Feedback/Rant about Dawntrail's MSQ, Areas, Dungeons and other stuff.

[blinushka]

(Please correct me, as I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this, also apologies for any grammatical errors - English is not my first language.)
[playing on JP dub since 2022ish]

Please be aware, some of these things might be insanely nitpicky so I don't expect everyone to agree nor disagree. I am a big fan of the game, but I have to be very harsh regarding this expansion.

MASSIVE SPOILERS, so please do not read if you haven't finished.

Let's start off with DT's MSQ and it's areas.

Beginning of the MSQ is great, it's a fresh start and new view of an adventure - our world isn't under any direct threat or anything familiar - just an adventure to somewhere new and exciting.

I think the ascension race was done relatively well up until the halfway point of the MSQ, where it becomes very clear the story has to end and it ends quite abruptly, imo.
After that the MSQ does a big shift that makes me question the team whoever was in charge of it.

My main problem(s) can be split into two:
1) MSQ shifting to this whole futuristic vibe, mixed in with mentions and inclusion of reflections and then our world, or rather Tuliyollal being under threat by some robotic forces lead by Zarool Ja.
I feel like the massive shift 180ing the story for what happened, it made me confused lots of times and not understand, perhaps for that very reason I became uninterested at times.
The whole ordeal with Zarool Ja and Sphene could've been done better or atleast ditching the whole futuristic mess and sticking to the theme that last areas actually offered would've been a better design choice. Ancient Aztec civilization under the military rule of Zarool Ja or something like that would've made it much much more interesting.

2) I think it's safe to say, a lot of people expected the areas (after Shaaloani, so Yyasulani for example) to be inspired and resemble the Americas, ie: Aztecs, Mayans and other Native American inspired cultures and architecture - because that was the clear and defined theme of the expansion and it was amazing until it had a massive shift for the futuristic stuff that I genuinely do not like.

This may be far-fetched but to me - Living Memory felt like Elpis thematically and the way it tries to give off a message, the absolute change of scenery after you've done good chunk MSQ in Living Memory just to have it have some default metal texture on 90% of the area is just wasted potential (this may change with patch quests/tribal quests, who knows).

Alexandria to this extent, for me at least - felt like unnecessary addition.

[blinushka]

To conclude these main concerns, I will add another thing I've noticed - while trying to be a unique experience and adventure, DT seems to take inspiration or outright borrow stuff from other expansions.
Mind you, this was supposed to be a new story, the conclusive story of ARR to EW ended.

The ascension race could've just been made the entire premise of the MSQ or at least be 70/80% of it and not half-way of the MSQ.

Moving onto the smaller and more nit-picky side of things.
This part of the post will be extremely nit-picky and some might view this as too specifically critique but nevertheless - it's stuff I've noticed yet again.

Some of the dungeons had a very strong start just to turn mediocre halfway/to the end.
I.E - The Skydeep Cenote and Tender Valley.
I'm aware that enemies and their models are often times reused or have a slight makeover.

Skydeep Cenote's last boss is slightly altered E4S Titan's 2nd phase. Seriously?
Ronkan enemies, Ronkan gear, and not to forget - even Qitana Ravel's reused mechanics for the first mini-boss pull for Tender Valley's other half.
Yes I am aware this is explained once you finish Tender Valley, but this comes back to my criticism of trying to be like Shadowbringers, just please let the expansion be it's own unique thing
Alexandria (dungeon) feels like trying to be another The Dead Ends.

Dungeon gear is reused and repainted, on few dungeons, why? I know this is a common theme in the game but considering the implementation of 2dye system, you'd think at least making new unique gear for these dungeons would be a good way to move away from the old?
A lot of people focus on glamour and farm pieces, as one would joke it's the real end-game, so making new unique gear would extend and add more to the already existing hundreds pieces, instead the pool is cluttered with reskins (again).

Balance changes to certain classes and mainstreaming the game seems to be making the game easier, even though we were said to have harder content and gameplay.

For example, GNB and DRK's gap-closers. What was the point of removing the damage on hit? Why remove any enmity just to re-add it? Now it's a gap-closer with enmity just worse. Yes gap-closers didn't do much but it was still potency damage.
The inclusion of the system where you can keep pressing 1, 1 and 1 on the newer (correct me if I'm wrong, and already existing) jobs seems very streamlined and makes the gameplay dull. I'm aware you can turn it off and everyone plays differently - I think there are some things that require more attention than this system.

I think I've ranted and rambled enough and gave my very thorough and raw thoughts, feedback and dissatisfaction with this expansion that I paid for.

[DynnDiablos]

I really wasn't a fan of the zones to be honest. I love large zones when utilized properly and taken advantage of but most of these zones had very little story that was contained to just a small portion of the zone. Other expansions, I had reasons to go back and explore the zones or just wanted to hang out in them. Sadly, with DT's zones I have ZERO interest to be there. Even Solution 9 feels large to just be large and ultimately hollow.