Endwalker storywise should've been the end of the game

[Hallarem]

I think they rushed Endwalker, and wrote themselves into a corner. The "end of a saga" with them tossing ends of the universe, spaceships and carrying on the legacy of the new guardians of Hydaelyn instead of the ancients including the end credit scene with the ancients walking past passing on the torch. It felt like the end of the whole games story, I mean where do even go from here?

They tossed way too much "epic" stuff into the expansion including nullifying the gods and ending any sense of mysticism in the game by making us go to the lifestream ANd the END OF THE UNIVERSE. Including TIME TRAVEL. Spaceships and bunnies with creation magic?

WoW did the same thing where we fought old gods, factions and blood gods and troll gods and everything in one expansion. Also they visited the afterlife. How CAN you ground the story anymore after that? I feel like its an impossible task and everything kind of feels empty after they already played all their cards storywise. They should've pumped the breaks and grounded themselves, but now everyone thinks the WoL is Goku and that is just not going to make for an interesting story at all.

[Atreus]

I think it's perfectly possible to create a new, engaging story following something like Endwalker. It's just they haven't really accomplished it yet with Dawntrail. Bits of 7.3 piqued my interest, but yeah admittedly it could have done much better, much sooner.

[ViinaS]

I do agree that Endwalker was rushed. Like how they said FFXIV went so well that they.... skipped the entirety of Garlemald and flattened it offscreen instead.

I also disliked the part with the gods, agree.
So while I agree they went and put too many loose ends into a messy bundle I wouldn't agree with ending the story of FFXIV there.
Cause that would've been a surefire way into maintenance mode.

Now they need to start a new, compelling arc. I wouldn't have minded if the expansion after Endwalker was a vacation Expac to give them more time for planning tho.
However Dawntrail failed as a new starting point for an arc and also failed as a vacation expansion.

Now it rests all on 8.0 to open up a new, compelling arc, and if 8.0 fails to do that.... well, then FFXIV will have big issues.
Cause if 8.0 does not salvage the goodwill of the majority of players (not counting the fanboys that are happy with anything as long as its's "more FFXIV no matter the quality") then FFXIV may fall.

But enough of the doomsaying, fact is DT is bad, bled players and had financial consequences. 8.0 can not afford to be just passable, it has to be a hit, tho I am not sure if SE wants to realize that too.

[Jeeqbit]

I felt that way. And I think even Yoshi-P felt that way. It was because he realized this, that he went and delayed Endwalker and modified Emet-Selch's speech to tease all the future places we go. The thing is, we've already been to most of those places now.

• "the ruins beneath the waters of the Bounty?" - Alzadaal's Legacy
• "The fabled golden cities of the New World?" - Dawntrail, Living Memory
• "The sacred sites of the forgotten people of the south sea isles?" - Variant Dungeon (Aloalo Island), Milala lore from Dawntrail
• "The true identities of the Twelve, for instance." - Myths of the Realm
• "Some of the civilizations in the reflections will surprise you." - Dawntrail, Living Memory again

What remains:

• the treasure islands beyond the frozen waters of Blindfrost, in Othard's north
• What about Meracydia, the southern continent? Do you know aught of its present state of affairs?
• Some of the civilizations in the reflections will surprise you. (in case there's more to surprise us)
• Corvos teased a lot.

[Daralii]

I liked it when 6.0 and both of EW's raid series were supposed to mark a conclusive end to Amaurot's influence on the modern world. but then they walked it back almost immediately. If you're going to pull out the "true age of mortals" trope, you kind of need to commit to it and nail the execution of it and what follows.