Live Letter Thoughts

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

I disagree with your statement based on the fact that most if not all RPGs introduce new party members quite early on in the story and there is no reason as to why we should spend time on filler at the beginning as opposed to a more thrilling start. I see no reason as to why this new reaper lady couldn't have been a fellow adventurer that Estinien meets in Thavnair and then introduces to us when we go treasure hunting. This would have made my 6.1 story experience far better than it was. Instead we got more G'raha Tia behavior and lore lectures from the scions.

This is why I am more excited about 6.2, as this new reaper is clearly shown fighting with us in the Void and riding on the back of a voidsent along with the rest of the party. I'm also looking forward to finally having a new masculine male lead in the form of Vrtra's new adult form. After they put Thancred in all white clothes and made Estinien tie up his signature elf hair neither were all that impressive visually. At least the male Au Ra build and presumably face 1 characteristics make for a more attractive hero with an outfit from Thavnair that doesn't look too bad.

News flash...this isn't All RPGS...this is FFXIV.
Story structure doesn't work 100% the same across all mediums, its pretty boring to think all of storytelling is told exactly the same. And patch 6.2 only proved me right, that when it was relevant, they would introduce new characters. You can disagree, but 6.2 is fact vs your Opinion.
Also, we dont know who this person is or their motivations, so why would they just be there in Thavnir and just suddenly join us on a wild treasure hunt? Because you want a new face immediately?...not very compelling my dude.

But hey, the post MSQ is starting to pick up, so now we can look foreword to future developments.
Speculation is cute, but we wont know whats happening next until it happens. As constantly Proven year after year.

[Seera1024]

News flash...this isn't All RPGS...this is FFXIV.
Story structure doesn't work 100% the same across all mediums, its pretty boring to think all of storytelling is told exactly the same. And patch 6.2 only proved me right, that when it was relevant, they would introduce new characters. You can disagree, but 6.2 is fact vs your Opinion.
Also, we dont know who this person is or their motivations, so why would they just be there in Thavnir and just suddenly join us on a wild treasure hunt? Because you want a new face immediately?...not very compelling my dude.

But hey, the post MSQ is starting to pick up, so now we can look foreword to future developments.
Speculation is cute, but we wont know whats happening next until it happens. As constantly Proven year after year.

On one hand, it's best to have a cast change be done so it's smooth in the story and not sudden (ie: waiting for story relevance), but the story had done a good job of setting the stage for at least a bit of time of not having the whole gang around. Then we get into it and it's mostly a whole cast of Scions for the cast for the first patch content. While there had been time passing between end of 6.0 and 6.1's launch, I think things may have been better if they had started off and had the first dungeon be with a group of others and maybe just G'raha (we did promise him an adventure after all) if any Scion was to be present. Then either have that dungeon or quest be relevant to what the other Scions were doing or bring them in with the next patch. Or have something happen that requires us to bring in our Scion companions - like the group of adventurers and maybe G'raha as well being captured by the voidsent. Also gives a better reason for the Scions to suddenly be together - they're rescuing people from the void and maybe one of their own.

And this is someone who is not tired of the current Scions and is just fine with them sticking around for some time.

With the time bubble the game exists in, sometimes the game doesn't do a good job of indicating that "time" has passed. Having patch content featuring us doing a dungeon without the aid of the usual suspects (or at least without most of them) would have gone a long way towards showing that time having passed.

[aveyond-dreams]

News flash...this isn't All RPGS...this is FFXIV.
Story structure doesn't work 100% the same across all mediums, its pretty boring to think all of storytelling is told exactly the same. And patch 6.2 only proved me right, that when it was relevant, they would introduce new characters. You can disagree, but 6.2 is fact vs your Opinion.
Also, we dont know who this person is or their motivations, so why would they just be there in Thavnir and just suddenly join us on a wild treasure hunt? Because you want a new face immediately?...not very compelling my dude.

But hey, the post MSQ is starting to pick up, so now we can look foreword to future developments.
Speculation is cute, but we wont know whats happening next until it happens. As constantly Proven year after year.

There is no reason why 6.1 couldn't have picked up the pace by cutting the sequences with G'raha Tia's usual behavior and the other scenes that weren't conducive to getting the player involved in the meat of the upcoming arc. Mercenaries and adventurers hang out in pubs. Picking up new party members there may not be as compelling as say, the rescue mission that led to the recruitment of Ryne, but better that and get it done fast than subject us to any more moments than necessary with the scions who've been around for 10 years. People have gotten bored of them. Keeping them around instead of introducing new characters who can deliver on fresh arcs and diverse personalities/origins wouldn't be to the benefit of the game long term.

This was readily apparent from talking to players who both liked and disliked Endwalker, but 6.1 did not deliver in terms of new party members. This wasn't received all that well from either group, but with Vrtra directly confirmed to be joining us in the dungeon as can be clearly seen in the trailer, and the reaper either joining us in the main party or as a support npc in the dungeon prior to her full recruitment, they finally stand to give players what they've been asking for.

[Atelier-Bagur]

There was a lot of activity since I last checked this thread but all I have to say is that while I appreciate these first few steps in a better direction, there remains the issue with how Endwalker pushes its "forge ahead" message and I did my best to explain why that message wasn't received well by some players. Generally speaking, if you wouldn't try and say a message like that to someone going through something serious in real life, I don't see why it's ok for the game to try and push that message onto people.

The arguing about opinion vs statements isn't something I'm willing to entertain, I speak like how I speak and that's really all there is to it. Going any further on that tangent than that wouldn't be in the best interest of this or any discussion moving forward. I want the game to do well, and I think that pivoting away from both that sort of message and taking a more serious tone in the main story/raid quests will be a good thing. You can get humor anywhere, but Final Fantasy storytelling is what is unique to the game. Sadly, Endwalker's writing doesn't really match up well with the precedent set by previous expansions and other FF games.

