Thread: My Concern for 7.3 - Endwalkerization

We were already told that 7.3 would end the Dawntrail narrative and that 7.4 onward would be pre-expansion lead-up.
Endwalker was completely a one-off in that regard.

They already confirmed long ago Endwalker was the exception because it was the conclusion of the Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc and Dawntrail would return to the ending at x.3 format.

Endwalker post-patch went from 6.1 to 6.5 because it was designed as a complete story arc for those patches. I think they can see the flaw, though, that that sort of format doesn't really allow for enough expansion set-up.

Omg, that gives me hope that something new and fresh is around the corner. A clean slate is what we all need, and hopefully, not just for story but gameplay too.

I think its mostly due to poor build up.

Shadowbringers while it does an interesting twist in 4.4 into 5.0, it also leaves little room to properly build up the new world. At least with radz-at-han it was more established since 2.0. As its more interested in the cosmic scale of things.

Like lets go with two easy examples by comparison. 2.0 to 2.55 establishes Coerthas, but also Ishgard and all that would come later in 3.0. While 2.0 to 3.55 is more about establishing all that would come with Doma and Ala Mhigo.

Shadowbringers, while it does something different and interesting, its more a mood thing than a world establishing thing in 4.4 to 4.55. As its wants to create tension and mystery and the payoff with 5.0 is a black mirror of the home world. Its also more interested in building up and portraying the whole cosmic scale of things rather than doing more work to properly establish new locations for future expansions, that of radz-at-hand, the new world (aka tural), and meracydia. Which would be fine, if shadowbringers was the penultimate expansion with endwalker being the last expansion the game got. But its not.

That of the three afformentioned future location, at least radz-at-han and meracydia were having build up since 2.0. Tural is more fragmented and had more emphasis on a handful of concepts. Such concepts are: Some food, the city of gold, blue magic and the whalaqee, a two-headed mamool ja leader, and where mamool ja come from.

Which I feel we would have had more proper connections and storylines if frankly 5.0 to 6.0, 6.1 to 6.5, and 7.0 to 7.3 weren't all about other worlds as the home world feels like its shrinking and being overtaken by all this shard stuff. Especially if there is meant to be hypothetically 3 to 4 more expansions of this.

Originally Posted by Hallarem

They also mentioned that Dawntrail would be the new start, but now it isn't the new start, but 8.0 is the new start? If 8.0 "fails" are we gonna get a 9.0 "No guys, this is the real real REAL start"

There's plenty of dangling plot hooks in the back half of Dawntrail that can be used to spin a story for quite a long time if they feel like it, while digging around in ARR-Endwalker for other tidbits, they don't need to start over.

no more level caps would be nice.... and then adding content in odd and ends over and over instead.


They got areas from ARR to DT to populate with content to do and or maybe linking some of it together for the endgame.

The main conflict of Dawntrail is expected to be resolved in 7.3, but we'll likely still be in, and around Tural in 7.4, and .5 as we gear up for 8.0. Pleeeeease be Meracydia.

Literally said the story ends in 7.3 in the live letter. Pay attention.