Inconsistencies with the sundering (Spoilers)

[kpxmanifesto]

I don't understand why square doesn't just come out with something in tales of the dawn that explains things in depth for everyone. There's obviously still some confusion about endwalker's story as we can see from many responses in this thread and the questions that players asked yoship during the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXVIII.

Probably because coming out with a better written version of the game's story would indirectly be acknowledging that they did a terrible job the first time around.

[PeaTearGriffin]

Probably because coming out with a better written version of the game's story would indirectly be acknowledging that they did a terrible job the first time around.

I guess we can't expect too much from a game whose director says things like "when you're making this world you'll just sort of sometimes ignore things that are inconvenient" and "I think you guys can come up with your own theories for this one". At least disney tried to make amends for star wars 9 by explaining how palpatine returned even if it took a writer having to explain it outside of the movie.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Probably because coming out with a better written version of the game's story would indirectly be acknowledging that they did a terrible job the first time around.

I still dont understand how people get confused about this story. First we have people being bad about playing this easy game, now we suddenly have people being bad at understanding the story. How amusing

[Celine_Aurora]

I still dont understand how people get confused about this story. First we have people being bad about playing this easy game, now we suddenly have people being bad at understanding the story. How amusing

Because the in-game presentation focuses on enabling gameplay progression, not explaining nuance. There's nothing to get confused about, some things - like the full extent of the Venat and Zodiark faction's ideologies are simply left unspoken because a tearjerker movie has more emotional impact for less time and enables the player to go back to playing the MSQ faster.

I'd be wary of being proud of "understanding" this childish plot, or of dismissing players who focused on different aspects of the game. It's not really anything that merits full attention.

[PeaTearGriffin]

I'd be wary of being proud of "understanding" this childish plot

Wow this is going to piss people off. You're a brave soul.

Because the in-game presentation focuses on enabling gameplay progression, not explaining nuance. There's nothing to get confused about

i get where you're coming from in that if there's less dialogue and exposition that would mean there's less for the player to sift through and digest. But some could say that the lack of nuance and leaving things unspoken can add to the confusion too.

[Celine_Aurora]

Wow this is going to piss people off. You're a brave soul.

I don't know about pissing people off, well to be honest I wanted to be a bit provocative... But I also would think most players would recognize there's some truth in that statement. The plot is not badly conceived for what it is, but ultimately, it's still Final Fantasy, still something, I think, whose writing is subservient to delivering cool boss fights and tearjerker moments. I also think there's been a bit of a tonal shift from Shadowbringers and onward, with the story focusing less on teh struggles of nations and ideologies, and more on a main cast that feels a bit like what you could find in most nekketsu manga. Which, sorry, I can't think of as anything else than a slight downgrade.

i get where you're coming from in that if there's less dialogue and exposition that would mean there's less for the player to sift through and digest. But some could say that the lack of nuance and leaving things unspoken can add to the confusion too.

Leaving things unspoken for the spectator to figure out? Yes, absolutely. Showing contradictory elements and leaving the spectator to figure out how to reconcile them? Eh.

[PeaTearGriffin]

I also think there's been a bit of a tonal shift from Shadowbringers and onward, with the story focusing less on teh struggles of nations and ideologies, and more on a main cast that feels a bit like what you could find in most nekketsu manga. Which, sorry, I can't think of as anything else than a slight downgrade.

I've heard more than a few times from other players that shadowbringers was preferred over endwalker and I can't say otherwise myself.

Showing contradictory elements and leaving the spectator to figure out how to reconcile them? Eh.

Agreed. It's like what the forum member above us said about how they can only see endwalker's plot being consistent with shadowbringers': through mental gymnastics.

[PeaTearGriffin]

We see Venat who's presumably already Hydaelyn at this point, so in essence she represents her faction. Then she confronts the room full of Ancients who are summoning Zodiark, which is symbolic of the philosophical clash between those who support Hydaelyn and those who support Zodiark. Then Venat taking out her sword and sundering everyone is symbolic of their battle and the subsequent event where Hydaelyn strikes Zodiark with such force that it tears the world asunder.

Even still, I only arrived at this conclusion by jumping through several mental hoops and giving everything the benefit of a doubt. The "link" that I see between the EW cutscene and Emet's account in ShB is tenuous at best, if there even is one.

I might need a road map for a few of these aha.

[kpxmanifesto]

I might need a road map for a few of these aha.

Nah, I wouldn't be able to give you one because of the amount of mental gymnastics I had to do to come up with those.

[Kaliesto]

I'm more curious why the Ascians let themselves get trampled on by letting the WoL keep getting stronger.

But I guess because it was Hydaelyn's power that might have made them back off I guess.