I can't connect with the Memories of Vanadiel

[Gwenkatsu]

Yoshida said that this is the kind of expansion and story he's wanted to make ever since he got the reins, so it's actually our fault for liking the preceding decade and thinking that was the game's identity.

I'ld rather hear him say that about HW or SB. But if DT truely is his vision, then having cancelled my sub was the best thing I could do.

[CaptainLagbeard]

Yeah, the ivalice raids were woven into ffxiv. With both the presence of Garlemald's 4th legion creeping around in the areas, to Ultima the high seraph who we now know is connected to something even bigger embedded somewhere on the planet.
While also populating south western Othard on the map.

These Alliance raids, that may or may not be the re-imagining of another shard?

And while the music isn't bad, it's tone doesn't match the pacing of FFXIV unfortunately.

It's somewhat linked in with the story as I remember Sareel saying that after he got backstabbed by Zoraal and thrown off the bridge near the gate to Living Memory he ended up in the actual Vana'Diel. And after he somehow got out of there and he's been recreating it with a combination of his magic and electrope for reasons not fully yet explained... But that Gulool Ja Ja he has with him is part of it.

[Villa101]

Why can't we get original content and creativity? Or are we doomed to live in that perpetual loop of nostalgia down memory lane thinking that it will suddenly make everybody else hooked?

FFXIV has always been a theme park mmo. I do not know what to tell you. Most people aren't familiar with the material enough to even notice. TBH there are parts that aren't theme park enough.

[Villa101]

Yeah, the ivalice raids were woven into ffxiv. With both the presence of Garlemald's 4th legion creeping around in the areas, to Ultima the high seraph who we now know is connected to something even bigger embedded somewhere on the planet.
While also populating south western Othard on the map.

These Alliance raids, that may or may not be the re-imagining of another shard?

And while the music isn't bad, it's tone doesn't match the pacing of FFXIV unfortunately.

That's not unfair, i actually really like how the fft and ffxii stuff was woven in. Kinda wish we could get back to that but a lot of people didn't like bozja so i dunno if that's happpening

[Sunhwapark]

I skipped all the alliance raid story but thought the fights were cool.
I'd probably try XI at some point just to see what it's all about.

[Absurdity]

FFXIV has always been a theme park mmo. I do not know what to tell you. Most people aren't familiar with the material enough to even notice. TBH there are parts that aren't theme park enough.

Doesn't matter that it's a theme park MMO.
Sure XIV was always really just a bunch of instances you queued into but they at least used to try to connect it to the existing world they had created, to make it seem more vast than it actually was.
If I want a bunch of spectacle with no connection to anything I would play PSO2.

[Kennar]

I haven't read this whole thread, so I'm probably repeating things here.

As an old FFXI vet, I can't stand this raid series. The story makes zero sense, locations and enemies have no connection to each other or a larger theme, and the only nostalgia I get is a longing for better days. Frankly, my memory of most of XI is 20+ years old anyway, so even being a vet I have trouble connecting with this on anything more than a superficial level. FFXI's Vana'diel is a wonderful, well-crafted, believable world, and what we got here is a shambling Frankenstein's monster of parts sewn together for no real purpose. Requiring an NPC to give a short exposition dump about various places and bosses is not a good way to tell a story.

What this did for me is make me want a FFXI-2. I want to keep exploring Vana'diel with updated graphics and an imporved user experience (but not too improved, some complexity will filter out the tourists). Early last year I reactivated my old XI account, and while everything I loved about the game was still there, everything I had issues with also still existed. It didn't help matters that the starting zones were empty, and coming back to a dead friends-list and linkshells was... melancholic, to say the least.

FFXIV has always been a theme park mmo. I do not know what to tell you.

I said this at the end of 7.0, but the attitude of "it's always been this way, deal with it" is a poor excuse for not improving. There is absolutely no reason why they couldn't have made something new and original for the alliance raids. I've been around enough that I didn't expect anything more from this series, but I sure hoped for it.