Live Letter Thoughts

[VelKallor]

There was no back and forth, no banter

Estinen watches, listens, like a wise old owl, speaks rarely. What was it Krile calls him? Sir Reticent?

[Rulakir]

I feel like Ishikawa may have have made a misstep on this one. There's a problem with making anything crossed over into another game canon to the original game in the first place, but it's made more of a problem when it directly contradicts the canon of the original game. And this goes against what Emet himself described to us about the effect of Sundering in Shadowbringers.

The only thing it goes 'against' is his visual demonstration with Ryne. His description of the sundering is otherwise consistent. The issue is people incorrectly thought when he said "malformed creatures" it was because he viewed the sundered as lesser beings not because that's literally what they were and that they didn't figure being sundered 13 additional times (bearing in mind Ryne was only snapped once) would result in reducing the person to practically primordial goo rather than just being copied and pasted 13x more.

[aveyond-dreams]

The only thing it goes 'against' is his visual demonstration with Ryne. His description of the sundering is otherwise consistent. The issue is people incorrectly thought when he said "malformed creatures" it was because he viewed the sundered as lesser beings not because that's literally what they were and that they didn't figure being sundered 13 additional times (bearing in mind Ryne was only snapped once) would result in reducing the person to practically primordial goo rather than just being copied and pasted 13x more.

Indeed. This is then confirmed by Yoship's answer when he confirmed that the Sundered races "evolved" into forms like Hyur, Roegadyn, etc. due to selective pressures. This information should not have been in a Live Letter Q&A nor a mobile game - it should have been in the expansion itself. Why this is not the case will forever mystify me.

[Atelier-Bagur]

I mean, that sort of thing is kinda a "well duh" given how usually this stuff plays out when it comes to evolution.

I'm more curious about the actual origins of each races that caused that evolution, not that it obviously happened.

[Rulakir]

This information should not have been in a Live Letter Q&A nor a mobile game - it should have been in the expansion itself. Why this is not the case will forever mystify me.

The answer is simple: had they depicted the sundering accurately in game rather than stylized in a music video players wouldn't have felt sorry for Venat, which undermines the entire narrative of trying to make her out to be some kind of tragic heroine who saved the world.

[aveyond-dreams]

The answer is simple: had they depicted the sundering accurately in game rather than stylized in a music video players wouldn't have felt sorry for Venat, which undermines the entire narrative of trying to make her out to be some kind of tragic heroine who saved the world.

The manner in which she was depicted in Endwalker and in which 6.2 is set to portray her as such is a matter of controversy among those of us who approach the story from both a more analytical view or those who were fans of the antagonist faction. It is far too late to revisit and undo plot points that have brought us to this moment, and I struggle to come up with ways in which the lasting impact of this writing might be mitigated.

Dialogue options that allow the player to voice thoughts against Venat or resent being called her champion is one way, unlikely as it is.

More simply, the plot of Season 2 could have fully disconnected itself by starting with a true new adventure not based off pre-existing plot points and with a fresh cast that had never been involved with the Hydaelyn-Zodiark saga.

Either way, couple the apparent difference in perspectives along with the refusal to allow the player to defect from Venat no matter how minor the form, except in a sole quest locked behind a raid series, and it makes for a problem that needs addressing. Too many groups and factions, several of which don't interlap or intermix at all feel as though the writing of Endwalker did not do them justice:

Zenos, the Ancients, the Ascians, and Garlemald - all of which were not given sufficient attention or satisfactory conclusions in Endwalker, except from the perspective of one who actively dislikes one or more faction while favoring the Scions or Venat.

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

the plot of Season 2 could have fully disconnected itself by starting with a true new adventure not based off pre-existing plot

How many Episodes are in a Season for the TV shows you watch?
Its weird you call 6.1 season 2, when there is Hundreds of hours and Hundreds of Episodes across 12 years of Story-telling.
But that just counts as Season 1 in your mind XD

[Zanarkand-Ronso]

Just in case you didn't know, Yoshi P himself refers to 6.1 and beyond as season 2; this is the devs own terminology regarding the MSQ.

I did NOT know.
If this is true, then alright I stand Corrected.....at the same time, it still sounds silly that 12 years of story telling is called 1 season XD

[TaleraRistain]

Just in case you didn't know, Yoshi P himself refers to 6.1 and beyond as season 2; this is the devs own terminology regarding the MSQ.

Can we get a source on this? Even during the special next 10 years live letter I don't remember him using the phrase.