual novel sort of gameplay.