I feel like people are too harsh on Endwalker, though...

[Wildheaven182]

I think endwalker was great, most people who bash it are nostalgic for shadowbringers which was also great. Maybe even a little better.
I think we can accept there being two good expansions, yeah?

[Neon231]

Even though this is a few months old post, my only issue with Endwalker (and previous story points) is that none of the fan favorites ever die and stay dead. This always makes the story less impactful and boring. Otherwise, I enjoyed the story.

[KisaiTenshi]

I think endwalker was great, most people who bash it are nostalgic for shadowbringers which was also great. Maybe even a little better.
I think we can accept there being two good expansions, yeah?

Among everyone I've seen stream the game:
- Most think ARR is a slog, but not everyone hates it
- People like HW
- People are mixed on Stormblood
- People generally like Shadowbringers
- People generally love Endwalker

That said, I generally found that ARR base story wasn't bad, but I wish the 1.0 story had been incorporated proper and not simply "lost to time". When they started bringing back the characters from the 1.0 opening video in post HW, I was like "wait, please tell me they are going somewhere with this." Had to wait for Shadowbringers.

Endwalker I feel tried to tie up the all the dangling threads that were introduced ever since the opening 1.0 cutscene. There are TWO nods to this, one in post shadowbringers when Elidibus makes it happen in the first, and the second time when the EXACT scene is used on the trip to Sharlayan. So I was a lot more excited to see where it went, but:
- I called a lot of the plot beats in both Shadowbringers and Endwalker because I had played 1.0
- The only part of Endwalker that I didn't call was the Zodiark fight (Which I had expected to be the final fight) and the Zenos fight at the end.
- The "they're building an ark aren't they?" was immediately telegraphed because of the Nyunkrepf Ark, which I had been questioning ever since I saw it on the 1.0 map and it's appearance in Stormblood.
- As soon as Thancred disappeared I was like "This is episode 45 of Sailor Moon."

The best part of Endwalker was the closed time loop with Elpis that was telegraphed in Shadowbringers, but really started in 1.0. I'd love to know if this was always the plan or it just coincidentally worked.

I love timey wimey stuff and to see how they chose predestination loop (that elidibus literately spells out) rather than getting the player's hopes up that they could avert the final days by ... oh changing Emet-Selch's mind.

I could understand how people maybe are tired of the Scions. I get that. They want to move on to another book rather than see the author write another chapter with everyone still keeping their plot armor, there's no stakes.

[Wildheaven182]

The story of endwalker is that the devs of 1.0 used Elpis, the devroom to design creatures for the game. But one dev couldnt stand to see rejected concepts thrown away to never exist. He looked elsewhere, up in the stars at other video games, but found only video games that had died. Heroes of the storm, starcraft, FF11...

The 1.0 devs desperately insisted that 1.0 wasnt dead despite the harsh truth... but our lord and savior Venat-p saw a way forward, to save the game even if it wouldnt be recognizable as 1.0 anymore.

You will not believe this, but way back in ARR 10 years ago, I always joked that the ascians were trying to bring back 1.0 and i was right xD

[Voidmage]

The problem I have with EW is that it was an expansion that went against those who played for years but are not hardcore.
The biggest criticism is the monotone one and done content and the feeling of having nothing to do.
It simplified and casualised so many things to cater to the casual players that those who liked grinds and mid core content were left in the dust.

The story was fine for me (hiccups here and there but fine) but the postpatch story was horrible for me and the alliance raid demystified the 12 without giving anything meaningfull for the story back.

I be honest, given yoshidas interviews and comments that direction would be our future if not for the internet criticism from some streamers.

EW didn‘t know for whom it was made and it shows in my opinion. It tried to be for everyone and to be players first mmo but it fell flat and made no one really happy or unhappy. It was just… there

Thinking about it. EW and the path to DT feel like they grew arrogant or placent after Shb brought so many new players and the positive reviews..
It seems like they thought they could do no wrong because of all the tearful msq reactions to the msq in Shb and players would be all over for the new direction. They forgot though that a good deal of players wants to actually play the game and were surprised by the criticism.

At least in my opinion.