Revelations from Patch 7.2: Seekers of Eternity

[Fenral]

Arcadion: Cruiserweight

Did not think Howling Blade bore a resemblance to any particular mecha series. I've put together dozens of Gundam models (I'm really liking the MGSDs, I love the MGEX Strike Freedom I put together during Hurricane Helene, and the Cal-Re.A is pretty sweet too) so I know a thing or two; other than the detachable drones (funnels) I didn't see much resemblance.

Slightly off-topic:

I am a model kit newbie by comparison, but I have an LBX Hunter standing on my computer tower next to my acrylic G'raha standee (and LBX Fenrir in a box waiting for my next free afternoon). I think Danball Senki is the only "mecha" series to do digitigrade legs and entirely cosmetic (and floofy!) tails (just not in the kits T^T), but the other obvious aesthetic source besides Custom Robo (which is more based on action figures a la G.I. Joe than model kits) is probably Mega Man, which has definitely done a number of beastly hybrids and also tends towards human faces. Notably, Howling Blade's arms aren't even jointed like a robot's, they look metallic but bend naturally at the elbow, so I think that disqualifies him as a Gundam already. That's some new-model Reploid nonsense right there. Or someone got lazy with the rigging.

I never got into Seed, but the MGEX Strike Freedom does look really cool.

[mallleable]

Does anyone know the song that plays when Calyx is first introduced? Is it from FFIX or is it new music?

Asked around elsewhere, and it turns out it might be new music after all. The plot thickens!

[Cleretic]

Does anyone know the song that plays when Calyx is first introduced? Is it from FFIX or is it new music?

Asked around elsewhere, and it turns out it might be new music after all. The plot thickens!

Yeah, that theme's new, and to my knowledge doesn't have a known name yet.

[Tehmon]

If Calyx is going to stick around I hope they tone down the chunibyou. While generally I think XIV does an amazing job at balancing aspects of western and eastern storytelling and tropes, Calyx took a pretty deep dive into the anime tropes and aesthetics that it was pretty jarring to me.

[Cassar]

So, about Calyx...

How big do you think his role will be going forward? According to Yoshi P the 7.1-7.3 cycle will "conclude the story of Dawntrail", but that doesn't necessarily mean Calyx will be dead and dealt with, right?

Do you think he'll be a side villain in 8.0, kind of like Zenos? Do you think we'll learn that Calyx is just one piece of a bigger scheme being plotted by the real villains, kind of like the new Ascians for the future expansions?

Or do you think he'll simply die in 7.3, never to be mentioned again?

[mallleable]

I think Calyx, and Preservation will be defeated in Dawntrail, but I think they are a part of a bigger plot. Whether they are aware they were part of a bigger plot is hard to say, Calyx seems to know a lot.

[Grimr]

Spoilers Ahead

The arcadian

First up the accardian. It ws pretty normal ha dahell of a time for the first one dancing green. Really not liking this new direction of tells for mechs.Rest of the fights were ok.

MSQ

Quite frankly it is a little late to introduce preservation and Calrx. If Dawntrail is supposed to be wrapped up in 7.3 what is the point of introducing him right now? Among other things i am pretty sure lightning does not make the soil soft enough for buildings to get submerged.It would have been a charred wreck like heritage found was. By now i would think we could of gone to the ninth shard use electrope to make water aether directly countering the rampant lightning aether and then everyone goes home. But instead were fooling around on our own shard trying to stop this villain from attacking other shards. Not too mention this guys doesn't really have an amry to begin with. All the electrope is in on the ninth. You'll mine what you have on the source in no time.

As you can guess i am not fond of the msq. There really was not any point to come to turyola. All the conflict is on the heritage found, solution 9, ninth shard area. It reminds me of the stormblood expansion when they tried to do gyr albana and doma at the same time.

[mallleable]

Thinking about what Calyx's 'new question' might be.

Is mankind fit to evolve? Calyx might answer "no."

[Cleretic]

So, about Calyx...

How big do you think his role will be going forward? According to Yoshi P the 7.1-7.3 cycle will "conclude the story of Dawntrail", but that doesn't necessarily mean Calyx will be dead and dealt with, right?

Do you think he'll be a side villain in 8.0, kind of like Zenos? Do you think we'll learn that Calyx is just one piece of a bigger scheme being plotted by the real villains, kind of like the new Ascians for the future expansions?

Or do you think he'll simply die in 7.3, never to be mentioned again?

I hope the answer is 'very', because Calyx is immediately among the most interesting villains that FFXIV has ever had to me. The game's always had villains who are big on feelings, and small on any sort of reasoned, calculative thought or planning; hell, even the unfeeling robot trying to find The Strongest Warrior was ultimately motivated by emotions and had no actual plan. it's genuinely compelling and uniquely chilling to be going up against a villain who has Done The Math.

If we want to talk about what sort of role he can take, the immediate comparison in terms of patch presence is Asahi, who also turned up in a .2 expansion patch as an unusual, off-step villain. A pessimist would say that means he dies next patch, but I'd put forward that Asahi laid the groundwork for Fandaniel, so if this is the pattern being followed, we can't just immediately write him off even if someone shoots him several times next patch; he stays on the corkboard.

...But I'd say a much more likely character to compare against might be Elidibus, who also made his debut in patches and continued to be a long-term concern for years afterward, even if in his case we didn't actually want him around for most of that (seriously, the one-patch rejuvenation of Elidibus' whole character is maybe the most impressive stunt in the entire game). If we're setting for The Future of FFXIV, it makes much more sense that Calyx is our new Elidibus than anything else--especially because they gave him the honor of a whole new theme.

[Kranel_San]

The new antagonist doesn't seem to be so bad, as in, looks like he may make for a good villain. BUT. I cannot get over how absolutely awful his character model looks. Like they pasted a 12 year old boy's head onto an adult body and then gave him a stock anime scientist outfit. Like they were trying to make a Genshin character in FFXIV. He just looks so awful. They really need to decide on an art direction and theme then just stick with it.

That is a bit of the point with him though. He looks generic because he was a person who was suck in bed for his whole life due to his condition so he never got to live a life that allowed him to make himself look unique. As a result he was always sick and physically he never properly developed as a result of it.

I'd like to add that if I'm not mistaken. There's a line that mentions he was severely sick from birth and didn't have much time to live. As such, I believe physically he died during his teen years and is the reason why he look very young and childlike. He's probably the same age of Alphinaud/Alisaie prior to his death.