Positive Dawntrail Narrative Feedback Thread

[DarkMasamune]

Didn't like most of the MSQ, but I did enjoy Mamook, Bakool Ja Ja's redemption (althought a cliché, I enjoyed it, the story was touching), the dungeons were really nice and the mechanics were original and fun.

The scenery is quite nice and I enjoyed the little callbacks to FFIX (the Yan in neons in Solution 9, I thought they were absolutely adorables, and I'm sure there are more that I missed).

Also props to lil Gulool Ja. He's cute.

Edit : Oh and Koana got to be a bro by the end and I loved that. He didn't stand out that much in the beginning but I really liked him by the end.

[RabendaShin]

Didn't like most of the MSQ, but I did enjoy Mamook, Bakool Ja Ja's redemption (althought a cliché, I enjoyed it, the story was touching), the dungeons were really nice and the mechanics were original and fun.

The scenery is quite nice and I enjoyed the little callbacks to FFIX (the Yan in neons in Solution 9, I thought they were absolutely adorables, and I'm sure there are more that I missed).

Also props to lil Gulool Ja. He's cute.

Edit : Oh and Koana got to be a bro by the end and I loved that. He didn't stand out that much in the beginning but I really liked him by the end.

Completely agree with you, especially on the Bakool Ja Ja part. Cliché's can work when used correctly, though I would have enjoyed a bit more emotional development from the point he ran away crying.

Some speeches from the antagonists were also quite gripping, such as Zoraal Ja stating "You ask a lost man for the way", or Sphene deciding to no longer be an overprotective queen and take action instead.
Though looking back their writing may have seemed better because of the drivel Wuk Lamat spouted 24/7 about peace and food and friendship.

[LilimoLimomo]

Overall I found the writing of the MSQ to be poor, but it wasn't universally bad.

I found myself pleasantly surprised when Gulool Ja Ja talked with us about none of the contenders for the throne being ready for it. I needed that, because it felt so wrong trying to put any of these chuckleheads into a position of power. So at that point, instead of feeling like I was being forced to win the throne for Wuk Lamat, I was able to view it as trying to be a mentor for her. And I enjoyed watching her grow, all the way up until she was made queen, when that growth was replaced with regression and her ideas were never challenged again.

I liked getting to know Koana, especially in terms of his love for his sister and how that was clearly more important to him than anything. That was well done.

With the exception of every interaction with the Scions, I generally liked being able to learn about the various villages and their people during the competition arc. The cooking challenge village was particularly well-written in that regard, as it seemed clear just how much fun the villagers were having with it and how they were struggling not to let their strict facade slip. I have to note that I disliked the Hanuhanu one, though, because it was unfortunate to paint the Hanuhanu as if they had forgotten their own history and needed outsiders to remember it for them.

I liked the way they sold Alisaie being frustrated that she couldn't go to Living Memory in that scene; for a brief moment, she got to be an individual, and it was done well.

G'raha's gondola ride was kind of nice, but it felt at odds with nearly every other action he and the Scions took in Living Memory.

So far I have loved the Role Quests. The partners you get paired with have been well-written, a nice balance of being capable but also having areas where they could use help. And the villains are absolute camp, and I love them for it.

I liked all of the story chains in the Pelupelu/Giant area.

The Cornservant rules.

There's plenty to love in Dawntrail, you just generally have to go outside of the MSQ to find it.

[Cerbolt]

I enjoyed the pictomancer quests more than I thought I would. I also really liked Koana, if only he was the promise we followed. Oh and the role quests have been good so far.

Honorary mention to our lord and saviour the cornservent.

[Furrysparks]

The dialogue in this expansion was so much more natural and flowed great. I really enjoyed the first half of the msq with the lower stakes, as it let me get invested in the story since the outcome didn't seem as certain. All of the focus on the new characters was fantastic as well, was nice to see the scions have a bit of a back seat we've seen plenty of them.

Oh, and of course Bakool JaJa was fantastic.

[Papayatar]

The parts I did like about Dawntrail were when things focused off Wuk Lamat and we got time to spend with the other NPCs or were alone. Like our moments with G’raha, Erenville, Gulool Ja Ja etc. This also includes the side quest, the ones in the cities/towns, the job quests, and the crafter/gatherer delivery quests.

Almost all of those quests, or moments in the story, did what the MSQ was trying to do but 100x better. Especially with the sidequest, where we got more lore and learned about Tural cultures in a more interesting way and didn’t completely seem one note or treat the WoL like they’re just window dressing in the setting.

Also, I loved the dungeons and trial design. It feels like it has been the most engaging it has been for awhile. I hope even when our gear is better the engagement doesn’t drop too much either. At minimum that one post MSQ dungeon will keep ppl on their toes, but that first boss needs an adjustment cuz there’s something unfair about how the debuffs happen also it’s a caster nightmare even for casters who can be more mobile.

[ppserica]

Wanted to add onto this thread once the normal raids story was released, and now here we are!
I think Dawntrail isn't perfect, but it has a lot of merits that I feel like are going overlooked by the playerbase at large. (To be clear, I really liked the expansion. Yes, even Wuk Lamat.)

• I liked the fact that we had an expansion with really strong messaging that drove the story. It helped that the themes of diversity and legacy are themes that I generally enjoy in a narrative, but I appreciated that it felt like the writing team set out with this story with a purpose in mind.
• As mentioned by a lot of people in the thread, the individual character writing has been really strong. The game's story is not and has never been particularly subtle (and this is not a bad thing), but it felt like a lot of thought was put into the dialogue and I liked that you weren't necessarily being spoon-fed the inner thoughts of each character. Zoraal Ja is probably the most prominent example, but each character's development arcs were enjoyable to track.
• The way the tone was controlled was pretty nice! Sometimes the story has tonal issues but this expansion I felt had the least of them all. The tonal transition from generally lighthearted succession competition arc to more serious Heritage Found onward arc was handled pretty well, and the similar transition in the raid story has me optimistic that this will continue going forward.
• On that note, I actually enjoyed the pacing. I liked taking the chance to talk to the peoples and understand their values and what makes them tick. It did make me feel like I was learning about and experiencing something new and unfamiliar.
• In line with that, I loved the cultural stuff and real-world parallels! I've enjoyed seeing people resonate with parts of the story in ways that I didn't even imagine.

I think they succeeded with telling a story that has a lot to build upon. I do look forward to what the team has to offer going forward.

[Nyxs]

I liked that the new raids not having Woke lmao in it

Good fights and story.

[SeriousPan]

The self contained adventure of Shaaloani was fun and I want more adventures like that. Just put it in a better place in the plot rather than right after a big dramatic moment.

[Catwho]

The self contained adventure of Shaaloani was fun and I want more adventures like that. Just put it in a better place in the plot rather than right after a big dramatic moment.

FYI, they intended for you to take a break after that big dramatic moment. The NPCs said as much. The pacing issues of the story are greatly mollified if you accept the NPCs saying, "You worked hard and just went through a lot, let's go take a break!" and go do something else like level an alt class or some crafting.