By changing up the cast and giving people both a new heroine and male lead with the reaper and Vrtra, this will help make us like our party more and balance out the two scions that are with us at present. At the moment I do not support having 7 other people there for the sake of being able to have a Trust mode for trials, but if other members are to be added I want them to be unique. The scions' arcs are largely over and G'raha Tia already got his adventure with us. It is time to move on. 10 more years of them all again wouldn't be in the game's best interest.

The state in which Island Sanctuary is releasing doesn't really inspire me to take part in the content, though the apparent reward of "Jenomis Hair" is rather curious as it could allude to either an Ivalician or Garlean hairstyle that isn't presently accessible to players. Since Jenomis uses hair from Gold Saucer, it cannot be his own haircut. I only hope that all races are able to use it at launch.

And this is where I differ from your opinion. At least to me personally, I feel Endwalker's story does its job well in delivering its message of forging ahead and fight against despair. And this is somebody who's coming from playing a lot of jrpgs as well as an old school fan of the series. To me and to a good number of people are pretty satisfied with the direction the story is taking and although it isnt perfect, I dont believe there's nearly any of the major problems you and others have with it. This isnt about being "oh you're just too ignorant or blind to understand why this doesnt work" or even "you're just being a fanboy". Again we all want to see this game grow and do better, but I dont believe this game is going through some kind of downfall you think its going through.

[VelKallor]

and I did my best to explain why that message wasn't received well by some players.

Aside from yourself, which players said that? I keep asking this as you keep making these broad statements ....that you speak for a lot of other people......when you dont.

You have your own opinions I get that, we all do. Hoopy. But when you make these comments like "Minfilia was widely disliked", you will forgive me if I doubt that when I havent met anyone who has ever said that. The number of players I see with the Minfilia outfit actually says otherwise.

I have my suspicions as to whom that reaper actually IS, one of the comments made referred to "This is my home", and looking at that it is entirely possible whoever this is will be with us for the adventure in the Thirteenth, .but may very well NOT be following us when we leave.

Ever stop to consider that it is possible they CANT leave?

Again, we dont know , one small snippet in a trailer is not enough to make a broad conclusion that the Scions "are being retired to switch up with a new party". Its speculation, little more.

The scions' arcs are largely over and G'raha Tia already got his adventure with us. It is time to move on. 10 more years of them all again wouldn't be in the game's best interest.

..I think Ill trust YoshiP and the writing team to handle this as theyve done an incredible job so far.

[SentioftheHoukai]

Aside from yourself, which players said that? I keep asking this as you keep making these broad statements ....that you speak for a lot of other people......when you dont.

You are being unreasonably rude and hostile, and it's both uncalled for and frankly getting rather old. Aveyond said they spoke for some people, let me repeat that clearly and concisely: SOME. PEOPLE.

Which part of that constitutes or is equivalent to EVERY FFXIV PLAYER EVER? I mean, really? Point me to it.

It's rather disappointing that nobody else around here seems to care to censure you either. I can only assume most silently agree and would see Aveyond gone or something similarly conspiratory. Regardless, it'd be nice if you could tone down the condescension and biting tone. It speaks poorly of you.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

You are being unreasonably rude and hostile, and it's both uncalled for.

It was a Question. Your reaction sounds more hostile then questioning a general sweeping statement.

[SentioftheHoukai]

It was a Question. Your reaction sounds more hostile then questioning a general sweeping statement.

My reaction is fed up and you're contributing to it by being willfully obtuse. As I said before, Aveyond doesn't make sweeping statements so much as this fora chooses to interpret it that way to discredit them before they even engage with their argument. Aveyond is not obligated to say "This is my opinion, to be clear" before everything they write, it's presumptuous to expect them to go to such lengths just to make an observation.

News flash...this isn't All RPGS...this is FFXIV.

See this here? Saying "News Flash!" is also a snippy remark meant to belittle someone before chastising them. It's smart-alec and makes you come off as unpleasant before you even begin to speak. If the posters on here are gonna be both rampant in their tone-policing whilst also being sensitive as the driven snow, then I suppose I'll just have to join y'all. So sorry.

Subjective Opinion,

Seems here it is again, making sure Aveyond knows to state it's their opinion and only theirs. It ends up coming across as more dismissive than helpful. But whatever, maybe it's just me. I'm finished riding your security coattails for the evening.

Im not bored of them, no one I have asked is...so with all due respect, how do you know this?

So, because you and some mythical, invisible conclave of people who agree with you are perfectly satisfied with the patch that makes Aveyond wrong? Starting to wonder if we might have to ask you where your sources are and what they've been saying.

Under what criterion? How do you come to that assessment on what is good for the game long term and what isnt?

That question can just as easily be turned back at you, for you've proven just as reliable as those you accuse at providing sources to your conclave of invisible supporters. But why the sudden inquisition? What have you got to prove? What information are you seeking? And most importantly, are you satisfied with your life that consists of grilling Aveyond for meaningless details about their opinions of Endwalker?

The comic relief that appears to make up the Omicron Beast Tribe quests and the Relic aren't directly being forced into my field of view in the main story, but it is still quite uncomfortable seeing the Loporrits dance just next to what is known in other languages as the Crater of Martyrs.

Gotta love Endwalker's "message" eh, Aveyond? Yoshida literally created a scene where mythical moon rabbits dance on the grave of the Saviour of the Star himself. How utterly GALLING.

50 points, Yoshida!

[hagare]

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Hey man, you better Share!