Please stop splitting the MSQ between two Stories [spoilers]

[Dulcia]

Attenion there will be spoilers in this thread

Stormblood, Endwalker, Dawntrail

What does these three have in common? All three have a MSQ that is split in two. Stormblood was split between Ala Mihgo and Doma, Endwalker was split from Garlemald and resolving things with Zenos to suddenly Sad Bird Girl is destroying the world, and Dawntrail went from Right of Succession to suddenly Alexandria.

Square, please stop doing this.

I understand the desire to tell the story so you can move on to the stories you want to tell, but this impatience does not do the pacing of the game any good. These areas desrve more respect and time to flesh out the characters that live in work in these places. In the example of end walkers I felt Garlemald was wasted. Not only was it destroyed off screen, but then any major story beats fall flat here because suddenly the world ending threat out of no where overshadows it and the struggles of Garlemald are forgotten. Did anyone else notice how Garlemald is still hidden by a cloud on the official map? There is more to explore there and Endwalkers should have been the expansion to do it. I think we could have gotten more out of endwalkers - but I 'll set that aside for now because that is a distraction from my true point which is:Having two stories in one MSQ really hurts the pacing of the game.

My enjoyment of FFXIV really stems from the Story. When the story captures me, it makes me want to live in this world. When the story fails to do that, I cancel my sub.

It is clear that this kind of thinking is a problem when you have the biggest expansion ever in Dawntrail and a lot of its moments fall flat due to pacing issues. Moments like Wuk Lamat's father, Krile's Parents, Erenville's mom - all these don't get the time they deserve. So much time is spent on Wuk Lamat, when the time could easily be spread out on the characters participating in the story with her. Give the other contestants time to develope into full fledged characters. Show them struggle in their own ways with the trial.

By the Twelve, it could have been so beautiful.

Imagine the scenario where the plot focused soley on Wuk Lamat's journey. You might argue that things would be more padded, but in my opinion this would only give more time and room to develop the regions and characters of Tural. Think about it.

Shadowbringers is universally loved. Why? Did you ever notice that its plot had a single throughline? From the beginning to the end it told a single story, not two different stories. It is honestly how all expansions should be. If Dawntrail had followed Shadowbringers example instead of Stormblood it would have been a much better expansion.

Meanwhile places like Solution 9 feel empty and lifeless because so little time is spent living and developing there.

You have ten years ahead of you, whats the rush?

[GrizzlyTank]

Yeah, Garlemald proper should have been it's own expansion.

An reccuring issue that started with the introduction of Zenos. Skipping out on the political drama. In SB Zenos was a black hole for it, not caring about it at all. In ShB Zenos was straight up used to kill it off. Bozja was cut short. And since then we haven't really had any of it to fill that spot.

So we are left with characters that don't really have that much weight to the world.

[Boblawblah]

What's odder is that this was split into two, but it still felt like a filler episode in a lot of ways. The single Azem reference at the end isn't exactly on the same level as how they built up the intrigue of the Ascians and the nature of the world in ARR. I've said it before, but I was really hoping for an ARR style of expansion, but it seems they have their own ideas.

[tsuchii]

The level of entitlement here is unreal, imo. I almost feel insulted for the writer/writers.

Though the pacing might be fast and abrupt, I will disagree that the stories from your examples are 'split'. They are not.

[GrizzlyTank]

The level of entitlement here is unreal, imo. I almost feel insulted for the writer/writers.

Though the pacing might be fast and abrupt, I will disagree that the stories from your examples are 'split'. They are not.

Yoshi himself have said they chose to cut the storylines down.

[Kasasagi]

There is no split in the story. The focus ist in each of these expansions on a Character. Stormblood was Lyse, Endwalker Fandaniel/Hermes and Dawntrail is Wuk Lamat. These Characters were the focus of each Story. The diffrent locations where they went was the story.

And yes the WoL is the Main character of FFXIV but the focus in evrey Expansion was on a diffrent Character or characters. In ARR it was the Scions, in HW Estinian and Ysale Shadowbringer was Emet-Selch and Minfilia/Ryne.

[Eloah]

I think the OP is confused by what splitting a story implies. Literally it would be telling one story seperated into multiple parts, that can function as solo stories. The Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga is an example of split story telling, as it incorporates the original launch and the expansions ARR to EW. But each expansion can function on it's own.

What the expansions listed, and arguably every expansion thus far, does is called story threading, which focuses and connects a story through character experiences. Each expansion deals with characters whose experiences drive the story and connects the plots of seemingly "unrelated things". Every expansions base story, besides possibly Shadowbringers, has the focus shift as the story demands. ARR shifts from humble beginnings to fighting the "big bad"; common in most JRPGs. HW shifts from ending a war, to ending a corrupt religion. StB shifts between two characters trying to end the same conflict in their respective regions. EW shifts from trying to stop the Telophoroi to trying to stop the return of the final days. And DT shifts from a "peaceful" rite of succession to trying to prevent an invasion from another world. These all connect by the characters shared experiences.

Admittedly, how the sections of the story connect can feel a bit "flimsy" at times, but they are still important overall. Garlemald is that connection point in Endwalker, and is arguably one of the better ones given its relevance to the overall plot.

[Daralii]

I think the OP is confused by what splitting a story implies. Literally it would be telling one story seperated into multiple parts, that can function as solo stories. The Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga is an example of split story telling, as it incorporates the original launch and the expansions ARR to EW. But each expansion can function on it's own.

What the expansions listed, and arguably every expansion thus far, does is called story threading, which focuses and connects a story through character experiences. Each expansion deals with characters whose experiences drive the story and connects the plots of seemingly "unrelated things". Every expansions base story, besides possibly Shadowbringers, has the focus shift as the story demands. ARR shifts from humble beginnings to fighting the "big bad"; common in most JRPGs. HW shifts from ending a war, to ending a corrupt religion. StB shifts between two characters trying to end the same conflict in their respective regions. EW shifts from trying to stop the Telophoroi to trying to stop the return of the final days. And DT shifts from a "peaceful" rite of succession to trying to prevent an invasion from another world. These all connect by the characters shared experiences.

Admittedly, how the sections of the story connect can feel a bit "flimsy" at times, but they are still important overall. Garlemald is that connection point in Endwalker, and is arguably one of the better ones given its relevance to the overall plot.

ShB still had a pretty sharp turn from killing the Lightwardens to everything that came after the gunshot, but the two flowed into each other much better than most of the other focus shifts. One part it did especially well was the lull between Innocence and The Tempest where the WoL was facing a fate worse than death, the First was on the brink again, and some characters were desperately trying to find a solution while others were resigning themselves to their fate. The game hasn't had a lot of segments like that which were slow and low-action but with such a heavy atmosphere.

[Eloah]

ShB still had a pretty sharp turn from killing the Lightwardens to everything that came after the gunshot, but the two flowed into each other much better than most of the other focus shifts. One part it did especially well was the lull between Innocence and The Tempest where the WoL was facing a fate worse than death, the First was on the brink again, and some characters were desperately trying to find a solution while others were resigning themselves to their fate. The game hasn't had a lot of segments like that which were slow and low-action but with such a heavy atmosphere.

This is true, I didn't think of it that way. Thanks for the info.

[Payadopa]

I very much enjoyed the story. I think it's fine. Certainly better than the SB split.