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  1. #1
    Player
    Vyrerus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    The Interdimensional Rift
    Posts
    3,586
    Character
    Vicious Zvahl
    World
    Excalibur
    Main Class
    Machinist Lv 100

    Was Dawntrail, Yawntrail? (Spoilers)

    TL; DR - Yes, but it wasn't all bad. :/? ? :| 5/10 too much Wuk

    SPOILERS - This is gonna be a long winded review of Dawntrail by me, an ardent critic of the narrative direction and character portrayals of FFXIV for the past few years.

    All in all, to put it mildly, this expansion was weighed down heavily by its starring character, Wuk Lamat. Never before has a major NPC been so forcefully thrust into the spotlight, so much so that they were at risk of becoming a Blackhole Sue. Even when not on screen, Wuk Lamat was the subject of nearly all dialogue, while having roughly 10x more dialogue (and this is an understatement) than any other major character in the entire expansion. This is a serious problem, and they had better never do it again, especially not with such a untested and non-serious character. There was only one segment of the MSQ for which she was not present, and that was Erenville and the WoL's Wild West Shaaloani trip. All in all, the story wasn't bad, but it started slow and stayed slow and felt slower than it was due to this heavy heavy dumb ass of a character.

    Wuk Lamat is not a relatable person. She succeeds by merely wanting too. And when that's not enough (in DT it is always enough), the WOL and friends dig her out of what little trouble she does get in. The antagonists stop their murderous rampage just to give her the chance to beat them later.

    Wuk aside, the plot had it shares of, "Why?" and "How?" and "holes." Like, why did the populace that was largely indifferent or against Wuk suddenly change their opinion of her without witnessing her deeds during the Rite? It was a journey, after all, not broadcast to the populace at large. What reason do they have to change their opinion of her by the time the rite was finished?

    Why did Koana turn down his intellect and immediately start simping for her by around the 92 quests?

    How was Wuk able to become strong enough to beat not just Bakool Ja Ja but all of Bakool's henchmen without some sort of training or battle readiness? She goes from being kidnapped in one scene to just a few scenes later being able to take him on like he's nothing.

    After the rite was over, and the story was firmly in the realm of, "The Scions should handle this." did they keep taking orders from Wuk?

    Why was no one curious enough to even inspect the gate or try to open it the first time we went to The Golden City? We got there, incidentally opened the bridge, and then left. Like that place is a big deal. But the rite was over so...? No Scion was like, "I'ma go investigate that gate." They just sorta putzed off to do whatever.

    Why did the Interdimensional Fusion happen in Erenville's hometown and not locally around the gate? You're telling me that it had to happen an entire continent away from where the gate is at? What?

    How come Sphene couldn't tell us OG Sphene's favorite food? Does she not remember what food tastes like? The Endless as computer system sustained souls could still taste the simulated food, just not the living, real food. She should have been able to answer that easily off of memory alone.

    So Krile is descended from Southern Seas Lalafells who didn't call themselves that, who fled the Umbral Calamity of Ice and wound up on Alexandria's shard. Given how long ago that was, does this mean Krile has a shard soul or a Source soul? Obviously the first generation Lalas to go to that Shard had Source souls, but what of their descendants?

    Beyond that, it's hilarious to me that we turned right around from Endwalker into the opposite theme. "Everybody dies some day! And that's OK!" And as good guys we're told, "Living at the expense of someone else is wrong." Knowing full well that we live at the expense of the Ancient Ascians and the original, natural world.

    Dawntrail's story was also quick to stop focusing on that The Endless weren't just after aether, but after souls. That was a weird way to start rephrasing what they were after. Like they were trying a last minute backpedal to make Sphene and the Alexandrians more sympathetic.

    All in all on a scale of 1/10, I'd rate things in Dawntrail thus:

    Music - 8/10 - Not Soken's best, but some honestly good tracks. Kept my attention in places I otherwise was second monitoring.

    Story - 4/10 - Really terrible until the Rite of Succession ends. Even after that, though, there's too much Wuk Pandering. Did we really have to stop every other quest for her to spout some Dattebayo Love and Peace drivel? Heated up at Train scene. The last 3 levels story portions are why it's not a 1/10.

    Gameplay - 7/10 - Of the jobs I've played to 100, it seems like some of them aren't too bad off. Namely Machinist. New jobs seem to be being enjoyed as well. More than that, dungeon bosses actually threw me for a loop a few times (I opted out of Trust usage most of the time to avoid having yet more Wuk forced upon me). I actually did have a lot of fun in the fights. Of course, I was rusty from lack of playing, too, so that may have had some hand in it. My Dawntrail prep consisted of me undertaking one of the most laborious, tedious grinds in FFXI for several months prior to this, so I went in as forgiving as I could possibly be. Trials were very interesting with new twists and mechanics that were not familiar to me, granted I have refused to do Ultimates or even watch them.

    Zone Design - 7/10 - Really solid zones in Dawntrail, even if location names are words I will never be able to pronounce. I particularly liked Urqopacha cause of the big mountain. Mountains are nice. Also though, the blue forest, and then all of the dungeons. Solution 9 was actually kind of a let down, and doesn't really appeal to me.

