What would you do first on Dawntrail?

[TaleraRistain]

I always take time off work for Early Access so I'll be focusing on MSQ and side quests and crafting and gathering when I want a break from questing that week. Also will unlock Viper and Pictomancer and try them out. I didn't give Sage and Reaper a chance because I didn't think them. Now they're my main healer and dps. So I'll try out the new ones right away.

First thing I'll be dealing with is the inevitable login queues.

[Shikiseki]

Check for new character customization and easy to get glamour to level up the two new jobs and do the msq with them as per tradition

[hynaku]

I would first thing level gathering and crafting all to max level.

[Gemina]

Depends on what they do to DRG. My character typically changes jobs heading into a new expansion and what happens to DRG will determine if it's that or Viper.

In any case, it's straight to the MSQ. Though I am predicting the first unreal will be Ravana (much like how UW was chosen for this expansion before releasing HW trials), and if it is I'll be hopping right into that encounter.

[Mecia]

MSQ with BLM then i level DoH/DoL and finally the rest of DoW.

[FatalFatalis]

Level up Viper to 90 and then do the MSQ with it.

[Jeeqbit]

Thank you for the advice - appreciated!

First time have been present for a expansion launch!

Actually, I forgot the most important piece of advice:

• Click the Event tab and stay in it. So you only see NPC conversation and can't see player chat in the other tabs.

[Silverquick]

I'd likely do the MSQ. But the end game content won't really even be ready for another year after that so will likely take a break after doing some of it to wait for it to be completed or at least reasonably so.

That said... in all honest Endwalker was filled with so much cringe this time around I am actually hesitant to even get the new expansion. It wasn't like Stormblood where I was constantly wanting to throw up in my own mouth because I was forced to help the Al Amigans, it was just pure cringe. I comfort myself somewhat as generally every other expansion is pretty good.

Heavensward had probably the best and most powerful story out of the whole batch. But Shadowbringers also had a strong story, and while it had some cringe too, they had some really powerful storylines going, like Thankred and his father/daughter relationship with Ryne, or Emet-Selk the real story behind the Ascians. Still not as good as Heavensward, but it had some real merit.

And as much as I may detest the setup story for Stormblood the reality is, that expansion had the best raids right alongside Heavensward. Seriously the coolness of those 8-mans really did at least approach Alexander. And the Alliance Raids I think are some of the best in any expansion so at least it had some merits. I really can't say that about Endwalker. I don't have much good to say about this expansion.

But like I said generally every other expansion is pretty good and Dawntrail is hitting the "every other" mark.

[Jeeqbit]

It wasn't like Stormblood where I was constantly wanting to throw up in my own mouth because I was forced to help the Al Amigans

So you'd rather have helped the Garleans secure their footing?

I may detest the setup story for Stormblood

Not everyone can appreciate Stormblood, but I did because of how it was based on reality. I expected the storytelling to be poor and just have us go there, ask people to form an army, they say yes and then defeat the Garleans. But what actually happened was it was realistic.

They said no. They feared that if they stood up against the Garleans, then all the others might get scared and not come with them, causing them to stand up alone and get arrested or killed. Which they can't risk because they have families. That is how it is in real life too - we don't stand up to governments because we'll get arrested. We need to know that if we stand up against those in charge, that millions of others will too. And it's hard to be certain they all will be there on the day and not chicken out.

I loved that they went with the latter. I was not expecting the storytelling to be realistic. It was exactly what I wanted.

But as I said, not everyone can appreciate Stormblood. It's just how it is. It might be that way with Dawntrail too, maybe.

that expansion had the best raids right alongside Heavensward. Seriously the coolness of those 8-mans really did at least approach Alexander.

So you think a bunch of robots and machines is cooler than Eden, E4 Titan, Shadowkeeper and Cloud of Darkness (from E9). Personally, for as much as I enjoyed Alexander and Omega, Eden was both fun and aesthetically pleasing to me.

And the Alliance Raids I think are some of the best in any expansion so at least it had some merits. I really can't say that about Endwalker.

The design direction obviously changed for Shadowbringers and after. I think they are perfectly capable of designing them like Stormblood, it is just a decision. While I hope they will not be afraid to put deadly, difficult, varied and team-oriented mechanics into Dawntrail alliance raids due to how we'll get through it with resurrections, we haven't got any indication of a change in design direction so far.

[Silverquick]

So you'd rather have helped the Garleans secure their footing? *snip*

Not everyone can appreciate Stormblood, but I did because of how it was based on reality. I expected the storytelling to be poor and just have us go there, ask people to form an army, they say yes and then defeat the Garleans. But what actually happened was it was realistic.

That wasn't even half the problem...

The problem was throughout the entire ARR and Heavensward storylines the Al Amigans were complete scumbags. The very first time you meet them in little Al Amigo they try to kill you and are hostile. That only builds throughout the entire Ilberd storyline. I felt that way about the Al Amigans before we even got to Stormblood. I seriously to this day question whether who was actually worse the Al Amigans or Garleans and how long before the Al Amigans turn into the next Garleans. At least the Garleans were honest about what they were, the Al Amigans constantly stabbed you in the back. That only gets expounded on in Stormblood with the Al Amigan traitors serving Garlemond and how ruthless they are.

But... one thing I will not say about the Stormblood storyline is that it was ever cheezy or cringeworthy. They legit gave me a real disgust for the Al Amigans, I felt zero happiness about "liberating" them.

Kugane though... different story.

So you think a bunch of robots and machines is cooler than Eden, E4 Titan, Shadowkeeper and Cloud of Darkness (from E9). Personally, for as much as I enjoyed Alexander and Omega, Eden was both fun and aesthetically pleasing to me.

I never once said the Raids in Shadowbringer raids sucked, I enjoyed Eden as well... all I said was the one redeeming feature of Stormblood WAS the Raids which were top notch and even competed favorably with HW Raids.

But I never did like Alliance Raids of ARR, they were far too simplistic. But I give that a pass since it was their first time out. HW and the Void Ark series was really cool. And the Ivalice Raids of Stormblood were the best I've ever seen. Hell I even enjoyed the Shadowbringer Alliance raids, even though they were kinda out of place.

However... Coils of Bahamut on the other hand for ARR... now that was pretty good.