    Average those together, and it's a 6/10, but I have to rate it as a 5/10 because of how long it took to get to parts that I actually enjoyed. Until 95+ I was putting XIV down to play Elden Ring's DLC, and occasionally Pokemon Yellow. Enduring bad part of game to get to enjoyable part of game is pretty common in story heavy games, where that's part of the enjoyment, but if the bad part gets bad enough you may lose interest. I almost did.
    (40)

    (Signature portrait by Amaipetisu)

    "I thought that my invincible power would hold the world captive, leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip." - Rabindranath Tagore

  2. #2
    Player
    Rolder50's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    1,614
    Character
    Alarasong Elaha
    World
    Siren
    Main Class
    White Mage Lv 91
    If I see one more "Talk to Wuk Lamat" quest objective in my life I am going to lose my mind
    (57)

  3. #3
    Player
    fioravictorine's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Posts
    118
    Character
    Fiora Victorine
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    White Mage Lv 100
    You know how Marvel went downhill after Endgame?

    I didn't want to believe it and fully trust the writing team, but Endwalker was it. And its going to much worst Dawntrail onwards I fear
    (24)

  4. #4
    Player
    Brian25's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    47
    Character
    Burning Wrath
    World
    Kraken
    Main Class
    Samurai Lv 74
    There was far too much Wuk. There was also far too much Krill and her useless Malalla family, I'm glad we purged them.
    (9)
    Hates Lalas.

  5. #5
    Player
    Join Date
    Apr 2024
    Posts
    448
    Quote Originally Posted by Vyrerus View Post
    Like, why did the populace that was largely indifferent or against Wuk suddenly change their opinion of her without witnessing her deeds during the Rite?

    What reason do they have to change their opinion of her by the time the rite was finished?

    Why did Koana turn down his intellect and immediately start simping for her by around the 92 quests?

    How was Wuk able to become strong enough to beat not just Bakool Ja Ja but all of Bakool's henchmen without some sort of training or battle readiness?

    After the rite was over, and the story was firmly in the realm of, "The Scions should handle this." did they keep taking orders from Wuk?
    I agree with the rest of your post but this part....

    I'm honestly... honestly beginning to think that Wuk Lamat is unironically someone's OC at Square Enix. Same with Zero. I no longer think it's just a meme bros...
    (22)

  6. #6
    Player
    Vyrerus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    The Interdimensional Rift
    Posts
    3,586
    Character
    Vicious Zvahl
    World
    Excalibur
    Main Class
    Machinist Lv 100
    Quote Originally Posted by Rolder50 View Post
    If I see one more "Talk to Wuk Lamat" quest objective in my life I am going to lose my mind
    Remember to smile at her, and on the odd chance the dialogue options let you be mildly contentious towards her planned course of action, she just ignores you
    (9)

    (Signature portrait by Amaipetisu)

    "I thought that my invincible power would hold the world captive, leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip." - Rabindranath Tagore

  7. #7
    Player
    Sotaris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    2,185
    Character
    Meluwen Nobu
    World
    Lich
    Main Class
    White Mage Lv 100
    "Yawntrail" is such an overexaggeration imo. It was a slow start but I think overall it was a fine story. We seen better, yes.
    But some of you make it sound like it was a 1/10 story. Alter your expectations.
    (4)

  8. #8
    Player Isala's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    866
    Character
    Isala Zuntrios
    World
    Adamantoise
    Main Class
    Blue Mage Lv 80
    DT's story is so terribly bad that I willingly went back to doing the FATE grind for the 60 Fate clears in all EW zones, because the alternative was dealing with more of that fanfiction after she got Princess Peached. We finally got to be around a character with actual development, and as soon as she got rescued, it's like a switch flipped, and everyone went back to being nothing but a background NPC in the "glorious story" that is Wuk Lamat's Adventures.

    "Yawntrail" is such an overexaggeration imo. It was a slow start but I think overall it was a fine story. We seen better, yes.
    But some of you make it sound like it was a 1/10 story. Alter your expectations.
    My expectations were set at Anime Beach Episode Filler arc, as per my Signature. I expected terrible writing that had no relevance to the plot, and was nothing more than a chance for us to hang out and be friendly friends with our friends, the Scions. I did not expect a thirteen year old's fanfiction, where her "Original Character: Do not steal" became the main character of an entire expansion, turning my own character into less than a background NPC. Even the camera is refusing to acknowledge our existence.
    (18)
    Last edited by Isala; 07-05-2024 at 03:50 AM.

  9. #9
    Player
    Rannie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Ul'dah
    Posts
    3,076
    Character
    Rannie Lfey
    World
    Faerie
    Main Class
    Red Mage Lv 100
    In not so many words... yes in too many words?

    I still haven't beat the game because I'm falling asleep during it.
    (12)
    I have a secret to tell. From my electrical well. It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells. So the room must listen to me Filibuster vigilantly. My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e. My story's infinite Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest- TMBG Birdhouse in your Soul
    A huge THANK YOU!!!! For FINALLY selling the Meteor Survivor Polo on the store. AND a huge thanks to my friend who bought it for me while he was at Fan Fest!!! YES I finally have my POLO!!!

  10. #10
    Player
    Regis_Paran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
    Posts
    97
    Character
    Asane Paran
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    Bard Lv 100
    I finished MSQ today. And I wouldn't call it Yawntrail, no. It was a chore for me. Ugly, soulsucking chore. And though it was some years since I finished various schools, I now feel like it's first day of summer holidays. I'm finally free!...

    This is not how I expected the expansion to play out. Still, I'm naive enough to hope that patches will be better. Gonna skip though all WL dialogue that will ever pop, obviously.
    (18)

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